Tiptoe Primary School

TIPTOE PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 7 th – 10 th October 2002

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TIPTOE 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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TIPTOE 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. Tiptoe Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Wootton Road Tiptoe Lymington Hampshire

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The Governing Body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: June 2000 Tiptoe 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

Mr M Burghart Registered inspector Areas of learning for children in the Foundation Stage; English; Information and communication technology; Religious education; Art and design; Physical education; English as an additional language. How well are pupils taught? How well is the school led and managed? What should the school do to improve further?

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Dr F Hurd 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?

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Mr J Palethorpe Team inspector Mathematics; Science; Design and technology; Music; Educational inclusion. The school’s results and pupils’ achievements. How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils? Mrs C Richardson Team inspector Special educational needs; Geography; History.

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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 WC2B 6SE Tiptoe Primary School - 5

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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

Tiptoe Primary is a below average sized primary school in the village of the same name in the New Forest near Lymington in Hampshire. The school provides very good accommodation for four classes and a special unit for eight pupils with specific learning difficulties. All classes contain pupils from more than one age group. There are 119 children on the school roll aged four to eleven. There is an average of 28 pupils per class in the main school. Pupils are drawn from the local surrounding area from mostly private accommodation. All pupils attend some kind of pre-school group before starting Year R. Their attainment on entry to the school, aged four, varies, but overall is average for the county with strengths in language. The headteacher has been in post for almost three years. She is supported by four full time and three part time teachers, all of whom were appointed in the last three years. The proportion of pupils on the special educational needs register in the

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

main school is slightly above average. All eight pupils currently attending the Special Unit for children aged between seven and eleven have formal statements of need under the terms of the DfES Code of Practice. Seven children are known to be eligible for free school meals, which is well below the national average. No pupils have English as an additional language and there are no children from ethnic minority families. The last full inspection in 1998 put the school into special measures. Following that report all of the teaching staff left and a substantial number of parents withdrew their children. The most notable result being that there are only eight pupils in the current Year 6. In 2000 a follow-up inspection found the school no longer required such measures. Since then the school’s reputation has grown and it is now oversubscribed in the reception year.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Tiptoe Primary is a rapidly improving school which now makes good provision for pupils’ education. Standards have been considerably improved and are now good in English and at least satisfactory in all other subjects except information and communication technology (and here rapid progress is being made). Very good consideration of pupils’ personal, as well as academic needs is effective in helping pupils to make good progress. Good teaching has very positive impacts on learning and adds good value to pupils’ performance. Very good leadership and management, which involves all teachers and governors, underpin the excellent progress the school has made since the last full inspection. Pupils and staff get on very well together and the school’s ethos is very good. Pupils with special educational needs are included very successfully in school life. Although spending per child is above the national average it matches income and the school now gives good, and much improved, value for

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What the school does well

• Standards are above average in English and numeracy when pupils leave the school. • Teaching is good, and in over a third of lessons, very good. • The school is very well led and managed. Excellent progress has been made since the last full inspection. • It provides a very good learning environment and takes good care of pupils. • The special educational needs unit is very well run and helps pupils to make very good progress. • Pupils’ attitudes, behaviour and relationships are very good and provision for moral and social development is excellent. Tiptoe Primary School - 7

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What could be improved

In the context of the school’s very good awareness of its strengths and relative weaknesses this inspection raises no key issues for improvement. Areas that the school is already considering for development feature: provision and standards in information and communication technology (ICT); pupils’ multicultural awareness; the development of ‘non core 1 ’ subjects and the Foundation Stage 2 ; library use and provision; and attendance rates. 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 last full inspection in 1998 put the school into special measures and raised many issues for urgent improvement. In June 2000 Her Majesty’s Inspectors (HMI) found the situation was being improved, that the school had made good progress, and no longer required special measures. Currently improvements continue to be managed very effectively. The school is judged as having made excellent progress since 1998. It received an achievement award from the DfES for improvements in standards in 2000. Standards are now at least in line with national expectations. The quality of teaching has been dramatically improved. Teachers’ knowledge of ICT is being enhanced by in-service training. Serious weaknesses in management have been very successfully corrected. All the key issues of 1998 have been addressed and the three areas for continued development of 2000 have been systematically improved. In addition National Strategies for Literacy and Numeracy have been very

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

effectively introduced and improvements to accommodation and resources have been well managed. Pupils’ attitudes and behaviour are now judged strengths. The school is very well placed for future development.

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STANDARDS

The table shows the standards achieved by pupils at the end of Year 6 based on average point scores 3 in National Curriculum tests.

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STANDARDS

Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

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STANDARDS

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

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STANDARDS

Although the above table would seem to indicate mathematics and science were well below average in 2001, early indications of results in 2002 show a much improved picture. With small year groups statistics can prove unreliable, but trends over time are upward. Inspection evidence from lessons and work scrutiny demonstrates marked improvement across the whole curriculum and in English, mathematics and science in particular. Standards in the main school are now above average in English and numeracy for pupils aged seven and eleven. Attainment is satisfactory in all other subjects, except in ICT where although work currently being undertaken is satisfactory, pupils have yet to cover all required elements in sufficient depth to have reached national expectations. Recent rapid progress is addressing

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STANDARDS

1 Non core subjects refer to subjects other than English, mathematics, science, ICT and religious education. 2 The Foundation Stage refers to children from entry up to and including age six when they complete the reception year. 3 Average point scores refer to the average of pupils’ scores weighted by Ofsted for each level attained in each subject. Tiptoe Primary School - 8 this. Children in Year R in the Foundation Stage regularly achieve all the expected learning goals before starting Year 1. Pupils in the Special Unit make very good progress against their personal targets, and throughout the school pupils, including those with special educational needs, make good progress.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Very good: pupils respond well to good teaching and are keen and enthusiastic.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Very good: much improved in and out of class.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Very good: pupils usually get on very well together in this family atmosphere, show maturity and take responsibility.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Less than satisfactory: being below the national average as a result of holidays taken in term time.

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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 Good Good Very good and occasionally excellent. 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 overall quality of teaching is good and this has very good effects on pupils’ learning. Since 1998 there has been dramatic improvement in teaching from the unsatisfactory situation described at the time of the last full inspection. Improvements reported by HMI in 2000 have been successfully built upon and, now with a stable staff, are being sustained. No lessons were unsatisfactory in this inspection compared with an exceptionally high 51 per cent in 1998. Currently five in every six lessons are at least good, in over a third they are very good, with one in ten excellent. Teaching is especially good for Years 3 to 6 where nearly a half of lessons observed were very good or better. Here one in six lessons were excellent (Years 5 and 6 English and personal and social education; Years 3 and 4 English; and Special Unit mathematics). Obvious strengths in teaching are: in the Special Unit where expectations are high and close monitoring helps pupils to make very good progress; and

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

across the school in literacy and numeracy, where pupils’ performance is developed well using the national strategies. The quality of teachers’ questioning, classroom management and organisation, the clarity of learning objectives, high expectations, and the use of assessment to set targets are all highlights. Aspects for improvement even in this good profile are in further developing marking to show pupils how to make improvements, making even more use of ICT, increasing the pace of some lessons, and developing Foundation Stage activities, particularly outdoors. Tiptoe Primary School - 9

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Satisfactory with good features in literacy and numeracy. The curriculum is broad and balanced. More to do to further develop ‘non core’ subjects and outdoor activities in the Foundation Stage, and promote ICT. Homework used effectively. Very good provision for personal, social and health education.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good overall and very good in the Special Unit. Expectations are high and pupils are helped to make very good progress. Teaching assistants make a strong contribution to pupils’ learning and the quality of relationships.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Good: much improved with excellent provision for moral and social development. Satisfactory spiritual opportunities and for cultural development, but more to do to promote pupils’ multicultural awareness.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Good. The school has successfully built upon the caring atmosphere described in past inspections. Monitoring of pupils’ personal development is very good and the use of assessment to promote progress is now well established.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s reputation is now good and rapidly improving. Year R is oversubscribed and there is a waiting list for September 2003. Communication with parents is good and parents support the school well.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Very good. The school has very clear educational direction because of the excellent leadership of the headteacher, governors and staff. The school’s strategic management plan is exemplary.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Very good: governors have played a key role in enabling the school to make significant progress. Governors are very well informed and make particularly useful contributions in personnel, policy and accommodation matters.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Excellent. The school has a very clear, accurate view of its strengths and relative weaknesses. Priorities are entirely appropriate and there is an excellent commitment to further development.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Excellent: educational priorities are supported very effectively in financial planning. The school uses staffing, accommodation and resources very effectively, and by following the principles of best value provides a very good learning environment. The school now Tiptoe Primary School - 10 gives good value for money. The school’s high carry forward figure is being used to protect staffing whilst a small year group moves through the school, maintain provision for special educational needs, and enhance accommodation. Yet more resources for ICT are needed to support work in Years 3 to 6.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Children like school. • Behaviour is now good. • Teaching is good. • Expectations are high. • The school is well led and managed. • Extracurricular activities. • Homework. • Some aspects of behaviour.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

Thirty-two parents attended the meeting with the registered inspector prior to the inspection and fifty-nine returned the Ofsted questionnaire. Five parents met with the lay inspector during the inspection. Almost without exception parents expressed their confidence in the school, appreciating the significant improvements, particularly over the last two years. Inspectors are pleased to support these views. No incidences of poor behaviour in or out of class were witnessed by inspectors, and pupils interviewed did not express concern. Extracurricular activities planned for 2002 to 2003 are judged as good overall, and homework is found to be appropriate and supportive of the curriculum. Tiptoe Primary School - 11

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. Results of 2001 National Curriculum tests for Year 2 pupils showed the percentage of pupils reaching Level 2, the expected level, in reading, to be above the national average. In writing and mathematics, the percentage was very high in comparison with the national average. When compared with similar schools, the reading results were average, but the writing and mathematics results remained very high. At the higher Level 3, compared to the national average, results were well below in reading, below in writing and average in mathematics. Compared with similar schools, results were very low in reading, well below average in writing, and average in mathematics.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. Whilst there was no national comparison data available at the time of the inspection for 2002 tests, using 2001 data as a guideline, it appears that test results at the end of Year 2 are better. Considering average point scores, and compared with the national average, reading has gone from below average to above average, writing remains above average, but mathematics has gone from well above average to average. Trends have been upwards in the last two years, with no significant differences between boys and girls.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. Results of 2001 National Curriculum tests for Year 6 pupils showed the percentage of pupils reaching Level 4, the expected level, in English, to be in line with the national average. In mathematics and science, the percentage was very low in comparison with the national average. When compared with similar schools, the English results were well above average, and the mathematics and science results were very low. At the higher Level 5, compared to the national picture, results were above average in English, but remained well below average in mathematics and science.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. As with the Year 2 tests, there was no national comparative data available, but using 2001 indicators, results appear to be slightly down in English, but with marked improvements in mathematics and science. Trends over a four year period have been upward in English and science, but with the exception of 2002, down in mathematics. Girls have out-performed boys, especially in English but this matches the national trend. The school missed its targets at the end of Year 6 in 2002 by 13 per cent in English, but only 1 per cent in mathematics. Discounting three disapplied pupils from the Special Unit, targets were met in English and much surpassed in mathematics.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. There are several factors influencing the school’s results. Firstly, the size of the year groups is small, which means that there is likely to be considerable year to year variation in National Curriculum results. Secondly, mobility of pupils can affect results considerably. For example, for one test, the school’s predictions were for 100 per cent of the pupils to reach the required level. When one pupil joins the school who is not likely to achieve that standard, it can mean as much as a 10 per cent shortfall, placing the school in a different attainment category. Thirdly, when disapplied pupils in the Special Unit are included in the Year 6 results, it naturally has an adverse effect on percentages. Finally, the Year 6 pupils have not had the benefit of the good teaching which is currently being seen at the school. Their early years were in a school where teaching was unsatisfactory, which had an adverse effect on their

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

progress. The legacy of this is that some of the good teaching seen at the moment is geared towards filling gaps in pupils’ knowledge and understanding.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. Standards of work of Year 2 pupils seen during the inspection are above average for English, and average for mathematics and science. In English, whilst improvement has been made, the higher ability pupils still do not always achieve as well as they could. In Tiptoe Primary School - 12 mathematics, the school’s emphasis on number work is bearing fruit, and this area is a strength. In science, improvements have been achieved through an improved curriculum and better teaching. Standards of Year 6 pupils are above average in English, and average in mathematics and science. Writing is now satisfactory, having been a priority in the school’s development plans. An improved curriculum and better teaching are having positive effects on learning.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7. In religious education, pupils achieve in line with the locally agreed syllabus. In information and communication technology, pupils’ standards are below national expectations. However, with improvements to the school’s resources, both hardware and software, pupils are making rapid progress and fast catching up.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

8. In art, design and technology, geography and history, standards meet national expectations, although three-dimensional art work is underdeveloped. In physical education and music, standards are in line with national expectations, with a particular strength in singing. There are good standards in personal, social and health education. In all these subjects, the judgements apply to pupils in both Year 2 and Year 6.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

9. Even though standards in information and communication technology are below expectation, considerable improvement has been made since the last full inspection. Other improvements have been noted in art, design and technology, history, music and physical education. These have all been brought about by a good deal of hard work, an improved curriculum and much improved teaching.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

10. The National Strategies for Literacy and Numeracy have been implemented effectively, and are having a positive impact on standards. Good use is made of literacy and numeracy skills in other subjects. For example, reading skills are well used in research for history and geography, and mathematics skills are used when collecting and representing data in science. However, information and communication technology skills are not yet used sufficiently across the curriculum.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

11. Pupils throughout the school are achieving well. Work is challenging, caters for pupils’ needs, and pupils are constantly engaged. Good assessment procedures and good use of assessment data ensure that pupils are not repeating work already mastered, but are tackling the unfamiliar. Pupils are therefore making appropriate progress.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

12. Pupils with special educational needs in the main school make good progress towards the targets of their individual education plans because of the good teaching they receive. Pupils in the Special Unit make very good progress. The school makes good use of assessment information for the formation of groups. Pupils who need additional support are identified as soon as possible. Pupils with special educational needs often attain well for their abilities in national tests.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13. Pupils’ attitudes towards their school and the work they are given to do are very good and sometimes excellent. This is a very considerable improvement from the last full inspection, when they were judged unsatisfactory overall. Pupils showed a real enthusiasm for learning in many of the lessons observed during this inspection: they were amused and/or interested by what they were studying, and tried hard to do everything required of them. When asked to work co-operatively in pairs or small groups, pupils were happy to do so, and conversation revolved around the task in hand. Pupils are well aware of their personal targets for improvement in English and mathematics and are proud when they achieve them. They settle down quickly at the start of the day and after playtimes, and, although they may chat whilst getting on with a task, immediately fall silent at a gesture from their teacher. The Tiptoe Primary School - 13

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

children are eager learners who expect to enjoy themselves in and out of class. They respond very well to their teachers’ high expectations of them. They listen attentively and concentrate well for long periods on the tasks they are given, needing very little supervision from adults.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. Behaviour is very good overall, sometimes excellent, in the school as a whole, and excellent overall amongst the pupils attending the Special Unit. This is a very considerable improvement from the last full inspection, when behaviour was unsatisfactory. No unsatisfactory behaviour was observed during the inspection. Attitudes and behaviour in class were judged satisfactory or better in 100 per cent of lessons, good or better in 94 per cent, very good or better in 61 per cent, and excellent in 12 per cent. Pupils are attentive in assemblies and eager to participate in any activities offered them, for instance, they volunteer to say spontaneous prayers and join in any singing with enthusiasm. They enter and leave sensibly and quietly. Pupils behave sensibly in the lunch hall. They understand the systems used and carry them out. They enjoy their meals and have good relationships with the lunchtime supervisory staff.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

15. Pupils listen to each other well, and treat each other with consideration. There is a good deal of spontaneous affection, not only between classmates, but between younger and older pupils, and between unit and mainstream pupils. Pupils hold doors open and are always keen to see if they can help visitors in any way. There have been no exclusions in the last academic year.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

16. Personal development is very good. This is a very considerable improvement from the last full inspection, when it was unsatisfactory. In particular, relationships are very good, and sometimes excellent. The staff provide very good role models through their obvious team spirit, and in class by the excellent rapport between teachers and teaching assistants. Pupils know that they will be treated with courtesy and respect and that their views about their school are taken seriously. Older pupils are generally caring towards younger ones, and children are quick to help each other in the playground when someone is injured. Pupils are very friendly towards visitors, and do everything possible to make them feel welcome. They smile readily and love to talk about themselves and their interests. Mainstream pupils are kind and considerate towards those from the unit. The latter are very well integrated during

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

playtime. A pupil with Downs’ Syndrome happily played ‘trains’ with a boy and a girl from Year 1, all three in single file holding on to a skipping rope. A playtime football match involved girls and boys, pupils from all age groups, and unit pupils.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

17. Pupils respond well to the various responsibilities they are given and undertake them sensibly and with pride. All pupils have responsibilities in their classrooms, and some act as guides for visitors. Year 6 pupils operate the phones at lunchtime, deal with the mailbox, lock and unlock the gate, act as milk monitors, and set out assemblies. The school council has representatives from Years 1 to 6, who are elected by their classmates. A pupil keeps the minutes. Pupils were full of suggestions at the meeting which took place during the inspection, and were very willing to volunteer for the various tasks which needed doing. Pupils are confident about speaking in public, and articulate their thoughts and feelings well when asked to do so, for instance in classes for personal, social, health and citizenship education. For example, pupils in Years 1 and 2 spoke up willingly when asked to give an example of an occasion which they had dreaded, which turned out not to be so bad after all.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

One girl said, “I was very frightened about moving into this class, but it’s nice!” The response of pupils to the school, and to its provision for personal development might be summed up by the unit pupil who said to his teacher, after being persuaded he could kneel on a moving horse during his riding therapy class, “I thought I couldn’t do that but you thought I could – and I can!” Tiptoe Primary School - 14 18. Attendance is less than satisfactory. This is a decline from the standards of the last full inspection, when it was good. Punctuality is still good, with a very few exceptions. Attendance in 2001 - 2002 was below national averages; unauthorised absence was below and authorised absence was above average. For the past three years all unauthorised absence has been the result of holidays taken in term time in excess of the maximum ten days parents can request to take. The authorised absence is entirely the result of holidays taken in

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

term time within the ten days allowance.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

19. The quality of teaching has been dramatically improved since the last full inspection in 1998 and improvements reported in the HMI follow-up report in 2000 have been sustained. In this inspection no lessons were unsatisfactory compared with a very high 51 per cent in 1998.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

20. The reasons for the marked improvements in teaching are:

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

• All teaching staff, and many teaching assistants are different; • Curriculum leadership and planning are much better, providing a secure educational basis for progress; • Monitoring, especially by the head and subject leaders in English, mathematics and science is proving effective in highlighting areas for development; • In-service training needs are identified by monitoring and the performance management process, and targeted as priorities in the school’s excellent strategic plan. A very good example of this is in ICT where teachers’ expertise was very low in 2001 and now is judged at least satisfactory following whole staff training; • The new head and deputy have formed a very strong partnership and lead the staff as a very good team; • There is a very high commitment of all concerned at the school, staff and governors, to raising and maintaining standards by improving teaching; • The school has now a very good ethos and provides a very good learning environment.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

21. During the inspection all teachers were observed teaching. All had lessons judged good, five had very good lessons and three excellent. Examples of excellence were in Years 5 and 6 English and personal and social education, Years 3 and 4 English, and in mathematics teaching in the Special Unit. Overall over a third of lessons were at least very good and five in every six lessons were good or better. The reason standards are still generally satisfactory is that most subjects were below average or national expectations in 1998 and this settled team of staff was only established two years ago. Improvements of this magnitude still take time to have full effect. However very positive improvements are evident in the higher proportions of pupils aged seven and eleven who achieved higher than average levels in national tests in 2002.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

22. A particular strength in teaching is in the consistent work of teachers of Years 3 to 6 where all but one of the 25 lessons seen were at least good and nearly half were very good or better, with almost one in six sessions excellent.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

23. Throughout the school all literacy lessons, and all but one numeracy lesson, were at least good. This has a direct effect on standards with the result that the school’s performance is above average in both elements. Teaching for those children in the Foundation Stage is nearly always good and helps children to achieve all the expected learning goals ready for Year 1 of the National Curriculum.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

24. Teaching in the Special Unit was good or better in all lessons seen. Expectations are very high and pupils make very good progress in both personal and academic development Tiptoe Primary School - 15 as a consequence. Special needs teaching is good throughout the school with the quality of support from teachers and teaching assistants being especially good.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

25. Across the school teachers use good questioning to probe pupils’ understanding and get pupils to respond with reasoned answers. Very good relationships give rise to an atmosphere of trust where pupils are prepared to contribute without fear of making mistakes. Staff manage time, accommodation, resources and children well. This means teachers are well prepared and children are well behaved. Teachers make learning objectives clear and often plan work for different ages and abilities in the same class. Children are challenged appropriately and they respond by working hard and sustaining attention.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

26. Staff know pupils well. There are very good systems for tracking pupils’ progress in the core subjects and this enables good teaching on the basis of good target setting. Across the school teachers make satisfactory use of a variety of homework to enhance the curriculum.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

27. Aspects of teaching which even in this good profile could still be improved are in better marking of pupils’ work to show how improvements can be made; greater use of ICT to support other subjects; more challenge for more able pupils in some lessons; and developing structured play activities for those in the Foundation Stage, particularly outdoors.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

28. The quality and range of learning opportunities provided by the school are good. The curriculum has good breadth and balance, with effective use of resources, both within and outside the school. The last full inspection report indicated that work in information and communication technology was underdeveloped. This has now, albeit very recently, been addressed, although the use of information and communication technology across the curriculum remains an area which the school has quite rightly highlighted as an area needing improvement. The curriculum meets statutory requirements in all subjects of the National Curriculum and religious education.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

29. The school has a comprehensive curriculum map, supported by policies and schemes of work in all subjects. Linked to this is a set of learning objectives for each subject in each year group. This gives a clear focus for lesson planning, and ensures that pupils are building on their skills, knowledge and understanding year on year.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

30. The school has an inclusion policy which states, ‘Equality of opportunity must be a reality for our children’, and it certainly is. Teachers take good account of different pupils’ needs and experiences, and plan work accordingly. This usually means different work being set for different groups of pupils, especially in the core subjects of English and mathematics. Very good use is made of prior assessments to guide teachers’ planning, which is a considerable improvement since the last full inspection. Specific provision, identified in pupils’ individual education plans and statements, is implemented very effectively. Of particular note is the excellent inclusion of pupils in the unit into various activities, benefiting both the unit pupils and the rest of the school. Staff value all pupils equally as individuals, whatever their needs, and work hard to make sure they get the best from their time at school.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

31. There are very good systems in place to provide for pupils with special educational needs. Skilled support staff work with groups of pupils in the classroom and in withdrawal lessons, particularly to support learning in numeracy and literacy. The special educational needs co-ordinator and all staff are aware of the revised structure of the Special Educational Needs Code of Practice, and all requirements are fully met. The school is at present developing systems to identify and provide for more able pupils, some of which involve linking with other schools. Tiptoe Primary School - 16 32. Provision for pupils’ personal, social and health education is very good. It is not a ‘bolt on’ programme, but an integral part of the curriculum. It is provided through discrete personal, social and health education lessons as well as a wide range of subject lessons. In addition to work on the planned key objectives programme, the school provides for needs as they arise.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

For example, where pupils display poor relationships or aggressive behaviour, there is emphasis on activities that develop co-operation. There is an appropriate sex education programme where the school nurse has an input, and a drugs education programme where the police liaison officer has an input.

p.16

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

33. There is a good range of clubs, visitors and out of school visits to enhance the curriculum. Teaching staff and parents offer clubs which vary throughout the year in order to offer a choice. Some outside sports coaches offer specialist courses, such as tennis and dance workshops, and further sporting links are envisaged. Visitors have included male authors in book week, a particularly effective exercise which was aimed at improving boys’ writing skills. Visits particularly promote learning in history and geography, and Class 4 pupils take part in a residential stay each year. This incorporates many curriculum areas, and is a valuable part of the school’s provision for social development. Visits and visitors are planned into the curriculum, and show how the school links with the community and uses the resources of the locality.

p.16

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

34. There are effective planned links with local nursery groups, other primary schools, and secondary schools. Visits to the nursery, and to the school by the nursery children, help to ensure a smooth transition to school life. Similarly, at the other end of the school, visits from secondary school teachers and visits by the children to their next school, ensure that pupils and parents have opportunities to find out about the next stage of education. Links with the village schools cluster enables staff and pupils to get together for a variety of activities, including workshops in mathematics for higher ability pupils, singing workshops, culminating in a performance, and sporting activities. This is valuable provision for academic, physical and social development.

p.16

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

35. Provision for pupils’ personal development, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, is good. This is very good improvement since the last full inspection when it was deemed unsatisfactory.

p.16

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

36. Provision for pupils’ spiritual development is sound. During assemblies and religious education lessons in particular, the school gives pupils opportunities to explore values and beliefs, including religious beliefs, and the way in which they impact on people’s lives. For example, in a Years 3 and 4 religious education lesson, pupils showed very good sensitivity to others when discussing things which were important to them. In an assembly on ‘Forgiveness’, pupils were keen to describe their feelings and others listened attentively.

p.16

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

37. Provision for pupils’ moral development is excellent. There is a clear moral code as a basis for behaviour which is promoted consistently by all adults through all aspects of the school. Pupils are very well motivated by the award of team points for good work and behaviour which are reported at assembly each week. Where necessary, pupils have a behaviour management plan with targets for improvement. These are shared and talked through with the pupil and the parents. If there are serious problems, then there is the possibility of family group conferences, where outside agencies such as a social worker and paediatric psychologist can be used. Dinner supervisory assistants have had training on play and interaction with children. Their encouragement for pupils to take part in a variety of games and activities is reducing the number of incidents that occur at lunchtimes.

p.16

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

38. Provision for pupils’ social development is excellent. One often hears about a ‘family atmosphere’, but this school really does treat individuals as members of a large family. There Tiptoe Primary School - 17 is mutual respect between pupils and adults which is evident in all lessons and activities. Pupils are encouraged to work co-operatively, and many lesson observations reported on how successfully this was working. In one Years 5 and 6 mathematics lesson, responsibility was placed on pupils who were expected to work at computers outside the classroom. They got on with their work extremely conscientiously, co-operating fully with each other, without the direct supervision of the teacher. The inclusion of pupils from the unit encourages thoughtfulness and respect for difference. In one music lesson where Class 5 joined Class 2, many pupils from Class 2 made spaces in their circle and tapped the floor to indicate ‘come

p.16

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

and sit by me’. The school council provides opportunities for pupils to exercise leadership and responsibility, and to engage in the democratic process. For example, pupils decided upon and organised a day for charity, and chose the charities to benefit. Residential visits for pupils in Class 4 offer invaluable experience in living together and developing personal qualities which are valued in a civilised society.

p.17

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

39. There is satisfactory provision for pupils’ cultural development. There are opportunities for pupils to participate in literature, drama, art, music and other cultural events. Some of these are in school, and some involve visits. For example, pupils in schools in the New Forest join together for a singing workshop culminating in a concert. Cultural awareness is extended by visits to museums, for example to study the Victorians. The visit of male authors was very beneficial in promoting pupils’ writing, particularly that of the boys. Religious education and geography lessons introduce pupils to other religions and ways of life, such as the study of India and Hinduism, with a visit to a temple. However, the school’s provision to prepare pupils for life in a multicultural society is less well developed, although there are plans to improve this. A multicultural awareness course is to be attended, and a themed

p.17

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

week in the spring term and a creative arts week in the summer term are planned.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

40. Procedures for child protection are very good, a considerable improvement from the last full inspection, when they were only satisfactory. The headteacher has received the appropriate training to act as child protection liaison officer. She briefs all staff when they join the school on this topic and reminders of the procedures are given at the start of each year. The child protection policy conforms to local guidelines and offers staff very clear guidance on procedures and what to look for. Links with external agencies are satisfactory, and the school always attends case conferences or any other meetings involving its pupils’ well being.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

41. Procedures for ensuring the health and safety of pupils and all other persons working on the site are good, an improvement from the last full inspection, when they were only satisfactory. Pupils are supervised by appropriate numbers of staff during playtimes, and a first aider is always available. All non teaching staff and lunchtime supervisory assistants have had first aid training. There are ‘alert cards’ for all pupils with medical conditions such as epilepsy or nut allergies. These are displayed in the relevant classrooms, the first aid post and the staffroom. There is no dedicated medical room. The health and safety policy clearly spells out everybody’s responsibilities. The main duty of managing health and safety is carried out by the health and safety governor and the caretaker. Both have had much training in health and safety. Annual checks on safety are carried out by appropriate outside

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

contractors. All volunteers in school are police checked. Fire drills are undertaken at appropriate intervals at different times of the day and the alarm is checked weekly. Fire exits are well signposted and kept clear of obstacles. Any hazardous substances are appropriately assessed and stored away from pupils in a locked store. The caretaker checks the site for any hazards every day. Governors use a version of the local authority’s risk assessment form, and ensure that any outstanding items from previous assessments are followed up. Tiptoe Primary School - 18 42. Procedures for monitoring and improving attendance are good, as at the time of the last full inspection. There is an attendance policy. Registers are correctly completed and registration is quickly and efficiently carried out in all classes. The school office records all phone calls or verbal messages from parents about attendance in a duplicate message

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

book, which helps analysis of patterns of lateness or absence. All late arrivals have to be signed in by their parent or carer and a reason given for the unpunctuality. The school office does not use an electronic system for monitoring attendance, but carries out detailed analysis every few weeks of patterns of attendance and punctuality. It works closely with the education welfare service. Attendance is mentioned in the prospectus and newsletters, but not particularly highlighted.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

43. Procedures for monitoring and improving behaviour, and for monitoring and eliminating oppressive behaviour, are very good. In particular, the management of behaviour in and out of the classroom by all staff is very good, an extraordinary improvement from the time of the last full inspection, when it was poor. The behaviour policy is based around a simple five-point behaviour code. Staff frequently remind pupils of the class rules which are drawn up each September, as well as of the school’s code of conduct. The anti-bullying policy gives useful summary guidance to staff. The school has good procedures for formally monitoring behaviour which causes concern. A behaviour management plan is set up in consultation with pupils, their parents and their teachers, which states clearly what sort of behaviour is to be aimed at. Staff note general concerns in class behaviour books. Despite this formal structure underpinning behaviour management, it is carried out in practice with a light hand.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

44. Pupils are well provided with a wide variety of small play equipment, including books and puppets, during playtimes. The lunchtime supervisory staff have received training in behaviour and play management from the education psychology service. They manage playtime very competently, for example, one supervisor helped pupils divide themselves into football teams, pointing out that it was only fair for each to have a mixture of ages, sexes and abilities, but working with the pupils in a democratic fashion rather than directing their activities.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

45. Procedures for monitoring and supporting pupils’ personal development are very good. This is a very considerable improvement from the last full inspection, when it was judged unsatisfactory. The school has a clear, well planned programme for personal, social and health citizenship education (PSHE) appropriately targeted at all age groups. Teachers are asked to monitor whether pupils have a good, improving or unsatisfactory understanding of particular key objectives, although this monitoring is not always recorded. All staff use ‘circle time’ sessions, and they will be having further training on ‘circle time’ and on teaching PSHE during this academic year. The school has just begun to work towards accreditation under the ‘Healthy Schools’ scheme, and the recent improvements to the playground are linked to this. The PSHE provision includes sex, relationships and drugs education, the latter run in

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

conjunction with a police community liaison officer.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

46. The school’s provision for the personal development of pupils with special needs is very good: it is currently further developing its provision for more able pupils. Extra sessions on mathematics and working days held with other small schools have been arranged for these children. The school puts much emphasis on speaking in public, and encourages pupils to do this confidently from their earliest days in the school. In a PSHE session for pupils in Years 5 and 6, the teacher helped pupils to understand that the apparently unattractive contender in a situation reported in the newspaper might have just as good a case as their opponent. She rigorously encouraged high standards of debate and made her pupils explain their reasoning. Pupils are made aware that their opinions are taken seriously. Tiptoe Primary School - 19 47. The school council is well established and includes representatives from all classes,

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

including the Special Unit. Questionnaires are sent out to pupils in Year 2 and Year 6 asking for their views about their education. Pupils have various responsibilities for helping around the school, and Years 5 and 6 have reading partnerships with younger ones. All members of the school community belong to one of the school’s teams and can award team points: thus pupils rewarded one of the teaching assistants for her hard work in helping them. The lunchtime supervisors give awards for the cleanest and the quietest tables at lunch.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

48. The monitoring of pupils’ academic performance and personal development is very good overall. This is a considerable improvement from the last full inspection, when they were only satisfactory. The procedures for monitoring and supporting pupils with special educational needs were satisfactory and are now very good. Procedures for monitoring and supporting pupils’ academic progress are good. This is a considerable improvement from the last full inspection, when they were judged unsatisfactory. Pupils are asked to do a piece of unaided work each half term in special books, and in some, but not all cases these are levelled and dated and targets for improvement are noted. Pupils are given individual targets for improvement in English and mathematics, and they are involved in setting these and deciding when they need to be reviewed. Procedures for assessing pupils’ attainment and progress are good overall, and very good for English, mathematics and science.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

49. The progress of year groups and individuals is regularly measured throughout their time at the school starting with baseline assessment in their first term. The school uses optional as well as statutory assessment tests and analyses the results by gender, special educational needs, and other criteria. This system is used consistently throughout the school and is very well managed by the co-ordinator. She is beginning to use an electronic database to assist in this task. In other subjects, assessment is carried out by measuring progress against key objectives using a simple checklist system. Teachers identify those pupils who have made particularly good or particularly poor progress and amend their planning accordingly. This process is aided by the good guidance staff are given in assessing National Curriculum levels.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

50. Subject leaders maintain portfolios and give guidance to their colleagues. The use of assessment information to guide curricular planning is very good in all subjects for all classes. This is a considerable improvement from the last full inspection, when it was judged satisfactory. Teaching assistants provide outstanding support for the assessment process by their observations of pupils. There is a common marking policy, but the quality of marking is not consistently high throughout the school. The school acknowledges and encourages pupils’ achievement by awarding team points and by sharing examples of good work with the rest of the class, or even with the whole school through celebration assemblies.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

51. Parents’ views of the school are good overall, as at the time of the last full inspection. Nearly half of the parent body returned completed questionnaires to the registered inspector. Parents think that behaviour is good and their children enjoy school. The school has high expectations of its pupils, the teaching is good, and pupils make good progress. They think the school is well led and managed, and helps its pupils become more mature. Some parents think the school could provide a wider range of extracurricular activities. At the parents’ meeting, those present were satisfied with the academic standards their children were achieving, and particularly enjoyed the school’s productions. They felt the school had a very caring, family atmosphere, and that behaviour was generally good. They felt the new hall and computer equipment, the security arrangements, communication with parents and the general management of the school had all improved since the last inspection. Some parents

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

felt that behaviour in the playground could be better, and that the marking of homework was inconsistent. There was regret that pupils in the unit could not be involved in after school Tiptoe Primary School - 20 activities. Some written comments were sent to the inspection team. Most praised the school, but some concern was expressed by a small minority about the school’s management of bullying.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

52. The contribution of parents to children’s learning at school and at home is good overall, although the number of holidays taken in term time has made the school’s attendance rate unsatisfactory. Virtually all parents come to parent consultation evenings, and a good proportion attends other school information events: for example, forty parents attended one on homework. Parents support their children’s learning well by ensuring that the homework set generally gets done, by loaning items to support topic work, and by helping their children with research tasks at home and in local libraries. Many parents are able to give their children the opportunity to use a computer at home. The majority of parents, particularly in the lower age groups, hear their children read regularly.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

53. Parents have a good impact on the life of the school, as at the time of the last inspection. Many of the governors are parents, and devote many hours and much energy to the school. They, together with the enthusiastic parents’ association committee, work hard to encourage participation from others. About six parents come in regularly to help in various ways. Six others help with swimming lessons, and there are always volunteers to accompany pupils on offsite visits. Parents are always willing to help during special events or with school drama productions. Most parents support fundraising and social events well. The parents’ and friends’ association is very active on the school’s behalf. Recently it has raised funds to buy more outdoor play equipment.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

54. The quality of information provided for parents is good, an improvement from the last full inspection, when it was satisfactory. The prospectus and governors report fulfil statutory requirements and are clear and helpful. They make good use of colour photographs and other illustrations. Weekly newsletters give a very full picture of school life, and are regularly accompanied by items from individual class teachers. School policies give a clear picture of the school’s approach to behaviour management, homework and other important issues. Each class teacher sends out a letter once a term explaining what their pupils will be studying and how parents can support their learning.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

55. Pupils’ reports, issued twice a year, are of consistent quality. Their layout is unimaginative, but they include attendance data, details of any statutory assessment test results, and very full comments on personal development. All give attainment targets for English and mathematics. The information on what pupils know, understand and can do in mathematics, English and science reflects the good assessment procedures for those subjects. The less developed assessment procedures for other subjects are compensated for, to some extent by the teachers’ good knowledge of their pupils. Reports include comments from pupils on their progress, and parents are encouraged to send a written response if they wish. The targets are discussed with parents at consultation evenings.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

56. The school has good, effective links with parents, as at the time of the last full inspection. It always encourages parents to get involved in its activities, for instance for the grounds improvements it is currently planning. It has an open door policy: teachers are readily accessible at the end of school, and the headteacher can be seen at short notice. The school office staff provide a friendly and efficient ‘public face’ for the school. Parents are welcome to attend the weekly celebration assemblies, and are told in advance if their child has been selected for an award. Parents are invited to other special assemblies, for instance for Harvest Festival, and to the two drama productions the school stages annually. As pupils attending the unit come from a wide area and their parents do not visit the school daily, there is a home-school diary, where parents and teachers can share any concerns. Information

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

and curriculum evenings are held regularly on topics such as statutory assessment tests, literacy, and homework. The reception teacher makes home visits to all new entrants before Tiptoe Primary School - 21 they start school, and has close links with feeder playgroups. Parents and pupils visit the school before they join it and have the opportunity to meet their new teacher. The school values the opinions of its parents, and uses a version of the Ofsted questionnaire for parents each year for this purpose. The results are analysed and fed back to parents.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

57. The school is very well run. Over the last two years with a stable group of staff the good work started after the last full inspection and recognised by the HMI report in 2000 has been built upon. The head gives the school excellent educational direction and together with the governors and staff ensures that the work of the school truly reflects its stated aims and values. The head’s leadership is excellent. She has drawn staff together as a very good team. Very good relationships and a very professional commitment by all concerned to raising and maintaining standards have established the school’s very good ethos.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

58. The head and deputy form an excellent partnership and have worked very closely with the governing body to create an exemplary strategic plan. This is derived from high quality monitoring, much improved assessment of pupils’ performance, and analysis of strengths and weaknesses. It makes very good use of subject leaders’ contributions from their own curriculum action plans. This plan ensures the school uses finance wisely and is very effectively prioritised. It has resulted in excellent progress against all of the many issues raised in the last full report, most of which had their roots in the serious weaknesses described in management. The very successful management of change and extremely clear understanding of what needs to be done to make improvements is the main reason why this inspection raises no key issues for development. The school clearly needs a period of consolidation to allow the many initiatives already begun to take full effect.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

59. Inspection evidence shows that the Special Unit is very well run and gives good value for money. Pupils make very good progress both personally as well as academically and are included as full members of the school community. This benefits not only those in the unit but enriches the lives of those in mainstream classes.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

60. A strong feature of the family atmosphere is that pupils are very well managed. The very good degree of challenge in the vast majority of lessons, where pupils work at their own levels regardless of age or ability, is a significant improvement over the last full report. Pupils’ behaviour, unsatisfactory in 1998, is now very good as a result.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

61. Currently the school appears to have a very high contingency ‘carry forward figure’. This has accrued as a result of both over cautious spending in the past and extra funding which the school was able to draw upon following being put into special measures. Much of this surplus is to be reduced this year in developing accommodation and resources and enhancing staffing. Governors and head, assisted by the school’s finance officer, carefully monitor spending and ensure the school follows best value principles. Consequently the learning environment available to pupils both inside and out is very good and makes a significant contribution to the quality of pupils’ learning.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

62. Systems for the induction of all staff are very good. All teachers are new to the school since the last full inspection in 1998. Teachers and teaching assistants support each other very well. There are very good arrangements for the professional development of staff and their performance management. The school is able to provide effectively for the training of new teachers.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

63. The match of teachers to the demands of the curriculum is good. There are sufficient experienced and well qualified staff to meet the demands of the National Curriculum and Foundation Stage. Staff who seek further training are given opportunities to broaden their Tiptoe Primary School - 22 experience and skills to enhance pupils’ learning. For example, all staff have received training in the Makaton signing system from the qualified trainer in the unit. Teachers receive excellent support from skilled teaching assistants who are deployed very well to provide high quality support for pupils’ learning. Teamwork between teachers and support staff is of a very high standard. Experienced administrative and supervisory staff make a valuable contribution to the life of the school.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

64. The accommodation provides a very good environment for learning, as at the time of the last full inspection. The school office and the headteacher’s room are immediately inside the entrance to the school, where there are seats for visitors and displays of useful information for parents. The wide L-shaped corridor along which the school is built is attractively used for display and some storage. There are five classrooms, all of a good size to accommodate the pupils on roll. The large staffroom doubles as a curriculum resource storage area. There is a library and a new learning resource room. Pupil toilets have been completely modernised and redecorated. There are disabled toilets for adults and children, as well as a shower for disabled persons. The excellent hall has wall-mounted physical education equipment and good storage facilities for free-standing items. The school no longer has a dedicated computer suite, as at the time of the last inspection. The school is kept very

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

clean and well maintained. Externally, following extensive drainage replacement work and the installation of a new cesspit, the playground has been completely resurfaced and new markings (chosen by the pupils) added. There are separate safe play areas for the Foundation Stage and for the unit. However, neither of them has any shaded portions. There is a good sized grass field surrounded by trees and hedges, and a pond which is safely fenced off. The grounds are very well maintained: there is no litter or graffiti. There is no drinking fountain or other ready source of drinking water for pupils. A very good adventure play area is used on a rota system by all classes.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

65. Learning resources are generally sufficient to support learning in each subject, personal, social and health education and special educational needs, although there are some variations. Resources for physical education are good, including the field for outdoor games. In science there are too few books to support teachers in their planning, and religious education is lacking some artefacts. In information and communication technology, there is a lack of computers and software for older pupils. There is a good room for the library, which is well organised, although some books are outdated. The potential is good, but it requires further development to become the centre for learning that it could be.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

66. On the basis of much improved standards, good quality provision (especially in teaching and support), particularly well managed, the school now gives good value for money. This represents a considerable improvement from the unsatisfactory judgement of the inspection in 1998 and against the satisfactory assessment of 2000.

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Tiptoe Primary School - 23 67. The school continues to make very good progress particularly with regard to the quality of teaching and raising standards. It has an excellent, clear and accurate view of its own strengths and areas for further development. Over the last two years success has been the result of a considerable programme of well prioritised, planned development. A variety of initiatives are still in their early stages and more time will be needed before they can be fully evaluated. This inspection, whilst encouraging the school to continue to maintain improvements, seeks to allow for a period of consolidation and consequently raises no key issues for improvement.

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

68. Areas already identified by the school for further development are:

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Standards, provision and the improved use of ICT; • Raising pupils’ awareness of multicultural issues; • Developing provision for ‘non core’ subjects and the Foundation Stage; • Improving library provision and its use; • Raising attendance rates.

p.23

UNIT FOR PUPILS WITH SEVERE LEARNING DIFFICULTIES

69. The provision in the Special Unit for pupils with severe learning difficulties is very good because of the caring and supportive atmosphere in the school and the ways in which the pupils are included in most aspects of the school’s life. There is a firm commitment from the headteacher, the teacher in charge of the unit and all other staff, parents and pupils to ensure that the school strongly promotes equal opportunities and inclusion. Pupils are fully involved in assemblies, lunchtimes and playtimes although most do not yet join in any of the after school activities. Provision has improved since the last full inspection in 1998 because of the successful inclusion and the fact that the staff ensure that pupils’ specific needs are met very well.

p.23

UNIT FOR PUPILS WITH SEVERE LEARNING DIFFICULTIES

70. Pupils in the unit make very good progress toward the targets of their individual education plans, and in the development of self-esteem and confidence. This is because of the very good teaching they receive and the suitability of their targets, which are reviewed regularly. There is a high level of consistency in the teaching of the two part time teachers because they share the same high expectations of pupils’ work and behaviour. The staff in the unit make very good use of assessment information for target setting on individual education plans and for preparing pupils to work with other classes in the school. For example, some pupils go into other lessons without the teaching assistant, some need additional support for a longer period. Pupils from the unit make a good contribution to assemblies and lessons in other classes. They know they have to set a good example to the younger pupils and in one very reflective assembly, two pupils offered their own prayer about

p.23

UNIT FOR PUPILS WITH SEVERE LEARNING DIFFICULTIES

71. Skilled, experienced and committed staff provide support of very high quality for pupils. This meets their needs very well. Pupils receive high quality teaching with a strong emphasis on developing independence, improving concentration, listening to and answering questions correctly. Very skilled questioning enables all pupils to have success in contributing to the lessons, and issues are dealt with sensitively. Staff and pupils in the mainstream classes are very supportive of the unit pupils and ensure that they are welcomed into the group and their individual needs are met well. Liaison between staff in the unit and mainstream classes is very good. Staff in the unit maintain very good records and there is regular, relevant and high quality sharing of information between the two part time teachers and the teaching assistant. They work together very well as a team. Tiptoe Primary School - 24 72. Staff in the unit know pupils very well. Relationships between pupils and staff are very

p.23

UNIT FOR PUPILS WITH SEVERE LEARNING DIFFICULTIES

good so that learning takes place in a purposeful and motivating atmosphere. Assessments are carried out thoughtfully and targets are manageable and achievable. The teacher discusses each plan with the pupil involved before any targets are set. There is a very good focus on developing pupils’ literacy and numeracy skills. Signs and Makaton symbols are displayed and used well in the unit and around the school. The unit complies fully with the Code of Practice and liaises very effectively with outside agencies. Members of the local community support the excellent ‘Riding for the Disabled’ sessions very effectively.

p.24

UNIT FOR PUPILS WITH SEVERE LEARNING DIFFICULTIES

73. There is very good involvement of parents. Home-school contact books are used very well and the contents discussed with pupils at the start of the day. Parents work at home with their children to enable them to meet their targets. They value the opportunity to learn the Makaton signing system from the teacher in charge of the unit. Parents are included well at reviews.

p.24

UNIT FOR PUPILS WITH SEVERE LEARNING DIFFICULTIES

74. The management of the unit is very good and funding is spent prudently to support the high quality of provision. The special needs governor regularly accompanies the pupils on trips out of school, and to weekly swimming lessons. The space for the unit is good and there is a small, but very well equipped, sensory room. Pupils have easy access to the playground and other classrooms. Tiptoe Primary School - 25

p.24

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 23

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. [When the total number is substantially less than 100, add] Care should be taken when interpreting these percentages as each lesson represents more than two percentage points.

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 119

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 7

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 8

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 18

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 0

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 6

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 4

p.25

Attendance

School data 6.3 School data 0.3 Tiptoe Primary School - 26 National comparative data 5.6 National comparative data 0.5

p.25

Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Tiptoe Primary School - 27

p.26

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2001 4 9 13

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)

Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Total 12 13 13

p.27

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

Percentage of pupils School 92 (78) 100 (83) 100 (100) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (83) 86 (84) 91 (90)

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)

Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Total 11 13 13

p.27

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

Percentage of pupils School 85 (78) 100 (100) 100 (67) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (84) 89 (88) 89 (88)

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

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

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2001 12 4 16

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

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

Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Total 12 7 12

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

Percentage of pupils School 75 (60) 44 (50) 75 (65) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 71 (72) 87 (85)

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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

Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Total 8 8 12

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

Percentage of pupils School 50 (68) 50 (65) 75 (65) at NC level 4 or above National 72 (70) 74 (72) 82 (79)

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

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

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

Due to the small numbers of boys and girls in Years 2 and 6 in 2001 only totals are reported above. Tiptoe Primary School - 28

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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

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

White – any other White background 0 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Mixed – any other mixed background 0 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British - Pakistani 0 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi 0 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black or Black British – Caribbean 0 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

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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.

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Teachers and classes Financial information

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 7 Financial year 2001 - 2002

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 17

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 399777

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Total number of education support staff 8 Total expenditure 356011

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Total aggregate hours worked per week 102.5 Expenditure per pupil 3150

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

FTE means full-time equivalent. Balance brought forward from previous year 26951

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Balance carried forward to next year 70717 Tiptoe Primary School - 29

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Recruitment of teachers

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

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 3

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Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

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Recruitment of teachers

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

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Recruitment of teachers

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

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Recruitment of teachers

FTE means full-time equivalent. Tiptoe Primary School - 30

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 64 26 5 3 2

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 53 46 2 0 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 41 45 9 3 2

p.30

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 56 31 8 3 2

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 75 15 7 2 2

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 64 32 2 0 2

p.30

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 47 37 8 3 3

p.30

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 64 25 5 0 5

p.30

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 60 29 7 0 3

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 34 40 21 2 3

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Due to rounding percentages do not total 100. Tiptoe Primary School - 31

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

75. Children enter reception in the year they are five, generally starting on a part time only basis. Consequently although there were 18 on roll (one more than the official admission number), with the inspection being in the first half of the autumn term, not all children attended in the afternoon. Year R children are taught with Year 1 pupils most of whom have birthdays in the summer term. Currently all children have been to some kind of pre-school group prior to joining the school. Staff maintain good links with the most local of these groups and parents report that children’s introduction to school is very good. The reception teacher makes home visits to reassure parents and new children, who subsequently come to school to see for themselves what it will be like. Children’s attainment levels on entry to the school vary year on year but for 2001 (the most recent year for which assessments were as yet

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

made) standards were average compared with Hampshire, with strengths in oral language skills.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

76. The quality of teaching for the Foundation Stage was observed as good from teachers and teaching assistants. Developing planning and structured play opportunities for reception age children as distinct from those in Year 1 was an aspect identified in the last reports. Progress is judged satisfactory. The school is aware that there is still more to do, particularly to make the most of outdoor space and equipment.

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Personal, social and emotional development

77. Children all reach the expected Early Learning Goals 4 in this aspect before they enter Year 1 and are making good progress against the stepping stones of the Foundation Stage curriculum. Successful provision in this area means that many of the year group achieve better than this. Children make very good progress in maturity, share, take turns, and show much consideration for each other’s feelings. On a variety of occasions children were observed showing independence and taking responsibility. For example first thing in the morning children generally store their own coats and bags, choose their activity – paying careful attention to rules for how many can be involved at any one time – and get on without direct supervision.

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Personal, social and emotional development

78. A very good feature of reception activities is the consistently good behaviour of children who are already aware of the routines and rules of the school. Children clearly have regard for the effect of their actions on others and respond very well to the teacher and teaching assistant. They show confidence when meeting new adults and are keen to talk about what they are doing. This has a very positive impact on relationships, which are consistently good.

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Communication, language and literacy

79. Children make sound progress in this area of learning and the vast majority will reach the desired Early Learning Goals before Year 1. Average and more able children do better than this. All children are emerging as readers and writers, at least as well as is expected of this age, as well as showing that they can communicate effectively orally. Higher attaining children are already reading at Level 1 of the National Curriculum, which is better than is expected, and are able to write simple sentences in the correct sequence. Children use a

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Communication, language and literacy

4 QCA (Qualifications and Curriculum Authority) has produced a set of ‘Early Learning Goals’ for children in this stage of education. These outcomes are a set of skills, knowledge and understanding that children might be expected to achieve by the age of six. There are six areas of learning: personal, social and emotional development; communication, language and literacy; mathematical development; knowledge and understanding of the world; physical development and creative development. Tiptoe Primary School - 32 good level of vocabulary and most can express themselves well. A good feature of Year R is that children are prepared to listen to each other and their teachers with good effects on the quality of discussion.

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Communication, language and literacy

80. Good teaching means that children learn from their mistakes and have already begun to establish strategies to help them read new words and expressions from a mixture of phonics (sounding out) and using picture and contextual clues. Good opportunities are made for role play: for example in the ‘house’ corner, where children and staff spontaneously explore dialogue which matches everyday situations. Children are encouraged to interact with each other and talk has a high priority: for example even in more formal physical education lessons the teacher allows time for children to say what they did and comment on the performances of other groups in order to make improvements.

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Communication, language and literacy

81. Early writing skills are strongly encouraged. Staff value all attempts to record on paper and from the outset children are taught the skills that will lead to cursive (joined) handwriting. Even at this early stage in the school year most children can write their own name and a variety of words and simple phrases.

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Mathematical development

82. Children meet the Early Learning Goals for mathematical development before they are six. They enjoy sorting and classifying and generally planning with, and in the case of more able children naming, different colours and shapes.

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Mathematical development

83. Because of good teaching and opportunities for first hand experience children have a sound appreciation of comparisons by size and weight and are beginning to use terms such as smaller than and greater than. Average and more able children are beginning to add and subtract and all are able to recognise and sequence numbers up to ten, and some beyond. A good mathematical display in the classroom encourages children to handle and count objects and there is a good range of resources to promote practical activities and use correct mathematical vocabulary.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

84. Sound opportunities are provided for children to explore their world. Use of the senses is encouraged with good effects, on not only greater awareness of objects and materials, but literacy skills of describing and expressing opinions. Children in Year R are on course to achieve the Early Learning Goals in this area before they join Year 1.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

85. Children are encouraged to build using a variety of construction kits and to select simple tools to cut, shape and join. A good example was seen at the playdough table where children used rolling pins, scissors and pastry cutters to form different shapes from identical amounts of dough. A good start is made to ICT with children showing sound mouse and keyboard skills to drag and drop articles of clothing to dress teddy on screen. Children can load tapes into players for story time using the listening station, successfully controlling volume, start and stop keys.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

86. As part of topic work with Year 1, children make good progress in identifying significant events in their lives and are starting to appreciate what is past and present and how things change. Early work towards the locally agreed religious education syllabus starts children off in learning about beliefs and customs: for example thinking about Christmas and Diwali.

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Physical development

Tiptoe Primary School - 33 87. Children are on line to meet the learning goals in this aspect by the time they join Year 1. They move with confidence and are making good progress in controlling their bodies and in awareness of their own potential. Children are enthusiastic to use equipment and apparatus and follow safety rules. For example joining in class physical education lessons on the field, eagerly playing with large balls and working with partners.

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Physical development

88. Good opportunities are provided for children to use tools such as scissors and glue sticks, and fine movements are practised which will develop into other skills, such as writing. During the inspection the outside designated space for those in reception was only used for short periods of time and none of the ride on, balance type equipment was available to children. Children did benefit from the very new sand and water tray apparatus, but other activities set up outdoors were not extensively used. There is a need to review objectives and organisation to make full use of such facilities for play.

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Physical development

89. Whilst involved in physical activity children do so safely and with good regard to each other. Behaviour is usually very good. Children are already beginning to understand what it is to be part of a team and the school, with very positive effects on personal, as well as physical, development.

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Creative development

90. Creative development is good. Children have a good awareness of colour and shape and are being introduced to texture: for example by examining leaves and mixing different paints together. Children’s self portraits and attempts at drawing fruit show that their observation skills are appropriately developed. Good teaching has helped children to a good awareness of proportion.

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Creative development

91. Children are encouraged to express themselves in art and music activities. The outcomes are valued, whether in good display of their pictures or in compliments on the quality of singing both in class and as part of the whole school in assembly. Children respond well to suggestions and were seen to modify their techniques and try harder as a result of listening to adults. In music children sing rhymes, explore different rhythms and use simple instruments to make sounds.

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Creative development

92. Although no dance activities were observed, planning shows that they are to be part of physical education later in the year. Children’s role play sometimes stimulated by stories they have heard and by the dressing up clothes laid out in the ‘house‘ corner, shows imagination and makes good links with communication, language and literacy skills.

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ENGLISH

93. Inspection evidence shows that improvements reported in the HMI follow-up inspection in 2000 have been maintained in English. By the time they are seven Year 2 pupils achieve standards which are above what is expected. Higher attaining pupils sometimes do better than this. But, as was indicated by the low proportion who achieved the higher Level 3 in national tests in 2001, there is more to do to improve this. However, nearly all pupils in Year 2 reached the national average in 2002.

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ENGLISH

94. Currently when pupils leave the school aged eleven the majority achieve above nationally expected levels. Standards of speaking, listening and reading are good, whilst writing is now judged satisfactory with good features. This constitutes continued improvement which is the result of better teaching, planning and assessment. Writing remains an appropriate priority identified by the school for eleven year olds. Tiptoe Primary School - 34 95. The school fell short of standards set as targets for eleven year olds by the local education authority for 2002. However, three pupils in the relatively small year group of seventeen were disapplied from the National Curriculum as a result of their special needs, and the underlying trend is still upward.

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ENGLISH

96. Pupils, including those with special educational needs, make good progress in their learning in English between Year R and Year 6. Their attainment on entry varies year on year, but generally is about average with strengths in speaking. Children in Year R are successfully encouraged to listen as well as speak and were observed taking part in sensible discussions with Year 1 pupils in a variety of subjects. For example, four and five year olds enjoyed exploring the ‘story of the letter I’ and developing their conversational skills in the role play house.

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ENGLISH

97. By the time they are seven most pupils are confident speakers and are sensitive to other people’s points of view. This makes a very positive contribution to their personal and social development. Higher attainers show a good understanding of the main points of discussion. Year 1 and Year 2 pupils hotly debated mistakes the teacher had deliberately inserted into her writing on the board and enjoyed prioritising sequences for sandwich making, ready to write their own checklists.

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ENGLISH

98. Pupils in Year 6 build well on the kind of discussions witnessed in Year 3 and Year 4 about Queen Boudicca’s personality, to reach above average levels of speaking and listening. Average and higher attaining pupils talk with assurance, ask each other questions and express their feelings and preferences well.

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ENGLISH

99. Standards of reading are good overall notably at the end of Year 2 and Year 6. Although there is more to do to improve provision for the library and its use to encourage research, the school has worked effectively to develop reading. Particular success in improving resources for boys’ reading has resulted in much better attitudes and progress to the point where there is no significant difference between boys and girls. Pupils talk very enthusiastically about meeting authors and illustrators, and the events of the annual book week. Pupils have secures strategies for reading and understanding new words and by the end of Year 6 a high proportion of pupils are able to identify crucial features in the texts they read and make sensible predictions about what will happen.

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ENGLISH

100. The school legitimately targeted writing as an area for development over the past year on the basis of its assessment of pupils’ performance. As a result standards have been raised and are now in line with what is expected for seven and eleven year olds, with higher attainers achieving better than this.

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ENGLISH

101. Pupils write for a variety of purposes with most using a cursive style. Year 2 pupils have learned to sequence their ideas and use a good range of vocabulary for their age. There are good examples of different poetry styles and shared writing, where pupils jointly debate story plans before drafting their work.

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ENGLISH

102. Year 3 and Year 4 show satisfactory progress in their writing about different kinds of food developing sentence construction and responding to different audiences. Year 5 and Year 6 pupils extend these skills effectively: for example using complex sentences and grammar in writing stories with unusual endings (some with real surprises in their telling of the ‘Pied Piper’); and in some excellent poetry emotive of loneliness. By the time the current Year 6 leave the school their writing skills are likely to be above average with handwriting in line with what is expected.

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ENGLISH

103. The school is aware that standards of spelling are still below average for a significant proportion of pupils and has an effective programme in place to address this. Tiptoe Primary School - 35 104. Pupils respond very well to consistently good teaching. No lessons observed in literacy were less than good, with particular strengths in Years 3 to 6, where half the lessons seen were very good and two excellent. High quality questioning and support from teaching assistants play a very effective part in engaging pupils of all abilities in lessons. Teachers make learning objectives very clear and set achievable targets with pupils to enable them to make good progress. The National Literacy Strategy is applied very effectively and activities are very well planned. Lessons are interesting and skills are taught in a relevant way which successfully encourage the use of literacy skills to support other subjects: for example

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ENGLISH

writing in geography and history; and research for religious education.

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ENGLISH

105. Satisfactory efforts have been made to make more use of ICT in English work since the last full report’s criticism. However, a lack of equipment in Year 3 to Year 6 means pupils do not have sufficient opportunity: for example to draft work directly onto the computer.

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ENGLISH

106. English is very well led and managed. The subject leader has a very clear vision for the subject and has formed a very good action plan. She monitors standards and teaching well and is responsible for the overall very good planning. Assessment data is used very effectively to support developments and set targets. This is systematically raising standards and is fundamental to the school’s very good progress in English over the past two years.

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ENGLISH

107. Aspects which could still be improved even in this good profile are in:

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ENGLISH

• Developing marking to identify how pupils can make improvement, especially to some elements of presentation; • Better dating and collating of work examples to provide evidence of progress over time.

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MATHEMATICS

108. At the end of Year 2 and the end of Year 6, standards in mathematics are average, although there is a particular strength in number work. This is an improvement on the situation reported during the last full inspection, and is as a result of the effective implementation of the National Numeracy Strategy, and vastly improved teaching. There was some evidence of girls outperforming boys in the past, but there is no significant difference at the moment.

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MATHEMATICS

109. By the end of Year 2, most pupils can count reliably to 100 and beyond. They know the place value of digits, and can explain that 187 is one hundred, eight tens and seven units. They can explain patterns in number with multiples of 2, 5 and 10, some with multiples of 3 and 4. Pupils are developing their addition and subtraction skills, some working to three digit numbers. They can identify odd and even numbers, and are developing their understanding of fractions by shading halves and quarters of shapes. Some pupils are able to halve even numbers up to 50. Most recognise the value of coins, and can work out which coins to use to pay an exact sum. In measures, most pupils can measure objects to the nearest centimetre, giving sensible estimates first, and they can add together, in grams, the weights of a variety of goods. Pupils can name and describe a variety of common two and three-dimensional

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MATHEMATICS

shapes. They understand the difference between whole turns, half turns and quarter turns, knowing that a quarter turn is a right angle, and they use this to help them tell the time. Pupils can collect data in tally charts, and display their information on block graphs. For example, they were able to display the quantity of each type of liquorice allsort found in a packet. Pupils are developing the ability to use their mathematics knowledge to solve problems. For example, they can tackle such problems as: ‘In a box there were 31 pencils. 19 are given out. How many are there left?’ Tiptoe Primary School - 36 110. By the end of Year 6, pupils read, write and order numbers into the thousands, and correctly use <, > and = symbols. Most can identify prime and square numbers. They understand the value of fractions, knowing for example that two thirds is greater than one half, and can find three fifths of forty. They work with negative numbers and can explain why

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MATHEMATICS

the difference between –2 and 5 is 7. Most pupils understand the relationship between percentages, decimals and fractions. Good attention is paid to word problems, and pupils use their mathematical skills to solve such problems as: ‘In a sale, there is 25% off a shirt which cost £10.60. How much will you have to pay?’ Pupils develop their understanding of the properties of two and three-dimensional shapes, and most can measure angles accurately to the nearest degree. They can calculate the perimeter and area of shapes, and measure to the nearest millimetre. Pupils can collect data, and represent it in a variety of forms, including pictograms, bar charts and line graphs, sometimes using data handling programs with ICT.

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MATHEMATICS

111. Teaching in Years 1 and 2 is good, and in Years 3 to 6 is very good. This is a marked improvement since the last full inspection, when teaching was ‘generally unsatisfactory’. The improvement has been brought about by a change in staff, and a concerted effort by all at the school to raise the quality of education provided for the pupils. Use of the local education authority mathematics advisor, attendance at courses, and a number of staff meetings, have all helped teachers to reach the stage they are at. The particular strengths in teaching are:

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MATHEMATICS

• Detailed planning with clear lesson objectives, enabling the teaching to be focused on specific skills; • Good use of prior knowledge of pupils’ abilities, enabling the work to be pitched at the right level; • Different work being set for different groups within a class, be it for different ages or different abilities; • Excellent relationships, with pupils very well managed and very well motivated, causing the pupils to be happy, confident, and wanting to learn; • Enthusiastic teachers making enthusiastic learners: • Good use of teaching assistants, enabling all pupils, including those with special educational needs, to be fully included in lessons.

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MATHEMATICS

Where these are evident, as they often are, pupils work conscientiously and enthusiastically, and make good progress. On occasions, although nearly all lessons were judged to be good or very good, there were elements within the lesson that required improvement. None of these were serious enough to make progress unsatisfactory, but need some attention. They include:

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MATHEMATICS

• Ensuring that the pace of the introduction to the lesson is sufficiently brisk to sharpen and develop mental and oral skills; • Ensuring that the balance of the lesson gives sufficient time for a worthwhile main teaching activity; • Ensuring that the higher achieving pupils in the class are suitably challenged; • Ensuring that pupils’ books are marked regularly, indicating to pupils how they can improve, often in the area of presentation; • Greater use of ICT to support learning in mathematics.

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MATHEMATICS

112. The rapid and marked improvement in the provision for mathematics has been brought about through dedicated efforts by all teachers and teaching assistants, very effectively led by the subject leader. They work as a team, and all are seeking to improve their practice in an attempt to raise standards. A number of initiatives have been introduced which have been instrumental in raising standards. They include:

p.36

MATHEMATICS

• The successful implementation of the National Numeracy Strategy; • Good use of the local education authority advisor for mathematics; Tiptoe Primary School - 37 • Revised methods for planning with the introduction of new planning sheets; • Thorough analysis of test results to identify pupils’ strengths and weaknesses; • Very good use of these analyses to guide planning and set targets for year groups and individuals; • The monitoring of teaching through lesson observations and work sampling; • The use of Booster and Springboard classes to give specific support to small groups of pupils.

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MATHEMATICS

These have all been initiated in the last two years. The benefits are obvious in the quality of provision the school now offers. However, it will take a little longer for it to bear fruit fully in terms of pupil attainment, as some time still has to be spent in filling gaps in pupils’ knowledge and understanding. There is an excellent commitment to improvement and a capacity to succeed, which bodes well for the future.

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SCIENCE

113. Standards in science are average both at the end of Year 2 and the end of Year 6. This is an improvement on the work seen in lessons in the last full inspection. This improvement has been achieved through much improved teaching, and a much better scheme of work, where teachers now build on pupils’ skills year on year in a methodical fashion. For example, younger pupils are taught about foods that are good for them and those that are not. Older pupils consider a balanced diet in terms of the amount of fats, proteins, fibre, carbohydrate and vitamins present. One parent reported that her son assesses meals at home for nutritional value!

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SCIENCE

114. By the end of Year 2, pupils know the basic rules of hygiene, and know that we need food and water to stay alive. They have a sound knowledge of what should be eaten for a healthy meal. Many understand the advantages and disadvantages of medicines, and that they can be dangerous if not used correctly. One boy commented, “Take too much and you get sick.” Pupils know that exercise is important for healthy bodies, and can describe how they feel before and after exercise. They can name the major parts of a plant, and know that plants grow and produce seeds which can grow into new plants. Some pupils understand that jelly cubes can be dissolved, and that hot water will dissolve them faster than cold. Most pupils can make a simple electrical circuit with battery, wires and bulb, with some able to insert a switch into the circuit. They know that pushes and pulls can make things move, and identify the articles that they can move this way, such as a door, toy car, shopping trolley and

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SCIENCE

115. By the end of Year 6, most pupils know that there are organs of the body concerned with basic life processes, such as the lungs for breathing, the heart for circulation of the blood, and the stomach for digestion. They understand the role of the skeleton in protection of organs, such as the skull to protect the brain. They know that if you exercise, your heart rate will go up, and will go down again at rest. Pupils have tested this by taking their pulse before exercise, immediately afterwards, and then at intervals after that. They could give reasons for their heart rate rising, and most measured and recorded their data accurately. Most pupils can identify sepal, petal, stigma, stamen and style on a plant, and some know that green plants make food using energy from sunlight. Most pupils know that all living things need food, and that animals eat other animals or plants for energy. They understand simple food chains

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SCIENCE

such as lettuce – slug – bird, or grass – rabbit – fox. Pupils can use a simple key to classify living things by what they eat, or by their external features, such as the number of legs or wings. Most pupils know the properties of solids, liquids and gases, and can group materials according to these properties. Some have a good idea about changing states, and that some changes are reversible (melting chocolate), but that others are not (burning paper). Most pupils understand and can use correct symbols to represent the components of a circuit. They know that light travels in a straight line, and that when it hits an object a shadow will Tiptoe Primary School - 38 form. Pupils have experimented to show the length of shadows when a light is in different positions, and can explain the reasons. Most know that something vibrates to make a sound and that pitch relates to vibration.

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SCIENCE

116. During the inspection, little teaching of science was observable. However, from two lessons, scrutiny of planning, samples of pupils’ work, and discussion with pupils, it is apparent that teaching is good. Planning is thorough, and clearly identifies the objectives of each unit of work. Work is well geared to the ability of different groups of pupils within a class, and all pupils are fully included. Where necessary, good support is given to pupils with special educational needs by teaching assistants. Lessons are well prepared, with all required resources readily available. Pupils are well managed, well organised for group practical work, and well motivated. Effective discussions and questioning techniques are used to encourage pupils to think about what is happening, to deepen their knowledge and understanding. However, evidence from pupils’ books indicates that marking is not always used effectively to help pupils learn.

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SCIENCE

117. Science has improved a good deal since the last full inspection, and is still improving. The leader has brought provision from a low base to one that gives good coverage, in a short space of time. The requirements of the National Curriculum are well addressed by using the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority scheme of work, some of it adapted to the needs of the school. Key objectives are used well, and form the basis of planning and assessment. The local education authority science advisor has been used well, and teaching is now much improved. The school grounds are to be used as an outdoor classroom, and are being developed well. The next areas for development, mostly already identified by the leader herself, include:

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SCIENCE

• Providing greater challenge for higher attaining pupils; • Considering the marking policy and ensuring its consistent application; • Further developing the use of the grounds for environmental science; • Monitoring teaching; • The use of ICT in science, particularly for the older pupils.

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ART AND DESIGN

118. Pupils’ attainment in art now matches what is expected of them nationally at ages seven and eleven. This is an improvement over the last full report in 1998. Pupils demonstrate sound painting techniques, using colour, tone, line and texture. They are developing their appreciation of the work of other artists appropriately. In all years, work in two-dimensions is extended in satisfactory collage and model making: for example cat letter racks in Year 1. However, the school is aware that three-dimensional work has been underemphasised and is seeking to redress the balance, but more work is still needed in this aspect. Pupils’ art is used well to support other subjects such as geography and history.

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ART AND DESIGN

119. Pupils in Year 1 show good skills in observational drawing, developing work in line and proportion from self portraits to still life studies of fruit and vegetables. Year 2 pupils demonstrate a satisfactory appreciation of the work of artists such as Cézanne and Van Gogh. This is built upon in Years 3 to 6 in sketches of local houses and in landscape paintings.

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ART AND DESIGN

120. Throughout the school pupils of all abilities make appropriate progress in mixing and using colours when painting, and their brushwork is satisfactory. Good exercises in pointillism and painting in symbols in the Aboriginal cave painting style were observed in Years 5 and 6. Tiptoe Primary School - 39 121. Pupils’ attitudes to art are consistently good. Very good co-operation in groups of all abilities makes an excellent contribution to pupils’ personal development, in addition to making good use of literacy skills in evaluation.

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ART AND DESIGN

122. The quality of art teaching in the few lessons which could be observed was satisfactory with good features. Classes, time and resources were all well managed and pupils were encouraged to make progress with good points made about technique. Teachers make very good use of pupils’ work in good, attractive displays. This complements the work of commercial illustrators of children’s books completed in the school during book week. Good work in analysis and levelling pupils’ work against National Curriculum expectations, well directed by the subject leader, is influencing future planning. Appropriate examples of pupils’ work are kept as part of a portfolio to demonstrate pupils’ performance. However, the usefulness of this in measuring and gauging progress is lessened because the work is not dated and does not show pupils’ ages when they completed it.

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ART AND DESIGN

123. All pupils are fully included in art activities whatever their ability and there is a thriving art club, supported very effectively by teaching assistants and parents,

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ART AND DESIGN

124. Art is managed effectively by the subject leader who has done well to improve standards, maintain resources and create a plan for continued development when art has not been one of the school’s priorities in recent years.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

125. Very little work in design and technology was observed during the inspection, and most of the artefacts made by pupils had been taken home. However, from teachers’ planning, pupils’ design plans, photographs of completed work, and a few examples of pupil made artefacts, it is possible to judge that standards at the end of Year 2 and the end of Year 6 are in line with national expectations.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

126. By the end of Year 2, most pupils show an understanding of different types of buildings, and use found and reclaimed materials, such as cardboard boxes and tubes, to construct their own ‘homes’. They mostly make their structures strong and stable, and many add details such as windows and doors. Some of these are drawn on, others cut out, and some pupils make hinges from sticky tape. Textiles are used when making ‘Joseph’s Coat’, and pupils join with stitching or sticking. By providing pre-cut-to-shape material, opportunities are missed for pupils to practise their cutting skills.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

127. By the end of Year 6, pupils are using their scientific knowledge in their design and technology work by incorporating simple electrical circuits in their models. For example, they have constructed a quiz box, where a bulb lights up with the correct answer, and have made fairground rides, with computer control of the electric motors.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

128. There was insufficient evidence to form a valid opinion about the quality of teaching. However, from the evidence of one lesson, scrutiny of plans, and some examples of pupils’ designs, it is apparent that teaching is certainly not poor, and has therefore considerably improved since the last full inspection.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

129. The school has quite rightly placed much of the emphasis on its recent development in the areas of English, mathematics and science. Consequently design and technology has not had a high profile. However, the subject leader is conscientious, and improvements have been made to teaching and to the quality of the curriculum. All requirements of the National Curriculum are met, and the identification of key objectives is used well in lesson planning. However, when using units of work, such as those recommended by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority, not all planned learning outcomes are included. For example, on Tiptoe Primary School - 40 occasions, pupils have not done the cutting out themselves, they have not used the appropriate computer program, or they have not used the appropriate tools. The provision of resource packs for each unit of work has been very helpful to teachers. Attention now needs

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

to be paid to the development of the use of ICT, and to the leader monitoring the subject more rigorously.

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GEOGRAPHY

130. Pupils’ attainment by the ages of seven and eleven is in line with national expectations in geography. Pupils do not study a geographical topic for this part of the term but a scrutiny of last year’s work confirms that standards have been maintained since the last full inspection in 1998 and that teaching is satisfactory. Pupils, including those with special educational needs, make satisfactory progress in developing their mapping skills and knowledge and understanding of geographic vocabulary.

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GEOGRAPHY

131. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 know how to use maps and locate places on a map of the area. They draw good maps of the school environment and write simple sentences about their findings. Pupils in Years 3 and 4 extend their writing to explain their likes and dislikes of the playground and improvements they would make. They produce detailed maps of their journey from home to school. Pupils evaluate their work on the study of Tiptoe and say how much they enjoy their work because of the links with other subjects. Pupils in Year 4 value the opportunities to link their work with religious education and art when they visit a temple as part of their study of India. They research the climate and physical features of the country well so that they write interesting letters home, pretending they are visiting India.

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GEOGRAPHY

132. Pupils in Year 4 extend their studies of Tiptoe and India, writing at length about photographs of the country and what information they have gained from them. Pupils clearly enjoy the links with the history of Tiptoe and the range of old and new houses. Pupils in Year 6 produce attractive booklets about the rainforest, emphasising the beauty of life there. They include good observational drawings of birds and animals in their neatly written work, a contents page and a glossary. They show a good awareness of the problems of the destruction of the rainforests.

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GEOGRAPHY

133. Most pupils have a sound knowledge of the places they have studied. For example, they know about the continent of India, living conditions and the climate. They compare these with the weather conditions in Britain. They make plans and maps with keys, and work together on collages and large displays.

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GEOGRAPHY

134. Most pupils present their work neatly and accurately and illustrations are of a good quality. Pupils say how valuable any visits are and letters to the school indicate that pupils are very well behaved when they go out into the village and further afield.

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GEOGRAPHY

135. The subject is led and managed well and there are clear guidelines for all year groups. Some history and geography topics are linked successfully. For example, the visit to the seaside to explore the coastline is linked with a comparison of holidays in the past and today. Geography makes a strong contribution to pupils’ personal development through opportunities for first hand experiences, working with others, going into the community and learning about other countries.

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HISTORY

136. Pupils’ attainment by the ages of seven and eleven is in line with national expectations in history. Pupils, including those with special educational needs, make satisfactory progress in developing their knowledge and understanding of events and people in the past. This is an Tiptoe Primary School - 41 improvement since the last full inspection in 1998 when pupils made unsatisfactory progress because they were not building systematically on their learning and skills.

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HISTORY

137. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 discuss a walk around Tiptoe enthusiastically. They develop an understanding of the different buildings there and how old some of them are. Pupils know that once they were babies and now they go to school because they have changed over time. Pupils compare physical education lessons in Victorian times with their lessons. They identify the different characteristics of seaside pictures of that period with what they see now. Pupils know that Guy Fawkes was an important person and write clearly about his involvement in the Gunpowder Plot. Pupils in Years 3 and 4 create simple timelines from 2000 BC to 2000 AD to show the periods they study. They find the story of Boudicca exciting and enthusiastically recall their visit to an ancient farm to make daub and wattle fences. Pupils have a good understanding of how their houses were constructed.

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HISTORY

138. Pupils in Year 4 extend work on Greece and have a good understanding of the major battles of Salamis and Marathon. They carry out detailed research about the Ancient Greeks, making good use of the Internet and CD-Rom. Pupils study the life of Henry VIII and the Tudors, producing very good observational drawings of a Tudor house they visited. They prepare a list of challenging questions before interviewing a pupil at a local technology college through a video-conferencing link. He assumes the role of Henry VIII. History comes alive for them.

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HISTORY

139. Teaching and learning were good in the lessons seen. There are good links with literacy, numeracy, ICT and art. Teachers plan thoughtfully and ensure that lessons are structured and managed effectively. Teaching assistants support pupils with special needs very well so that they contribute helpfully to discussions. Topics frequently start with a visit so that pupils have first hand experience in for example, Celtic or Victorian museums.

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HISTORY

140. Pupils enjoy history and their writing and evaluations of the topics show that they have a good basis for future learning. Work is usually well presented and the content interesting.

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HISTORY

141. The subject is managed and led well and there are clear guidelines for all year groups. There is an enthusiasm to develop the subject. Visits are an important feature of the introduction to every topic and stimulate pupils’ interest and learning well. History makes a strong contribution to pupils’ personal development because of the opportunities to work together, meet with different people in the community, and to learn about other times and societies.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

142. Standards of ICT are below the rigorous national expectations introduced since the last full inspection at both the ages of seven and eleven. However, this is the result of lack of opportunity in terms of insufficient resources (now being addressed), and the newness of some initiatives in the subject at the school. Pupils’ work observed during the inspection was of an acceptable standard, and for higher attainers better than this in Years 5 and 6. Because pupils have not yet covered all required elements in sufficient depth their attainment when they leave is likely to fall short of expectation. Nevertheless, pupils are making rapid progress and are catching up. Improvements to resources, planning and teaching are all having positive effects.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

143. Pupils build successfully on the keyboard and mouse skills established in Year R and Year 1: for example where they learn to manipulate the mouse to dress teddy on the screen. Good listening skills are developed from hearing stories on tape and following simulation programs associated with the school’s reading scheme. Year 2 pupils have experience of entering mathematical data to produce pictograms and graphs, and Years 3 and 4 have Tiptoe Primary School - 42 begun to use the Internet and make use of the digital camera. Year 5 and Year 6 pupils show sound skills of exporting text and pictures, and changing page layout whilst word processing, as well as researching using CD-Rom.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

144. Overall pupils have very good attitudes and make good progress in ICT, but a significant proportion lack confidence and are too slow in performing some features: for example in loading, saving and printing. This is associated with too limited hands-on experience, some of which is linked to insufficient equipment, notably for Years 3 to 6.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

145. Little direct teaching of ICT could be observed during the inspection, but the quality of support from teachers and assistants for individuals and small groups was good, especially for Years 5 and 6, extending their writing as ‘reporters’. Good teaching was seen in Class 4 with pupils being skilfully introduced to higher level editing techniques. Expectations were high, learning objectives very clear and relationships were excellent. Consequently pupils’ response was very good.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

146. Although the school has made very good progress in improving resources over the last two years, Years 3 to 6 in particular need yet more equipment. Presently pupils have to wait sometimes up to a week to practise the skills taught in discrete ICT lessons, or to develop their writing and research using computers. Some science work for example is hampered by the lack of sensors to monitor experiments. The subject leader is very aware of the situation and has worked hard to make the most of existing resources. Her very good leadership has resulted in a very good analysis of how ICT can be improved and she has created a very good action plan for the subject. Together the staff have considerably enhanced their knowledge and expertise through in-service training and this is having very positive effects on pupils’ learning.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

147. A very good initiative is the appointment of a technician to take responsibility for hardware, develop the use of ICT in group work, and to enhance library provision. There is a very positive, collective commitment amongst staff and governors to making more use of computers to support other subjects, which indicates the future of ICT in the school is set fair.

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MUSIC

148. Little music was seen or heard during the inspection. However, from limited evidence, it does appear that standards in music at the end of Year 2 and the end of Year 6 are in line with national expectations, with a particular strength in singing. In assemblies, pupils sang with enthusiasm, and a good sense of pitch and rhythm. Where required, they put in actions at the appropriate places, keeping well in time and using Makaton signing. Other singing was heard in music lessons, and by the youngest pupils, at various times in the day.

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MUSIC

149. In one lesson in Years 1 and 2, pupils showed that they could explore how sounds can be organised. Pupils worked co-operatively in their groups, creating their sounds to illustrate a story. They handled the instruments with care and sensitivity, and were exemplary at stopping when the teacher held up her hand for them to cease playing.

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MUSIC

150. In one lesson in Years 5 and 6, pupils showed that they are developing their composition skills satisfactorily. They have started to compose their own ‘Song for Christmas’ which will be entered for a competition. Having worked at the words in small groups, they democratically decided on the words of the first verse, and then set about composing the tune, with some success.

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MUSIC

151. Too few observations of music lessons were made to make a judgement about teaching. However, all teaching seen was at least satisfactory, with some being good. Tiptoe Primary School - 43 Planning for units of work clearly indicates the skills and understanding to be developed, and all is appropriately related to the National Curriculum programme of study. Pupils are well managed and well motivated, although with the younger pupils, the pace was rather slow, with too much time spent on organisation and teacher talking. All pupils observed were included well, and all had opportunities to contribute with instruments. The curriculum is sound. Skills are built upon year on year, and are re-visited at a higher level each time. This is ensured, partly though the curriculum, and partly because the same teacher takes all the lessons.

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MUSIC

152. Music in the school is broadly satisfactory, although it does suffer from a low profile. The leader was on maternity leave for the majority of the last school year. Good provision was made to cover music in her absence, with clear planning and resource packs available for class teachers, which was mostly put into practice. However, she is now back in school, but for half a day each week. This enables her to take each class once, and to take a recorder club at lunchtime. However, it does not enable music to permeate other areas, for example, for her to assist and support instrumentalists to play the music for songs in assembly. Pupils have lessons on violin and keyboard, some of whom would be quite capable of playing the required melody. Brass tuition has stopped through lack of take-up, and there are several brass instruments in the school not being used. This is a symptom of the low profile of music. Other opportunities at assembly time are missed. For example,

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MUSIC

classical music is played every day for pupils to enter and leave the hall. The composer’s name is on the hall door, but the door is open and pupils do not look at it. By mentioning the composer, the type of music, and the instruments that can be heard, an important part of the National Curriculum could be covered. A new music policy is being prepared, which should include ways to improve the profile of music within the school.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

153. Standards in physical education are now improved to satisfactory when pupils complete Year 2 and Year 6 compared with the comments of the last full inspection in 1998. Pupils demonstrate appropriate awareness of space, control of their bodies, and, by the end of Year 6, a sound understanding of tactics in a variety of games.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

154. By the end of Year 2 pupils have a sound understanding of the effects of exercise on their bodies. They show good progress in sending and receiving a ball in hockey and were observed improving rolling techniques and holding balances in gymnastics. Years 3 and 4 pupils build successfully on these movements to devise their own sequences, and Years 5 and 6 follow programmes designed to develop passing and dribbling skills. By the time they leave Year 6 all pupils are able to swim at least the required 25 metres and pupils from the Special Unit have been introduced to horse riding with some children showing remarkably good balancing skills. Unit pupils take part in the swimming programme.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

155. Throughout all activities observed, including lessons, gym club and riding, pupils showed real enthusiasm, took good note of the teacher and behaved very well. Because of good teaching pupils make good progress as a result of observing the performances of others and discussing strengths and weaknesses in groups. Teachers manage pupils, time, accommodation, and resources well. A Year R and Year 1 lesson focusing on large ball skills observed was very well taught with pupils extending themselves physically as well mentally and reaching above average standards. Teachers pay careful attention to health and safety not only with equipment and appropriate dress, but in warm up and cool down activities. Teaching assistants make a strong contribution to lessons, being well aware of learning objectives and correct techniques.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

156. The subject leader has done well to make improvements and raise standards even when physical education has not been one of the school’s priorities. She has used her small Tiptoe Primary School - 44 budget well to provide good resources and has had a positive influence on extra equipment, now available for pupils during playtimes.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

157. By the end of Year 2 and Year 6 pupils achieve what is expected of them according to the locally agreed syllabus for religious education. This is an improvement since the last full inspection in 1998 and continues the progress detailed in the HMI follow-up report in 2000. Pupils make sound progress from Year R to Year 6 in knowledge and understanding of festivals and customs from a variety of religions; understanding symbolism; developing a sense of wonder; and appreciating special features and events which mark milestones in their lives.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

158. Religious education is well planned as a programme throughout the school which builds on skills and knowledge previously learned. For example the theme of food studied in Years 1 and 2 leads to more work on symbols in Years 3 and 4, and consideration in Year R and Year 1 of why people and places are special is developed effectively in work on rites of passage in Years 5 and 6.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

159. Pupils show interest and are keen to use their literacy skills in discussions, both in groups and with adults. All pupils are included in religious education regardless of their ability. This was observed working very well when children from the Special Unit joined Years 1 and 2 in a session about bread and its symbolism in the Christian faith, led by the local curate. Pupils were willing to ask and answer questions and higher attainers showed a good basic knowledge.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

160. Pupils’ enthusiasm is very evident in assemblies where collective acts of worship meet requirements and add another dimension to religious education. This makes an excellent contribution to pupils’ moral and social development as well as complementing their spiritual progress.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

161. The quality of teaching in the few lessons which could be observed, was good. Staff listen well to pupils’ suggestions and comments and make the most of very good relationships to explore sensitive aspects of the subject. Teachers make objectives clear and use questioning well. Good plenary sessions at the end of lessons review what has been learnt and set the scene for what comes next.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

162. The subject is well managed and planning is good. Positive moves are in hand to develop assessment to gauge pupils’ progress and help evaluate the success of teaching. The subject leader has a good action plan for further improvements. She is aware that the shortage of artefacts makes teaching difficult and that book resources in the library need improving.

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