Longtown Community Primary School

LONGTOWN COMMUNITY PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 13 – 15 January 2003

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LONGTOWN COMMUNITY 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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LONGTOWN COMMUNITY 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. Longtown Community Primary School- 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Infant and junior school

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Longtown Hereford Herefordshire

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: February 1998 Longtown Community Primary School- 4 INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities 21666 Mr A Margerison Registered inspector English Geography History Special educational needs What sort of school is it? The school’s results and pupils’ achievements How well are pupils taught? How well the school is led and managed? What should the school do to improve further? 11437 Mrs J Moore 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? 22058 Mrs C Richardson Team inspector The foundation stage Mathematics Science Information and communication technology Art and design Design and technology Music Physical education Religious education Educational inclusion How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils? Longtown Community Primary School- 5 The inspection contractor was:

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

37 Park Drive Grimsby North-East Lincolnshire DN32 0EG

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

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 SCHOOL

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Longtown Community Primary School- 6

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 7

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 11

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

The school, which is smaller than most primary schools, is situated in the village of Longtown, 18 miles south-west of Hereford. Most pupils live in the village, which comprises mainly privately-owned housing, but a few parents from neighbouring villages choose to bring their children to the school. There are 40 pupils on roll aged five to eleven organised into two classes taught by two full-time teachers, including the head teacher, and one part-time teacher who releases the head teacher to fulfil his management responsibilities. All pupils are of white heritage and no pupils speak English as an additional language. No pupils are provided with free school meals, a figure which is well below the national average. A low proportion of pupils (twelve per cent) are on the school’s register of special educational needs. There are no pupils with statements of special educational needs. Most of the children in the current reception

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

class went to play-school before transferring to Longtown Community Primary School. There is a wide range of attainment on entry, but overall it is broadly typical of their age. The school is part of Herefordshire Education Action Zone.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

The school is a very effective school that provides a very good standard of education for its pupils and has many significant strengths. Consequently, by the end of Year 6, pupils attain very good standards in English, art and design and good standards in mathematics, science, physical education and information and communication technology. Due to very good leadership and management by the headteacher and other staff, with effective support from governors, the school has improved very well since the last inspection. Teaching and learning are very good for children in reception so they achieve very well in their first year in school, and are now consistently good in Years 1 to 6. The school is an important and integral part of the local community and very highly regarded by parents. The school gives good value for money.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What the school does well • Pupils achieve well so they attain very good standards by the end of Year 6 in English and art and design and good standards in mathematics, science, information and communication technology and aspects of physical education. • Pupils with special educational needs make very good progress due to the very effective support they receive in lessons and from specialist teachers. • Teaching is consistently good so pupils learn well throughout the school . Teaching and learning are very good in reception. • Provision for pupils’ personal development is very good so they develop very good attitudes to school. Pupils’ behaviour and relationships between pupils and with adults are excellent. • The quality and range of learning opportunities are very good. • Activities out of lessons, and links with the community and other schools are excellent. • The school is very well led by the headteacher, who is well supported by the governors and other

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What could be improved • The procedures for monitoring and supporting pupils’ academic progress so learning targets are set for and with pupils. • Provision to prepare pupils for life in a culturally diverse society The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan. Longtown Community Primary School- 8

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school was last inspected in February 1998 and has improved very well since then. All of the key issues have been effectively addressed so the quality of education has improved very well. A systematic procedure for monitoring teaching has been introduced so teaching and learning are now consistently good. The curriculum has improved because the school has introduced the national strategies for literacy and numeracy effectively. In addition, an excellent range of activities outside lessons now greatly enriches the opportunities pupils have to learn and develop their personal skills. The school’s plan for improvement now identifies both the priorities for development linked to costs and those staff who are responsible for implementing the work. In addition, significant improvements have been made to the building and the grounds, which have greatly improved the environment for pupils. The quality and

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

range of resources have improved well, particularly for information and communication technology.

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STANDARDS

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

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STANDARDS

Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

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STANDARDS

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

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STANDARDS

Due to the size of the school, individual year results have to be treated with extreme caution. For example, in 2002, five pupils took the tests at the end of Year 6, all of whom were girls and only two took the tests in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of Year 2. The school achieved its targets in the 2002 national tests. Those for English placed the school in the top five per cent of schools nationally, well above similar schools. The results for mathematics were below average for all schools and well below average for similar schools. The results for science were above average when compared with all schools and average for similar schools. However, taking the three years 2000-2002 together, pupils’ performance in the national tests for pupils at the end of Year 6 has exceeded the national average in English, mathematics and science, improving broadly in line with the national trend. Pupils’

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STANDARDS

performance in the national tests at the end of Year 2 has exceeded the national average in reading and mathematics, although it has been slightly below average in writing. Children achieve very well in reception so they attain the expected levels for their age and the majority exceed them in all areas. In Years 1 and 2 pupils achieve well to attain good standards in speaking and listening, reading, writing, mathematics, science, information and communication technology and art and design by the end of Year 2. They continue to achieve well in Years 3 to 6 to attain very good standards in English and art and design by the end of Year 6. Standards in mathematics, science and information and communication technology above those expected. In addition, pupils attain good standards in swimming and gymnastics. In all other subjects, standards of attainment are in line with those expected for pupils at the end of Years 2 and 6. Pupils with special educational needs make very good

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STANDARDS

progress throughout the school. Longtown Community Primary School- 9

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attitudes to the school Very good. Pupils enjoy coming to school and have very positive attitudes to learning. They are well motivated and try hard.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Excellent. Behaviour throughout the school is exemplary in all lessons and activities in and out of school.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Personal development and relationships Very good. Relationships are excellent and enable the school to function as a very well-ordered community. Pupils work together very well and respect each others feelings, values and beliefs.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attendance Very good. Pupils’ attendance is well above average and there is no unauthorised absence.

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Teaching is good and has improved well since the last inspection so pupils achieve well as they move through the school. Teaching is very good for children in reception. During the inspection, all lessons were good, and almost half were very good. Teachers have very good subject knowledge and teach the basic skills of English, mathematics, science and information and communication technology very well so that pupils’ attainment by the end of Year 6 is better than expected. In all lessons, teachers plan lessons well, have very high expectations and manage pupils very well, making excellent use of information and communication technology to display resources and to involve pupils, so lessons are brisk and interesting. Consequently, pupils’ behaviour is excellent and they are very interested and enthusiastic. Support staff are used well in all classes to help individuals and to work with groups, but

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

they are particularly effective in reception so children achieve very well and have very good opportunities to develop their skills, knowledge and understanding in all areas. Teachers respond very well to pupils in lessons, but learning targets are not set with pupils in most subjects so they are not clear about what they are working to improve. The marking of work does not consistently explain to pupils what they have done well and how they can improve their work.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The quality and range of the curriculum Very good. Pupils have a very interesting and stimulating curriculum that is enhanced by an excellent range of visits and visitors and activities out of lessons. Links with the community and other schools are excellent and significantly enrich the opportunities for pupils.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Very good. Targets in individual plans are very clear and used well by teachers to plan work. Pupils are very well supported in lessons so they make very good progress.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils’ Very good. Provision for pupils’ social development is excellent. It is Longtown Community Primary School- 10 personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development very good for pupils’ spiritual and moral development and good for pupils’ cultural development, but there are not enough opportunities to prepare pupils for living in a culturally diverse society.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

How well the school cares for its pupils Very good. Procedures for promoting and monitoring pupils’ attendance, behaviour and personal development are very good. Procedures for assessing pupils’ attainment and progress are good and the information is used well to set whole school targets. However, not enough use is made of the information to involve pupils in setting their own targets for learning, particularly in English, mathematics and science. The school has established excellent links with parents and they make a very positive contribution to their children’s learning. The information they get about the progress their children are making and the work of the school is very good.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Leadership and manage- ment by the headteacher and other key staff Very good. The school is very well led by the headteacher who is very well supported by the other teachers who work in the school. They have a clear understanding of the strengths of the school and what needs to be done to improve it further so its work fully reflects its aims and aspirations.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Good. Governors have a clear understanding of the strengths of the school and support the teaching and support staff well.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The school’s evaluation of its performance Good. The headteacher has established good procedures to evaluate the quality of teaching and uses this information well to identify priorities for school development and staff training.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The strategic use of resources Very good. Special grants from a range of sources are used very well to support pupils and to enhance the curriculum. Resources are used well in lessons and excellent use is made of new technology throughout the school. Best value is sought carefully with spending very closely linked to identified priorities. There is a good match between the demands of the curriculum and the numbers of teaching and support staff. The accommodation is good for the number of pupils in the school. Learning resources are good, particularly for information and communication technology.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

• Teaching is good and their children make good progress. • The school is helping their children to become mature and responsible. • The school is well led and managed. • They can approach the school with questions or problems and feel well informed about the progress their children are making. • Behaviour in the school is good. • Parents had no area they wanted to see improved

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

The inspection team fully endorses parents’ extremely high opinion of the school. Longtown Community Primary School- 11

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. Standards have improved well since the last inspection. The evidence from the inspection is that by the end of Years 2 and 6, pupils attain good standards that are at least in line with what is expected in all subjects. Pupils with special educational needs make very good progress throughout the school. The school achieved its targets for pupils in Year 6 in 2002 and has set itself challenging, but realistic targets for the current year, which it is on course to achieve.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. Due to the size of the school, drawing conclusions about standards by comparing the school’s results for one year with national results or with those for similar schools should be treated with extreme caution. For example, in 2002, only two pupils took the national tests in reading, writing and mathematics for pupils at the end of Year 2 and five pupils, all of whom were girls, took the tests in English, mathematics and science. In addition, the proportion of pupils with special educational needs in these groups varies considerably from year to year which has a significant impact on that years results when such small numbers of pupils are involved. However, pupils’ performance over time at the end of Years 2 and 6 has been good. Taking the years 2000-2002 together, pupils’ performance at the end of Year 2 has exceeded the national average in reading and mathematics. Results in writing are slightly below average, but not significantly. Pupils’ performance by

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

the end of Year 6 has exceeded national averages in English, mathematics and science with results improving broadly in line with the national trends. No information is available to compare the performance of boys and girls at the end of Year 6, but there is no significant difference between boys and girls at the end of Year 2.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. Initial assessments carried out by teachers when children start in reception show that levels of attainment in language, literacy, mathematics and personal development are broadly in line with what is expected. Children achieve very well in reception because the teaching is very good. By the end of reception children attain the expected levels for their age. Most attain above this in all the six areas of learning, but particularly in their personal development, communication, language and literacy, and mathematics.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. The inspection finds that pupils in Years 1 and 2 achieve well to attain standards of work that are above expectations for their age in English, mathematics, science, information and communication technology (ICT) and swimming by the end of Year 2. Standards are well above expectations in art and design. In all other subjects, except in design and technology where there was not enough evidence available to make a judgement, standards are in line with those expected. This reflects good improvement since the last inspection, particularly in ICT in which standards were below expectations and confirms parents’ views that pupils make good progress. In English, most pupils contribute confidently to discussions. They listen carefully to their teachers and each other and respond well to questions. The good standards in English are mainly due to the standards of pupils’ reading. Most pupils are fluent, confident readers and have a very

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

secure understanding of how to use letter sounds to work out words they are not familiar with and have a good understanding of how to use punctuation to make their reading interesting and expressive. When they are writing, pupils take pride in their work. Many pupils are beginning to write in a neat, legible joined-up style with most words spelt correctly. In mathematics, most pupils have a good understanding of the relationships between numbers and how to do basic addition and subtraction on paper and in their heads. Pupils with special educational needs make very good progress because Longtown Community Primary School- 12 teachers and support staff ensure they have individual attention in lessons and have good opportunities to practise their basic skills of literacy and numeracy. There is no significant difference between the attainment of girls and boys

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. Pupils continue to achieve well in Years 3 to 6 so by the end of Year 6 standards are well above average in English and above average in mathematics and science. Pupils take part in discussions and willingly contribute their ideas. They confidently take parts in school productions such as the Christmas pantomime and make presentations to the whole school during ‘Sharing’ assemblies. They are fluent, expressive readers and because teachers give them plenty of opportunities to find out for themselves they are good at using text books, information sheets and the Internet to research particular topics. Pupils’ handwriting is neat and legible and joined. They have a good understanding of how to use a broad range of punctuation in their writing and can write well in different styles. For example, their imaginative stories extend and develop ideas well and they use interesting vocabulary to describe characters and events. In mathematics, pupils quickly

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

work out sums in their heads. The school’s current emphasis on developing their problem-solving skills, which involves a teacher from the local secondary school working with pupils in Years 5 and 6, is having a positive effect on their ability to work with numbers in a practical way. In science, pupils have a good understanding of the different aspects of the subject including how to plan, conduct and evaluate investigations.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. In other subjects, standards have improved well since the last inspection. Pupils now attain standards above expectations in ICT and physical education. In ICT, pupils have a very secure understanding of the basic skills in all aspects of the subject, but also fully understand how to use these skills to produce their work and share their ideas with each other. These standards reflect the very good developments in resources for ICT, partly funded by the Education Action Zone (EAZ) and the good improvement in teachers’ subject knowledge and skills. In physical education, the weekly swimming lesson for all pupils including children in reception means that by the end of Year 6 pupils attain well in this aspect of the subject. Standards in gymnastics are also good. In art and design standards are very good directly due to the subject expertise of the co-ordinator so pupils learn to express their ideas confidently in a broad range of media and styles. The very

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

high standards pupils attain has been recognised nationally with the school being awarded the ‘Artsmark Gold’ award in 2002. Standards in all other subjects are in line with expectations, but pupils frequently use their basic skills of literacy and numeracy well to, for example, record their ideas or opinions in religious education or use grid references to find places on a map in geography.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

7. The high standards in pupils’ attitudes, values and behaviour have improved further since the last inspection. Pupils’ attitudes to learning are now very good and they respond very positively to the very good range of opportunities provided for them so their personal skills develop very well. They support each other well, listen politely to others and share equipment in lessons. All ages play happily together in the playground.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

8. Pupils are keen to work and involve themselves very enthusiastically in activities. They concentrate very well, which enables them to finish tasks and develop ideas fully. They are eager to talk about their activities in school and clearly benefit in many ways from the subjects and opportunities offered. Their obvious enthusiasm when describing the art works and museums visited on one of the school’s regular trips to London and their delight and enthusiasm for using the interactive whiteboards in lessons are good examples of this. Longtown Community Primary School- 13 9. Pupils’ behaviour is excellent. They co-operate very well amongst themselves and with adults around the school. They respond extremely well to the staff’s very high expectations, are thoughtful and polite and enjoy the rewards given for special effort or achievement in the form of House Points. They settle quickly at registration each

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

morning, responding promptly and politely as their names are called. Everything is done with the minimum of fuss so that no learning opportunity is missed or time wasted getting organised for work. They understand the difference between right and wrong and the importance of behaving well at all times around school or on visits. For example, on the trip to the swimming pool in Hereford all pupils’ behaviour, including the children in reception, four of whom where going for the first time, was exemplary and a credit to themselves, the school and their parents.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

10. Pupils' personal development is very good and they take their responsibilities in the smooth running of the school very seriously. Older pupils willingly help younger ones, often without being asked, in lessons and around the school and they respond very well when they are given a specific responsibility, for example, acting as librarians or helping in the dining hall. They also work independently with little reliance on the teacher which enables the teacher and support staff to spend more time with younger or less able pupils.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

11. Relationships between pupils and with adults are excellent. Parents at the parents’ meeting referred to the total absence of any bullying or oppressive behaviour between pupils. They work together very well in groups, and share ideas and equipment sensibly and maturely. Their behaviour helps to create the very positive atmosphere and the strong sense of community evident throughout the school.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12. Attendance is still very good, and continues to have a positive effect on learning. It is well above the national average and there were no exclusions.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

13. Teaching has improved since the last inspection and is now consistently good. All lessons seen during the inspection were good or better with nearly half being very good. Throughout the school teachers have very secure subject knowledge and teach basic skills in subjects such as English, mathematics, science, ICT and art and design very well. They have very high expectations of behaviour and manage, organise and support pupils very well. Consequently, all pupils learn well and those with special educational needs learn very well.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

14. Children in reception are taught very well so they make very good progress in their first year in school. The class is a mixed-age class with children in reception working alongside pupils in Years 1 and 2. The major strength of the teaching in this class is the very effective way that the teacher plans lessons and uses classroom support staff to ensure that children experience activities reflecting the national guidance for the Foundation Stage. Children broadly follow the timetable of lessons for pupils in Years 1 and 2, but it is very effectively adapted so that activities are very well matched to their age and ability. For example, children are involved in class discussions at the start of literacy or numeracy lessons when the teacher uses questions very effectively to involve them directly in the discussions, but then move to their own area with a classroom support assistant to work on activities looking at letter sounds or number patterns. Other

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

sessions are shortened so children can go outside to use large wheeled toys or to do some role play activities in the classroom. Due to this very careful and imaginative planning, as well as the very good teaching by the support staff when they are working with the children as a group, children make very good progress in learning the basic skills Longtown Community Primary School- 14 in all the areas of learning. The teacher is also very aware of the importance of involving the children in some activities with the older pupils in the class. They listen carefully to the older pupils and learn what is acceptable behaviour. This approach makes a significant contribution to their personal and language development.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

15. Teaching in Years 1 and 2 is good. A key strength is the very good teaching of the basic skills of English, mathematics, science, ICT and art and design so that by the end of Year 2 pupils attain standards in these subjects above those expected for their age. Lessons are consistently well paced with brisk discussions often using texts or ideas presented on the interactive white-board getting lessons off to a lively start. For example, in a literacy lesson looking at sequencing stories, pupils were asked to re-order the key events in the story of Dick Whittington by moving them around the white-board using the ‘pen’. This approach immediately involves pupils in lessons so they are very interested and enthusiastic in all activities. This lesson was based on a visit to a pantomime the previous week that the whole school had gone to see and illustrates how teachers use visits, visitors and real experiences very effectively to help pupils understand what they

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

are learning about in school. This approach was a positive aspect of teaching that parents referred to at their meeting. Pupils are very well managed. Instructions are very clear and explicit so pupils know exactly what they have to do, how to behave and they concentrate hard on the tasks they are given. Teachers and support staff respond very well to pupils in lessons, praising them for their efforts and helping them improve their work. However, marking of pupils’ work does not consistently help pupils understand what they can do to improve and does not give teachers enough information when reviewing pupils’ work to be clear about how much progress pupils have made.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

16. Teaching in Years 3 to 6 is good. The strengths of the teaching in Years 1 and 2, particularly the management of pupils and the very strong emphasis placed on teaching basic skills, underpin the teaching of the older pupils too so all pupils achieve well. Support staff have clear roles and work with groups and individual pupils very effectively so pupils with special educational needs make very good progress.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

17. In English, mathematics and science lessons, activities are generally very well planned so pupils of different abilities and ages are very well catered for. Teacher’s use of computer-based activities, either with pupils working in small groups on laptop computers or class activities using the interactive white-board, is a major strength in many lessons in different subjects including English and mathematics. Consequently, pupils quickly acquire basic skills in ICT so by the end of Year 6 they are confident and attain standards above those expected for their age. The excellent use of ICT in lessons makes sure all pupils are involved so they are all very interested and enthusiastic in activities and try hard to do their best. Consequently, by the end of Year 6 pupils attain good standards based on a very secure understanding of the basic skills of grammar, spelling, punctuation, number patterns and investigation. Teachers have good subject knowledge and use it

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

effectively to provide pupils with interesting and stimulating activities so they acquire the skills, knowledge and understanding in all subjects well. In art and design, the teacher’s very good subject knowledge means that a very broad range of activities is provided for pupils and they learn to use a variety of media such as collage, pastels and pencil to produce a very high standard of thoughtful and, in some cases, vibrant work in different styles. For example, collages on display demonstrate their very secure understanding of the work of Andy Warhol. Resources are used well by teachers in most lessons to provide a good range of interesting and challenging activities. In class discussions, teachers use questions very effectively to challenge and involve pupils of different ages and abilities. However, in a few lessons in science, geography and history there is insufficient variation in some individual or small group activities and an over-reliance on

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

similar worksheets to fully challenge the older and more able pupils. Teachers and Longtown Community Primary School- 15 support staff respond well to pupils in lessons, but marking of pupils’ work does not clearly identify how pupils can improve their work and is not used to set individual pupils targets for them to work towards.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

18. Pupils with special educational needs are taught very well so they learn very well. The special educational needs co-ordinator works closely with teachers and support staff so that targets in pupils’ individual plans are used well to plan activities in English and mathematics lessons. Support staff are skilled and very sensitive to their needs in class lessons and in sessions where they have individual or small group support. They maintain a good balance between guiding pupils so they have to use their own knowledge and understanding to work tasks out for themselves and giving them appropriate help so they are able to be fully involved in lessons. Where pupils work with the special educational needs co-ordinator in individual sessions, activities are very well planned and highly appropriate to their needs and the targets in their individual plans.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

19. The curriculum reflects the school’s aims in an exemplary manner and is very good overall. There are particular strengths in the provision for extra-curricular activities and the contribution of the community and other institutions to pupils’ learning. These factors create a tremendous sense of a community based on inclusive values in which all children are fully involved in the life of the school.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

20. The school is systematically developing and reviewing policies and guidelines for all subjects effectively so since the last inspection there have been significant improvements to the curriculum. The national strategy for literacy has been fully implemented and developed very effectively. The numeracy strategy is being developed well as the emphasis on problem solving is increased and there have been good improvements in the teaching and organisation of the National Curriculum since the last inspection. The provision for ICT is now very good and pupils attain standards above expectations because staff use excellent resources very effectively.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

21. Sufficient time is allocated to all subjects to ensure that the school meets all statutory requirements, including the teaching of religious education according to locally agreed guidelines, and the arrangements for collective worship. More time is allocated for art and design because this includes the wide range of visits, visitors to the school and special projects that have enabled the school to gain the prestigious ‘Artsmark’ Gold Award. All children have weekly swimming lessons and parents agree that, although this is a time-consuming activity, it is very worthwhile.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

22. Teachers make good use of nationally recommended guidance for the curriculum and supplement it with the school’s own guidelines for each subject. Subjects are taught in a thoughtful way, with good attention to the development of skills and pupils’ own ideas. ICT is now a strength of the curriculum because of the very good use of excellent resources provided by the EAZ and Hereford College of Technology. Yearly planning is well supported by termly and weekly planning. The school’s arrangements to provide a coherent structure for the three and four years spent in each class ensure that pupils build on the skills and knowledge they acquire systematically. Teachers plan good links between subjects in lessons, such as literacy and ICT, science and design and technology, history, music and art. They assess pupils’ successes and failures in their work so that they are able to amend their planning to reinforce or extend pupils’ learning.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

Longtown Community Primary School- 16 23. The curriculum for children in the reception class is very good. This is an improvement since the last inspection. The curriculum is planned thoughtfully to make sure that every child experiences all the ‘Areas of Learning’ and there is a particular emphasis on developing children’s social and personal skills whilst providing a very firm foundation for future work. There is a very rich range of opportunities for children to learn skills, such as careful observation of artists’ work before painting and drawing. Adults prepare work very thoroughly and help children learn quickly.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

24. The provision for pupils with special educational needs is very good. Each pupil on the register of special educational needs has an individual plan that is drawn up by the Special Needs Co-ordinator, the class teacher and the support staff. The plans are reviewed termly and targets develop pupils’ skills very effectively and give very good guidelines for staff to work with pupils. They are closely matched to the recommended teaching methods and very well used by teachers and support staff as the basis for planning work. Although there is not yet a systematic procedure for pupils and parents to be directly involved in the setting and reviewing of targets, procedures generally reflect the guidance in the 2001 Code of Practice and parents feel fully involved

p.16

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

25. Provision for extra-curricular activities is excellent and pupils are enthusiastic about the wide range of lunchtime and after-school clubs provided by staff from the school, governors, parents and sports coaches from the county. The content and organisation of the curriculum, and the manner in which the aims of the school are achieved, ensure that social inclusion is of the highest standard and all pupils have equal opportunities to experience all that the school offers. Talks and workshops by visitors and artists, and an exceptionally interesting and varied range of visits and field studies, provide an outstanding enrichment of pupils’ learning. This includes outdoor education activities such as caving and orienteering. The school makes very good use of an outdoor education centre situated in the village to provide this aspect of physical education. Personal, social, health education and citizenship are a strong and integral part of the

p.16

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

curriculum. Both classes have weekly sessions to discuss important issues such as relationships and feelings. Aspects of drugs awareness, healthy eating and sex education are included very effectively in science lessons and as separate topics.

p.16

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

26. There are very good relationships between the playgroup and the school to prepare children well for the reception class and links with secondary schools are excellent. There are many superb projects that link the schools and educational establishments in the area with Longtown and these are constantly developing. For example, following its success with the award of the ‘Artsmark Gold’ award, the school is working to extend opportunities for Creative Arts projects. Links in all curricular areas are excellent and enhance opportunities for teachers to develop their skills and enrich pupils’ learning extremely well. The school’s outstanding links with the churches, people and businesses in the area enables the school to play a full part in the community and enhances the educational and social learning of pupils significantly. For example, the school is used most evenings and at weekends as a ‘Learndirect’ centre and a number of local residents

p.16

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

use this facility to develop their ICT skills. Many of the children also take advantage of the monthly ‘Discovery Club’ activities. This is based at the school and is organised and run by a governor with help from parents. A wide variety of activities covering many curricular areas are offered, such as pottery, medieval day, pizza making. These activities are also open to children who attend other schools.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

27. The provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good overall. It is very good for spiritual and moral development. It is excellent for social development. Provision for cultural development is good. This is an improvement since the last inspection. ‘Sharing’ assemblies, when pupils prepare a short discussion on a Longtown Community Primary School- 17 particular topic, followed by the asking and answering of questions, are good examples of pupils reflecting upon and discovering what motivates and pleases others. Visits to places such as the Tate Modern amaze and stimulate pupils to aim for excellence and originality in their own work. Curiosity and interest are developed very well in subjects such as science and art and design. Displays around the school are of very high quality and make an outstanding contribution to the school’s supportive climate for learning.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

28. Pupils review the rules for behaviour in the classroom and school each year and demonstrate that they have a very clear understanding of right and wrong. There is a good behaviour policy that is consistently applied through the very high expectations of all staff. Staff encourage pupils to express their views and consider the moral aspects of people’s behaviour in life and through stories and literature. They use the Internet to find out more about Mahatma Gandhi and respect the achievements and contributions of people like him. Pupils value the house points they earn and the recognition of their efforts in assemblies and lessons. Relationships in the school are excellent and adults provide pupils with very good examples on which to model their own behaviour.

p.17

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

29. There are many planned opportunities for pupils to work in pairs or groups in lessons. They share ideas, discuss issues raised and support each other in joint tasks. For example, when a Year 2 pupil shared a computer with a Year 1 pupil she pointed out that the picture selected could not be right. She explained, “They did not have white lines on the road in Dick Whittington’s day!”. Pupils work very well together and share their knowledge and skills confidently. Pupils raise funds for local, national and international causes and contribute to the day-to-day life of the school, with older pupils helping younger ones, clearing away sensibly after lessons and helping with music in lessons and assemblies. Visits to museums and places of interest increase pupils’ knowledge of the area in which they live and of places further afield such as Cardiff and London. Such visits and visitors to the school make an very important contribution to pupils’

p.17

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

development and learning. They look forward to involvement in productions and performances.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

30. Provision for cultural development is good. Pupils have good opportunities to appreciate their own cultural and local heritage. In art and design and music they learn about the lives of famous artists and composers. In English they read and listen to a range of literature from different countries. Pupils look forward to the visits of drama groups, musicians and artists. They recall with pleasure the evenings shared with parents to celebrate their topics on Ancient Greece and the Tudors. Pupils learn about other faiths and cultures in religious education and show a good level of interest in these. They celebrate festivals from different religions during the year and learn about other countries for example, the Caribbean in art, music and geography. However, the multi-cultural aspect of the provision is under-developed so pupils’ understanding of the diversity of cultures within the United Kingdom is limited.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

31. The school takes very good care of its pupils. Parents are confident that their children are safe, secure and well cared for, and value the very wide range of experiences now available at the school. The excellent behaviour of pupils of all ages is testament to the staff’s commitment to a high level of care. Adults and pupils know each other well and this enhances the community atmosphere that has such an impact on pupils’ care and well-being.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

32. The procedures for child protection are very good and the school is in the process of ensuring that its paperwork is in line with current regulations. The school’s procedures for Health and Safety are very good. Risk assessments are accurate and easily understood and all staff have had appropriate First Aid training.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

33. The procedures for monitoring attendance are very good and attendance is well above the national average.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

34. Safety procedures are securely in place. The school carries out regular checks on all equipment and fire drills take place regularly. The Emergency Plan is easily seen, concise and exceptionally well thought out. The statutory checks, maintenance and procedures are in place and effective, although not always formally recorded. The well- trained caretaker ensures that safety regulations are followed, working closely with the Headteacher and designated governor to ensure that the school, which is very well maintained and decorated throughout, is safe and secure.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

35. The excellent behaviour seen around the school is underpinned by a very good policy, based on rewards and sanctions, a system that the pupils clearly understand, value and enjoy. No oppressive behaviour was seen and parents are happy that it is not an issue. Pupils’ exemplary behaviour out of school is often commented upon and the school uses the many letters of appreciation that it receives to celebrate their success. The excellent relationships seen throughout the school ensure that worries are quickly resolved and pupils learn very well in an atmosphere of mutual trust and respect. Pupils are helped to see learning in a very positive light. For example, after the Headteacher’s commitment to attracting funding for new resources had acquired the new interactive white-boards, his enthusiasm for using them was transmitted to the pupils. They love being able to ‘rub’ words out, colour in and access information so quickly and because the pupils see

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

lessons as being fun, their learning is effective.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

36. Procedures for assessing pupils’ attainment and progress are good and used effectively to plan work, group pupils and to set whole school targets. The school assesses children’s attainment soon after they join reception and use this information well to plan activities and support, particularly to help them learn to read. In addition to statutory tests at the end of Years 2 and 6, all pupils take the optional tests in English and mathematics at the end of Years 3,4 and 5. This information is used well to set targets for the year group and to track the progress of pupils over time.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

37. Procedures for monitoring pupils’ academic progress are satisfactory. The school has introduced methods of looking at the progress pupils are making in, for example, writing and ICT and has begun to use assessment information to set individual pupils targets in mathematics. However, there are no systematic procedures in any other subject to use this information to set pupils clear learning targets so they understand what they are working towards. The lack of learning targets also limits teachers’ ability to link marking of pupils’ work directly to targets to help pupils understand what they have to improve next. The regular reviewing of the individual plans for pupils with special educational Longtown Community Primary School- 19 needs means that teachers do know how well these pupils are doing and set targets that develop pupils’ basic skills in English and mathematics very well.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

38. There is very good support for pupils’ personal development throughout the school and the school works well with other agencies to ensure a high standard of pupils’ welfare. They are inducted into the school well and are quickly given numerous opportunities to grow in understanding and maturity both mentally and physically. There is a happy and supportive family atmosphere in the school. Pupils are encouraged to mix together and for older pupils to take responsibility for the younger ones in assemblies and at break and lunchtimes. The pupils are well supported in class by teachers and support staff who know them well. Because relationships are so good learning takes place in a purposeful, motivating and inclusive atmosphere. Pupils’ learning and progress are further enhanced by the excellent working partnership that the school has developed with others in the local schools’ pyramid and Educational Action Zone.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

39. Parents have an extremely positive view of the school and the quality of education it provides. There is an excellent relationship with parents, which is now one of the strengths of the school that has a positive impact on pupils’ progress. There were no issues of concern raised with the Registered Inspector at the parents’ meeting and parents feel that the school has improved since the last inspection.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

40. The school has an ‘open door’ policy for parents to discuss any concerns with the teachers. They are well informed about the progress their children are making. Parents’ evenings are well attended and progress reports sent home are clearly presented and helpful to parents. They provide room for parental comments and have easily understood statements on all subjects with some general targets for each child to aspire to. Parents are happy with the very good range of extra-curricular activities offered and the quality and range of visits made to enhance the curricular provision and pupils’ personal development. There is a very good, mutually beneficial working partnership between parents, pupils and the school, and parents are happy to help whenever required.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

41. The school recognises and acknowledges the important role of parents in their children’s learning. Parents of pupils with special educational needs are fully consulted about the provision for their children. The annual governors’ parents’ report and the prospectus are well-presented and interesting documents, but do not fully comply with all statutory requirements. The Friday Focus Newsletter informs parents about a wide range of activities, visits and projects going on in and out of school. It is also used to celebrate pupil achievement in many areas and values the role that the community plays in the life of the school. The school is seen as a focal point of the village and events held there are well supported. The Parent Teachers Association (PTA) and community groups raise valuable funds for the school, which are spent wisely to support learning.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

42. The school’s aims and values are fully reflected in its work. This is because all those who are involved in the school share a vision for continued improvement in the standards pupils’ achieve with a clear focus on ensuring that the school is an integral part of the community. The headteacher provides very good leadership and is the main driving force in giving a very clear direction to the work of the school. Consequently, there has been good improvement in the leadership and management of the school since the previous inspection, which has led to the issues raised in the previous inspection being tackled successfully. Longtown Community Primary School- 20 43. The headteacher is very well supported by the other members of staff responsible for specific areas of the school’s work. For example, the special educational needs co- ordinator works with all the schools in the local pyramid, which includes four small

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

primary schools and the secondary school most pupils go to at the age of eleven. She provides good support for teachers and manages this area of the school’s work very well. All adults who work in the school now have clear job descriptions and fulfil their roles well so their work very effectively develops the curriculum and raises standards. This reflects the improvements made to the school’s plans for improvement since the last inspection. There is now a good long-term plan for reviewing each subject and other aspects of the provision. The annual development plan clearly identifies the priorities for the year, who is responsible and evaluates the targets from the previous year. It is a working document and progress is reviewed regularly. However, due to the size of the school each member of staff has several areas of responsibility so each year they focus their efforts on a small number of specific projects. All staff are fully committed to improving the quality of

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

education provided for pupils and this means that development work undertaken, such as implementing the national strategies for literacy or numeracy or gaining the ‘Artsmark Gold’ award, is tackled very effectively.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

44. Governors fully support the school and fulfil their statutory duties well. Many of the governors have had links with the school for a long time, and several work in school with pupils and are regularly involved in school activities. They are involved in setting targets for the school development plan and review progress at each governors’ meeting so they have a clear overall understanding of what the school does well and how it has improved. They do not have a formal system of monitoring teaching so they are not as clear about the strengths of the teaching or standards of attainment, but do play an important role in shaping the direction of the school.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

45. The planning of opportunities for teachers and support staff to develop their own professional skills has improved well since the last inspection. Performance management has been effectively introduced for teaching staff and is closely linked to school development priorities for the year. Systems for monitoring the quality of teaching and pupils’ progress have been developed well so the headteacher has a clear understanding of how well pupils are taught and areas for development. The information is used well to focus training for teachers and support staff several of whom have been on courses for specific training in, for example, additional literacy support.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

46. Day to day management of the school and financial planning is very good. Although the school development plan does not always link spending directly to the priorities, the school manages its budget very well and the most recent audit only identified some minor areas for improvement. Through careful financial planning over a few years, the school created a significant reserve that was used to make major improvements to the school building and grounds during the summer of 2002. In addition, the headteacher and governors are very proactive in seeking funds from a range of sources, such as the EAZ, to support school priorities . These funds are used very well. Consequently, since the last inspection the school has managed to address the key issues, improve staffing levels, significantly improve resources, particularly for English and ICT which are now very good. Excellent use is made on a day-to-day basis of new technology in the

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

administration of the school as well as lessons. The headteacher is very ably supported by the school secretary who maintains a close eye on the general administration of the school and helps ensure it operates smoothly and efficiently. Good systems are in place to ensure funds raised from school events are properly managed and audited. 47. Staffing levels are good with a broad range of experience and expertise. The school makes very good use of the skills of teaching and support staff so they can use their Longtown Community Primary School- 21 specific areas of expertise with pupils. For example, the co-ordinator for art and design works with pupils throughout the school which is one of the main reasons the standards pupils attain in this subject are very high. The accommodation and resources are now good. The school is well maintained by the caretaker and since the last inspection, all classrooms and the school hall have been decorated. Teachers use displays of pupils’

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

work very effectively to celebrate pupils’ achievements which makes a positive contribution to their personal development and helps make the school an attractive and stimulating environment for pupils to learn. Outside play facilities have been improved with the help of the parents’ association so pupils now have a good range of activities to do at play and lunchtimes. These facilities make a good contribution to the curriculum for children in reception who have more activities to practise their physical skills in outside lessons.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

48. Longtown Community Primary School is a very effective school that has made very good progress since the last inspection and is well set to improve further. Taking into account the very good progress children make in reception and that pupils continue to achieve well so they attain the good standards by the end of Year 6, the overall good quality of teaching, the excellent behaviour and very positive attitudes displayed by pupils, the school is judged to be providing good value for money.

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

49. In order to further raise standards and to improve the quality of education provided, the governors, headteacher and staff should:

p.21

academic progress by:

Devising a whole school approach to using assessment information to set individual learning targets with pupils, particularly in Years 3 to 6, so they understand what they are working towards;

p.21

academic progress by:

Ensuring that these targets are used as the basis for marking pupils’ work so they know how well they are getting on and what they need to learn next. (Paras: 15, 17, 24, 37, 59, 63, 66, 68, 72, 74, 80)

p.21

(2) Extend the provision for pupils’ cultural development by:

Providing more opportunities and experiences in lessons and throughout the curriculum to prepare pupils for life in a culturally diverse society. (Paras: 30, 90)

p.21

OTHER ISSUES THAT COULD BE CONSIDERED BY THE SCHOOL

Develop a more structured approach to governors’ monitoring of the work of the school to help them understand more clearly the strengths of teaching and the standards pupils achieve. Longtown Community Primary School- 22

p.21

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 50

p.22

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

p.22

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

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

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 40

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

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

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 5

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 0

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 3

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 1

p.22

Attendance

National comparative data 5.4 National comparative data 0.5

p.22

Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Longtown Community Primary School- 23

p.22

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2002 1 1 2

p.23

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

The table giving details of the levels attained by pupils in this year group has been omitted to avoid identifying individual pupils.

p.23

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2002 0 5 5

p.23

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)

Boys n/a n/a n/a Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 5 4 5

p.23

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

Percentage of pupils School 100 (67) 80 (89) 100 (100) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 73 (71) 86 (87)

p.23

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.23

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

Boys n/a n/a n/a Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 5 5 5

p.23

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

Percentage of pupils School 100 (67) 100 (89) 100 (100) at NC level 4 or above National 73 (72) 74 (74) 82 (82)

p.23

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

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Longtown Community Primary School- 24

p.23

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.24

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

p.24

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British - Pakistani 0 0 0

p.24

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi 0 0 0

p.24

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

p.24

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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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 2.48 Financial year 2001/02

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 16.6:1

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 154867

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 3 Total expenditure 141457

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 47 Expenditure per pupil 4287

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance brought forward from previous year 17803

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 31213

p.24

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 0 Longtown Community Primary School- 25 Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 0

p.24

Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

p.25

Recruitment of teachers

Number of vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of a term or more (FTE) 0.4

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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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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

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 83 17 0 0 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 86 14 0 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. 69 28 3 0 0

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 76 21 0 3 0

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 94 3 0 3 0

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 90 10 0 0 0

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 80 17 3 0 0

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 97 3 0 0 0

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 97 3 0 0 0

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 74 23 3 0 0 Longtown Community Primary School- 26

p.25

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

50. There were nine children in the reception group in the combined Year 1, Year 2 and Reception class at the time of the inspection. Children are admitted in September each year, initially on a part-time basis, although older children very quickly become full-time members of the class . Younger children are admitted on a full-time basis in January. Most children attend the playgroup that meets two mornings a week in the school before coming into reception. Staff from the school and the playgroup work very well together and they become familiar with the school so they are well-prepared for starting in reception. The attainment of most children when they enter the reception class is typical of children of this age. Children make very good progress in the short time in which they are in school and achieve very well across the areas of learning recommended for young children. By the time they are five, most children have exceeded the expected standards

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

51. The provision for children under five is now very good and has improved since the last inspection because the teacher plans very effectively across the six areas of learning and the National Curriculum. This ensures that tasks match the age and abilities of all children in the class. The classroom is bright and welcoming, tastefully decorated and with very good examples of children’s art work displayed very effectively. The teacher and classroom assistants work very well together and make it possible for children to move naturally from the six areas of learning to the National Curriculum. Teaching and learning are very good in each of the areas. Adults make very good use of resources to stimulate and motivate pupils. They question children thoughtfully and work hard to extend their responses and thinking. Children with special educational needs are identified very quickly and they are given tasks that enable them to gain success and

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

confidence. Day-to-day assessment is good and enables children to build on their achievements successfully.

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Personal, social and emotional development

52. Children make very good progress and show that they enjoy coming to school. Routines within the class are reinforced well and children know that they have to stop an activity as soon as the teacher says so. Children find the work interesting and are encouraged to choose some activities during the day, so that not all activities are directed. Consequently, they grow in confidence, and develop a sense of self-worth and achievement . Children share and co-operate well and listen very well in assemblies and when others are speaking. Adults have very high expectations of children’s behaviour and rarely have to remind someone of the class rules. Children clear away independently and their concentration develops well. This ensures that children are able to participate in literacy and numeracy time because they look so carefully at the information on the white boards and look forward to having their turn to move letters and numbers.

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Communication, language and literacy

53. Children make very good progress in speaking, listening, reading and writing during the time they spend in reception. Discussions in lessons show that children develop good speaking and listening skills. For example, when matching letters to pictures, one child explained, “I have not put a line to the hammer because it doesn’t begin with n. ” Children learn to write their own name on their work and practise forming letters correctly, advancing from tracing over letters to writing under an example. One child counted how many letters she had written. “I’ve done 34,” she said proudly. Children enjoy their letter recognition activities and have many opportunities to read with an adult. They try hard to Longtown Community Primary School- 27 read the words on the song sheet in music and listen carefully to the words sung by the older pupils. Staff build on children’s confidence and interest by using very good

p.26

Communication, language and literacy

questioning skills to increase children’s knowledge and vocabulary. They explain tasks very well so that children find it easy to interpret and follow instructions. Children take home reading books and parents support their child’s reading progress well.

p.27

Mathematical development

54. Children make very good progress in the development of numeracy skills because of the daily opportunities they have to consolidate their learning. They learn to count to 20, listen to Year 1 pupils count to 30, and Year 2 count in tens. This helps them to store this learning for the next lessons when they try to go beyond 20. Teachers and support staff use methods that involve, interest and captivate children in lessons and make them fun. For example, when looking at a number line, children were enchanted when the classroom assistant produced glittering insects for the spider to move along the line to catch. They did not realise the calculations they were making as they worked out how many ‘hops’ they needed to get from one to eight. Every one wanted a turn and they reinforced their recognition of numbers well when they followed this activity with dice and number puzzle games. Children develop a good understanding of basic shapes very

p.27

Mathematical development

quickly and use their knowledge well in other tasks. For example, they print repeating patterns in art and make symmetrical designs on the computer. Staff encourage children to learn good mathematical language. For example, they ride bicycles and cars ‘outside’, ‘make straight lines’, go ‘in and out’, and park their vehicles ‘next to each other’.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

55. Children make good progress in their development of knowledge and understanding of the world because of the regular opportunities to visit places of interest and meet with the many visitors to the school. They learn about old and new items when an old Austin car or old irons and bottles are brought to school. They know how far it is to Hereford because they learn the route to the swimming pool. Children know how to use the interactive whiteboard on the classroom wall, and the mouse and buttons on computers on which they practise their skills after the teacher’s demonstration. They construct interesting buildings with large and small construction kits and enjoy going around the classroom to find things that are transparent and opaque. Children have a good understanding of the difference between push and pull. They test objects to sort them into two groups. Children learn about time and the weather through daily activities. Staff

p.27

Knowledge and understanding of the world

provide many opportunities to explore and develop their curiosity about the world.

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Creative development

56. Children make good progress and achieve well because they have many interesting and challenging opportunities for learning. They enjoy painting and drawing with felt tip pens. Children use brushes, sponges, shapes and pens with care and deliberation. From entry into school they learn to mix colours and think about what they are painting or drawing. They have a good understanding of the need to create a range of tones to make their work interesting. They make very attractive collages, working hard to produce finished work of good quality. Children use a vast range of textures and enjoy creating patterns and pictures on the computer. They use glue and tape sensibly and efficiently. Children enjoy singing and making music. They are sensitive to the moods of music and move very expressively when listening to orchestral pieces. Children play imaginatively inside and outside of the classroom. They ride carefully to make sure that they earn, and do not

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Creative development

lose, their driving licences! Adults stimulate their language and ideas very well. Children recall stories and plays seen and add ideas from these to their play imaginatively.

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Physical development

Longtown Community Primary School- 28 57. Children make good progress in their physical development. In their swimming they achieve very well because of the very high quality teaching in the weekly swimming lessons and develop confidence in the water very quickly. Children move around the playground with confidence and use the space outside very well so that they do not bump into others. Most children pedal small vehicles with ease and enjoy using the apparatus in the hall in physical education lessons. Children learn to use tools, materials and equipment with increasing dexterity. For example, they apply glue to paper plates very carefully when making puppets, being careful to put the glue around the plate, not all over it. They show a good level of co-ordination when holding pencils and brushes or cutting materials. Children use a variety of construction materials to build and make objects,

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Physical development

which develops their manipulative skills well over time.

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ENGLISH

58. Pupils’ achieve well to attain above average standards in all areas of the subject by the end of Year 2 and well above average standards by the end of Year 6. Factors that contribute to the high standards include:

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ENGLISH

• consistently very good teaching that focuses on developing pupils’ basic skills; • good grouping of pupils and use of support staff to ensure that tasks match pupils’ ages and abilities well; • very good implementation of the national literacy strategy; • good use of information from school and national tests to track and monitor pupils’ attainment and progress; • very effective use of ICT in lessons by teachers and pupils.

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ENGLISH

• developing the use of individual targets in English so pupils know what they need to do next to improve; • marking does not always include comments about what pupils do well and what they need to learn next.

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ENGLISH

60. By the end of Year 2, most pupils attain standards in speaking and listening, reading and writing that are above those expected nationally. Pupils achieve well from the end of reception because of the strong emphasis teachers and support staff place on developing their basic skills. Pupils learn to answer questions about the topic of the lesson with relevant and carefully considered answers, wait their turn to speak, and listen very attentively to the teacher and each other. Because they are so well motivated by the teaching, most pupils really enjoy their English lessons, and are very keen to join in with discussions. Other events such as ‘Sharing Assembly’ where pupils tell the rest of the school about something important to them and school productions make an important contribution to pupils’ speaking and listening skills. Pupils’ reading develops very well. They read a good range of different books reflecting their interest and enthusiasm for

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ENGLISH

reading. In lessons most pupils use their understanding of the alphabet well to find things out for themselves and follow instructions on activity sheets well with little support from an adult. Most pupils put the right expression in their voices when they see italic letters, an exclamation mark or a question mark, for example. Less able pupils have a secure understanding of letter sounds, but struggle to build up words, and tend to read without expression. They do not understand some of what they have read and need support to follow instructions or to complete a work or recording sheet. Pupils learn to write about different things in different ways, such as a short story, or as a poem. Although more able pupils develop their ideas and describe characters or events in more detail, most pupils express their ideas clearly and develop them logically. Imaginative stories have Longtown Community Primary School- 29

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ENGLISH

clear beginnings, a middle and an end. Pupils write well in different tenses to describe things that have happened to them or to explain what they are doing and spell most words correctly. They organise their work well into sentences by using full stops and capital letters appropriately. A few more able pupils use a broader range of punctuation such as speech marks and exclamation marks accurately. The handwriting of most pupils is legible with letters correctly formed and they are beginning to write in a ‘join-up’ style. The writing of the few less able pupils is less well developed. Letters are generally correctly formed, but inconsistent in size and shape.

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ENGLISH

61. By the end of Year 6 standards are very good. Pupils are very confident speakers and willingly express their ideas in lessons, making reasoned and constructive contributions to discussions and assemblies. They listen very attentively to each other and teachers. Consequently, the oldest pupils are able to work well on their own with little adult support, because they learn to follow oral instructions very well and read written material carefully. This enables the support staff and the teacher to work with younger pupils in the class which has a significant effect on the progress pupils make over time. They are fluent and expressive readers and have a very secure understanding of how authors use language to create interest, humour and atmosphere in stories. All pupils know about the different parts of a non-fiction book, such as the index, contents and glossary so they are particularly good at researching topics using textbooks, information sheets and the

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ENGLISH

Internet. They are able to scan text and extract relevant information well to help them answer questions or to make up presentations for the rest of the class on specific topics. Pupils’ writing continues to develop well as they move through Years 3 to 6. By the end of Year 6, pupils have learnt to write well in different styles, such as a poem or a play, a review of what they think of a book they have read, a set of instructions, perhaps for a science investigation or a description of a visit they have been on. They write imaginative stories about, for example, ghosts or mysterious characters. Most pupils’ stories are several pages long and the grammar, punctuation and spelling are good. Pupils’ develop their own style handwriting well. It is neat, legible and joined reflecting the care and pride they take in their work.

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ENGLISH

62. English is taught very well. Teachers have very high expectations of pupils and they respond very well. They try hard, concentrate very well and behave excellently in lessons. Teachers have very secure subject knowledge and place a very strong emphasis on developing pupils’ basic skills in speaking and listening, reading and writing. For example, in reading, younger pupils have their own reading book taken from the school scheme and a book they choose from the library. Each pupil is heard to read at least twice a week and some pupils, including those with special educational needs, more frequently. This ensures these pupils make very good progress and the gap between them and the rest of the pupils narrows. Books are taken home each night and many parents make a very good contribution to their children’s learning by hearing them read regularly. However, not enough use is consistently made of the reading diaries to

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ENGLISH

explain to parents how well their children are doing and to give them some points to work on at home. Older pupils have weekly group reading sessions and a book they choose for themselves. They are expected to record their choice and regularly complete book reviews so teachers can evaluate how their reading is developing. In writing all pupils have weekly handwriting lessons to practise and refine their handwriting which has a significant effect on the good quality of pupils’ handwriting.

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ENGLISH

63. English lessons are brisk and follow the principles of the national strategy for literacy well, but highly appropriate adaptations are made by teachers to accommodate the different ages in classes. This is achieved by teachers in different ways, but reflects their very good planning and management of pupils. For example, group activities are varied to reflect the different ages and abilities in the class, support staff are used very well to work Longtown Community Primary School- 30 with groups or individuals and ICT is used imaginatively to introduce lessons and as a basis for class discussions. Teachers also use questions very effectively to involve pupils of different ages and abilities so all pupils are interested and fully involved in lessons from the start which maintains their concentration and enthusiasm. Teachers respond very well to pupils in lessons, but marking of pupils’ work is not used sufficiently

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ENGLISH

to help pupils know how they can improve their work or to set them individual targets to work towards.

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ENGLISH

64. Pupils with special educational needs are taught very well so they make very good progress. Teachers use the targets in pupils’ individual plans well as the basis for activities. Pupils are sensitively supported by support staff who maintain a good balance between guiding pupils so they have to use their own knowledge and helping them complete tasks. When pupils are withdrawn to work in a small group or on their own, tasks are very closely matched to their needs and the targets defined in their individual plans.

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ENGLISH

65. In English lessons and other subjects, pupils have very good opportunities to practise and use their literacy skills. They are expected to record their ideas in different ways such as, for example, writing out instructions for a science investigation or researching the life of Dick Whittington in history. Following many of the visits out of school to, for example, London, pupils are expected to write diaries or accounts of parts of the trip they particularly enjoyed.

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ENGLISH

66. The subject is very well led and managed by the co-ordinator. Since the last inspection, she has overseen the introduction of the national literacy strategy and developed the resources for English well. Resources are now very good and used very well in lessons. The use of ICT by teachers and pupils has developed very well and now is an integral part of many lessons. The school has good procedures for assessing and tracking the attainment and progress of pupils as they move through the school, but there are no systematic procedures to set individual pupils learning targets or to involve them in this process. English makes a good contribution to pupils’ social and cultural development due to the opportunities they have to experience different types of books and stories from around the world and the very good opportunities they have to work together in small groups.

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MATHEMATICS

67. The provision for learning is good and pupils, including those with special educational needs, achieve well. Pupils attain standards that are above the levels expected nationally in all areas of the subject by the end of Year 2 and Year 6. Standards are consistently above average and the school succeeds in, or is close to, meeting its targets each year. Factors that contribute to the high standards include:

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MATHEMATICS

• good use of information from school and national tests to track and monitor pupils’ attainment and progress; • use of information from tests to improve pupils’ problem solving abilities. A teacher from the local secondary school comes regularly to work with pupils on this particular aspect with older pupils. Lessons in Year 1 and 2 usually include some investigation; • good implementation of the numeracy strategy; • consistently good teaching; • good grouping of pupils to ensure that tasks match pupils’ ages and abilities well; • very effective use of ICT. Longtown Community Primary School- 31 68. Areas for improvement are: • extending the use of individual targets in mathematics so pupils know what they need to do next to improve; • marking does not always include comments about what pupils do well and what they need to learn next.

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MATHEMATICS

69. Achievement in mathematics is good and all pupils make good progress. There are no significant differences between the achievements of boys and girls. Pupils with special educational needs, or who learn at a slower rate, work hard and gain confidence because they have high quality teaching support and tasks are matched well to their abilities and needs. More able pupils are usually given challenging work to enable them to achieve at a higher level and extend their thinking skills.

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MATHEMATICS

70. By the end of Year 2, pupils have a very secure understanding of numbers and number patterns through playing games and benefit greatly from the variety of tasks in lessons. They count confidently to 50 and 100 in tens and estimate the number of shapes in patterns on the white board. They have a good understanding of how to use what they know in different ways to work out simple problems. For example, when they were asked how to solve the problem of how many shoes in the classroom, when one pupil asked, “How many people in the classroom?” the others realised that this was the quickest way to work out the answer. Most pupils use standard units of measurement such as centimetres, accurately and they know how to work out simple money problems. The emphasis teachers place on discussion ensures that pupils have a good understanding of mathematical language and they learn to clearly explain what they have done and how

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MATHEMATICS

they have worked out an answer. Pupils have a very good understanding of how to collect information through simple surveys, such as favourite foods, and use picture and block graphs well to display their results. They write down numbers to 30 accurately and correct any mistakes they make, such as putting one number down twice, because they check their work carefully.

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MATHEMATICS

71. Pupils in Years 3 to 6 further develop their understanding of numbers and patterns so, by the end of Year 6 they confidently and routinely work out values of numbers and solve problems. Younger pupils order numbers with four digits accurately and improve their understanding of the importance of including ‘zero’ in the correct place. By the end of Year 6, pupils order and interpret numbers, including decimals, with up to seven digits successfully. They set out money problems well and complete calculations of fractions, decimals and time neatly and accurately. This enables them to succeed.

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MATHEMATICS

72. Teaching and learning are good overall. Teachers have very secure subject knowledge and use the structure of the daily mathematics lesson very effectively to develop pupils’ basic number skills and to challenge all pupils. Lessons proceed at a brisk pace and teachers’ precise use of mathematical terms and challenging questioning extends pupils’ answers and thinking. Consequently, the initial mathematics sessions sharpens pupils’ thinking and prepares them for the main activities of the lesson. Teachers plan interesting lessons with activities that closely reflect the wide range of ages and abilities in the groups so all pupils are fully involved in lessons. Teachers are enthusiastic and make learning fun by, for example the very effective use of interactive whiteboards and these activities further increase pupils’ keenness to contribute and enthusiasm for mathematics as well as reinforcing their ICT skills. They are delighted to contribute to

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MATHEMATICS

lessons by using the white board themselves. Relationships between pupils and adults are excellent because teachers make their expectations of behaviour and quality of work very clear. As a result, pupils settle well to work because they know teachers expect them to organise themselves quickly, work without direct supervision and concentrate on their tasks well. This enables teachers and support staff to work more closely with Longtown Community Primary School- 32 younger and less able pupils. Teachers respond very well to pupils in lessons, but marking of pupils’ work is not used sufficiently to help pupils know how they can improve their work. In addition, where targets are set for pupils they are not used by teachers when marking so pupils do not know how well they are doing towards achieving their targets.

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MATHEMATICS

73. Pupils have many opportunities to practise and use their numeracy skills in other subjects. In science they conduct surveys and have to produce graphs of their findings and in geography they use grid references to find places. Their work in art and design on Kandinsky reinforces pupils’ understanding of symmetry and shapes.

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MATHEMATICS

74. The subject is managed and led well. The co-ordinator uses assessment information well to identify priorities for improving the subject. For example, information gained from analysing test results identified pupils’ ability to solve problems as an area of weakness and she has taken very effective action to address this. A teacher from the local secondary school comes into school to work with pupils in Years 5 and 6 which is beginning to have a positive effect on pupils ability and confidence in this aspect of the subject. The co-ordinator is gradually introducing individual targets for pupils in Year 2 so mathematics makes a good contribution to pupils’ personal development through involving them in their own learning. She is looking to develop this further throughout the school.

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SCIENCE

75. The provision for learning is good and pupils, including those with special educational needs, achieve well. Pupils attain standards that are above the levels expected nationally in all areas of the subject by the end of Year 2 and Year 6. Standards have remained consistently above national averages since the last inspection. Factors that contribute to these standards include:

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SCIENCE

• good and very good teaching; • opportunities for practical scientific enquiry and experimentation; • good use of interesting resources and links with literacy and numeracy.

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SCIENCE

76. Pupils enter Year 1 with a knowledge and understanding of the world above that expected for their age. The teacher carefully checks what pupils recall from previous lessons and builds well on previous learning. Pupils enjoy being ‘scientists’ and teachers carefully provide some variation in written or practical activities that take account of the different ages in the class so they are all able to be fully involved. For example, in an exciting lesson about sorting objects, where pupils in Years 1 and 2 worked independently to explore which objects could be pushed or pulled, and which can be both . Year 1 pupils were expected to record their findings by making ticks on a sheet, sometimes with support whilst Year 2 pupils had to write down their results unaided. Pupils’ written work confirms that they have a good understanding of for example, the body, electricity and circuits, sight and sound. They produce very good drawings of the eye and build these

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SCIENCE

into a very effective graph of their findings. Pupils’ writing and drawings show increased maturity in Year 2 and the quality of their diagrams and observational drawings is good. 77. Pupils in Year 3,4,5 and 6 use skills learned in literacy and art well when they make small booklets on topics to combine them into attractive books of the work they complete during the year. Pupils organise their ideas well. They have a good knowledge of plants, animals and habitats. They know what plants need to grow, the parts of flowers and different root systems and crops. They illustrate their work on healthy eating and body functions very carefully. Pupils know that there are natural and man made materials. They investigate items that can be recycled and group them according to different Longtown Community Primary School- 33 categories. Pupils carry out experiments about friction and gravity, an ‘unseen force.’

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SCIENCE

Pupils know the vocabulary needed to describe how electricity comes to the home and carefully detail what they know at the end of the unit of work. Pupils produce very good observational drawings to support their work and record simple experiments carefully.

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SCIENCE

78. Teaching and learning is good because pupils build successfully on what they have learned before, recalling rules and equipment used well. Very good support is given to pupils with special educational needs and tasks are matched well to pupils’ age and ability. Teachers question pupils skilfully and ensure that all pupils have the opportunity to join in discussions. More able pupils have opportunities to work and achieve at a higher level because of teachers’ good planning. Scientific terms are introduced and used correctly so that pupils’ understanding of them is gradually increased. Teachers plan enjoyable and stimulating lessons. This ensures that pupils are purposefully involved in practical activities but also know the expectations of recording what they do accurately. Some topics, however, use too many worksheets which limits older and more able pupils’ opportunities to extend and demonstrate their understanding of that topic. Teachers and

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SCIENCE

classroom assistants work very well together to maintain pupils’ enthusiasm for the subject.

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SCIENCE

79. Pupils have positive attitudes toward the subject because they enjoy learning and find the topics interesting. They enjoy the practical work and are keen to demonstrate their understanding of what they have done. Pupils take pride in their presentation of their work although, on occasions, words that they have learned in the lesson are spelt incorrectly because pupils are so keen to get on that they do not take time to check what they have written.

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SCIENCE

80. The subject is led and managed well and the use of literacy and language skills in the writing of reports and discussions is good. Numeracy is used effectively in measuring graphs and ICT is used well to introduce topics. Observational drawing skills are used very well to enhance the quality of pupils’ learning and work. Resources are good and visits extend pupils’ learning purposefully. The school does not have any systematic procedures for monitoring pupils’ progress and for involving them in setting learning targets for themselves. The absence of the procedures restricts teachers’ ability to track their progress and limits pupils’ understanding of how well they are learning. However, science makes a good contribution to other aspects of pupils’ personal development through the stimulation of curiosity and opportunities to share ideas and findings with others.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

81. The school’s provision for learning in ICT is very good. Attainment by the end of Years 2 and 6 is above expectations. This is a significant improvement since the last inspection, because the school now has excellent resources and staff use these resources very confidently. Pupils, including those with special educational needs, achieve well and make very good progress because of the very good teaching and provision.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

82. Pupils in Year 1 and 2 build securely on skills learned in reception. They follow the teacher’s clear instructions and confident use of the interactive whiteboard enthusiastically. They want to move numbers seen on it to make for example, 73 by grouping all the blocks of ten bricks together and then adding three extra ones from the side. Pupils know the names and uses of the visible parts of the computer, change fonts and colours, use painting programs with good understanding of the tools they are using. Pupils recall programs used previously and watch the teachers’ introduction to their writing activity carefully, adding details as they remember what they did before. For Longtown Community Primary School- 34 example, pupils are told that they are writing a book. They will work in pairs and each pair will do one page. First they prepare a background for the page and this has to be done in two parts. Pupils complete their backgrounds very quickly, having fun rejecting some

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

pictures, working out which should replace them. When they have their background they construct their sentences to tell part of the story. They do this very well, with a minimum of typing and spelling errors.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

83. Pupils in Year 3,4,5 and 6 make extensive use of interesting programs and improve their word-processing skills. They write a range of stories about animals, inserting pictures into their text. Pupils produce a book of fables, two children writing one modern version of one tale. They create leaflets with information about Dick King-Smith, each pupil making personal use of a range of information gathered previously. Pupils make Power Point presentations about their visits to London and other towns, sliding in pictures taken on the digital camera. Each booklet is of a very high standard and is a good record of the visit. Pupils in Year 6 prepare their own multi-media power point presentation about their time at Longtown for a leavers’ evening shared with parents. They use photographs taken over the years to talk about their journey through school. Pupils use the Internet and websites very confidently to research specific topics. They explain operations and

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

84. Teaching and learning are very good. Teachers are enthusiastic and make excellent use of the computers, laptops and interactive whiteboards. This visual approach is very effective in sustaining pupils’ concentration. It helps pupils gain in confidence and increases their rate of learning so they quickly learn the basic skills of the subject.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

85. Pupils look forward to lessons because ICT is an integral part of them all. Teachers make very good use of ICT in all subjects to stimulate interest and enhance pupils’ learning in these subjects such as art and design, English and science. They provide pupils with many opportunities in which they have to use their basic skills which results in pupils learning how to use their skills to present work, research a topic or to analyse data. They enjoy working together on the computers and listen very carefully to teachers’ instructions, concentrating very well on whatever is on the interactive whiteboard so that they are able to follow instructions when they move to a desk or computer. Pupils are very proud of the work they produce.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

86. The staff have a very clear vision about the benefits of teaching ICT skills through subjects using the white boards. Resources are excellent and training for staff is well organised. ICT makes a very good contribution to pupils’ personal development through opportunities to share experiences and work and plan together as they learn about the wider world and the part computers play.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

87. By the end of Year 2 and 6 pupils’ standards in religious education are in line with the expectations of the locally agreed guidelines. No lessons were observed during the inspection, but information was gained from assemblies, scrutiny of work and planning. Standards are similar to those in the last inspection.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

88. Pupils in Year 2 know some of the symbols of Christianity and that special events are celebrated in the church. They draw very good pictures of a baptism after the vicar came into school to tell them of the meaning of each part of the ceremony and why children have godparents. Pupils enjoyed taking part in this ceremony and playing out their roles. They are able to sequence the events of the Jewish Shabbat and understand that there are special books and customs for Jewish people. Pupils have a good understanding of Longtown Community Primary School- 35 the events of Easter and Christmas. They produce very good drawings of hot cross buns and work out how they are linked with the Easter story. Pupils in Year 6 have a clear understanding about the importance of the churches and the part they play in Christian people’s lives. They know Moslems attend a mosque, understand that the Qu’ran is a special book and that there are five pillars of wisdom. Pupils learn about people who

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

have made important contributions to their country and fought for their beliefs. They use the Internet well to obtain more information about for example, Mahatma Gandhi, Hinduism, Sikhism or the story of Diwali and use this information effectively in their writing.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

89. There is a balanced approach to the teaching and learning in religious education. Pupils learn from the teachings of religion as well as learning facts and information about religion. They think about the reactions of Mary when she heard she was going to have a baby and write sensitive prayers about harvest time. Pupils listen well to stories and enjoy their visits to the church where the whole school community celebrate festivals such as harvest and Christmas together.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

90. Teachers give pupils good opportunities to use their literacy and ICT skills in religious education lessons and good links are made with music and art. In assemblies pupils listen carefully to stories from the Bible and think about the morality of people’ actions. Their discussions contribute well to the enhancement of pupils’ understanding and knowledge of religious education and their spiritual, moral and social development. However, insufficient emphasis is placed on developing pupils’ understanding of the diversity of cultures in the United Kingdom.

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AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION

91. By the end of Year 2 and 6, pupils attain well above the standards expected for their age in art and design and in some aspects of physical education such as swimming and gymnastics. Standards in design and technology, geography, history and music are in line with expectations for pupils of these ages. Standards in art and design and physical education have improved since the last inspection. All pupils, including those with special educational needs, make good progress and achieve well because of the interesting and stimulating range of activities, visits and visitors and support they have in lessons.

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AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION

92. In art and design , pupils create interesting, imaginative, carefully observed work using a very wide range of different materials and techniques. Pupils in Year 1 and 2 produce high quality paintings in subtle shades and tones of green in the style of Monet and their observational drawings of flowers and instruments are of a very high standard because they are so detailed . In Years 3,4,5 and 6 pupils’ paintings in the style of Andy Warhol are vibrant because they take time with each stage of the process and use information from the Internet very thoughtfully. They create scenes from cut-up pictures out of magazines that have the appearance of oil paintings because of the meticulous attention to matching pieces of paper purposefully. Pupils in all classes produced superb portraits for a school exhibition after a workshop with a portrait artist. They also create excellent collages based on the captivating, semi-abstract style of Kandinsky, using a computer program

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AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION

and several techniques with paint and other textures. The leadership of the co-ordinator for art and design is very good and has been the main reason for the very good improvement in standards in the subject since the last inspection that resulted in the school being the first primary school in the county to be awarded the ‘Artsmark Gold’ award. Longtown Community Primary School- 36 93. No separate specialist lessons of design and technology were seen in Year 2 but planning shows that pupils make interesting models of items for example, lighthouses, to support work in other subjects. Many of the planning and making skills are practised in art and design. For example, pupils make puppets with paper plates and decorate them by sticking on bottle tops for eyes. Pupils use the appropriate vocabulary and know how to make and strengthen hinges. They evaluate their work and know what they have done well and what they need to do to improve. Pupils in Year 3,4,5 and 6 compare the taste,

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AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION

texture and appearance of a range of different breads from different cultures, such as pitta bread, baguettes. They choose the type of bread they wish to try and write down their opinions and thoughts very carefully. In food technology pupils write out recipes for biscuits very accurately and show good understanding of the need for health and safety rules in the kitchen. Pupils work in pairs to design and make an Egyptian shaduf. They write thoughtfully of the problems they have encountered and how they took on board the suggestions from other groups to improve their work.

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AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION

94. Teachers plan geography and history lessons at different times of the year. By the end of Year 2 pupils have secure understanding that places are different – that there are hot places and cold places and that the climate affects how people live. They begin to learn about maps and how they are used to show where places are. Good links are made between history and geography and maps, for example, feature in much of pupils’ work in history. They draw their own maps of the village showing important buildings such as the castle. In Years 1 and 2 pupils study the stories of, for example, Grace Darling and Guy Fawkes. They find out where they lived, where they went and what happened to them in history lessons. Pupils study different types of clothes and their appropriateness for different situations. Pupils learn whether a garment is old or new by its particular features. By the end of Year 6, pupils have secure understanding of different periods of

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AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION

history such as the Tudors and some of the great civilisations that have had a major influence on how we live today including the Romans and the ancient Greeks. They understand how people lived and some of the important characters and events of the period. In geography, pupils learn about different areas around the world such as the Caribbean and what life is like for the people who live there. They develop secure understanding of maps and how to locate places on a map using grid references. They learn about different environments such as the rainforest and have a secure understanding of the effect human activity has upon these places through pollution or exploitation of resources.

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AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION

95. In music lessons, Pupils in Year 1 and 2 create graphic scores which show a good understanding of how an instrument can be used to create a specific effect. Pupils learn a new song quickly, reading the words from a song sheet very well. They listen to pieces of orchestral music thoughtfully and draw instruments used and pictures about the music very carefully. By the end of Year 6 pupils have secure understanding of the skills and knowledge of the subject and appreciate music well. Pupils in Year 3,4,5 and 6 sing a Greek song very energetically and tunefully. They suggest that part of the song had a ‘punchy’ rhythm and clap the rhythm accurately. Pupils clap their name rhythms well and copy these on a range of percussion instruments, making a good score with different beats and rests. Pupils listen carefully to orchestral music and describe their thoughts about it clearly. Pupils’ enthusiasm for music is reflected in the high proportion of pupils

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AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION

who learn to play instruments with visiting teachers. Eleven out of seventeen pupils in Years 3 to 6 and one pupils and one pupil in Year 2 are involved and, in addition, several groups of pupils enjoy lunchtime clubs where they learn to play the recorder

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AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION

96. Pupils achieve well in physical education . Pupils in Year 1 and 2 run, hop, skip and jump around the playground with great confidence and develop their play and games with others. They describe their physical education lessons with relish and explain how they Longtown Community Primary School- 37 travel around the hall and use each item of apparatus. They show good levels of confidence in the water and some pupils now cross the width of the pool by kicking with a float stretched out in front of them. They practise the crawl and attempt to swim on their backs. More able pupils are learning to swim across the pool. Pupils in Year 3,4,5 and 6 are all swimming and all pupils can swim at least the expected 25 metres by the end of Year 6 and many exceed this distance. All pupils work towards one of five badges and some pupils will go on to ASA awards before they leave the school. Pupils who attend

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AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION

the gym club understand how to create a sequence of movements involving a slide, jump, roll and stop. They select a variety of the movements and put together their own sequences. They move smoothly and confidently, travelling around the room with very good levels of control. Pupils constructively discuss the skills and ideas shown by other pupils and recognise ways in which they can improve their own performance.

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AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION

97. Teaching and learning is good in most subjects, except history and geography where it is satisfactory, because pupils are taught the basic skills and techniques in each subject very well from when they start school. Teachers plan units of work very carefully by using the subject’s scheme of work which ensures that skills and techniques are taught in specific lessons, but clear links are made with other subjects. For example , a rt and design is linked well to other subjects such as history and science, but is also taught as a separate subject so that pupils gain a wide experience of the work of major artists over the years. When pupils go caving, one of the outdoor education activities pupils do through the Longtown Outdoor Education Centre, they see and learn about stalactites and stalagmites which helps them understand more about the physical aspects of geography. In most lessons teachers place a very strong emphasis on using subject

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AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION

vocabulary so that pupils learn the correct names of items used, for example musical instruments or techniques in art and design. In addition, literacy and numeracy are an integral part of most lessons with pupils having good opportunities to practise their ICT skills, record their own ideas or draw diagrams or charts. Teachers make learning thoroughly enjoyable and pupils look forward to their lessons and visits. However, there is a good balance of a range of stimulating and motivating activities in most lessons which involve pupils well and sustains their interest and enjoyment so they want to take time to produce high quality work. In history and geography, pupils are taught the skills and general knowledge of the subjects well, but there is not always enough variation in some written activities and too much reliance on similar worksheets in a few lessons. The result is that in these lessons, pupils of all ages and abilities are not always fully

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AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION

98. Pupils also learn well because class lessons are very well supported by an excellent range of visits and visitors where pupils meet and are helped by very experienced and skilled people. For example, many artists come to the school to teach skills in for example, ceramic art, portrait painting, sculpture and the high standard pupils achieve in swimming is because of the expertise of the staff involved. These subjects also make a very positive contribution to pupils’ personal development. The involvement of the whole school in many activities fosters a very strong sense of community and ensures that each pupil develops their confidence, maturity and sense of responsibility for others. For example, older pupils and those with more skills are expected to help younger or the less able. Trips to the theatre, pantomime and concerts give pupils the opportunity to learn about other instruments and types of music. The resources used for art and the good

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AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION

range of instruments, including keyboards and multi-cultural instruments, ensure that these subjects make a good contribution to pupils’ cultural development.

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