Broadwas CofE Aided Primary School

BROADWAS CE PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 5 – 6 November 2002

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BROADWAS CE PRIMARY SCHOOL

Short 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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BROADWAS CE 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. Broadwas CE VA Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Broadwas on Teme Worcester

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mr N Macleod

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 17 November 1997 Broadwas CE VA Primary School - 4

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Team members

4343 Ms S Billington Registered inspector 8992 Mr J Vischer Lay inspector 4341 Mr D Clegg Team inspector

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Team members

3 Greenacres Puddletown Dorchester Dorset DT2 8GF

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Team members

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

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Team members

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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Team members

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Broadwas CE VA Primary School - 5

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

This is a small primary school with 70 pupils on roll. There are four classes; one for reception children only and three others, each with pupils from two year groups. The number of boys and girls is roughly equal but there are significant imbalances in some classes – in Years 5/6 there are almost twice as many boys as girls. The school serves a wide area with the majority of pupils coming from outside the village in which the school is situated. No pupils speak English as an additional language.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

The proportion of pupils that is eligible for free school meals is low at four per cent. The proportion of pupils with special educational needs is above average, at around 30 per cent. The range of needs includes learning difficulties, medical problems and behavioural difficulties. There are no pupils with statements of special educational needs.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Almost all the children that start school in the reception class have pre-school experience. On entry, their skills are wide-ranging but broadly average. A high proportion of pupils – around 15 per cent – joins the school in Years 3 to 6.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Since the last inspection, a new headteacher has been appointed and all the teaching staff have changed. There have been significant improvements to the accommodation with the creation of a new reception area and computer suite. Outside play facilities have also been improved.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a good school. Teaching is good overall, ensuring that all pupils make progress in their learning. Although results of national tests do not compare well with those of other schools, individual children are achieving as well as they should. Leadership and management are good. There is very good provision for pupils’ personal development. The school provides good value for money.

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What the school does well

• Teaching is good and some aspects are very good • The school is well led and managed • There is very good provision for pupils’ personal development and they develop positive attitudes to learning • The curriculum is enhanced by a good range of visits, visitors and special events • There is very good provision for pupils with special educational needs

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What could be improved

• The teaching of mental skills in mathematics The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school was last inspected in November 1997. Following that inspection, there was a period of some disruption to the leadership and management that had an impact on the quality of provision. With the appointment of new staff, the school is now in a stable situation and is moving forward. In terms of the weaknesses identified in the last inspection, there has been good improvement: • Teaching is of a more consistent quality • Systems for checking on the effectiveness of the school’s work have now been put in place and co- ordinators’ roles and responsibilities are clear • Weaknesses in assessment have been addressed and the quality of marking has improved • The quality of annual reports on pupils’ progress has been significantly improved and these are now very good Standards, in terms of results in national tests, have not been maintained at the same level as was found in the last inspection. However, the context of the school has changed. There has been an

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

Broadwas CE VA Primary School - 7 increase in the number of pupils entering and leaving at times other than the start of the reception year and an increase also in the proportion of pupils with special educational needs. Overall, the rate of improvement since the last inspection has been satisfactory.

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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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Key

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

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Key

The number of pupils that take national tests is very small. Only nine pupils took the tests for eleven year olds in 2000 and seven took them in 2001; results for these years are therefore not published. The small numbers of pupils taking tests means that the school’s overall performance can vary considerably from year to year. Results are also affected by the above average proportion of pupils that have special educational needs and by the high pupil mobility.

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Key

The most recent results show some differences in levels of attainment in English, mathematics and science. Compared to 2001, there was an improvement in the proportion of pupils that attained at least average levels in tests in English at seven and eleven. Science results for eleven year olds show good improvement with almost all pupils attaining at least average levels in tests. Results of seven year olds in mathematics tests did not improve. The proportion of eleven year olds that attained average levels in mathematics was at the same level as 2001, but there was an increase in the proportion that attained higher levels.

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Key

The performance of boys and girls has varied according to the cohort; in the last two years girls have done better than boys in national tests taken by eleven year olds.

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Key

Challenging targets are set for pupils’ performance in national tests. The school also sets individual targets; in 2002, these were met by the vast majority of eleven year olds.

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Key

The inspection found that pupils who have sustained experience in the school make satisfactory progress and achieve as well as they should. Many are achieving well in English, particularly in writing, as a result of the focus the school has had on improving standards in this area. Standards in mathematics are broadly average, but there is a need to improve pupils’ mental skills in this subject.

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Key

Reception children are making good progress and achieving well, particularly in communication, language and literacy.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Very good. Pupils show a keen interest in learning.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Good. The vast majority of pupils behave well in lessons and around the school; they are sensible and act responsibly. Broadwas CE VA Primary School - 8 Personal development and relationships Very good. Pupils work well together. Older pupils respond well to opportunities to take on responsibility. Relationships between staff and pupils, and the pupils themselves, are very good.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Good, with attendance levels above the national average.

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Aspect Comment

Pupils’ positive attitudes and good behaviour are key factors in their successful learning.

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

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

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

The quality of teaching is good overall. Throughout the school, teachers make effective use of resources and demonstration to make teaching interesting and to help children to learn. Work is carefully planned to meet the range of needs in each class. Support staff make a valuable contribution to teaching and learning, particularly in their work with individuals and small groups.

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

Teaching of English is often very good. Teaching of mathematics is satisfactory and some aspects are good, but there is scope to make better use of the guidance from the national numeracy strategy in teaching mental mathematics.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Good. The curriculum is broad and significantly enriched by visits, visitors and opportunities for pupils to participate in productions and special events.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Very good. Pupils receive a good level of carefully targeted support and make good progress.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Very good. The school has a very positive ethos and individual pupils flourish in the caring environment. Work in subjects such as art and music make a good contribution to pupils’ spiritual and moral development.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Very good. Pupils are well known and well cared for. There are good arrangements for health and safety. Pupils’ progress is systematically tracked as they move through the school.

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Aspect Comment

The introduction of a separate class for the reception year has improved curriculum provision for children at this stage. Throughout the school, good use is made of information and communication technology (ICT) to support learning across the curriculum. Broadwas CE VA Primary School - 9

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and manage- ment by the headteacher and other key staff Good. The head has a clear sense of direction and is well supported by the staff. There is good teamwork in the school and all staff work hard to fulfil a range of responsibilities.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Good. Governors are well organised and well informed. They have good strategies in place to fulfil their responsibilities.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Satisfactory – and improving. Systems are in place to check on the quality of teaching and pupils’ work and the information is being used to plan improvements.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Very good. There is very good planning of expenditure to improve facilities for teaching and learning.

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Aspect Comment

The school is well led and managed. Over the past three years, good systems have been put in place to track pupils’ progress as they move through the school.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The vast majority of parents (95 per cent or more) feel that: • Their children like school and make good progress • Teaching is good and children are expected to work hard • Behaviour is good and children are helped to become mature • The school works closely with parents and they are well informed • The school is well led and managed There were no significant areas of concern. A minority of parents felt that the school did not provide an interesting range of activities outside of lessons.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The above views are based on the comments of those parents who attended a meeting prior to the inspection and the responses of parents (63 per cent) in questionnaires. The inspection findings confirmed their positive views. The inspection also found that the school provides a very good range of activities to enhance the curriculum. Broadwas CE VA Primary School - 10

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Teaching is good and some aspects are very good

1. Good teaching is a key ingredient in the school’s success. Teachers develop and sustain very productive relationships with pupils, they encourage them, praise them and give them confidence in their own abilities. Teaching assistants make a big contribution to lessons, they work closely with individuals and groups of pupils and have a sharp grasp of what the pupils need to learn. Teachers are very skilful at making learning interesting and enjoyable and at the same time making sure it is purposeful and rigorous.

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Teaching is good and some aspects are very good

2. The school’s good resources are well used by teachers. For instance the recent decision to equip each classroom with a projector, linked to a computer, is forward- thinking and enables teachers to make the best use of the latest ICT. This was used in a Year 5/6 numeracy lesson to very good effect. The teacher used simple software on the projector to illustrate a multiplication square. This was very flexible, it highlighted individual squares, showed patterns of numbers and helped to maintain pupils’ interest and motivation. The teacher effectively used the software to highlight key teaching points, she pushed pupils to explain their answers and challenged them when she felt that some responses were inadequate.

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Teaching is good and some aspects are very good

3. Teachers’ high expectations are also a key feature of the good lessons. Good planning ensures that lessons move along at a good pace; teachers have a clear idea of how much they want to cover and have the expectation that pupils will work hard and complete what is planned. Teachers also have a high degree of awareness of the needs of individual pupils. The work that pupils are expected to do is carefully matched to what they need to learn. Some pupils are given extra support if they need it and the work is usually adapted so that they can better understand what they are doing. Higher attaining pupils are also challenged and given work that stretches them and this ensures that they attain the standards of which they are capable.

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Teaching is good and some aspects are very good

4. Lessons have a good balance of activities that help to keep pupils interested. For instance, in a Year 1/2 literacy lesson pupils had a chance to talk to each other about their ideas for a poem, they then worked on writing their ideas down using a very helpful worksheet and this was followed by an intensive reading session. This was an efficient use of teaching time, it covered a lot of ground and the teacher, her assistant and all pupils worked hard and achieved well.

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Teaching is good and some aspects are very good

5. In the best lessons, teachers make good use of demonstration to help pupils to understand what they need to learn. In a lesson with the reception children, the teacher wrote her ‘news’ on a whiteboard, drawing attention to the need to leave spaces between words and to write from left to right. The teaching assistant spotted some deliberate ‘mistakes’ that she made so that some key teaching points were reinforced with a degree of humour. This strategy also ensured that children paid good attention as the teacher wrote as they tried to spot any errors that she was making. A similar approach was also used with Years 5/6 in a lesson on writing instructions. The teacher used some examples of the pupils’ errors in their first attempts at the task to create a set of instructions that included, for instance, some inappropriate descriptive language that lacked precision. The children learned more about how instructions should be laid

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Teaching is good and some aspects are very good

Broadwas CE VA Primary School - 11 out, and the style in which they should be written, as they criticised the teacher’s version. Their individual attempts that followed were an improvement on those that had been produced the previous day as pupils grasped the key features of writing clearly and chronologically.

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Teaching is good and some aspects are very good

6. Overall, the implementation of the two national strategies for teaching literacy and numeracy has been successful. Teachers make sensible adaptations to ensure that the lessons match precisely what pupils need. However, in some numeracy lessons, not enough direct teaching about different ways of calculating mentally is done at the start of lessons. Occasionally, pupils are asked too many questions without having a chance to think about how answers can be worked out.

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Teaching is good and some aspects are very good

7. The quality of marking is variable as pupils are not always given enough guidance about what they need to do to improve their work. However, the introduction of targets for individual pupils is helping to improve this, with marking being related to their progress against the targets set.

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The school is well led and managed

8. The headteacher, together with the governors and staff, provides good leadership that ensures that the school is continually improving. Since the head took up post, systems have been put in place to monitor the effectiveness of the school’s work and to identify priorities for further development. Although some of the information is in the early stages, it is already being used to check on the strengths and weaknesses of the curriculum. As a result of this, there has been a strong focus over the past year on improving standards in writing. Staff have been involved in in-service training, targets have been set for individual pupils and year groups, lessons have been observed and pupils’ work and results from standardised tests analysed. The outcome is evident in the improvements in written work throughout the school and improved results in national tests in English in 2002.

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The school is well led and managed

9. The governing body is well organised and governors are well informed. Committees have clear terms of reference, minutes of meetings are circulated to all governors and issues raised and key decisions made at the main governing body meeting. Governors have a clear structure for setting and monitoring the budget and a good level of involvement in major decision-making. The budget is linked to the school development plan so that priorities for development can be resourced; the key principle in making decisions on expenditure is seeking improvements in the quality of teaching and learning.

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The school is well led and managed

10. The effective management of the school is clearly demonstrated by the recent investments in improving resources. An ICT suite has been established, resulting in an improvement in standards in the subject and providing excellent opportunities for pupils to use ICT in subjects across the curriculum. The projectors available in classrooms are beginning to be used to good effect. Office accommodation has been significantly improved, enabling more efficient administration. The school secretary makes a significant contribution to the efficient day to day running of the school. There has been a significant investment in staffing, ensuring a good level of teaching assistants to support small groups in the classroom and to help individual children with special needs. At the beginning of this academic year, a new class was established purely for reception children. The classroom is well-equipped to provide for all the recommended

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The school is well led and managed

areas of learning for the youngest children in school; a very good level of staffing (teacher plus teaching assistant) ensures that children can be taught in small groups. The result is that children have settled well into school and are making very rapid Broadwas CE VA Primary School - 12 progress in their learning. Broadwas CE VA Primary School - 13

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There is very good provision for pupils’ personal development, ensuring that they

11. The school places a strong emphasis on supporting all aspects of pupils’ personal development. There is a particularly strong focus on support, praise and the raising of pupils’ self-esteem. Pupils are encouraged to appreciate the wonders of the world, to understand similarities and differences in the ways in which people live and to empathise with the needs of others. Through, for example, study of seasonal change, children in the reception class have produced computer-generated pictures of autumnal scenes while the oldest children have written poems on autumn. Study of life in Australia by Years 1 and 2 has involved trying out the techniques used in Aboriginal art and performing an Aboriginal dance. Pupils are involved in fund-raising, for example for the ‘Samaritan’s Purse’ to provide Christmas gifts for disadvantaged children around the world. They raise funds to sponsor a child in India through organising events such as a

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There is very good provision for pupils’ personal development, ensuring that they

12. Throughout the school, a variety of activities encourage pupils to reflect on the world around and the impact of their actions on others. Year 1 and 2 pupils thought about growth rates and what humans and plants need to grow and started to draw conclusions about the height of their friends not necessarily being indicative of age. Year 3 and 4 pupils have made good use of a variety of natural and man-made materials to create some attractive garden boxes. For the oldest pupils, the use of a ‘thinking skills’ chart encourages reflection on how they can take responsibility for improving their own work and collaborating with others. Questions such as ‘where can I find out more?’ and ‘what are the most important ideas?’ are displayed and used in lessons to encourage the extension of learning.

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There is very good provision for pupils’ personal development, ensuring that they

13. The school council is an important and very successful element in raising pupils’ awareness of citizenship. Prospective councillors prepare and present a speech to the whole school; all pupils from Years 1 to 6 are involved in voting for their representatives. The pupils elected display a remarkable degree of self-confidence and independence and are clear that it is their role to represent the interests of the community. They provide a suggestion box so that all pupils can comment or contribute ideas for improvements and meet twice each term to consider these. The councillors lead assembly each week – this is organised independently of teachers – and use this opportunity to feed back on any initiatives and respond to their peers’ suggestions. During the inspection, the assembly led by the councillors was very well organised and impressive in terms of both the content and the spiritual dimension. Pupils spoke in turn

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There is very good provision for pupils’ personal development, ensuring that they

about their memories, leading to an explanation of the significance of Remembrance Day and linking this to Jesus’ sacrifice ‘for all of us’. Singing of two hymns in two parts was well led and the brief silent reflection on ‘ our happy memories’ was marked by sincere emotion.

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There is very good provision for pupils’ personal development, ensuring that they

14. Well-established routines and the clear expectations of staff ensure a smooth start to the day and good management in lessons. In the morning, pupils come into school sensibly, starting activities straight away. Some arrive early to use computers for spelling programs; they register their arrival by signing in, organise the equipment and use the programs with minimal supervision. Those who go straight to classrooms take out reading books or practise spellings or handwriting. The majority of pupils are very well behaved, quiet and self-disciplined. Staff set a very positive tone as they greet individual children; registers are taken quickly and efficiently, interspersed with personal comments that show how well teachers know and care for individual pupils. The outcome is the calm and purposeful atmosphere that characterises the school ethos. Broadwas CE VA Primary School - 14 15. Pupils’ responses in lessons indicate the impact of the good quality provision.

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There is very good provision for pupils’ personal development, ensuring that they

Throughout the school they listen attentively, are keen to contribute to discussions and get down to work quickly and sensibly. Even the youngest children in the reception class are attentive and responsive; they find their name cards independently; they work with good concentration when they are drawing and writing and they put away the equipment they have used with minimum direction. Older pupils work well together in pairs and small groups, often collaborating informally. In a mathematics lesson with Years 3 and 4, several children shared ideas on how to represent fractions on squared paper. They persisted despite initial difficulties and showed good application in trying to complete the task. All lessons are characterised by a strong emphasis on praise for efforts and achievements; one of the youngest children, for example, was delighted to receive a sticker for ‘good conversation, drawing and writing’. The older pupils are frequently given

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There is very good provision for pupils’ personal development, ensuring that they

house points for a good response, as happened in a science lesson when Year 5 and 6 pupils gave good explanations of how sound travels.

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There is very good provision for pupils with special educational needs

16. The school has a large proportion of pupils with special educational needs; many of these are admitted after having difficulties in other schools. The range of needs is wide and includes learning difficulties, behavioural or emotional problems and specific disorders such as dyspraxia. All pupils receive a good level of support targeted to meet their specific needs and they make good progress in relation to their starting points.

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There is very good provision for pupils with special educational needs

17. Pupils are assessed on entry to the school to identify the level at which they are working and their particular strengths and needs. Individual education plans (IEPs) are formulated by class teachers in conjunction with the special educational needs co- ordinator (SENCO); support staff are involved in planning to support pupils’ individual needs. Targets in IEPs are generally very precise, identifying, for example, the specific words or sounds that a child needs to learn to improve his/her literacy skills and this ensures that the support that a child is given can be specifically matched to areas for improvement. Reviews assess progress against the targets and record achievement and indicate any gaps that need further work. Occasionally, however, targets are rather generalised – ‘continue to build confidence’ and it is therefore more difficult to accurately measure the pupil’s progress. IEPs also indicate any specific resources to be used and

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There is very good provision for pupils with special educational needs

additional time from support staff to work with children individually or in small groups. A good range of resources is available to support specific needs, including, for example, computerised spelling and maths programs and literacy support programmes.

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There is very good provision for pupils with special educational needs

18. Staff have a good level of awareness of pupils with special educational needs. All have had training in specific areas such as Asperger’s syndrome and speech and language difficulties. Advice is sought from a range of external agencies such as the educational psychologist and the learning and behaviour support service; good liaison helps to ensure that pupils’ specific difficulties are quickly assessed and the school has expert advice to guide planning and provision.

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There is very good provision for pupils with special educational needs

19. Pupils’ progress is regularly reviewed; at least termly for older pupils and half-termly for younger children or for older ones if there are concerns. Parents attend reviews so that they are fully aware of, and involved in, further planning to meet their child’s needs. Any specific support that can be provided by parents forms part of a child’s IEP. Parents are generally very positive about the impact of the school’s provision on their child’s attitude and progress. One commented “the staff (including the support assistant) are certainly affecting ..my son - his perception of himself and his sense of being valued”.

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The curriculum is enriched by a good range of visits, visitors and special events

Broadwas CE VA Primary School - 15 20. The school provides good opportunities for pupils to extend their learning through a variety of exciting and stimulating activities. These include visits, visitors, events such as Book Week and participation in school productions and local festivals.

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The curriculum is enriched by a good range of visits, visitors and special events

21. The youngest children learned about the world of work through visits from a variety of people including a paramedic, nurse, vet and a postman. A visit from ‘Annie the Housemaid’ enabled them to experience some aspects of Victorian life. Year 3 and 4 pupils participated in a Tudor Day where they studied costumes and dance and sampled Tudor dishes. A visit from a local artist gave older pupils the opportunity to study and use watercolours with expert guidance and impressive results. During Book Week, a visiting author talked to pupils about her writing.

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The curriculum is enriched by a good range of visits, visitors and special events

22. A wide variety of visits enhances the curriculum. These include use of the locality; studies of Broadwas have been used to contrast with life in India in both a large city and a village. The local church is used regularly for events such as Harvest Festival and also to learn more about Christian symbolism and practices. Year 3 and 4 pupils looked ‘behind the scenes’ at a pizza parlour as part of their work on food technology in design and technology (DT). Year 3 and 4 pupils visited Chedworth as part of their studies on the Romans and had the opportunity to study artefacts and mosaics and to learn how the soldiers lived. This experience led to some good written work, for example letters as a Roman soldier and advertisements for Colchester. Year 5 and 6 pupils took a trip on the Severn as part of their studies on features of a river. They have visited Ross-on- Wye to participate in adventurous activities. A visit to a synagogue in Solihull and the

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The curriculum is enriched by a good range of visits, visitors and special events

opportunity to talk to Jewish people enhanced pupils’ understanding of Jewish beliefs and customs.

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The curriculum is enriched by a good range of visits, visitors and special events

23. All pupils have the opportunity to participate in an annual school production which boosts their confidence and raises self-esteem. There are also regular visits to the theatre and an annual visit from a ‘theatre in education’ group to enhance pupils’ awareness of the performing arts. A variety of extra-curricular activities, including a study skills group and a computer club as well as provision for music and sport, are organised through the school year.

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The curriculum is enriched by a good range of visits, visitors and special events

24. Special events such as last year’s science day encourage pupils to appreciate the environment; they carried out intensive exploration of the grounds and, in groups, conducted surveys of, for example, minibeasts and seeds. Their sense of responsibility for the environment is also promoted through the work of the ECO patrol that reminds them of the need to keep areas litter-free.

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The curriculum is enriched by a good range of visits, visitors and special events

25. The curriculum for physical education (PE) is enhanced through learning a variety of dance forms, including Hindu and Aborigine dances. Pupils regularly participate in county dance festivals. Younger pupils performed an animal dance last year and the oldest pupils learned and performed some rock and roll – with expert guidance from a teaching assistant and her husband. Junior pupils also participate in an athletics scheme that enables them to improve their skills in a range of activities. An introduction to orienteering is organised so that each year pupils follow one of three trails – with an increasing level of difficulty – around the grounds.

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The curriculum is enriched by a good range of visits, visitors and special events

26. Good use is made of photographs, including some taken by digital camera, to celebrate special activities and to enhance displays around the school. Year 1 and 2 pupils are reminded of the range of animals that they had the opportunity to handle on a visit to a farm. Dressing as a Tudor or ‘working’ as a Victorian servant is also recorded as part of pupils’ historical studies. Information and communication technology (ICT) is also being Broadwas CE VA Primary School - 16 used well to support pupils’ learning across the curriculum. Pupils use the Internet and CD Rom to carry out research, for example into the life of the Aztecs. Results in science are sometimes recorded as tables or graphs, for instance to demonstrate changes in pulse rates after exercise or fluctuations in the temperature in the classroom during the day. Particularly good use is made of word-processing to draft and edit written work and to enhance the finished product, for example, by combining text and

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Teaching of mental skills in mathematics

27. The teaching of mathematics is satisfactory and some elements are good. One very good lesson was seen with Years 5 and 6. However, there is a need to improve the strategies used in introductory parts of lessons. The school has successfully taken on the suggested framework for lessons that is outlined in the national numeracy strategy and teaching in the main parts of lessons is generally good. However, teachers are not yet taking full advantage of the approaches suggested to improve pupils’ mental skills.

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Teaching of mental skills in mathematics

28. Lessons start with a session of oral mathematics with a particular focus such as counting on or back from specific numbers. All pupils are encouraged to participate in these sessions and often have the opportunity to demonstrate their answers, for example, through use of digit cards. However, teachers miss opportunities to explore relationships between numbers and to discuss the range of strategies that might be used to calculate answers. In a lesson on doubling and halving numbers, pupils displayed their answers to a variety of problems using number cards. Although the teacher frequently confirmed that individuals were ‘right’, the actual answers were rarely given. The teacher gave some guidance at times on strategies for calculation, but pupils’ own methods – whether effective or not – were not discussed. As a result, learning was limited and those pupils who were not particularly competent at the start of

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Teaching of mental skills in mathematics

the session did not improve their skills and understanding as much as they might. In another lesson on finding missing numbers on a square with numbers one to 100, individual children explained how they worked out the answer but the teacher missed the opportunity to discuss alternative methods that might be used. The opportunity was also missed to draw pupils’ attention to the patterns on the square that might help them to arrive at an answer. Again, those children who were not particularly competent in seeing relationships between numbers did not learn as much as they might.

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Teaching of mental skills in mathematics

29. The school is currently focusing on improving the final parts of lessons as a result of feedback on weaknesses in numeracy teaching that have been found in schools nationally. However, there is a need to target evaluation and improvement on the starts of lessons in order to maximise opportunities to improve pupils’ mental skills. Broadwas CE VA Primary School - 17

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

In order to raise standards further, the school should now:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

q Improve the teaching of mental mathematics skills in numeracy lessons by:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• taking full advantage of the guidance on teaching provided through the national numeracy framework; • ensuring that teachers take every opportunity to discuss and demonstrate strategies that might be used in mental calculations. Broadwas CE VA Primary School - 18

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 9

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

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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 ten percentage points.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 70

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 3

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 22

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Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 0

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 11

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 8

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Attendance

National comparative data 5.4 National comparative data 0.5

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Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Broadwas CE VA Primary School - 19 Broadwas CE VA Primary School - 20

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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 7 3 10

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

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

Boys Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls

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

Percentage of pupils School 80 (100) 80 (100) 80 (100) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (84) 86 (86) 90 (91)

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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

Boys Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls

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

Percentage of pupils School 80 (100) 80 (100) 80 (100) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (85) 89 (89) 89 (89)

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

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

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2002 5 9 14

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

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

Boys Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls

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

Percentage of pupils School 71 (57) 71 (71) 93 (86) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 73 (71) 86 (87)

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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

Boys Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls

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

Percentage of pupils School 79 (71) 79 (86) 86 (86) at NC level 4 or above National 73 (72) 74 (74) 82 (82)

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

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Broadwas CE VA Primary School - 21 NB Separate boys and girls results are not published as there were less than 10 boys and 10 girls taking the tests. Broadwas CE VA Primary School - 22

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

White – any other White background 2 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Mixed – any other mixed background 0 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British - Pakistani 0 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi 0 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black or Black British – Caribbean 0 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

The table refers to pupils of compulsory school age only. It gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded. Broadwas CE VA Primary School - 23

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 4.5 Financial year 2001/02

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 15.2

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 207,845

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 4 Total expenditure 206,280

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 52.45 Expenditure per pupil 2,905

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Teachers and classes Financial information

FTE means full-time equivalent. Balance brought forward from previous year 29,742

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 31,307

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 1.4

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 2.4

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Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

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Recruitment of teachers

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

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Recruitment of teachers

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

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Recruitment of teachers

FTE means full-time equivalent. Broadwas CE VA Primary School - 24

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Percentage of responses in each category

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

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 50 45 5 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 62 38 0 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 55 33 7 5 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 48 45 7 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 76 12 7 5 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 71 26 0 0 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 55 38 2 5 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 83 12 0 5 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 71 21 0 0 7

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 40 36 10 7 7

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