Sheredes Primary School

INSPECTION REPORT - the following paragraph should read as follows:-

Short inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996

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SHEREDES 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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SHEREDES 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. Sheredes Primary School - 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Benford Road Hoddesdon Herts

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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: Mrs Lynlea Holden

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 19 January 1998 Sheredes Primary School - 5

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Team members

19410 Andrew Matthews Registered inspector 9519 Sue Pritchard Lay inspector 23413 Robert Allen Team inspector 20142 Malcolm Childs Team inspector

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Team members

Demeter House Station Road Cambridge CB1 2RS

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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 Sheredes Primary School - 6

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Sheredes Primary School is a popular and over-subscribed school situated in the Hoddesdon town ward in Hertfordshire. The school is on a large campus with two buildings. A small, privately run playgroup shares the same building as the school’s Foundation Stage and Years 1 and 2. The majority of pupils come from the local area but a significant proportion comes from outside the town. The socio-economic background of the pupils is broadly average. The roll has increased since the last inspection in 1998 and the school is larger than most other primary schools. There are 307 full-time pupils – 161 boys and 146 girls aged between 4 and 11 and taught in 11 classes. There are also 43 part-time pupils in the Nursery class – 24 boys and 19 girls. There is a below average proportion of pupils from different ethnic backgrounds. Although five per cent of pupils have English as an additional language, all are beyond an

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

early stage of English language acquisition. The number of pupils eligible for free school meals is well below the national average. There are 45 pupils on the school’s register of special educational needs which at 13 per cent is below the national average. The proportion of pupils with a statement of special educational needs is below the national average. Pupils join the Nursery class when they are three years old. Pupil mobility rate is four per cent and this is lower than most other schools. The children’s attainment is average overall when they join the Nursery.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Sheredes is a very good school with many excellent features. The leadership and management of the headteacher are outstanding and she is given very good support by knowledgeable governors and a dedicated and hardworking staff. The quality of teaching is consistently good and leads directly to above average standards at the end of Year 6. The school provides very good value for money.

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What the school does well

• The school is excellently led and managed and promotes its aims very successfully. • Well planned and lively teaching motivates pupils and helps them make good progress and achieve above average standards in English and mathematics, and well above average standards in science by the end of Year 6. • Pupils have excellent relationships with each other, work very hard, take their responsibilities seriously and behave extremely well. • The school has built excellent relationships with parents who are delighted with the caring and supportive provision for their children and the progress their children make.

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What could be improved

• There are no significant areas for development.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school has maintained a very good rate of improvement since the last inspection in January 1998 because the headteacher has developed very good procedures for evaluating its performance, is not afraid to challenge weaknesses and gives very good support to her staff to develop their strengths. Four issues were identified at the last inspection, and members of staff and governors have worked very successfully to address these issues. Very good assessment procedures are now in place for all subjects, and teachers use the information effectively in their planning. Links with parents are now very strong because the school has worked very hard to develop a meaningful and effective partnership in the education of the children. Teachers consistently challenge higher-achieving pupils who make very good progress and achieve well. The role of the governing body has improved significantly and it now plays a

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

vital role in the school’s development. There have also been noticeable improvements in national tests’ results, the school’s relationships with parents, the learning opportunities planned for the pupils, the way teachers assess pupils’ progress, and in the quality of leadership and management through the school. Sheredes Primary School - 8

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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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schools

2000 2001 2002 2002 very high A* English A A A A well above average above average A B Mathematics B A A* A average below average C D Science B A A* A* well below average E

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schools

The very good results above reflect the high standards achieved by pupils by the end of Year 6. Children’s attainment when they start in the Nursery class is average, although, on entry, there are some children with comparative weaknesses in language and mathematical development. Pupils make good progress in all areas of learning in the Nursery and Reception classes, where they benefit from a well balanced and well taught curriculum. Pupils enter Year 1 with above average attainment in their personal, social and emotional education. In all other areas of learning, including their literacy and numeracy development, pupils’ attainment is in line overall with national expectations with a number of children exceeding these expectations. The pupils’ good progress continues in Years 1 and 2 and, by the end of Year 2, pupils achieve above average standards in reading, writing and mathematics. This progress is well developed as pupils move up the school. The present Year 6 pupils are making very

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schools

good progress and achieving above average standards in English and mathematics and well above average standards in science. The standards are below the very high standards of last year, which in mathematics and science were in the top five per cent in the country, because of the lower proportion of higher-achieving pupils in the present Year 6 classes. However, the school has set very challenging targets for these pupils to achieve in this year’s National Curriculum tests, and evidence from the inspection confirms they are on course to reach these targets. These pupils have very well developed speaking and listening skills. They make good use of their literacy skills in subjects such as science and history, and this experience helps them to develop their writing, spelling and grammar further. Pupils are particularly good at developing their own investigations in science. The quality of pupils’ art

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schools

work is good and is very carefully displayed around the school. Pupils with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language are well supported and make good progress in lessons. Higher-ability pupils are very well challenged by their teachers, with a significant proportion achieving very high standards.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Excellent. Pupils are extremely keen and eager learners and try very hard at all times.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Excellent. Pupils are extremely well mannered and show great courtesy to each other.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Very good. Pupils are very mature, show great appreciation for each other’s work and form excellent relationships.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Good. All pupils enjoy coming to school and arrive punctually for lessons. Sheredes Primary School - 9 The school has high expectations of all pupils, and the increasing responsibilities that they are given as they move through the school lead to the development of high self-esteem and a very positive response to the good quality teaching.

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Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

Quality of teaching Good Good Very 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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Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

Overall, the quality of teaching is consistently good and this leads directly to the good progress that pupils of all abilities make as they move through the school. This is particularly so in the development of their numeracy and literacy skills. A significant proportion of lessons observed in these subjects was very good and excellent. The quality of teaching is particularly strong in Years 5 and 6 where pupils also benefit from ‘booster groups’ and specialist teaching in English and mathematics from local secondary school teachers. Teaching in science is particularly strong in the school and the clear focus on learning through practical investigations is giving pupils a deep understanding of their work and a real enthusiasm for the subject. Teachers have very good subject knowledge, explain things clearly and create a very positive learning environment in which pupils feel valued and want to do their best. Teachers use

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Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

questioning very effectively to challenge pupils’ thinking and deepen their understanding. As a result of the good teaching, pupils develop increasing independence, with the oldest pupils showing a very marked degree of maturity. Teachers mark pupils’ work very thoroughly and the majority of them consistently indicate to pupils how they can improve their work further. Teachers work closely with their classroom assistants who provide good support to individuals and groups of pupils and have a positive impact on the progress that these pupils make. Teachers plan most effectively for pupils to use information and communication technology (ICT) to support their learning.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Very good. The curriculum is broad and balanced, very carefully planned, and incorporates information and communication technology well into the pupils’ learning. It is well supplemented by a very good range of extra-curricular activities which provide valuable opportunities for pupils of different ages and genders to play and work together.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good. Pupils’ individual education plans have clear targets and pupils benefit from well-focused support in lessons.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Good. Pupils are well supported in lessons and outside specialist teachers are brought in, as appropriate.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Excellent. Pupils are given many carefully-planned opportunities to develop their moral and social skills by working and learning together. Pupils’ spiritual and cultural development has improved significantly since the last inspection and is now very good.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Very good. Child protection procedures are very well established and the school’s environment reflects the values and aims of the school that all pupils should do well. Pupils’ work is very carefully assessed, with the resultant information being used effectively by teachers in their planning. Sheredes Primary School - 10 Parents have extremely positive views of the school and give very good support to their children with homework. Parents also give valuable help in the classrooms, with extra-curricular activities and when accompanying school trips.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Excellent. The headteacher is an exceptional leader and manager and is very well supported by senior teachers and very effective subject co- ordinators.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Very good. Governors work very hard to evaluate the school’s effectiveness and promote its ongoing development. Even greater use could be made of their expertise in the formal evaluation of school developments.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Excellent. The processes and systems that the school uses have been very carefully developed, are very effective, and ensure that the school is able to keep a very clear track of pupils’ progress and its ongoing developments.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Very good. The school is very well equipped and teachers use resources very effectively in the pupils’ learning. The school uses its budget most carefully to maintain high standards.

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Aspect Comment

The headteacher’s leadership and management are a great strength of the school and have been instrumental in its development since the last inspection. The school’s commitment to constant evaluation of its practices is helping it to develop even more. There is very good delegation to subject co-ordinators who play a very effective part in monitoring pupils’ standards and the quality of teaching and learning. The school applies the principles of best value very well, particularly in consultation with parents, when buying resources and in the monitoring of pupils’ attainment. The school has a large but diminishing budget carry forward from previous years. This is being used most carefully by the school to improve its educational provision and the safety and quality of the learning environment.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Pupils really enjoy school and make good progress. • The school is very approachable and very well led. • Teachers know their pupils well and expect them to work hard. • There is a very good range of extra-curricular activities which are very popular with the children. • The school has very good relationships with the parents who make a significant contribution to the life of the school. • The many improvements made since the appointment of the present headteacher. • No significant issues were raised by parents.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspectors fully endorse all the parents’ positive comments about the school and agree that the school has no significant weaknesses. Sheredes Primary School - 11

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The school is excellently led and managed and promotes its aims very

1. The headteacher provides excellent leadership and is very well supported by her senior management team. Much of the success of the school’s improvement has been due to the headteacher’s drive and resolve that there must be no complacency in the quest to raise pupils’ achievement further. There is a thorough process in place for formulating the annual plans for school improvement. Informing the priorities are the parental questionnaires on the school’s performance, ideas from the pupils’ suggestion box and the staff’s evaluation of the school’s needs. After staff discussion, the plan is taken to the governing body’s committees for further discussion and ratification. The plan is carefully prioritised and financed. Very good use of the available funds has ensured that the developments have been appropriately resourced and due consideration given to the training needs of staff. As a result, the school has improved

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The school is excellently led and managed and promotes its aims very

significantly in the last two years in many areas. The school provides excellent support for new teachers through its well planned induction procedures. Likewise, the extremely effective performance management programme encourages more experienced staff to regularly update their own expertise and share this with colleagues. Subject co-ordinators are very effective in their role of monitoring teachers’ planning and pupils’ work. As a result, co-ordinators are well informed about the standards of pupils’ work and the effectiveness of teachers’ planning for pupils of different abilities. Even greater benefit could be derived from the skills of the co-ordinators if they also interviewed pupils about their learning. This would give them even greater insights into the pupils’ knowledge and understanding.

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The school is excellently led and managed and promotes its aims very

2. The role of governors has improved considerably since the last inspection. Governors share the headteacher’s determination to ensure the highest standards and she has their full confidence. Governors work very hard on the school’s behalf and bring a wide range of expertise into the school’s management. Governors now have a very good knowledge of the school’s strengths and weaknesses from their visits to the school, their monitoring of lessons and their curriculum areas, and the headteacher’s detailed reports. The committees have been closely involved with the considerable improvements in school and classroom resources, security fencing and internal decoration. For example, the governors have followed the initiative to give teachers more classroom assistant support and understand the benefits this is bringing to the pupils’ learning. While governors are fully involved in the setting of the school development plan and ensuring the

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The school is excellently led and managed and promotes its aims very

timetable for developments is adhered to, even more use of their expertise could be made in the evaluation of developments, for example, through discussion with groups of pupils. The results of the school’s National Curriculum tests and other assessments undertaken by pupils in other years are discussed in detail and action taken when there are concerns. For example, as a result of in-depth discussion of last year’s results, there is a greater emphasis on mathematical investigations to ensure pupils are making greater use of their knowledge and understanding in the subject.

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The school is excellently led and managed and promotes its aims very

3. The school’s aims are extremely well reflected in its everyday practices. These highlight the importance of good relationships and a very strong commitment to equality of opportunity within a caring and challenging ethos. There is a clear emphasis on high achievement, with pupils having a very thorough understanding of the importance of hard work and endeavour. The planning for pupils’ spiritual, moral, cultural and social development has greatly improved since the last inspection and has helped considerably in the further development of pupils’ tolerance to, and their understanding of, different religions, cultures and ways of life. Pupils are extremely well motivated in all aspects of their learning and in their genuine desire to play a full part in their vibrant community. Sheredes Primary School - 12

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progress and achieve above average standards in English, mathematics and

well above average standards in science by the end of Year 6.

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progress and achieve above average standards in English, mathematics and

4. Pupils’ attainment has improved considerably since the last inspection and this has been recognised by School Achievement awards in the last two years. The results for 2002 showed that Year 6 pupils made very good progress overall since taking their National Curriculum tests in Year 2 and achieved very high standards in science and mathematics and well above average standards in English. Evidence from the inspection shows that the standards for the present Year 6 are above average for English and mathematics and well above average for science. The standards of these pupils’ speaking and listening and science investigative skills are particularly high. The very good progress that they are making is due to the high quality teaching, the very positive attitudes pupils have towards their work and a desire to do their best at all times. This is clearly evident in the high volume of neatly-presented work that pupils produce.

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progress and achieve above average standards in English, mathematics and

5. The quality of teaching is good overall and very good in Years 3 to 6. The quality of teaching has improved considerably since the last inspection, particularly in the high proportion of very good and excellent lessons. Throughout the school, some very good teaching was observed and this had a very strong impact on the pupils’ progress and their attitudes to learning. Teaching is particularly strong in Years 5 and 6, where pupils make significant progress because of the very high expectations in all that they do, the effective use of ‘booster classes’ and the use of outside teacher expertise from local secondary schools. Teachers’ planning has also improved, particularly in the Nursery and Reception classes. Teachers now make better use of ongoing assessment to ensure what they teach firmly builds on the pupils’ previous learning. The learning for all pupils is now consistently good and results in pupils having a wide range of quality

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progress and achieve above average standards in English, mathematics and

experiences that successfully develops their skills, knowledge and understanding. What also makes the teaching special for the pupils is the school’s emphasis on practical learning, such as was observed in a Year 5/ 6 science lesson where pupils worked most effectively together relating their theoretical knowledge of pollination to the lily and tulip flowers which they dissected. Pupils’ learning and understanding were further enhanced by perceptive questioning from the teacher and the sensitive sharing of information and observations. As a result of such learning, pupils are genuinely excited and enthusiastic about their lessons.

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progress and achieve above average standards in English, mathematics and

6. The quality of teachers’ questioning is consistently very high, successfully developing pupils’ speaking and listening skills. It also ensures a deepening of their knowledge and understanding, whilst expanding their technical vocabulary. For example, in a Year 2 information and communication technology (ICT) lesson, pupils used words such as ‘icon’ and ‘toolbar’ accurately when describing procedures to follow to create their own signs for different areas of the school. Similarly, in a Year 4 geography lesson, pupils confidently referred to ‘climatic features’ and ‘maximum average temperatures’ when formulating their own questions using data from CD ROMs about Greece. Teachers’ marking of pupils’ work is thorough and supportive but on occasions does not inform pupils how they can improve their work further. Evidence from pupils’ books shows clearly that, when pupils do apply their teachers’ recommendations, their work improves.

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progress and achieve above average standards in English, mathematics and

This was clearly evident in the science books of Year 3 and 4 pupils.

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progress and achieve above average standards in English, mathematics and

7. In the great majority of lessons, teachers show very good subject knowledge. This not only contributes to the good quality questioning but to the clear development of pupils’ learning. For example, in a lesson focusing on mathematical development, the Nursery teacher made effective use of her subject knowledge to assess the children’s understanding of addition so that her questioning could become progressively more challenging. Similarly the success of a Year 5/6 class numeracy lesson was due to the teacher’s clear understanding of how the pupils’ knowledge of percentages could be applied to enable them to calculate VAT using ‘pencil and paper’ methods. As a result of the high quality language teaching in the school, many 'gems' were seen in pupils’ books; for example, a Year 6 pupil wrote: ‘ Desperately she ran on, fear driving her’ . Sheredes Primary School - 13 A pupil accurately encapsulated her knowledge of snowflakes in response to a ‘Haiku’ poem:

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progress and achieve above average standards in English, mathematics and

Snow falling softly, Individual portraits Completely different.

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progress and achieve above average standards in English, mathematics and

8. Pupils’ writing skills develop quickly because teachers plan for them to use these skills regularly in other subjects. This was particularly evident in science, where pupils are encouraged to write up their investigations which are very well supplemented by high quality diagrams. Teachers make good use of worksheets, ensuring that they are well matched to the abilities of the pupils and do not inhibit their opportunities for writing.

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progress and achieve above average standards in English, mathematics and

9. Pupils want to work hard for their teachers and earn their praise because they appreciate the support they give them. “Teachers really make you feel special,” said a Year 6 pupil. The excellent relationship between staff and pupils has a very positive impact on pupils’ learning because it gives them confidence to volunteer answers and also to clarify their misunderstandings. This was evident in a Year 1/ 2 science lesson, when the teacher helped pupils overcome their initial misconceptions in making a shelf to test the flexibility and rigidity of different materials.

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progress and achieve above average standards in English, mathematics and

10. Both teachers and support staff have benefited since the last inspection from good quality in- service training, which has helped to develop their professionalism across the wide range of subjects. As a result of this training, teachers' expertise has been enhanced, resulting in extremely well informed subject co-ordinators who are constantly reflecting on the quality of provision in their subject and how it can be improved further. Well-focused training has considerably improved the skills of the teachers and classroom assistants in ICT, where good use is made of the new computer suite. The planned acquisition of an interactive whiteboard will further help to expand the range of teaching styles both in ICT and other related lessons. Older pupils make increasing use of the Internet to support their learning in other subjects and, in most lessons observed, teachers made good use of ICT programs to consolidate and develop pupils’

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progress and achieve above average standards in English, mathematics and

learning further. Teachers are also particularly good at ensuring that pupils with special educational needs are fully included in discussions at the beginning and end of lessons and are set appropriately challenging work that is clearly related to the targets on their carefully drafted individual education plans.

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progress and achieve above average standards in English, mathematics and

11. The school also places great importance on the development of pupils’ confidence and all round abilities. Assemblies regularly challenge the pupils to ‘aim high’ and stories from different cultures successfully reinforce the importance of self-challenge. Teachers’ expertise and enthusiasm are used in the very good range of extra-curricular activities that take place. Pupils also benefit from the expertise of music agencies which provide a wide range of instrumental tuition. Football coaching is also provided by a premiership football club. The very wide range of learning opportunities gives pupils a confidence and maturity that was clearly evident when inspectors talked to groups from the different years.

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Pupils have excellent relationships with each other, work very hard, take their

responsibilities seriously and behave extremely well.

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Pupils have excellent relationships with each other, work very hard, take their

12. There are excellent relationships through the school and this makes it a harmonious, vibrant and supportive community, which is clearly focused on learning and high standards. In lessons, pupils are eager, willing and co-operate very well. In a significant number of lessons, their behaviour and attitudes to work are excellent. All these very positive attitudes are a most significant factor in the good and often very good progress that pupils make through the school. There is a very purposeful atmosphere in the classrooms, with teachers being able to concentrate on the lesson’s work, without having to dwell on behaviour. The excellent relationships are also evident at break and lunchtimes, with groups playing happily together. Older pupils show great maturity as monitors, particularly when, as ‘buddies’, they carry out their duties with the younger pupils, aptly summed up by one pupil who said, “There’s always lots of nice children around to

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Pupils have excellent relationships with each other, work very hard, take their

play with.” Older pupils play a significant role in the organisation of the Christmas play activities; they also act as monitors for the library, the ICT suite and assemblies. All these duties are Sheredes Primary School - 14 carried out cheerfully and effectively and help these pupils develop a clear

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Pupils have excellent relationships with each other, work very hard, take their

understanding of the importance of citizenship. Lunchtime is an enjoyable occasion, where pupils interact in lively discussion but at the same time show very good respect for the lunchtime supervisors and behave extremely well.

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Pupils have excellent relationships with each other, work very hard, take their

13. Teachers make very good use of the high quality relationships, and wherever possible, plan carefully to enable pupils to learn from each other in carefully planned group work. This was clearly evident in a Year 4 physical education lesson where pupils evaluated each other’s work and sensitively suggested ideas for improvement. Pupils’ very good collaborative skills are reinforced by the perceptive and thoughtful comments they make in class discussions and the very good respect they show for each other’s views and opinions. The school’s excellent provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development leads to a very supportive and cohesive environment that impacts most positively on pupils’ self-esteem, their ability to express their feelings openly and their confidence to tackle new learning. Pupils really enjoy school and the challenges that their teachers give them.

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the caring and supportive provision for their children and the progress their

14. Very high levels of satisfaction were shown in the parents’ meeting and in the questionnaires. Parents are very happy with the way the school is functioning and the ethos of care and striving for high standards that it actively promotes. Parents are particularly pleased with the recent improvements the school has made in the development of home-school relationships, the reconstitution of the parents’ association, the range of extra-curricular activities, the greater interaction with outside agencies, such as the police, and the general welcoming atmosphere prevalent in the school. There were no significant areas of concern. Parents felt strongly that their views were actively sought through discussions and more formally through questionnaires, and that the school acted accordingly on this information. Parents now feel very much that they are working with the school as joint educators of their children. Inspectors’ discussions with

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the caring and supportive provision for their children and the progress their

pupils from Years 2 to 6 reinforced the parents’ positive views about the school.

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the caring and supportive provision for their children and the progress their

15. Parents are very satisfied with the quality of their children’s reports and appreciated the sharing of targets which gives them a greater insight into their child’s progress and areas for development. Teachers know their pupils well and reports were honest and accurate. Parent-teacher interviews were deemed to be useful and to provide a regular forum for parents who are less confident about approaching teachers informally. The parents appreciate the school’s openness and teachers’ willingness to discuss children’s progress when parents feel there is a need. Parents also appreciate the newsletters which are now much more informative about the work and topics that children will be covering each term.

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the caring and supportive provision for their children and the progress their

16. The school rightly prides itself on its policy for inclusion, whereby all pupils are given the same access and opportunities to all that it offers. Very good assessment procedures enable teachers to plan work that challenges pupils of all abilities and track their progress carefully. Pupils’ progress and attainment are recorded in detail, giving teachers sufficient information to plan purposefully for each pupil from the beginning of a new school year. Pupils feel very safe in the school because there are very effective procedures to eradicate bullying and over-bearing behaviour, and they know that teachers will always be supportive if they have any worries. As a result, pupils flourish in this very caring environment.

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the caring and supportive provision for their children and the progress their

17. Support for pupils with special educational needs is good. These pupils’ individual education plans (IEPs) are carefully evaluated to ensure that new targets are appropriate and will suit the pupils’ individual needs. Parents are fully involved in the process and give good support to their children to help them achieve their targets. Teachers use the IEPs effectively in their planning for the class. Knowledgeable and sensitive classroom assistants support these pupils well, working with them either individually or in small groups to ensure they are fully integrated in the lesson and also to develop their self-esteem. As a direct result of this good support, pupils who have Sheredes Primary School - 15 learning difficulties make consistently good progress and are becoming increasingly positive learners. Pupils with English as an additional language make good progress because of a similar level of well-focused support.

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the caring and supportive provision for their children and the progress their

Sheredes Primary School - 16 18. The school works very hard at its relationship with parents and constantly searches for ways to improve its practice in this area. The school rightly prides itself on its openness and the headteacher makes herself readily available to talk to parents who have any concerns. Parents are completely confident that any worries they raise will be quickly, effectively and sensitively dealt with. Parents whose children have been to other schools, speak in glowing terms about how the school’s response to concerns makes their children more confident, raises their self- esteem and makes the whole learning experience more enjoyable and effective. The school, they feel, works hard to provide a challenging learning environment that stimulates the children and encourages them to do their best. Parents appreciate the range of visits that the school arranges for their children and the variety of extra-curricular activities. These clubs, the parents believe,

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the caring and supportive provision for their children and the progress their

give children of different ages and interests valuable opportunities to work and play together, while developing their specific skills.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

19. There are no significant areas of weakness in the school. Sheredes Primary School - 17

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

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

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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 more than five percentage points.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR– Y6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 22 307

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 0 9

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Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 1

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 0 45

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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 16

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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 9

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 5

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Attendance

School data 5 School data 0.0 Sheredes Primary School - 18 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. Sheredes Primary School - 19

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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 27 16 43

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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 23 22 25 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 16 16 16

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

Percentage of pupils School 91 (95) 88 (98) 95 (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 26 25 26 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 16 16 16

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

Percentage of pupils School 98 (100) 95 (98) 98 (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 21 21 42

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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 20 20 21 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 21 21 21

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

Percentage of pupils School 98 (95) 98 (93) 100 (100) 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 19 19 21 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 20 21 21

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

Percentage of pupils School 93 (91) 95 (93) 100 (98) 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. Sheredes Primary School - 20

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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 6 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Mixed – any other mixed background 0 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British - Pakistani 0 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi 0 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black or Black British – Caribbean 0 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 14.05 Financial year 2001/02

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 23.3

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 660,894

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 9 Total expenditure 678,932

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 176.75 Expenditure per pupil 2,044

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery Balance brought forward from previous year 113,056

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 1 Balance carried forward to next year 95,018

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 22.1

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 2

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 57.5 Sheredes Primary School - 21 Number of pupils per FTE adult 7.1

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 3.3

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 3.4

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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. Sheredes Primary School - 22

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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. 61 37 1 0 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 54 44 0 0 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 37 53 3 2 5

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Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 41 53 5 0 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 64 34 1 1 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. 75 23 1 0 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 44 51 4 0 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 66 32 1 0 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 57 37 4 0 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 43 42 4 0 11

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Summary of parents’ and carers’ responses

• Parents and carers are very positive about all aspects of the school’s provision.

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