Luddington & Garthorpe Primary

PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 3 rd – 6 th February 2003

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PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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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. Luddington and Garthorpe Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: High Street Luddington Scunthorpe North Lincolnshire

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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 M Johnson

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: May 1998 Luddington and Garthorpe Primary School - 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities 10638 Mr M Newell Registered inspector Educational inclusion English as an additional language. English Art and design Design and technology Music The school’s results and pupils’ achievements How well are pupils taught? What could the school do to improve further?

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

31729 Mr B Harrington Lay inspector Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development How well does the school work in partnership with parents? 1411 Mr J Good Team inspector Mathematics Information and communication technology Physical education Religious education How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils? How well is the school led and managed? 10228 Mrs S Russam Team inspector Foundation Stage Special educational needs Science Geography History How well does the school care for its pupils?

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Lynrose Marketing Limited Bungalow Farmhouse Six Mile Bottom Newmarket Suffolk CB8 0TU

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Luddington and Garthorpe Primary School - 5

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 13

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

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AREAS OF THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES 37

Luddington and Garthorpe Primary School - 6

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

The school is smaller than average and situated in the village of Luddington in North Lincolnshire. Most of the pupils that attend the school live in the villages of Luddington or Garthorpe and the surrounding farm areas. There are currently 90 pupils on roll, an equal number of boys and girls and the figure includes 9 children that attend the pre-nursery on a part-time basis. The number of pupils attending the school has increased over the last 12 months with 21 pupils entering and 4 pupils leaving at other than the normal tines. All pupils that attend the school are of white ethnic origin with no pupil speaking English as an additional language. The percentage of pupils identified as having special educational needs is above the national average with the percentage of pupils with a statement of special educational need broadly in line with the national average. The percentage of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is broadly in line with the national average. Test and

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

assessment data show that attainment when children start school covers the full ability range and is at an average level overall.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a good school which is very well led and managed by the headteacher. Pupils achieve well by the time that they leave school. Pupils’ positive attitudes and good behaviour, together with teaching that is often good, make an important contribution to the quality of learning and progress. The provision made for pupils’ spiritual, moral and social development is good and the welfare of all pupils is given a very high priority. Taking all factors into account the school is providing good value for money.

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What the school does well

• Standards in English and mathematics are above average at the end of Year 2 and Year 6. Standards in religious education and music are above average at the end of Year 6 and above average in information and communication technology at the end of Year 2. • Teaching in the Foundation Stage is very good. Teaching at Key Stage 2 is good with some very good features. Teaching of English, mathematics and some other subjects is good at Key Stage 1. • Pupils’ attitudes to school and work and their behaviour are all good. • Provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral and social development is good. • The procedures for ensuring pupils’ welfare and well-being are of a very high standard. • The school has established strong and effective links with parents, many of whom make an important contribution to children’s learning and to the life of the school. • The headteacher provides very good leadership and management of the school. She is

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What the school does well

well supported by an effective and committed Governing Body.

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What could be improved

• Standards in writing. • The standard of accommodation. • The range and consistency of opportunities for pupils to take responsibility and initiative for their own learning. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan. Luddington and Garthorpe Primary School - 7

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school has made good progress since the last inspection in 1998. Many of the strengths identified in areas such as teaching, attitudes, welfare, partnership with parents and leadership and management have been maintained and in some instances improved. In terms of the key issues that were identified at the last inspection the provision made for children in the Foundation Stage has improved significantly and is now a major strength of the school. Literacy and numeracy skills are now taught more effectively with the school rightly identifying the need to further improve pupils’ writing skills. The number of tests that pupils take is now fewer and the information gained from tests and assessments is being increasingly used to set targets for improvement and to guide and inform future curriculum planning. Under the very effective leadership of the headteacher this is a school that is constantly evaluating the quality of education it provides and is well placed to continue to

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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

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

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schools

The size of the school means that only a small number of pupils are assessed each year and so comparisons with national figures should be treated with a degree of caution. However in the two years prior to 2002 the school was awarded ‘’Achievement Awards’’ from the government in recognition of standards achieved. The above table shows that on the basis of the end of Year 6 National Curriculum tests in 2002 attainment was in line with the national average in science and below average in English and mathematics. When compared to similar schools, attainment was below average in mathematics and science and well below average in English. These results do not suggest a fall in standards but reflect the fact that the cohort of pupils in 2002 contained a high percentage of pupils with special educational needs and a high percentage of pupils that had not spent their full educational lives at the school. Inspection findings show that attainment in English and mathematics by the end of

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schools

Year 6 is above average and that pupils achieve well, although writing standards are not at the same high level as reading standards. Standards in science are at an average level with pupils of all abilities making satisfactory progress. The trend in improvement over time is below the national trend but this can be explained by factors such as small cohort sizes, fluctuating numbers of pupils with special educational needs and a high level of pupil mobility which is a feature of the school. Standards in religious education and music are above average with pupils of all abilities making good progress and achieving well. Standards in information and communication technology are in line with national expectations with the pupils now making accelerated progress because of the regular access to computers and direct teaching of specific skills in the school’s computer suite. Standards in art and design,

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schools

Luddington and Garthorpe Primary School - 8 design and technology, history and geography are at an expected level by the end of Year 6 and all pupils are making satisfactory progress. In physical education evidence suggests that in the elements of the subject that pupils are taught, standards are at least at an average level by the end of Year 2 and Year 6 but the lack of suitable accommodation means that gymnastics is not taught and therefore an overall judgement on attainment would not be reliable.

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schools

On the basis of the 2002 end of Year 2 National Curriculum tests and teacher assessments, attainment in mathematics was well above the national average and above average in reading and writing. When compared to similar schools, attainment was well above average in reading and mathematics and above average in writing. Teacher assessments in science show attainment to be above average. Inspection findings indicate that attainment in English and mathematics is above average with reading stronger than writing. Pupils of all abilities are achieving well in these subjects. Attainment in science is at an average level with pupils of all abilities making satisfactory progress. Again the factors that account for fluctuation in attainment at Key Stage 2 are equally valid at this key stage. Attainment in information and communication technology is above average and pupils achieve well. Attainment in religious

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schools

education, art and design, design and technology, history, geography and music are at an expected level with all pupils making satisfactory progress.

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schools

Attainment when children start school covers the full ability range and is at an average level overall. Children benefit from very good teaching and good learning opportunities that ensure that children of all abilities make good progress and achieve well in most areas of learning. By the time that they start in Year 1 most children have attained the nationally recommended Early Learning Goals in communication, language and literacy, personal, social and emotional development, mathematical development, knowledge and understanding of the world and in creative development. A significant percentage of children exceed the expected level, making attainment overall above the expected level. Children’s attainment in their physical development is at an expected level and the progress they make is satisfactory. Children’s attainment in this area of learning is not as strong because opportunities for outside play are limited and this restricts their physical development.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Good. Pupils’ attitudes to work and school are good and this adds much to the ethos of the school. Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Good. Pupils behave well in class and around the school. Pupils are polite and courteous and are keen to talk about their work and school life. Personal development and relationships Relationships are good and this helps to create an effective learning environment. The school has rightly identified the need for pupils to take greater initiative and responsibility for their own learning. Attendance Pupils enjoy coming to school. The attendance rate is broadly in line with the national average. Luddington and Garthorpe Primary School - 9

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Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

Quality of teaching Very good. Satisfactory 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

The quality of teaching in the Foundation Stage is very good, Teaching is satisfactory overall in Key Stage 1 with teaching good in English, mathematics and with the help of specialist teaching is good in religious education and information and communication technology. Teaching is good overall at Key Stage 2 with some very good features, particularly for Year 5 and Year 6 pupils.

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Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

The very good quality of teaching in the Foundation Stage ensures that a vibrant range of learning opportunities is provided to enable children to learn through practical, and investigative activities as well as more structured and formal learning tasks. Every activity is seen as a learning opportunity and teachers and support staff work together very well and help to ensure that children make a very good start to their educational lives at the school.

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Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

English and mathematics are taught well across the school. Reading skills are taught well and many opportunities are provided for pupils to develop and extend their speaking and listening skills. The school has identified the need to ensure that writing skills continue to be taught in a direct and systematic manner and opportunities to write in other areas of the curriculum consistently exploited. In mathematics, good quality teaching ensures that pupils’ numeracy skills are developed well and that pupils acquire a good knowledge of shape, space, measuring and data handling. Teaching in science is satisfactory with the school rightly identifying the need for a more rigorous approach to investigative work and for pupils to instigate their own scientific investigations.

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Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

The school is effective in the way that it uses specialist teaching in subjects such as religious education, information and communication technology and music as the quality of teaching is often good and makes an important contribution to how well pupils are achieving and in helping to raise standards in these subjects. The contribution made by support staff in the school is significant and is having a very positive impact on how well pupils learn in many subjects of the curriculum. There are some good examples of the marking of pupils’ work being used to explain what pupils need to do to improve or why a particular piece of work is good. It is particularly good for the older pupils in school. However, this very good practice is not as consistent across the school as it should be. Luddington and Garthorpe Primary School - 10

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Good curriculum provision in the Foundation Stage. Good learning opportunities through visits, visitors, links with the community and extra-curricular activities at Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2. The school cannot fulfil statutory requirements for physical education because of a lack of an adequate school hall.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Satisfactory. Pupils are very well supported by support staff in many lessons. The school has accurately identified the need to ensure that pupils’ individual education plans are consistently used to match work to pupils’ needs.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Good overall. The school makes good provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral and social development and satisfactory provision for pupils’ cultural development although the provision made for developing pupils’ multi-cultural awareness is good. This level of provision makes an important contribution to pupils’ personal development.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Very well. This is a very caring and supportive school where the welfare of pupils is given a very high priority and is nurtured alongside pupils’ academic development.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school works in partnership with parents. Very well. The school has established strong links with parents and provides parents with good quality information, including how their children are progressing. Many parents play a significant role in supporting their child’s learning and the life and the work of the school. Luddington and Garthorpe Primary School - 11

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Good. The leadership and management provided by the headteacher are very good, particularly as she has a heavy teaching commitment. She has an impressive grasp of the school’s strengths and weaknesses and has set an excellent agenda for school improvement.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Good. Governors are very supportive of the school and play an important and effective role in holding the school to account for the quality of education it provides.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Satisfactory. The school has appropriate procedures in place for monitoring teaching and learning and for analysing test and assessment data. The headteacher is increasingly using this data in an ever more effective manner for identifying areas for improvement, tracking pupils’ progress and for more rigorous target setting.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Good. The school uses its funds and access to grants in an effective manner to support and enhance educational priorities. Financial planning and the monitoring of spending are of a high standard. The school applies the principles of best value well when purchasing goods and services.

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Aspect Comment

The adequacy of staffing, accommodation and learning resources. The school has a good number of support staff. The tireless work of the head and Governing Body has resulted in improvements to the accommodation. However it is still far from satisfactory, mainly because the school has no hall. This restricts the pupils’ ability to have access to the full range of activities in physical education that they are entitled to. Pupils have to eat their lunches in the classrooms and whole school assemblies have to take place in the village hall. Resources are satisfactory overall and good in English, mathematics, information and communication technology and religious education. They are less satisfactory in science. Luddington and Garthorpe Primary School - 12

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• The fact that their children enjoy school. • The quality of teaching and the good progress that children make. • The behaviour in school. • The approachability of all staff and the information they receive about their child’s progress. • The expectations that the school sets and the way in which the school helps children to become mature and responsible. • The partnership with parents. • How the school is led and managed. • The range of activities that the school provides outside lessons.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

Inspection findings endorse many of the very positive views held by a high percentage of parents. In terms of the small size of the school, inspection findings indicate that the range of activities provided outside of lessons is judged to be good. Luddington and Garthorpe Primary School - 13

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. The children’s attainment when they start school spans the full ability range and is at an average level overall. During their time in the Foundation Stage the children benefit from very good teaching and good curriculum provision and learning opportunities that are well planned to meet the individual needs of all children. Children of all abilities make good progress in most areas of learning. As a result, attainment when children start in Year 1 is above the expected level in communication, language and literacy, mathematical development, knowledge and understanding of the world, creative development and personal, social and emotional development. Attainment in children’s physical development is at the expected level and children make satisfactory progress. The lack of outside play equipment and restrictive accommodation means that despite the best attempts of staff, attainment and progress in this area of learning are not as

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

strong as in others. There are excellent arrangements in place for a group of 9 nursery- aged children to attend the school for two sessions a week. They are accompanied by a qualified teacher who works very closely with the reception teacher and nursery nurse to provide valuable learning opportunities for all children. As many of these nursery children later attend the school full-time when they are of a reception age, they are already very familiar with school routines and this makes their transition smooth and efficient.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. The small size of the school means that there are relatively few pupils in each year group. This together with fluctuating numbers of pupils with special educational needs in different year groups and a high level of pupil mobility, 25 pupils started or left the school at other than the usual times last year, means that comparisons with national test results need to be treated with a degree of caution. However in the two years prior to 2002, the school was presented with ‘’School Achievement Awards’’ in recognition of the standards that it achieved.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. By the end of Year 2, on the basis of the 2002 National Curriculum test results, pupils’ attainment was well above the national average in mathematics and above the national average in reading and writing. Teacher assessments in science show attainment to be above average. When the school’s results are compared to similar schools, attainment is well above average in reading and mathematics and above average in writing. Inspection findings show that attainment in English is above average overall with speaking and listening and reading skills being above average and writing standards at an average level. Standards in mathematics are above average and average in science. The school has already identified the raising of standards in writing and opportunities for more focused investigative work in science throughout the school as priority areas for improvement. In Key Stage 1, the progress made by pupils of all

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

abilities, including pupils with special educational needs, is good in English and mathematics and satisfactory in science.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. By the end of Year 2 inspection findings show that standards in speaking and listening and reading are above average. Pupils are very attentive listeners and show good levels of attention when listening to their teacher, to classmates and to other adults. In a discussion in a history lesson for example, a visit to a local toy museum had stimulated pupils’ appreciation of the similarities and differences in the construction and manufacture of toys throughout the last century. Their lively discussion of how the materials had changed demonstrated how well they had listened to what they were told. Luddington and Garthorpe Primary School - 14 Reading standards are above average with pupils reading out loud well, with many pupils accurate, fluent and expressive readers. A small percentage of pupils are not as aware of the differing strategies that they can use to tackle less familiar words or phrases. Standards in writing are at an average level. Pupils’ spelling skills are at an

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

appropriate level and they use correct punctuation. Pupils are provided with a good range of writing opportunities and are increasingly being taught the necessary skills to enable them to complete the tasks well. This good practice has not yet had sufficient time to have its biggest possible impact on standards. In addition opportunities are not used enough to enhance pupils’ writing skills in other areas of the curriculum. There is for example, an over reliance on worksheets in science, history and geography for pupils to record their work or findings.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. Standards in mathematics are above average by the end of Year 2. The majority of pupils have a good understanding of number and calculate accurately for their age. They have a good understanding of simple fractions and confidently name the common two-dimensional and three-dimensional shapes. The areas for further development are improving pupils’ problem solving abilities, which are at an average level and ensuring that challenging work is consistently provided for the higher attaining pupils. Standards in science are at an average level. Pupils have a secure knowledge that living things need food and water to grow, including plants. Most are familiar with some uses of natural and manmade materials. Pupils have a good understanding about the benefits and dangers of electricity. Pupils thoroughly enjoy practical work when opportunities are provided but too few opportunities are provided for pupils to write their own extended

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

accounts of what they know, understand and can do. This curtails pupils’ natural curiosity and, therefore, limits their independent learning.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. By the end of Year 2 standards in information and communication technology are above average with pupils of all abilities making good progress and achieving well. Pupils have developed good keyboard skills, use two hands and only seek help when they do not know how to spell a new word. Pupils generate, amend, and present text in a variety of forms and are aware of the importance of information and communication technology in their lives and that many everyday devices respond to signals and instructions. Standards in religious education are at an average level with pupils benefiting from specialist teaching which often leads to good progress being made in lessons. Standards in art and design, design and technology, geography, history and music are at an expected level by the end of Year 2 and the progress of all pupils is satisfactory. The lack of appropriate facilities means that the school cannot fulfil its

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

statutory requirements for all elements of the National Curriculum for physical education for pupils throughout the school. Judgements therefore about attainment at the end of Year 2 and Year 6 are not possible. Inspection evidence indicates that in games skills standards at the end of Year 2 are at an average level and by the end of Year 6 pupils achieve standards in swimming and team games, especially football, that are above average for their age.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7. By the end of Year 6, on the basis of the 2002 National Curriculum tests, pupils’ attainment in science was in line with the national average and below the national average in English and mathematics. When compared to similar schools, attainment was below average in mathematics and science and well below average in English. Inspection findings show that attainment in English and mathematics is above average and average in science. Pupils of all abilities, including those with special educational needs, make good progress in English and mathematics and achieve well. The progress made by all pupils is satisfactory in science. The results in 2002 were lower than in previous years and lower than inspection findings because of differences in the Luddington and Garthorpe Primary School - 15 natural ability levels of the pupils. In addition some pupils did not attain as well in the National Curriculum tests as predicted.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

8. Standards in speaking and listening are above average by the end of Year 6. The majority of pupils are attentive listeners and show a good understanding of new work that is explained to them. Most pupils show a high level of understanding of contributions made by classmates and show a readiness to modify their own contributions after listening to what has been said. Standards in reading are above average by the end of Year 6. Many pupils leave school as accomplished and fluent readers with the higher attainers having well developed higher order reading skills that enable them to locate information accurately and at speed and pick up on the nuances of text. Standards in writing are at an average level by the time that pupils leave school. Pupils’ basic punctuation and spelling skills are at an average level. Work is often technically correct but writing for a number of pupils lacks flair and imagination. The

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

school has accurately identified the need to ensure that specific writing skills continue to be taught with particular emphasis given to the development of a more imaginative and creative style of writing and consistent opportunities for pupils to enhance their writing skills in other areas of the curriculum.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

9. Inspection findings are that standards in mathematics are above average by the time that pupils leave school. Pupils show good knowledge and mental skill in the speed with which they calculate. Pupils have a good understanding of place value and they accurately multiply and divide numbers by 10 or 100. They measure accurately in standard and non-standard measures and where appropriate make correct use of units. The higher-attaining pupils can explain which shapes will tessellate and why. Occasionally pupils are not as secure in transferring their knowledge and skills to problem solving activities. Standards in science are at an expected level by the time that pupils leave school. Pupils’ subject knowledge is secure in most elements of the subject including life processes, living things, materials and their properties and physical processes. The areas for development are for pupils to be provided with more

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

opportunities to instigate their own scientific investigations and to use their scientific knowledge to try and explain why things happen as they do.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

10. Standards are above average in religious education and music by the end of Year 6 and all pupils make good progress and achieve well. In religious education pupils have a good knowledge and understanding of Christianity and other world faiths. In music pupils sing well, and are confident and proficient composers and performers. The area for development is for pupils to develop a greater awareness of the work of famous composers. In both these subjects pupils benefit from good quality specialist teaching which impacts well on how well they learn and achieve. Standards in information and communication technology are at an average level. This does not suggest a fall in standards from Year 2 but is due to the vastly improved facilities now available for teaching the subject and which Year 6 pupils have only experienced for one year of their time at the school. Standards in art and design, design and technology, geography

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

and history are at an expected level by the end of Year 6 and pupils of all abilities make satisfactory progress.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

11. The school’s programme of support for pupils with special educational needs is satisfactory. It is effectively organised to identify pupils who need additional help in class. This ensures they make similar progress to that of their classmates. Arrangements for supporting pupils who have statements of special educational needs are effective and ensure they attain standards which are in line with their prior achievements. Pupils who have individual education plans make adequate progress in meeting their targets, and, therefore their attainment in relation to these targets is Luddington and Garthorpe Primary School - 16 satisfactory. Pupils who are withdrawn from class to receive additional help with literacy gain competence in basic reading, writing and spelling skills. The provision for the higher attaining pupils is generally at an appropriate level, particularly for the older pupils in the school. There are occasions in some classes when the work is not

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

consistently of a challenging and demanding nature and work is of a reinforcing nature rather than stretching the pupils. In these instances pupils’ learning is not as strong as it could be.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

12. The school’s trend of improvement over time is below the national trend but can be explained by the small cohorts, pupil mobility and fluctuating number of pupils with special educational needs. The school sets challenging targets in literacy and numeracy and there are no significant differences in attainment by gender that cannot be explained by natural ability differences. Standards are set to continue to improve. The good and at times very good teaching and the attitudes and behaviour of the pupils make a significant contribution to how well pupils learn. The very good leadership of the headteacher and the shared commitment of the staff to continually improving the quality of education that the school provides are playing an equally important role. Inspection evidence indicates that the school is well placed to continue to improve and that the results of 2002 may well be exceeded in the coming years.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13. Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development overall are a strength of the school. They contribute much to the pleasant and enthusiastic environment in which pupils learn. Pupils have good attitudes to school. The vast majority take an interest in their lessons and speak enthusiastically about the school. Pupils listen very well to their teachers and one another and instructions are followed quickly and quietly. They work hard and maintain concentration throughout the day. When presented with challenging and stimulating questions pupils offer thoughtful and confident replies. Many pupils enjoy being in a small school where they can receive a high level of teaching and personal support. The vast majority of parents agree that their children like school. The good attitudes and behaviour have been maintained since the time of the last inspection.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. Children in the Foundation Stage show great enthusiasm for learning and the varied curriculum promotes very good attitudes from an early age. There is a high expectation for children to show respect through listening to the teacher and one another. Children respond well to the models of very good manners and co-operation between the adults. Children are shown how to behave well and relate to one other when working in adult led activities or independently. Behaviour is good. Children learn from the adults who help in showing them how to be kind, how to share and how to talk to one another.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

15. Pupils with special educational needs generally respond well to their lessons and demonstrate a positive attitude to learning alongside their classmates. Pupils who have emotional and behavioural problems respond well to the help the school provides in enabling them to come to terms with their difficulties and build meaningful relationships with adults and their classmates.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

16. Behaviour in school is good. Pupils understand that they are expected to behave and respond accordingly. A very small number of pupils have difficulty in managing their own behaviour and are supported well in lessons by adults. This provides a positive learning environment for everyone. At play and during school assemblies, pupils behave well and show appropriate respect during prayers. Pupils play well together and do not let the limited space in the building influence their behaviour. Policies on Luddington and Garthorpe Primary School - 17 behaviour are well understood and consistently and sensitively implemented. Incidents of bullying are very rare and are dealt with quickly and effectively. The friendly atmosphere of the school inhibits oppressive behaviour. Most parents believe that behaviour in school is good.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

17. Relationships amongst pupils, and between pupils and adults in school are good. Pupils have a good understanding of the impact of their actions upon others. Pupils in the Foundation Stage receive a good introduction to school life and soon become confident learners who are familiar with the school routines. Pupils throughout the school are developing a respect for the feelings, values and beliefs of others. There are too few opportunities, however, for pupils take initiative and to accept responsibility for their own learning. Parents are confident that the school is helping their children to become mature and responsible.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

18. Attendance at school is satisfactory. During the last year the rate of attendance was 94.4% which was broadly in line with the national average, and has been maintained at this level for some years. There were no unauthorised absences during the last year.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

19. The quality of teaching in the Foundation Stage is very good. Teaching at Key Stage 1 is satisfactory overall with English and mathematics taught well. In addition teaching in religious education is good because of the use of specialist teaching. Teaching at Key Stage 2 is good with some very good characteristics, particularly for the older pupils. Again specialist teaching in some subjects is effectively used to enhance pupils’ learning and attainment. During the week of inspection teaching was good or better in almost eight out of ten lessons, which included very good teaching in 14% of lessons. No unsatisfactory teaching was observed. Appropriate procedures are in place for monitoring the quality of teaching. The headteacher has an excellent grasp of the areas that the school needs to tackle to improve further and these include improving writing standards and providing opportunities for pupils to take a greater responsibility and

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

initiative for their own learning. The quality of teaching has been maintained since the time of the last inspection. Teachers show a readiness to reflect critically on how they teach and this indicates that the school is well placed to continue to improve.

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20. The quality of teaching in the Foundation Stage is very good. Very effective teaching ensures that the needs of all children are met in an effective manner. The teacher and nursery nurse work together very well to bring learning to life for all children. Every opportunity is capitalised on to enhance children’s learning with many activities where they can learn through hands on, practical and investigative activities which encourage the children to discuss with one another what they are doing, what they have found out and often result in gasps of wonderment. Teaching is equally effective in providing adult led activities where specific skills are taught in a direct manner including early reading, writing, computation and manipulative skills. The teacher and support staff carefully record how well children achieve in each activity, meet at the end of every day and use this information to modify or enhance the learning experiences that are planned for the

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next day for each individual child or small groups of children. The very good quality of teaching generates in the children a real desire to learn and this impacts significantly on how well children achieve and the good and often very good progress that children of all abilities, including those with special educational needs, make. There are excellent arrangements in place for a group of 9 nursery children to attend the school for two sessions per week. They are accompanied by a qualified teacher who works with the school’s staff to ensure that the activities that are provided are of high quality and Luddington and Garthorpe Primary School - 18 provide valuable learning opportunities for all the children. The very good teaching in the Foundation Stage means that children get off to a flying start in their educational lives.

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21. The National Literacy Strategy is well established in school and is having a positive impact on helping to improve standards and the quality of pupils’ learning. What is to be learnt within a lesson is often shared with pupils and in the better lessons the session at the end of the lesson is being used well to assess what pupils have actually learnt or not and the information is then used in an effective manner to guide and inform future lessons. Examples of this were observed across the school. Reading skills are generally taught well although not all pupils by the end of Year 2 are confident in the range of strategies that they can use to tackle unfamiliar words or phrases. Opportunities are provided for pupils to take part in discussions and for the older pupils, debates. These are often well planned and the skilful questioning and interactions provided by the teachers do much to ensure that pupils use an expressive vocabulary

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and pay much attention to instructions, explanations and to the contributions of their classmates. Punctuation, spelling, presentational and comprehension skills are taught in an appropriate manner. The school has rightly identified the need to ensure that writing skills continue to be taught in a direct manner and that opportunities are consistently capitalised on to extend pupils’ writing skills in other areas of the curriculum so that by the time pupils leave school writing skills are at the same level as reading skills and pupils are then able to write extended and expressive pieces of writing which hook and then maintain the interest and imagination of the reader. This is not consistently the case at the moment and at times pupils’ writing lacks a little flair, imagination or creativity.

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22. The teaching of mathematics is good at both key stages. The National Numeracy Strategy has been implemented well. All teachers make good use of mental activities at the beginning of lessons to extend and enhance pupils’ mental agility and to bring a sense of fun and enjoyment to pupils’ learning. Teachers have good subject knowledge and use this well to explain new concepts or deal with pupils’ difficulties. Teaching is at its best when pupils are encouraged to use different strategies to problem solve. Teachers know pupils well and generally set work that is well matched to the differing ability levels. The setting of challenging and demanding tasks for the high attaining pupils is not as consistent in other year groups as it is for the Year 5/Year 6 pupils. The school has rightly identified the need for pupils to be provided with more opportunities to experiment and investigate and to take more responsibility for their own learning. The

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

teaching of science is satisfactory at both key stages. Teachers organise and plan their lessons effectively and in most instances the work that is set is sufficiently challenging and demanding. Teaching over time is stronger for the Year 5/Year 6 pupils as they are expected to put their scientific knowledge to the test in setting hypotheses and then testing them out in interesting scientific investigations. When teaching is not as effective it is because what is to be investigated is not made sufficiently clear or pupils are not provided with enough opportunities to complete their own research or by devising investigative tasks.

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23. The quality of teaching in religious education is good at both key stages. One teacher teaches the subject across the school. The teacher uses her good subject knowledge to motivate and enthuse the pupils and to give them a deeper understanding of different faiths and cultures. Lessons are used well to give pupils opportunities to share their thoughts and feelings and this is done in a calm and dignified manner which adds much to the quality of the learning environment. Specialist teaching is also used in music at Key Stage 2 where the quality of teaching is good. Here the teacher uses her knowledge and expertise to provide pupils with many opportunities to compose and perform music. The teacher constantly uses a good musical vocabulary which the Luddington and Garthorpe Primary School - 19 pupils pick up on and the teacher directly teaches, for example, techniques for singing which lead to an immediate improvement in the level of pupils’ performance. Teaching

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in music at Key Stage 1 is satisfactory.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

24. The quality of teaching in information and communication technology is satisfactory overall and often good in Year 1 to Year 2. The teaching in these year groups is often carried out in small groups by classroom support assistants who have good subject knowledge and expertise. They teach the basic skills well and allow the pupils to experiment, investigate and find things out for themselves rather than being too over directive. Teaching in Year 3 to Year 6 is satisfactory with some good features. Again basic skills are taught well and opportunities are regularly provided for pupils to use computers in other subjects of the curriculum such as in English, science and art and design. Teachers are keen to continue to develop their knowledge and expertise in using computers.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

25. The quality of teaching in art and design, design and technology, geography and history is satisfactory at both key stages with some good practice, particularly for the older pupils in school. In design and technology pupils are provided with a range of opportunities to design and make products such as vehicles and fairground rides. Pupils are directly taught specific skills and are encouraged to evaluate their finished products. In art and design pupils work with a range of different media and are directly taught skills such as shading and the importance of perspective. Planning and work on display around the school show that pupils cover the work of famous artists, such as Kandinsky and William Morris, but in discussion, pupils did not always have sufficient recollection of the artists they had studied. In geography and history the quality of teaching is satisfactory with good features, particularly for the pupils in Year 5/Year 6. In

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geography, teaching in Year 5/Year 6 uses the subject well to promote discussion on issues of a moral or social nature such as including the impact of global warming on wildlife and natural habitats. There are occasions however when the subject is not used to promote pupils’ literacy skills, using worksheets rather than pupils using their own words. In history, teaching is at its most effective when teachers’ subject knowledge is put to good use. For example, in a Year 3/Year 4 lesson the teacher used a mixture of questioning, prompting and explaining effectively to encourage the pupils to discuss in an impressive manner the difference between fact and opinion relating to life in Anglo Saxon times. Again, however, there are times when there is an over reliance on commercially produced worksheets which do little to enthuse pupils’ learning. The quality of teaching in physical education is satisfactory although teachers are prevented

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from teaching gymnastics because of a lack of a school hall. 26. Support in whole class lessons for pupils with special educational needs is good. It is effective in enabling pupils to participate fully and with confidence in all learning tasks. Learning support staff are very effective and make a valuable contribution to the quality of teaching and learning. However, teachers do not always make enough use of individual education plans to inform their planning or match the work they provide to the pupils’ individual needs. Work for the higher attaining pupils is satisfactory overall although there are times, for example in mathematics, when work is not challenging enough.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

27. There are good examples of pupils’ literacy and numeracy skills being used in other area of the curriculum. For example, measuring the materials to be used in constructing a carousel in design and technology, understanding timelines in history, and interpreting graphs, units and scales in science. There are other occasions when opportunities are missed to enhance pupils’ writing skills in other areas of the curriculum, such as history and geography where there is at times an over reliance on worksheets. Information and communication technology is being used effectively to Luddington and Garthorpe Primary School - 20 support learning in other subjects. For example, to produce pictures and designs in art, to improve mental ability to solve problems in mathematics, and to sequence the life cycle of a bean plant in science.

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28. The quality of relationships across the school is good. Pupils respond well to the enthusiasm and humour of their teachers and rise to the challenge when provided with opportunities to find things out for themselves, to problem solve or to instigate and carry out investigations. Such opportunities are not provided enough. Most pupils respond positively to verbal praise and pointers for improvement and in most instances teachers provide warranted praise or gentle criticism in equal measure. There are some very good examples, particularly for the older pupils in school, of the marking of pupils’ work being used to outline what pupils need to do to improve or highlighting why a particular piece of work is of a good standard. All parents that responded to the questionnaire sent out before the inspection are happy with the quality of the teaching and the good progress that their child is making.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

29. The quality and range of the learning opportunities on offer to the pupils are good. The school provides a broad and balanced curriculum to promote pupils’ intellectual, physical, and moral development. There is a good range of extra-curricular sporting activities and the school’s curriculum extends beyond the statutory requirements. For example, pupils in the Year 5/Year 6 class receive tuition in German and have experienced Latin whilst learning about the Romans. The requirements of the National Curriculum are fully met in all subjects except physical education. Unfortunately, the school does not have any indoor accommodation in which to teach the gymnastic elements of the programmes of study. Although some limited use is made of the village hall for teaching dance and movement pupils, particularly those in Year 3 to Year 6, have insufficient opportunities to use apparatus to develop balances at different levels.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

The requirements of the locally agreed syllabus for religious education are fully met. The National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies have been sensibly and effectively introduced. They have had a positive impact on the curriculum and upon pupils’ learning, in English and mathematics.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

30. The curriculum for children in the Reception class is good. It covers all the recommended areas for learning, is relevant to the children’s differing development needs and results in them being very well prepared for the next stage of their education. Assessment is ongoing and used very effectively to plan tasks and challenges that are appropriate for the children’s individual needs. The school has made good progress in developing the curriculum for children in the Foundation Stage since the previous inspection of the school.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

31. Teachers’ long, medium, and short-term planning is of a satisfactory standard. Care is taken to avoid overlap and repetition of experience for pupils in the mixed age classes as they move through the school. The headteacher leads regular reviews of the curricular provision in order to ensure that it is meeting the needs of its pupils. Scrutiny of pupils’ previous work shows that teachers are successfully planning tasks to extend the learning of almost all pupils. Although occasionally there is not enough challenge in mathematics for some of the younger pupils in school.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

32. There are policy statements and schemes of work for each subject of the curriculum to guide teachers’ planning and these are of a satisfactory standard. The published details Luddington and Garthorpe Primary School - 21 for the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies have been adapted to meet the school’s needs and staff are continuing to work collaboratively to modify the published schemes for the foundation subjects. All subjects are given an appropriate time allowance when judged over the whole of the academic year. The curriculum for the foundation subjects other than history is organised on a two-year rotating cycle for each mixed age class. The curriculum programme for history-based topics has recently been changed to a four-year cycle to cover the whole of Key Stage 2. The aim is to make even better use of visits, visitors, and hired artefacts and to ensure that all elements are taught in sufficient depth as some elements may not be covered again for

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

33. The governors have adopted a satisfactory curriculum statement. They are kept well informed of curricular developments by good quality reports from the headteacher. There are link governors for literacy, numeracy, and special educational needs. The governor linked with special educational needs works in the school and gives good support to the co-ordinator. All statutory policy statements are in place and there is a programme for their review, revision, and submission to the governing body for approval. The governing body ensures that all pupils are given equal access to all areas of school life.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

34. The provision for pupils with special educational needs is satisfactory. The school provides a flexible range of support to meet the various needs of individual pupils. The most effective being in class support from learning support assistants where pupils are taught alongside their classmates. The school employs the services of a specialist teacher for three hours per week who works with the pupils and leaves differentiated work for them to do in class with the learning support assistants. Although teachers have copies of pupils’ individual education plans, occasionally they are not used as effectively as they could be to plan specific work to meet the needs of individuals. The school ensures that the provision outlined in pupils’ statements is in place and is reviewed annually in line with Code of Practice guidance. The school endeavours to promote the inclusion of all pupils to provide them with equality of access to the full

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National Curriculum, however, on occasions a small number of pupils miss assembly because they are receiving additional help to develop their literacy skills.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

35. The school provides well for pupils' personal, social, health, and citizenship education. Topics, generally presented within the science and religious education curricula, are augmented by the school's involvement in the Young Lifesaver award, the Healthy Schools initiative, and the drugs education provided through the North Lincolnshire Life caravan. The school has recently been involved in a five-week drugs education programme presented by police social services and staff. Older children work with the school nurse on a five-week programme concerning “growing up”.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

36. The sex education policy is a very useful document which details what pupils in Years 1-6 will be taught. It recognises the overlap with the religious education and science curricula, in that not only the reproductive system but also the emotional, physical and psychological changes need to be understood. The drugs awareness policy has clear objectives of educating pupils and for supporting them should there be a drugs-related incident. These two policies are well supported by the health education policy which contains substantial details relating to objectives and topics study.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

37. The school makes good provision for activities outside lessons. The sports club, which is held on Saturday mornings through most of the year, provides opportunities for pupils to take part in football, rugby, rounders, and netball. During the summer, after school activities are offered and the school has reached local championship level in kwik Luddington and Garthorpe Primary School - 22 cricket tournaments. The recorder club is held at lunchtimes. Many adults involve themselves in the extra curricular activities including members of staff, governors, past pupils and friends. Despite the best efforts of the school and the lack of a school hall, a few parents feel that the school could provide a more interesting range of extra- curricular activities.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

38. The school has good links with the community that it serves and these add much to the quality and range of pupils’ learning experiences. The school's links with the church are very strong. The vicar visits the school each month and presents a whole school assembly in the village hall each week. Pupils celebrate major Christian festivals in church and make paintings and decorations to decorate the church. Each year the carol service in school is followed by a torchlight procession to the church. Additionally, the church building is used as a learning resource for history, art and religious education, and the vicar supports the teaching of religious education by presenting and discussing religious artefacts.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

39. Each year, pupils present a musical performance during the summer term and this is taken on tour to the village halls at Luddington and Garthorpe. Links with the local football and cricket teams helped to provide additional resources for the school, such as the use of a cricket pitch, in exchange for the use of tables and chairs. All pupils benefit from special visits or events once a term. These have included a Midsummer Night’s Dream workshop, a visit to the Wesley parsonage at Epworth, and a visit to a World War 2 prisoner of war campsite. Speakers from the museum have brought artefacts into school for presentation and discussion, and occasionally these speakers have undertaken role-playing such as a Roman soldier.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

40. Arrangements for pupils' transferred to the high school are well-established. The Year 7 teacher visits the school several times to familiarise Year 6 pupils with the routines of the high school and to resolve their concerns. Pupils visit the high school on two sample days when a past pupil acts as a guide, and they also attend a sports competition day when they meet other pupils who are transferring. Students from the technical college undertaking sports leader awards, and Year 10 and Year 12 pupils from the high school and sixth-form college are welcomed into school to undertake their work experience projects.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

41. Overall, the provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social, and cultural development is good. The daily acts of collective worship are of a Christian character and fully meet the statutory requirements, although it is only possible to hold a whole-school act of collective worship on Fridays when it hires the village hall. On each of the other four days of the school-week, separate assemblies are held for infant and junior aged pupils. They provide opportunities for pupils to join in the singing of a hymn, saying the school prayer, and listening to a reading or story with a religious theme. An impressive feature of all observed acts of collective worship was the time devoted for personal reflection. Acts of collective worship make a strong contribution to pupils’ personal development.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

42. The school makes good provision for pupils’ spiritual development. Pupils of all ages are given frequent opportunities to explore their inner feelings and reflect upon events that affect their lives. Many of the teachers and support staff make learning fun and occasionally the discovery of something wondrous brings an instantaneous response from pupils. The revealing of a seed in a Chinese lantern flower brought gasps of awe from a group of pupils in the Year 1/Year 2 class. Another group of pupils in the same class looked in wonder at the seeds in a tomato when magnified through a hand lens. The faces of some of the children in the Reception class lit up with delight when they Luddington and Garthorpe Primary School - 23 saw their computer generated owl picture emerging from the printer. The lighting of a candle at the beginning of religious education lessons has a positive influence upon pupils’ response to the theme of the lesson. Pupils concentrate well and they are keen

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to join in the discussions. They listen sensibly to one another’s comments and show respect for views that are different from their own. The leadership of these lessons is good and the spiritual and moral messages are clear and meaningful.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

43. The provision for pupils’ moral development is good. All adults in the school are good role models. There is a strong code of conduct that is reflected in the high level of respect pupils afford one another and their teachers. They are taught to know the difference between right and wrong. Expectations are high, but through gentle reminders and careful guidance, pupils become sensitive to the needs of others. Pupils are taught to respect and to appreciate one another. Good behaviour is rewarded. Relationships between adults and pupils are good and there are good levels of courtesy and respect. Pupils have developed a good awareness of justice and fairness and put this to good use in many of their activities and interactions within school such as when taking part in sporting activities or in discussions and debates. Pupils feel that they are lucky to be in a small school where they know everyone and their contributions are

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

44. Provision for social development is good. Many opportunities are provided for pupils to work together in lessons. Throughout the school, relationships are good and staff and pupils enjoy one another’s company. The family ethos of the school is developed through acts of collective worship and the high profile of the headteacher in the classrooms and around the school. The good range of extra-curricular activities offer good opportunities for pupils’ social development. In class discussions, even the youngest pupils are beginning to understand the principles of everybody having a turn to speak whilst others listen. Children in the Reception class sit quietly and wait for their turn to play the part of one of the owls in the story that had been read by their teacher. Pupils in the Year 5/Year 6 class show good social skills during their discussion of Judas’s betrayal of Jesus. They listen carefully to other pupils’ opinions. Opportunities

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are often provided for pupils to work together. Pupils see first hand the good teamwork in the classrooms between teachers and other staff and adults and this provides a good role model to enhance pupils’ social development. Older pupils are encouraged to give good support to their younger peers. Pupils and their parents are involved in fundraising for local and national charities. These change from term to term, often reflecting the experiences of the community. In this way pupils become aware of the needs of others and how they may help them. Older pupils are involved in the Lifestyle project during the summer holidays. These projects are aimed at improving the quality of local life and may involve charitable and environmental issues. Pupils keep logbooks throughout the project and the school always wins a major prize.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

45. The provision made for pupils’ cultural development is satisfactory overall but for multi- cultural awareness it is good. Teachers give pupils opportunities within the curriculum for art and design, English, geography, history and music to learn about their own and other cultures. Pupils in Year 3 to Year 6 are learning about their inherited culture from the Romans and the Anglo-Saxons. Their study of the local area has made them appreciate the advantages and disadvantages of living in a rural community. They experience music from different cultures but their knowledge of famous composers is unsatisfactory. In religious education and acts of collective worship, pupils learn about Christianity with good provision made for pupils to gain a greater awareness and knowledge of the beliefs and practices of other faiths. A high quality multi-cultural display in the school makes an immediate impact and provides pupils with an

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Luddington and Garthorpe Primary School - 24 opportunity to look at artefacts that have significant importance to people with different faiths and cultures.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

46. The school makes very good provision for the health, safety and welfare of all pupils. The headteacher is the named person to deal with any issues of child protection and she has received significant training for this role. The child protection policy has been recently reviewed, and all people working in school have received training in child protection. The staff handbook conveys child protection information to new staff and supply teachers. All staff have received training in first-aid and one member of staff is a trained nurse. Pupils' allergies are listed, and the first-aid box is readily available to staff. Pupils undertaking the St John ambulance course for Young Lifesavers contribute to health and safety in school. A significant risk assessment of the school premises and activities was conducted five years ago and reviewed a year later. The school would benefit from an up-to-date assessment of the premises particularly as the

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

47. The school provides good educational and personal support and guidance for pupils. Procedures for monitoring and improving attendance are very good. The administration assistant examines registers each week, checking the patterns of absence. Parents are encouraged to telephone the school if their children will not be attending, failing which the administration assistant will telephone the parent. This close monitoring has eliminated unauthorised absences. Pupils with 100 percent attendance for the term receive a good attendance certificate. Family holidays taken in term time have a significant effect upon the rate of attendance especially as each pupil contributes more than 1% to the overall attendance figure.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

48. There are good procedures in place for monitoring and promoting good behaviour. All staff have received training in behaviour management which enables a whole school approach to be pursued. The headteacher has received additional training in behaviour management to provide her with strategies for those incidents that she is expected to resolve. Any incidents of oppressive behaviour, which are reported, are well managed. Teachers are adept at taking opportunities to address pupils’ personal needs and readily provide support in times of crisis. The headteacher and her staff know their pupils very well and also know most families. Pupil profiles are kept for all pupils which include test results, examples of work, and annual progress reports.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

49. Assessment procedures for pupils aged 5 years to 11 years are satisfactory and there are good systems in place to monitor what pupils know and are able to do in English and mathematics. In science procedures for assessing pupils’ attainment and progress are less comprehensive. In contrast, the procedures in English and mathematics are more firmly established and, as a result, all teachers are familiar with the systems of record keeping and these are well used to monitor what the pupils know, understand and can do. Appropriate procedures are in place for the other subjects. The school maintains assessment folders to monitor and track the achievements of pupils in the foundation subjects. The area for development is to ensure that the assessment information, particularly in subjects other than English and mathematics, is consistently used in an effective manner to ensure that there is a close match between the work

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that is set and the ability of the pupils.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

50. In English and mathematics good use is usually, but not always consistently, made of day-to-day assessment to plan lessons that meet the varying needs of the pupils. Luddington and Garthorpe Primary School - 25 Teachers place appropriate emphasis upon the development of monitoring and tracking pupils’ achievements. Throughout the school, ongoing assessment is not consistently used as a tool for ensuring that work is planned accurately to meet the needs of pupils of differing abilities. The examples of good practice, which are seen for the older pupils in school, need to be disseminated to all classes. The school is keen to continue to review assessment procedures so that they have the biggest possible impact on helping to raise standards and the quality of pupils’ learning.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

51. Portfolios of samples of pupils’ work are not yet fully in place in some subjects, therefore, some teachers have too little information about the quality of pupils’ work throughout the school. The school is aware of the need to match pupils’ work to National Curriculum levels in order to closely evaluate how standards within the school reflect those found in other schools, and of how a thorough assessment system would facilitate this. Teachers know their pupils exceptionally well and report regularly to parents on how their child is developing personally as well as academically. Initiatives have yet to be introduced which develop pupils’ responsibility for their own learning and provide them with a good knowledge and understanding about their own progress and achievements. Nevertheless, any personal achievements in, or outside school are always celebrated, such as those gained in sport or music. The school recognises that

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this has a great impact on raising pupils’ self-esteem and further promotes positive attitudes to learning and personal initiative, especially for the very small number of pupils who have emotional or behavioural problems.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

52. The school has devised good links with other agencies to ensure the provision outlined in statements of special educational needs is implemented. The special educational needs co-ordinator is responsible for liaising with a wide range of other professionals, parents, carers and other schools. These duties are undertaken satisfactorily. 53. The school implements satisfactory assessment procedures to identify pupils with special educational needs and comply with the Code of Practice. However, the information is not always used rigorously enough for reviewing the progress pupils are making. The school meets its statutory requirements as outlined in all pupils’ statements of special educational needs. All statements and reviews are up to date and specified provision is implemented effectively, including access to additional staffing. The quality of assessment procedures in the Foundation Stage is good. As soon as the

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

children start school the staff begin to assess their progress and development. Systems are comprehensive and used very well by all staff to help children’s learning and to target support where the need is greatest. In addition, if there are any concerns parents are informed so that they too, can offer their children extra support at home.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

54. The headteacher is effective in the manner in which she uses the results of the analysis of test and assessment data to identify strengths, areas for development and to inform the target setting process. The information is used to identify, for example, pupils that may need additional support or pupils that may need more challenge. The school is constantly looking to refine the analysis of data to take full account of the attainment and achievement of year groups, groups of pupils, of gender and of individual pupils. The small number of pupils means that the school can clearly set targets for individual pupils and closely monitor progress. As the school has quite a high level of pupil mobility the tracking of pupils’ progress is particularly important if the school is to accurately asses the ‘’value added’’ that the school provides for pupils who may or may not spend their full educational lives at the school.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

Luddington and Garthorpe Primary School - 26 55. Parents have very positive views of the school. All parents responding to the inspection survey believe that the school is well led and managed, feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem, and think that the teaching is good. They feel that the school expects their children to work hard and achieve their best, they are happy that their children are making good progress in school, and feel that the school works closely with parents. The vast majority of parents feel that they are kept well informed about how their children are getting on, and think that their children are getting the right amount of work to do at home.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

56. The school has good links with parents and provides them with good quality information. Formal documents such as the school prospectus and the governors' annual report to parents are supported by regular friendly newsletters which keep parents up-to-date with events in school. In the Foundation Stage, there is a good range of documentation to inform parents about school procedures and routines and about child assessments. Progress reports are of a very good quality, providing valuable information on what pupils can do and how they respond to individual, paired and group work. All subjects are addressed with the emphasis being on the core subjects. Achievements in other areas of school life are included as are targets for improvement. Parents state that they are very happy with the information that they receive on their children and on the quality of the written reports.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

57. Parents of pupils with statements of special educational needs are appropriately involved in annual review meetings. They are invited to contribute both in writing and verbally to the discussions about the continuing needs of their child and the progress they have made since the previous review. The school also consults with parents of pupils who have individual education plans, to involve them in identifying their child’s needs and contributing to setting targets and working to achieve these both at school and at home.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

58. Parents make a significant contribution to their children's learning in the school and at home. Most parents monitor the work that their children do at home and endorse their homework diaries to let teachers know about any problems that have arisen. A few parents help in school, generally listening to readers and providing support in practical lessons in the Foundation Stage and in Year 1 to Year 2. Some parent helpers have become classroom support assistants. Parents also provide valuable help with extra curricular activities and by accompanying school trips. Parents are working with older children on a whole-class design and technology project. The Friends of the School (FLAGS) raise significant funds for the school through social events. The autumn and spring fayres are very well attended and several other schools are invited to share the annual fun day. Funds raised have been spent on additional learning resources such as

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

computers and to provide outdoor picnic tables.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

59. The leadership and management of the school are good. The school’s aims and values are fully reflected in its daily life and are of very good quality. The headteacher, key staff, and governors have taken very successful measures to raise standards and to address the key issues detailed in the previous report.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

60. The headteacher provides very good, strong and positive leadership and management for the school. She has a very clear educational and community vision for the future development of the school. Her plans for the development of the school are fully supported by staff, governors, and parents. The headteacher has a deep commitment Luddington and Garthorpe Primary School - 27 to enabling all pupils to achieve to their full potential and to have a happy and fulfilling educational experience during their time at the school. She is a good organiser who gets things done and has the ability to take other people along with her. She has a high profile in the school and has very good knowledge of both the academic and personal characteristics of every individual in it. She has a great capacity for work and because of this she is able to balance the demands of being a headteacher with her major teaching commitments. She gives willingly of her time, but needs to spend numerous

p.26

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

hours at home completing essential paper work which cannot be attended to during school hours due to her four-day teaching commitment.

p.27

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

61. The headteacher has an inclusive management style which compensates for there being no deputy headteacher and no senior management team. The whole teaching staff is involved in the decision-making processes and all have significant management responsibilities. All co-ordinators have major management responsibilities and they are expected to play an important role in the development of the curriculum and in the drive to raise standards. Significant progress has been made in the Foundation Stage, English, information and communication technology, mathematics, and religious education. The headteacher and the local education authority link inspector carry out monitoring of teaching and classroom practice but subject co-ordinators are not yet sufficiently involved in monitoring teaching and learning, although this is an identified area for improvement in the School Development Plan.

p.27

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

62. The full Governing Body meets once each term and attendance is very good. A full range of committees has been established and they meet as required to do so. The governors are kept very well informed of school matters by the high quality reports prepared for them by the headteacher. As a result, they have a very good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school. They represent a wide cross section of the local community and are fully committed to the school and its activities. Many members of the governing body are frequent visitors to the school either working as classroom support assistants, coaching at the Saturday morning sports club, collecting their children, or attending social functions or meetings. There is good liaison between the chair of governors and the headteacher and they work closely on issues that arise between scheduled meetings. The governors have a clear understanding of their statutory responsibilities and they are appropriately involved in

p.27

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

shaping the direction of the school, in monitoring and evaluating the school’s performance and in ensuring best value for money. The governors fulfil their statutory duties well and they have successfully adopted the role of a critical friend to the school.

p.27

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

63. The school sets clear priorities for development based on good procedures and strategies of self evaluation, with a clear focus on raising standards and improving provision. The School Development Plan is well presented and is a working document. It contains the detail necessary to provide a framework for staff and governors with clear targets and details of monitoring. The plan covers the next year’s developments in detail but also includes links to longer- term priorities. The governors and all staff are fully involved in the production of the plan and the identification of the priority areas for development. The improvement plan has clear objectives to raising the standards achieved by the pupils and improving the quality of the educational experience on offer to them. The improved standards in literacy and numeracy, and the vastly improved facilities for information and communication technology, are good examples of the

p.27

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

school’s successful development planning.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

64. The leadership and management of special educational needs are satisfactory. Support staff are effective in the contribution they make to teaching and learning, especially when they are deployed to support pupils in whole class lessons. The Luddington and Garthorpe Primary School - 28 additional support provided for pupils with statements of special educational needs is most effective when used to enable pupils to be taught alongside their classmates. There is a satisfactory policy for special educational needs which reflects the new Code of Practice guidance and there is a named governor with responsibility for this aspect of the school’s work. The governors have been involved effectively in monitoring the quality of special educational needs provision and how the school uses the devolved budget for special educational needs. The school provides a good level of staffing and satisfactory resources to meet the needs of this group of pupils. The

p.27

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

school has appropriate policies in place to ensure that there is an equality of opportunity for all pupils and a policy to ensure racial equality. These policies are fully understood and consistently applied by all staff.

p.28

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

65. The school’s performance management programme is in place and is of a satisfactory standard. The headteacher and governors give a high priority to providing professional support for staff. Improving teachers’ subject knowledge and competence is seen as an important step in raising the quality of teaching and learning in the school. There has been considerable training for both staff and governors during the successful introduction of the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies. Recent in-service training has focused upon raising the staff’s confidence to teach information and communication technology and in using it to support pupils’ learning across the curriculum. This training is on going but it is already enabling the majority of staff, both teaching and non-teaching, to make effective use of the facilities on offer in the new computer suite. The well-planned programme for staff training is increasing the

p.28

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

competence of staff to meet the challenges of teaching new areas of the curriculum. It is also helping to raise pupils’ levels of attainment in English, mathematics, and information technology.

p.28

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

66. Led by the headteacher, the school has put in place appropriate procedures for analysing test and assessment data. The information is being used to identify areas for improvement and to improve the whole process of target setting both on an individual basis and for year groups. Increasingly, the school is starting to use the data to track the progress of pupils by gender and the progress of those pupils who have not spent their full educational lives in the school. The school is constantly reviewing and modifying the whole process of data analysis in order to have the maximum impact on raising standards. The information also enables the school to set challenging targets for literacy and numeracy which it meets and on occasions exceeds.

p.28

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

67. The level of financial planning and strategic use of resources is good and clearly focuses on providing pupils with good learning opportunities. Spending patterns are linked to educational priorities in the School Development Plan. Longer term financial planning is in place, which takes account of changing pupil numbers. Any major spending decisions on areas such as increased computer resources or additional support staff are evaluated for the impact that they have on raising standards. The day- to-day monitoring and management of the school’s expenditure is effective, as is the day-to-day administration of the school. The effective monitoring of the school’s budget enables good use to be made of specific grants. These funds are appropriately spent and the consistent financial reporting system adopted by the school ensures good control of the separate budget allocations. The latest auditor’s report commented

p.28

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

favourably on the school’s financial procedures and any recommendations have been acted upon. Daily routines are well established and the school runs very smoothly. The headteacher and the school administrator have established good working practices that minimise overlap of responsibility and make the best possible use of the time each has available for administrative tasks. The established systems for ordering, checking deliveries and processing invoices are effective and efficient. Administrative staff make Luddington and Garthorpe Primary School - 29 good use of information and communication technology in the day-to-day running of the school office. The school’s routine administration and organisation are very good and enable the headteacher to concentrate on her teaching and management duties knowing that the day to day school routines will be dealt with in a very effective, efficient and pleasant manner.

p.28

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

68. The school’s financial management is good in applying the principles of best value in the use of the school’s resources. Challenge has been a mark of recent years with very open minds evident as to how to achieve objectives. Comparison is carried out through analysis of test results against all and similar schools. Commercially, the school is a discriminating purchaser, well aware of the needs for a competitive approach. The school has a budget surplus that is higher than the recommended 5%. However, this money is earmarked for much needed improvements to enhance the quality of the school’s accommodation which is at present unsatisfactory. The unit cost per pupil is relatively low and taking into account all factors, the school is providing good value for money.

p.29

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

69. There is an appropriate number of staff to meet the demands of the curriculum for the number of pupils on roll. There are four full-time teachers and two part-time teachers including the peripatetic nursery teacher. Classroom assistants are well-deployed in supporting teachers and pupils. The administration assistant provides very effective support for the headteacher, pupils, staff and parents, and as the first point of contact presents a positive image of the school. The school caretaker and other cleaning staff take a real pride in the school and keep it very clean to help make a pleasant learning environment for all pupils.

p.29

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

70. Accommodation is unsatisfactory. The school hall space has been divided to provide an additional classroom, a library and computer suite. Corridors and cloakrooms have been modified to provide extra storage space and teaching areas. Small extensions to the classroom have helped relieve pressures in the three main classrooms, and the new office, staff room and toilets have improved staff comfort and morale. However, the absence of a hall reduces or removes facilities for physical education, school assemblies and an area for dining. Visitors to the Foundation Stage need to pass through the Year 1 and Year 2 class. Indoor physical education lessons have to take place in the village hall which is about 300 metres from the school. The hall is a far from ideal venue for physical education lessons because of inadequate space and resources. Pupils have to eat lunch at their tables in their classrooms. Whole school

p.29

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

assemblies only occur on Fridays, in the village hall. The outside area is good with a large flat playing field and a hard play area. This has been enhanced with play and balancing equipment, and a small nature area. There are, however, limited outdoor play facilities for children in the Foundation Stage.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

71. Overall, learning resources are satisfactory. For English, resources are good in that there is a good range of books, particularly the group readers and dictionaries. For mathematics, there is a good range of practical equipment, such as pegboards and weighing scales. Computer resources are good. There is a good range of artefacts to support the teaching of religious education, which includes new Bibles provided by the friends of the school. For science, the range of equipment for practical work could be extended to increase the opportunities for pupils to develop their own investigations. Resources in all other subjects of the curriculum are satisfactory. Luddington and Garthorpe Primary School - 30

p.29

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

72. In order to improve the quality of education that the school provides, the Governing body, headteacher and staff should:

p.30

1) improve standards in writing by:

• ensuring that writing skills, to enable pupils to write well for a wide variety of audiences and purposes, are consistently taught in a rigorous, progressive and systematic manner; • ensuring that opportunities are regularly provided and fully exploited to enhance and extend pupils’ writing skills in other areas of the curriculum.

p.30

1) improve standards in writing by:

(paragraphs 4, 5, 8, 21, 25, 27, 93, 95, 106, 108, 122, 136)

p.30

2) enhance pupils’ learning and personal development by:

• providing more opportunities for pupils to undertake personal study and research and investigative work; • placing a greater expectation on pupils to take more initiative and a greater responsibility for their own learning; • ensuring that regular opportunities are consistently provided for pupils to take part in and instigate investigative activities in subjects such as mathematics, science and history.

p.30

2) enhance pupils’ learning and personal development by:

(paragraphs 9, 17, 22, 28, 51, 102, 106, 110, 127, 131, 132, 135)

p.30

that:

• the school is able to fulfil all requirements of the National Curriculum programmes of study in physical education so that pupils receive their fill curriculum entitlement; • pupils do not have to eat lunches in classrooms; • the school is able to hold more frequent whole school assemblies and whole school acts of collective worship.

p.30

that:

(paragraphs 1, 6, 25, 29, 41, 70, 73, 150)

p.30

that:

In addition the school should include the following in its action plan:

p.30

that:

• ensuring that the marking of pupils’ work is used to outline to pupils what they need to do to improve or clearly outlining why a particular piece of work is of a good standard (paragraphs 103, 128, 134); • ensuring that work consistently challenges the higher attainers (paragraphs 5, 11, 22, 26) ; • continue to examine ways in which the headteacher’s teaching time is reduced (paragraph 60). Luddington and Garthorpe Primary School - 31

p.30

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 15

p.31

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

p.31

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 three percentage points.

p.31

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR-Y6

p.31

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 4.5 81

p.31

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 0 8

p.31

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 2

p.31

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 0 25

p.31

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.31

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 0

p.31

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.31

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 21

p.31

Information about the school’s pupils

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

p.31

Attendance

School data 5.6 School data 0.0 Luddington and Garthorpe Primary School - 32 National comparative data 5.4 National comparative data 0.5

p.31

Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Luddington and Garthorpe Primary School - 33

p.32

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 5 12

p.33

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.33

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

Boys Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls

p.33

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

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

p.33

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.33

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

Boys Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls

p.33

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

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

p.33

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

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. As there were fewer than 10 boys or girls in Year 2 only the school totals are published .

p.33

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

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6) . Year Boys Girls Total

p.33

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2002 7 7 14

p.33

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.33

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

Boys Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls

p.33

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

Percentage of pupils School 64 (86) 71 (100) 86 (100) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 73 (71) 86 (87)

p.33

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.33

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

Boys Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls

p.33

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

Percentage of pupils School 71 (100) 79 (100) 93 (100) at NC level 4 or above National 73 (72) 74 (74) 82 (82)

p.33

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

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. As there were fewer than 10 boys or girls in Year 6 only the school totals are published Luddington and Garthorpe Primary School - 34 Categories used in the Annual School Census No of pupils on roll Number of fixed period exclusions Number of permanent exclusions

p.33

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

White – any other White background 0 0 0

p.34

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

Mixed – any other mixed background 0 0 0

p.34

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

Asian or Asian British - Pakistani 0 0 0

p.34

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

Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi 0 0 0

p.34

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

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

p.34

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

Black or Black British – Caribbean 0 0 0

p.34

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

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

p.34

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

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. Luddington and Garthorpe Primary School - 35

p.34

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 4.3 Financial year 2001/2002

p.35

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 20

p.35

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 184625

p.35

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 3 Total expenditure 182971

p.35

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 73 Expenditure per pupil 2011

p.35

Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery Balance brought forward from previous year 15005

p.35

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 0.2 Balance carried forward to next year 16659

p.35

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 9

p.35

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 0

p.35

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 0.0

p.35

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 0.0

p.35

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0.0

p.35

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of a term or more (FTE) 0.0

p.35

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) 0.0

p.35

Teachers and classes Financial information

FTE means full-time equivalent. Luddington and Garthorpe Primary School - 36

p.35

Percentage of responses in each category

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

p.36

Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 52 44 0 0 4

p.36

Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 40 52 8 0 0

p.36

Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 40 48 4 0 8

p.36

Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 52 44 4 0 0

p.36

Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 64 36 0 0 0

p.36

Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 72 24 0 0 4

p.36

Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 64 32 0 0 4

p.36

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 56 40 0 0 4

p.36

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 56 40 0 0 4

p.36

Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 40 28 12 4 16 Luddington and Garthorpe Primary School - 37

p.36

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

73. At the time of the inspection there were 11 children in the reception class. The children’s attainment when they join the school is average. Children have satisfactory speaking and listening skills, and come to school having had an appropriate range of social experiences. Their breadth of mathematical and general knowledge is average. By the end of their year in reception the children’s achievement is good and they have made good and at times very good progress in most areas of learning. Attainment when children start in Year 1 is above the expected level in communication, language and literacy, mathematical development, knowledge and understanding of the world, creative development and personal, social and emotional development. Attainment in children’s physical development is at the expected level and children make satisfactory progress. Limited outdoor play facilities and the lack of a school hall prevent attainment

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

being stronger in this area of learning. The overall quality of teaching in the Foundation Stage makes an important contribution to the good progress overall that children make during their time in this stage of their education. Children with special educational needs also achieve well and make similar progress to their classmates because their difficulties are quickly identified and they receive very good support and help during their lessons.

p.37

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

74. There are excellent arrangements in place for a group of 9 nursery-aged children to attend the school and join in activities with the Reception class children for two sessions per week. They are accompanied by a qualified teacher who liaises very closely with the school staff to ensure that the activities they plan for the sessions are high quality and provide valuable learning opportunities for all the children. The sessions also provide excellent opportunities for the visiting children to become familiar with the routines of the school.

p.37

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

75. The quality and range of learning opportunities for children of reception age is good. They are well planned and relevant for the age and ability of the children. The school effectively implements the Foundation Stage curriculum based on the Early Learning Goals, in the six areas of learning. Opportunities for outdoor play are limited and there is no appropriate area in which children can play without constant adult supervision. Staff work together very successfully and they give the children in their care very good support. Adults manage the class very well and have high expectations of behaviour and performance. Teaching is very good. During the inspection all lessons observed were at least good and usually very good and, because of this, children make good and at times very good progress. There are very good opportunities for children to learn basic skills of literacy and numeracy. Adults rigorously record what children learn and

p.37

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

where they need more help. Children are also given lots of opportunities to develop their creative and physical skills independently through interesting activities. Due to the limitations imposed by the small classroom area, sand and water play and painting activities cannot always be available. However there is a good range of resources, with the exception of outdoor play.

p.37

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

76. As soon as the children start school the staff begin to assess their progress and development. Systems are comprehensive and used very well by all staff. If there are any concerns parents are informed so that they can offer their children extra support at home. Since the time of the last inspection, in 1998, the school has made very good progress in addressing the key issue of implementing and developing the Luddington and Garthorpe Primary School - 38 arrangements for the education of the under fives. The school is now very well placed to maintain the current high standard of education it provides for this group of pupils.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Personal, social and emotional development.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

77. The quality of teaching is very good and helps to ensure that children of all abilities achieve above expected levels of attainment by the start of Year 1 and make good progress. Children in the Reception class demonstrate high levels of confidence and a good awareness of school routines. They have excellent relationships with their teacher and other adults who help them. They are provided with very good role models by staff, who work together very well and create a calm and happy atmosphere. The very good teaching encourages children to learn to take turns and work and play well together in pairs and groups and to promote children’s independence at every opportunity. As a result children put on coats, shoes, hats and gloves independently when it is time to go out to play or home. Well-established daily routines provide the children with important social opportunities, to which they adapt very well. For example, registration activities

p.38

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

are used by the teacher very successfully in emphasising the importance of friendship and caring for one another. In discussion sessions the children are keen to answer questions and are also good at listening to one another. In lessons they demonstrate initiative and independence when finding and selecting resources, such as their own favourite story tapes or materials for their construction work. Children in the Foundation Stage are thoughtful, kind, aware of the needs of others and are very happy following the routines established throughout the school.

p.38

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

78. Teaching in this area of learning is very good and makes an important contribution to how well children learn and achieve and to the good progress that they make. By the end of the reception year, standards are above average. Most of the children join the reception class with average speaking skills which are quickly developed through very well-planned activities, such as the role play in the kitchen of the ‘home corner’, and discussions about books they share as a class or those which they take home to read. Children are constantly encouraged by staff to talk and share experiences when they first come to school in the morning. The children are very keen to tell their news to the adults and other children. Story time sessions are successful in introducing children to the excitement of books. During the inspection sharing a story about ‘The Owl Babies’ created excitement and interest with the majority of the children able to suggest an

p.38

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

ending or ideas about what might happen next. They understand that books give them information and provide them with stories. They explain the relationship between words and pictures and understand the significance of the part played by different characters in a story.

p.38

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

79. The high quality teaching ensures that, with only one or two exceptions, the children know letter sounds and write letters found in their own names. They are encouraged to do so on every piece of work. The children are taught the importance of correct letter formation and fully understand the importance of keeping letter size the same. They are confident when sharing story books, are able to mimic adults and thus begin to join in with parts of a story such as ‘Fly by Night’ with expression. All children write simple words and some copy write their own news. They know that a capital letter starts a sentence, and explain the importance of a full stop. Children really enjoy listening to poems, songs and rhymes and readily join in with songs, such as ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’ and ‘Diddle Diddle Dumpling’ performing actions to enliven their performance. The most able pupils recognise words which rhyme such as ‘blow’ and

p.38

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

‘snow’ in ‘When the North Wind Doth Blow.’ Luddington and Garthorpe Primary School - 39 Mathematical development.

p.38

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

80. The quality of teaching is very good in this area of learning resulting in children making good progress and attaining above expected levels of attainment by the end of the reception year. Teaching provides children with every opportunity to count and become used to the idea of numbers. When playing outside children know which of them are bigger and smaller and count the number of strides they take to reach given destinations around the school grounds. In the classroom, children count various objects and put them in patterns correctly. They know the shape and names of numbers through handling two- and three-dimensional numbers and by placing them in correct sequences. During registration children sometimes take turns to count how many people are in class that day and how many are absent.

p.39

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

81. The children also gain a more formal understanding of number. They count confidently to 10 and beyond. Most children find two numbers that add up to 10, with many achieving more than this, for example, adding three numbers to make numbers up to 20. Children sort objects by different criteria such as big, small, tall or short. The children recognise and name simple two-dimensional shapes, such as a circle and a square and they show a very good understanding of vocabulary and terms like more than, less than and longer and shorter. In one lesson observed children were comparing the weight of a variety of objects they found in the classroom. All the children could evaluate which was heavier or lighter and the more able could place a series of 3 or 4 objects in order of weight. A minority of less able pupils could complete the practical task, but had difficulty using the correct vocabulary, referring to the

p.39

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Knowledge and understanding of the world.

p.39

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

82. The quality of teaching is consistently good and at times very good and this results in children attaining above average standards by the time that they start in Year 1. Staff give the children very effective opportunities to learn about the world in which they live. As a result, children know that it is important to eat regular, healthy meals and to evaluate whether or not the food they eat is good for them. Children make generalisations such as too many crisps and chocolate would make them fat and they classify foods they have tasted as healthy or unhealthy. They are also familiar with the changes that take place as babies grow into children and adults and compare similar changes in animals and their young. Their knowledge and understanding of basic forces are good and they explain how these are used in their daily lives. For instance squashing and squeezing play dough to create different shapes, or pulling and pushing

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

curtains draped over furniture in the ‘home corner’. In terms of materials they explain why sand needs to be wet so that it sticks together when they use it to build castles.

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83. Children have a good knowledge and understanding of the world around them. They are familiar with different types of houses in the locality and can compare features of their own home with those of relatives and friends. They correctly identify items of furniture and household appliances and explain where in the house they are located. They bring a good range of personal knowledge and experience to school and the teaching ensures that these experiences are put to good effect to enhance the learning of all the children in the class. Few children have travelled extensively but they compare places they have visited with the immediate vicinity of the school and know that towns are much bigger and busier than their village so they have to be very careful crossing the road. Luddington and Garthorpe Primary School - 40 84. Children’s knowledge of past events is also good. Through studying pictures of life in

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the past with present day living they identify similarities and differences in their lives and those of their grandparents. They are developing some knowledge and understanding of chronology and demonstrate this when comparing the ages of different people they know, for example’ my grandma is older than my mummy and my teacher.’

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85. Most children are very confident when they use computers. They use a mouse to move objects around the screen, and can name parts of the computer. With help they access programs which enable them to design and draw pictures from their favourite stories. When they are satisfied with their work they print it unaided. They also confidently operate other equipment found in the classroom, such as listening centres. The children demonstrate an increasing and refreshing curiosity about the world around them. During assembly they show a good appreciation of the need to be quiet and respectful during times of prayer. They know that this is when people are talking to God. Some recall having visited a church for special occasions, such as a wedding, or at Christmas time.

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86. Teaching is good in this area of learning with staff providing well for children’s physical development given the restricted nature of provision and resources. Children of all abilities make satisfactory progress and standards are at an expected level by the end of reception. Members of staff give children in the Reception class satisfactory classroom based opportunities to develop skills of co-ordination. The children build models out of ‘lego’, ‘duplo’ and large wooden building bricks and find ways to fix them together effectively. They demonstrate good manipulative skills when using play dough to mould into various shapes. Children know how to hold and control pencils and use scissors successfully. The lack of outdoor play equipment significantly curtails children’s development in this aspect of their learning and the progress they make is unsatisfactory. However, they are aware of the effect of exercise on their bodies and

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realise that exercise is good for them. Children develop confidence when using small equipment and gain skills in throwing and catching a variety of balls and other small items of play equipment. The children kick balls to one another with increasing accuracy. They enjoy repeating an activity that they have mastered and they are beginning to adjust their awareness of the limits of their own bodies. For example, when trying to improve how well they skip, how far they run and how high they can jump. At playtime they enjoy chasing games and say that it makes them feel ‘puffed out.’

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87. Staff plan activities which offer appropriate physical challenge and there is sufficient space outdoors to set up relevant activities, when the weather permits. Opportunities are planned for outdoor activities linked to other areas of learning, for example to explore the playground and field in order to find objects, or to scribe large letters or numerals using big brushes for word building and number games. Luddington and Garthorpe Primary School - 41 Creative development.

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88. Teaching in this area of learning is good overall, enabling children of all abilities to make good progress. Staff give children a good range of creative experiences. The children are uninhibited when painting, using bright colours boldly. They are keen to explain what they have painted naming all the colours they have used. They sustain interest when using their fingers and hands to draw shapes and make patterns. Opportunities to print and make collages further promote their creativity. Imaginative role-play is well used and takes place not only in the classroom but also outside, when the weather permits.

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89. Opportunities for children to engage in musical activities, although satisfactory, are less well planned. Too few instruments are readily available for children to spontaneously pick up and play. As a result they have limited knowledge of the names of instruments or how they are used to create sounds. Opportunities, provided by staff, to sing traditional songs and nursery rhymes are good. The children can name and sing the introductions to some of their favourite rhymes including ‘Hello Mr Sun’ and ‘Five Little Ducks Went Swimming One Day.’ Throughout the day children engage in opportunities to play with small toys adapting them to a variety of roles. They develop their competence in using creative tools including scissors, paint brushes and a variety of mark making instruments. As result they are developing confidence to express and communicate their intended ideas, thoughts and feelings as reflected in their work.

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Children are adept at mimicking the mannerisms of others, including adults, and incorporating them into their play or at times when they are sharing stories and books. They show a good understanding of their favourite characters and often relate events from a story to their personal experiences, using their imagination well to draw comparisons and communicate their ideas.

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90. By the end of Year 2, on the basis of the National Curriculum tests, attainment in reading and writing is above the national average. When compared to similar schools attainment is well above average in reading and above average in writing. The end of Year 6 National Curriculum tests show that attainment is below the national average and well below the level of attainment found in similar schools. Inspection findings show that attainment overall is above average at the end of Year 2 and Year 6, although standards in writing are at an average level. All pupils make good progress and achieve well. Any differences between inspection findings and test results can be explained by the small number of pupils assessed each year, fluctuations in the number of pupils with special educational needs and the level of pupil mobility. In addition, in the 2002 test results a percentage of pupils did not achieve as well as expected. The school has

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accurately identified the need to raise standards in writing as a priority for improvement. Improvement since the time of the last inspection has been good.

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91. By the end of Year 2 and Year 6, pupils’ speaking and listening skills are at an above average level. Pupils across the school listen to their teachers and one another well and follow instructions in an appropriate manner. The older pupils in the school listen to the views and opinions of others and take these comments on board before making their own responses. The way in which pupils get on well with their work after a whole class introduction to a lesson shows that they have taken on board what is required of them. In Year 1 to Year 2, pupils are keen to ask and answer questions with the higher attaining pupils organising their views and opinions in a concise manner. The weaker element is that too few pupils have a good command of an expressive or expansive vocabulary. Teachers at Key Stage 2 encourage pupils to discuss a wide range of Luddington and Garthorpe Primary School - 42 issues such as differentiating between fact and opinion in Anglo Saxon times or the

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impact of climate changes in Kenya. The pupils again show good levels of confidence in rising to this challenge and can support their point of view even if again their vocabulary lacks a little spark or vibrancy.

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92. At the end of both Year 2 and Year 6 reading standards are above average. By the end of Year 2 pupils enjoy reading and having books and other literature read to them. They follow the text in an appropriate manner when it is read to them as part of their literacy lessons. Not all pupils have a secure knowledge of a good range of strategies to help them when they come across unfamiliar words or phrases. Pupils are introduced to the works of different authors and to fiction and non-fiction texts. Pupils are aware of terms such as contents and index with the higher attaining pupils able to use them to locate information at speed. Pupils read with a good degree of accuracy and fluency and are becoming increasingly aware, because of the good quality of teaching, of the importance of reading with expression and how correct interpretation of punctuation can really help text spring to life. Pupils develop further reading skills well at Key Stage

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2. Good teaching ensures that pupils continue to be introduced to many forms of literature including poetry and the work of Shakespeare. Pupils read with a good understanding and have a satisfactory knowledge of authors. Many locate information quickly with the higher attaining pupils having developed higher order reading skills and the ability to read beyond the literal level. Many pupils’ reading skills are sufficiently fluent and the higher attainers can change the tempo of what they have read, by using their knowledge and understanding of the importance of reading with suitable intonation and expression. Most pupils have mastered how to use a glossary and index at speed to locate information.

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93. Standards in writing are in line with the nationally expected level by the end of both Year 2 and Year 6. In Year 1 and Year 2, pupils are provided with a satisfactory range of opportunities to write for different purposes that include for example, writing letters, writing poetry, composing instructions, re-telling stories as well as writing creative pieces and narratives about their own experiences. Appropriate attention is paid to the development of pupils’ phonic skills and awareness. Pupils use capital letters and full stops and other basic forms of punctuation, if at times the vocabulary that pupils use lacks a little expressiveness that hooks and maintains the attention of the reader. There are some good recent examples of writing skills being directly taught to pupils with the provision of a framework to support the structure of writing and this impacts well on pupils’ learning and the progress that they make. The good quality of teaching for the

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older pupils at Key Stage 2 helps to ensure that a good range of writing opportunities is provided at Key Stage 2. The emphasis of the teaching is being increasingly geared to providing the pupils with the skills to complete the work successfully. Such teaching is starting to have a greater impact on the standards that are achieved but at present too few pupils’ written work is sustained or sufficiently developed into longer pieces of high quality imaginative or creative writing. The pupils’ somewhat limited vocabulary further hinders their progress in this regard because pupils’ work is not dynamic or expressive enough to really grab the attention of the reader. The school is well aware of these shortcomings. The school has also identified the need to promote and enhance pupils’ writing skills in other areas of the curriculum at every opportunity. There are occasions when the use of worksheets rather than expecting pupils to write more detailed

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94. The attitudes shown by all pupils are good. They enjoy their work and the standard of behaviour in lessons is good. Most pupils take a pride in their work and are keen to do well. Pupils’ behaviour is good and they show a healthy respect for the views and opinions of their classmates. The attitudes displayed by pupils with special educational Luddington and Garthorpe Primary School - 43 needs are also good. Their individual education plans contain challenging and achievable targets, although occasionally the plans are not used to guide and inform curriculum planning. The school provides a good level of support for these pupils and pupils show appropriate levels of respect and courtesy. Support staff make a most valuable and valued contribution to pupils’ learning. They work well with the teaching staff and add significantly to the effective learning environment that is prevalent within most classes.

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95. The quality of teaching is good. The school has introduced the National Literacy Strategy in an effective manner. Reading skills are generally taught well and the school is putting an increasing emphasis on the need to ensure that the skills to enable pupils to write for a variety of purposes are taught in a systematic and rigorous manner. The recency of this initiative however means that it has not yet had sufficient time to have its biggest possible impact on raising standards. The introduction to lessons is lively and text is read with a high level of enthusiasm that immediately captures the interest and attention of the pupils. Examples of this were seen across the school in the reading of ‘’The Invisible Beast’’ and in ‘’Jamil’s Clever Cat’’, and these lively introductions set the tone for the rest of the lesson. What is to be learned in a lesson is often shared with pupils and this reminds pupils that they too have a responsibility for their own learning.

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Lesson objectives are re-visited at the end of the lesson to see if they have been achieved or exceeded, and in the most successful teaching the information is used well to guide and inform future lessons. Teaching for the older pupils in school is effective in the way that there is good use of technical language. Teaching carefully explains the difference, for example, between metaphors and similes, or literal and figurative speech, with the result that when pupils write they pick up the differences well. Effective teaching also occurs when the teacher makes very good use of re-cap strategies to assess pupils’ present level of understanding and sets time deadlines that help the lesson to zip along. Expectations are usually of a high standard and pupils respond well to a challenge. Teachers expect pupils to use a dictionary or thesaurus without prompting and pupils do this automatically when working. Occasionally, too much time

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is spent on explanations and not enough time allowed for pupils to complete a piece of writing. This prevents pupils from building up stamina for writing and is often shown in the way that a piece of writing fizzles out after a lively and exciting opening. There is some excellent practice of the marking of pupils’ work for the older pupils in school. Here the pupils are left in no doubt as to the strengths of their work but are equally provided with excellent guidance as to what they need to do to improve. Pupils readily take on board the comments and it leads to an immediate improvement in their work. Increasingly good use is made of information and communication technology to support and enhance pupils’ learning.

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96. Leadership and management of the subject are good. Observations of lessons have been carried out by the headteacher and the LEA adviser. The information from these observations has been used to identify strengths and pointers for improvement. Scrutinies of pupils’ work and teachers’ planning have also taken place. The school is well aware of the aspects of the subject that need to be tackled to further improve standards, which revolve mainly on improving standards in writing. The headteacher analyses test and assessment data well and uses the information to identify areas for improvement and to set challenging targets for individuals and groups of pupils. Resources to support learning are good with a very good range of good quality group readers and a good number of dictionaries. The subject makes a good contribution to the cultural development of pupils.

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MATHEMATICS

Luddington and Garthorpe Primary School - 44 97. Standards in mathematics have improved since the last inspection. Year 2 pupils have consistently achieved standards in the National Curriculum tests that are above the national average and in each of the last two years results have been well above average. In the 2001 and 2002 tests, all pupils in Year 2 achieved Level 2 and the proportion of them reaching Level 3 has increased year on year. Although the results achieved by pupils at the end of Year 6 are more variable, standards have improved overall. In the three-year period to 2001, test results were consistently above the national average. Test results in 2002 showed attainment to be below the national average and below average when compared to similar schools. However, the higher percentage of pupils in the 2002 Year 6 group with special educational needs and/or recently admitted to the school resulted in pupils achieving standards that were below

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the national average. The school’s targets for 2003 indicate that staff are confident that the blip in 2002 will not be repeated and that this year’s group of Year 6 pupils will reach standards that overall are above the national average. Inspection findings show pupils’ attainment to be above average at the end of Year 2 and Year 6. Pupils of all abilities, including those with special educational needs, are currently making good progress.

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98. The school has correctly identified in its school improvement plan that there is a need to place a greater emphasis upon problem solving and using mathematical data. These issues are being addressed more effectively with the oldest pupils than in the other two mainstream classes. In addition, the needs of the higher-attaining pupils are being more consistently met in this class. Throughout the school, pupils with special educational needs are well supported in all normal class activities and this is enabling them to make good progress in their work.

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99. Across the school, standards are improving because of the effective way in which the National Numeracy Strategy has been introduced. It has led to significant improvements in planning, in the quality of teaching and learning, in the monitoring of pupils’ progress, and in the analysis and use of assessment information. Staff have worked collaboratively to improve the teaching of mental mathematical strategies and make more positive use of the sessions at the start and end of lessons. Pupils have good recall of the times tables appropriate for their age and enjoy explaining the methods they have used in calculating their answer.

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100. By the end of Year 2, the majority of pupils have a good understanding of number and calculate accurately for their age. Almost all of them have secure knowledge of place value to 100 and confidently add and subtract two digit numbers. They have a good understanding of simple fractions and sort objects into sets of two, three, four or five. They recognise number patterns and count on using the same pattern. They name the common two-dimensional and three-dimensional shapes. In a lesson in Year 2, pupils used pin boards and elastic bands to draw the outlines of two-dimensional shapes. By counting the number of sides or corners, they were able to name the shape they have drawn. They use the correct mathematical language to describe the shapes. Pupils have good attitudes and they work sensibly in pairs whilst sharing the resource materials. However, in some instances the higher-attaining pupils are not being

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consistently challenged. Although they are being given extension work, it is often more of the same rather than work related to the topic that is more challenging.

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101. Pupils in the Year 3/Year 4 and Year 5/Year 6 classes are developing their ability to solve arithmetic problems well and standards are above average at the end of Year 6. Pupils enjoy the quick-fire mental exercises at the start of lessons. They are keen to participate and solve the problem before their peers. Good use is made of information and communication technology in helping pupils develop mental strategies. During a Luddington and Garthorpe Primary School - 45 wet playtime, a group of Year 5 pupils use a program to challenge each other to double two digit numbers. Pupils show good knowledge and mental skill in the speed in which they calculate correct answers. By Year 6, pupils have a good understanding of place value and they accurately multiply and divide numbers by 10 or 100. They use fractions, decimals, and percentages confidently and explain how they are related. They measure in standard and non-standard measures and where appropriate make the correct use

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of units. Pupils have good understanding and knowledge of two-dimensional shapes when using a computer program to prepare a database detailing the properties of two- dimensional shapes. The higher-attaining pupils explain which will tessellate and why. All pupils in Year 3 to Year 6, including those with special educational needs, are making good progress in gaining mathematical knowledge and skills.

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102. The quality of teaching and learning in both key stages is good. Throughout the school, teachers have good subject knowledge and this enables them to explain new concepts and facts in a simple way that is understood by their pupils. They use the appropriate mathematical language and terminology when posing questions and encourage pupils to respond in a similar manner in their answers. Planning is good and lessons are designed so that pupils are building upon previous knowledge and experiences. Sessions at the start and end of lessons are used effectively to improve pupils’ mental strategies and encourage them to be actively involved in their learning. However, across the school, pupils are not always given sufficient opportunities to experiment and investigate, and take some responsibility for their own learning. Good procedures are in place for tracking pupils’ progress and levels of attainment as they move through

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the classes. Teachers know their pupils well and generally set tasks that are appropriate for consolidating new knowledge and extending pupils’ learning. However, the setting of challenging extension tasks for higher-attaining pupils is achieved more consistently in Year 5/Year 6 than in other classes. The teaching of basic numeracy skills is good. Pupils are given opportunities to use their acquired skills to support their learning in other subjects. For example, measuring the materials to be used in constructing a carousel in design and technology, understanding timelines in history, and interpreting graphs, units and scales in science.

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103. In all classes, relationships are good and almost all pupils co-operate fully and willingly with their teachers. Pupils have good attitudes and they quickly settle down to work and try hard. When given the opportunity they work well in pairs and small groups sharing resource materials sensibly and behaving in a mature way. They listen well and are keen to share their ideas. They join enthusiastically into question and answer sessions and show a keen competitive spirit. A feature of all classrooms is the very good teamwork between teachers and their classroom support assistants. Teachers’ marking is generally good but there are some missed opportunities for the marking of pupils’ work being used to clearly outline what pupils need to do to improve. Pupils take a pride in the presentation of their work and standards are good particularly in Year 3 to Year 6. Increasing use is being made of information and communication technology to

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support teaching and learning in mathematics. Several of the classroom support assistants have good computer skills and they give very good support to this area of work. Pupils look forward to these sessions and the improved facilities are improving the quality of education on offer to the pupils in mathematics.

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104. The co-ordinator gives a good lead to the subject. She analyses internal and external assessment data and uses it effectively to set targets for year groups and individuals. She has a clear vision for the future development of the subject based upon evidence gained from classroom observation and work scrutiny. The areas of focus in the current version of the school improvement plan are the correct areas to address in order to raise stands further. The quality of assessment procedures and the quantity Luddington and Garthorpe Primary School - 46 and quality of resources are good and add to the quality of pupils’ learning. The subject makes a good contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. The school has made good progress since the last inspection in both the standards achieved by pupils and the quality of educational experience it offers its pupils in mathematics.

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105. In the 2002 assessments of pupils aged 7 the school’s results are above the national average and above average when compared to similar schools. On the basis of the National Curriculum tests for pupils in Year 6 in 2002, attainment was in line with the national average and below average when compared to similar schools. Inspection findings show that attainment by the end of Year 2 and Year 6 is at an average level. There are variations in attainment over time because of factors such as the number of pupils with special educational needs, pupil mobility and the small number of pupils in each cohort. Pupils of all abilities, including those with special educational needs, make satisfactory progress. Improvement since the last inspection has been satisfactory.

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SCIENCE

106. Standards in the current Year 2 are satisfactory and pupils in Year 1 and Year 2 make satisfactory progress in their lessons. However, teaching does not consistently provide opportunities for pupils to write their own extended accounts of what they know, understand and can do. A scrutiny of pupils’ work over time reveals that too great a reliance is placed upon the use of worksheets as a means of recording. This curtails pupils’ natural curiosity and, therefore, limits their independent learning. As a result much of the work so far recorded by pupils is only satisfactory. Pupils who, on rare occasions write independent accounts of their science work have a clearer knowledge and understanding of the subject, and these pupils talk knowledgeably about what they have learned because of their better level of scientific language. For example, they know all living things need food and water to grow, including plants. Most pupils are

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familiar with the uses of natural and manmade materials, including wool, plastic, wood and paper, but not all pupils are confident about which are natural and which are manufactured. Pupils have a good understanding about the benefits and dangers of electricity, and have a realistic knowledge and understanding about safety issues. All pupils enjoy investigative work when opportunities are provided. It is especially beneficial for pupils who have special educational needs, as they receive good support from adults and classmates. This practical approach to learning ensures all make better progress in the development of their knowledge and understanding of the subject.

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SCIENCE

107. Standards in the current Year 6 are satisfactory and the majority of pupils have made satisfactory progress. Pupils have high personal aspirations and want to do well, so they enjoy being made to work hard to achieve their goal. All pupils make better progress in practical activities, but this is not always evident from the level of detail pupils include in their recorded work. For example, pupils in a Year 3 and Year 4 lesson who tested the rate at which different fats melted were not confident in using a range of scientific vocabulary to explain and then record the process. For example, they were not clear about grams and kilograms being units of mass, often measured by weighing, nor were they clear about capacity and volume. This was because in their past lessons they had not recorded adequate information about the precise definitions of the vocabulary.

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SCIENCE

108. Pupils in Year 3 to Year 6 make satisfactory progress in their lessons. As the year has progressed pupils have had too few opportunities to write accounts of their work. This Luddington and Garthorpe Primary School - 47 has had a negative impact upon their knowledge and use of vocabulary, and in the development of their skills of explaining work from earlier lessons. For example, pupils in Year 3 and Year 4 have satisfactory knowledge and understanding about materials, which are good or poor insulators and recall investigations they have undertaken to find out if the same materials are equally good for keeping ice cubes cold and a hot water bottle warm. However, they do not have a clear grasp of why one material is more effective than others. By Year 6, pupils have a better recall and ability to explain physical processes related to the earth and beyond, as well as sound and vibration. Their recall of changing materials and their properties is also better. This is because

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they have better opportunities to record their work independently rather than using worksheets. As a consequence they have more information readily available for future reference. Over time pupils make better progress in these aspects of their work through experimental and investigative work. They make satisfactory progress in developing their knowledge and understanding of life processes and living things and their attainment is at a satisfactory level by the end of Year 6.

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SCIENCE

109. Throughout the school the quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. Teachers organise and plan their lessons effectively. Most teachers expect pupils to work hard and try their best so teachers endeavour to make the work challenging and interesting. However, the work pupils produce is not consistently marked well enough. Most pupils enjoy their lessons and behave sensibly. Pupils thoroughly enjoy taking part in practical and investigative activities and are only too ready to help classmates and share resources. Pupils listen well to instructions and value the contributions of their classmates. All these factors help to create an effective learning environment.

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SCIENCE

110. Teachers provide some good opportunities for pupils to use their numeracy skills for example, expecting pupils to use pictograms, bar graphs and tally charts to record their work. Less emphasis is placed on the development of pupils’ literacy skills through detailed or extended recording strategies, although better examples were found in work produced by the oldest pupils. The quality of teaching over time is better for pupils in the Year 5/Year 6 class because the teacher has high expectations about what she expects the pupils to achieve. The teacher’s own confidence, knowledge and understanding about the subject are good and this helps pupils explain clearly basic features such as fair testing and how to devise and carry out their own experiments and investigations. Pupils are not always given sufficient opportunities to take responsibility for their own learning, for example, to complete their own research or to

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carry out investigative tasks. The best teaching capitalises upon the pupils’ self- confidence in order to generate positive attitudes towards the subject by helping them to apply scientific knowledge and understanding within their daily lives.

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SCIENCE

111. The leadership and management of the subject are satisfactory because of the monitoring provided by the headteacher. She has carried out lesson observations and has also carried out increasingly detailed analyses of test and assessment data to identify areas for improvement and to help set challenging targets for all pupils. The headteacher has identified the need for more consistent procedures for assessing and tracking pupils’ progress. While they are satisfactory overall not all teachers make the best use of the information to guide and inform curriculum planning or to ensure that work is accurately matched to the individual needs of pupils. The co-ordinator has only played a limited role in the scrutinising of pupils’ work and there is a clear need for the co-ordinator to a play a more active role in this area together with data analyses so that she has a better grasp of the strengths of the subject and the areas for development

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and improvement. Resources for the subject are satisfactory overall, but the pupils would benefit from further resources to support their investigative and practical work. Luddington and Garthorpe Primary School - 48 The subject makes a satisfactory contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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ART AND DESIGN

112. Standards in art and design are at an expected level by the end of Year 2 and Year 6. Pupils of all abilities, including those with special educational needs, make satisfactory progress. Improvement since the time of the last inspection has been satisfactory.

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113. By the end of Year 2 pupils have had experience of working with a range of different media, including chalk, pencil crayon, pastels and paint and satisfactorily use a variety of different techniques in their work. By the end of Year 2 most pupils know how to mix primary colours to achieve secondary colours. Pupils use a viewfinder to look closely at objects such as a peacock feather and a shell and produce observational drawings that are of a satisfactory standard. The pupils are adept at putting their own interpretation on the observational drawings so that finished products do not all look the same. Pupils are provided with more limited opportunities to work in three dimensions. Pupils have a satisfactory awareness of how different techniques such as shading can be used to present different finished effects in their work. Pupils do not have a good awareness of the fact that some artists from the past are famous and of how the work of artists is

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recognised by their individual style because not enough time is allocated to this aspect of the subject.

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ART AND DESIGN

114. Pupils continue to make satisfactory progress in Year 3 to Year 6 and by the end of Year 6 standards remain in line with the nationally expected level. Pupils work in pencil, pastels, and crayons and know that different shading techniques give greater depth to their drawings. Observational art is of a satisfactory standard as is evidenced by the watercolour pictures of landscapes where pupils have mixed colours to good effect. Pupils draw portraits and depict moving figures and the work is at an appropriate level with the higher attaining pupils showing a good eye for detail. Pupils use sketchbooks in an effective manner to try out ideas and techniques before starting their work. Examples were seen of pupils’ work in modroc but less evidence was available of work in clay or other three dimensional work. Pupils are provided with opportunities to tell a story such as the Bayeux Tapestry, using different fabrics. Pupils produce work of a

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satisfactory standard in printing repeated patterns. Although pupils have looked at the work of famous artists they have little recollection of the artists that they have studied or the particular techniques and styles that famous artists use.

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ART AND DESIGN

115. Pupils’ attitudes to the subject are good. Pupils enjoy the practical nature of the subject and show high levels of interest and enthusiasm. They share resources well and are always ready to discuss their work and to take on board pointers for development and improvement. Pupils know that their work will be valued and this gives them confidence to try out different styles and techniques. Behaviour in lessons is of a good standard and all these factors help to create an effective learning environment.

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116. The quality of teaching is satisfactory. The way that the curriculum is planned means that pupils have opportunities to work with different media and to systematically be taught a range of different skills. Opportunities are provided for pupils to put their artistic skills to good effect in other areas of the curriculum such as history and religious education and in decorating pieces of written work which are aesthetically pleasing. In a lesson on printing in Year 3 and Year 4, careful and clear explanation on how to make an effective stencil gave the pupils a good understanding of exactly what was required and enabled them to carry out the task effectively. Additional and pertinent teaching Luddington and Garthorpe Primary School - 49 points as the lesson went on led to immediate improvements in the quality of the pupils’ work. In a lesson for pupils in Year 5 and Year 6 the teacher introduced a lesson on

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telling a story in pictures using fabrics in a highly interesting and lively manner. A previously completed tapestry heightened the pupils’ interest. Careful discussion of the skills that were to be used followed and the pupils could not wait to get started. The emphasis on using sketchbooks means that pupils know that they can experiment and explore what techniques they are to use before committing them to paper. An area for development is for a greater emphasis on developing pupils’ awareness of the work of famous artists and of the styles that they use to produce different finished effects.

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ART AND DESIGN

117. Leadership and management of the subject are satisfactory. The co-ordination of the subject is undertaken by all staff. There are no formal systems in place to monitor the quality of teaching and learning in the subject throughout the school, although the headteacher monitors the overall quality of teaching and learning. Teachers know the pupils very well and readily identify the progress that individuals are making. Teachers are also aware of the strengths in the subject and the areas for development which include using the subject in a more effective way to enhance pupils' cultural development. Resources to support teaching and learning in the subject are satisfactory. Assessment procedures are satisfactory.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

118. Standards in design and technology are in line with the nationally expected level by the end of Year 2 and Year 6. Pupils of all abilities make satisfactory progress. Improvement has been satisfactory since the time of the last inspection.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

119. By the end of Year 2 pupils have been provided with a satisfactory range of opportunities to design, make and evaluate a range of products. Pupils are asked to design a vehicle for ‘’Katie Morag’s’’ island and the finished products are of a satisfactory standard with an appropriate level of originality and creativity rather than all finished products being the same. Pupils show an appropriate awareness of the suitability of different materials for the purpose and pupils join the materials effectively using different methods. The pupils are however more secure in the making element and are not as confident in describing or explaining what they could do to improve their work. An appropriate emphasis is placed on mechanisms when for example the pupils were asked to design playground rides with moving parts. Pupils are provided with opportunities to use construction kits and learning is enhanced when pupils are

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

provided with a specific design brief rather than an open-ended task where pupils can construct whatever they like. Pupils handle a range of tools in a safe, sensible and mature manner.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

120. In Key Stage 2, pupils continue to make satisfactory progress. Pupils are provided with opportunities to design and make decorative lights, assemble and disassemble torches, design and make fairground rides and to take part in food technology activities. The decorative lights are of a satisfactory standard and show a wide range of different ideas. Pupils have used a range of different techniques to join materials and show an appropriate degree of accuracy when cutting materials to size. A whole class project is currently underway for the Year 5 and Year 6 pupils, where they are working with a parent helper whose profession is the designing of fair ground rides. The class is making a model carousel with pupils having different tasks such as the mechanics of the rides while others are responsible for decoration. Discussion with the pupils shows that they have a secure understanding of how the parts will need to fit together for the

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

ride to move effectively and of the importance of the design stage. The teacher has Luddington and Garthorpe Primary School - 50 also drawn pupils’ attention to the need to use their mathematical and scientific skills to help produce a better finished product. The pupils take part in food technology activities which involve making buns and a Christmas cake. Through the food technology activities pupils gain a secure understanding of the different ingredients that are used to make the different foods and how ingredients impact on the taste and texture. They also gain a good awareness of what factors help to create a healthy diet. Pupils work with a range of materials and are secure in their knowledge that different types of joints or fixings are needed for different tasks. Although pupils are always ready to talk about their work they do not have a particularly well-developed technical vocabulary and again

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the designing and making elements of the subject are more secure than the evaluating component.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

121. Pupils behave well in lessons and have a positive attitude to the subject. The care taken in making models shows that pupils take a real pride in their work and are keen to discuss and show what successes they have achieved. Pupils enjoy taking part in practical activities and use tools with a good degree of maturity and with a good view to health and safety. All these factors contribute much to the quality of pupils’ learning.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

122. Teaching overall is satisfactory. All elements of the subject are being taught with the school identifying the need to further enhance pupils’ evaluative skills. The school is following national guidance to ensure that all skills and knowledge are taught in a systematic manner. Planning is of an appropriate standard with teachers increasingly flagging up the importance to the pupils of the designing and evaluating elements as well as the making element. There are some good examples of the subject being used to enhance pupils’ literacy and computer skills but this good practice is not as consistent across the school as it could be, particularly for example where pupils could be asked to write a short critique of their finished product, what could be done to improve it or by writing a set of design instructions for a classmate to follow. The subject is used well to enhance pupils’ mathematical and scientific skills by, for

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

example, an emphasis on accurate measuring, drawing to scale, and of putting their scientific knowledge to the test when designing and making fairground rides.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

123. Leadership and management of the subject are satisfactory and are undertaken by all the staff. Teachers plan together and have a good grasp of the attainment and progress of different pupils. Assessment procedures are appropriate and the subject makes a satisfactory contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Resources to support teaching and learning in the subject are satisfactory.

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GEOGRAPHY

124. The standards of attainment reached by pupils at the end of Year 2 are in line with national expectations. These pupils make satisfactory progress. Pupils make steady progress in the development of their skills, knowledge and understanding as they move through Year 3 to Year 6 and by the end of Year 6, pupils’ levels of attainment remain in line with the nationally expected level. Pupils with special educational needs receive appropriate support and make similar progress to their classmates. Standards are similar to those reported at the time of the last inspection.

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GEOGRAPHY

125. Throughout Year 1 and Year 2, pupils have an appropriate range of learning opportunities which reflect the National Curriculum. By the end of Year 2 pupils have a secure knowledge of countries and identify the names of European countries such as France, Spain and Italy, as well as countries which are much further afield like America. They also find these countries on a world map. Pupils are developing a knowledge and Luddington and Garthorpe Primary School - 51 understanding of scale and distance in relation to appropriate means of transport, including cars, planes, buses and trains. The pupils also have some opportunities to use computers to search on screen for objects which link to their topic about a different locality. The pupils know about their local area and have compared life in a Lincolnshire village with that on a remote Scottish island, and, for example, they know an island is surrounded by water and, therefore, is accessible by boat and air, but not by car.

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GEOGRAPHY

126. By the end of Year 6 pupils have a secure knowledge of local geography and have engaged in various appropriate studies. Pupils have good recollections of studying other regions and contrasting localities, including parts of Europe. The pupils talk clearly about the course of the river, its source and estuary. They are confident with the vocabulary including tributary and meander, and use the terms appropriately. Pupils build on their knowledge and understanding about mountains. They recall factual information such as Mount Everest being the highest mountain in the world and remember details of various mountain ranges throughout the world, including the Appenines, Alps, Urals and Andes. Pupils’ interest in geography is fostered through field trips, including opportunities to visit Castleton, Whitby and Scarborough. However, when pupils are in Year 5 and Year 6 their geographical understanding and skills in

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GEOGRAPHY

research are well developed because the curriculum is challenging and includes well- planned opportunities for pupils to undertake personal research at home as well as in school.

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GEOGRAPHY

127. The pupils are well-motivated and keen to talk about their learning. They are interested in their lessons and behave well in class. They are keen to learn more and find information for themselves through independent work and research, either individually or in pairs and small groups. This was observed during the inspection when pupils in Year 5 and Year 6 shared their research findings about mountains. However, younger pupils do not have such good opportunities to take responsibility for their own learning.

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GEOGRAPHY

128. The quality of teaching is satisfactory throughout the school. The strengths of teaching lie in the match between lesson content and the pupils’ experiences. There are well planned opportunities for older pupils to carry out their own research. This results in teachers being able to prompt and promote wide-ranging discussions which frequently encompass issues of a moral or social nature. A good example of this was recorded in pupils’ work when pupils in Year 5/Year 6 pursued issues of concern relating to the quality of different world environments, including the impact of global warming on wildlife and natural habitats. Teachers’ planning for individual lessons is satisfactory. Teachers have appropriate subject knowledge and the aims for lessons are guided by the school’s programme of work. Sometimes teachers also provide effective opportunities to develop pupils’ literacy and mathematical skills through the teaching of

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GEOGRAPHY

geography. Satisfactory use is made of computers to support and enhance pupils’ learning. Teachers manage pupils well. A weakness in teaching throughout is the quality of marking. Teachers do not consistently provide pupils with enough guidance on what they have done well or what they need to do to improve. There are also occasions when worksheets are used too often as a means for pupils to record their work.

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GEOGRAPHY

129. The leadership and management of the subject are satisfactory. The provision and learning in the subject are monitored through scrutinies of pupils’ work and teachers' planning and the information is used effectively to identify any areas for improvement. Assessment procedures are satisfactory in the subject with the school accurately identifying the need to ensure that the information is put to best use to help guide future curriculum planning. The school has satisfactory resources for geography, including world atlases and maps. Good use is made of different localities and the village Luddington and Garthorpe Primary School - 52 environs for fieldwork. The subject makes a satisfactory contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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HISTORY

130. By the end of Year 2 and Year 6 attainment is at a level expected for the pupils’ age. Within the areas of study pupils have undertaken they have made satisfactory progress during each stage of their education. Throughout Year 1 to Year 6 pupils with special educational needs make similar progress to their classmates. Standards have been maintained since the last inspection.

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HISTORY

131. By the end of Year 2 pupils have a satisfactory understanding of chronology and how things change over time. Pupils in Year 1 and Year 2 demonstrate this when they compare toys from the past with their own. Past events in British history have also captured their imagination. Pupils enthusiastically recall a wide range of factual information about Florence Nightingale. Pupils make less progress in combining their knowledge and understanding of events, people and changes in the past with developing skills of enquiry and interpretation. This is because too few opportunities are provided in school to use reference and research materials. However, pupils receive a good range of information from family members, for example, about how the role and responsibilities of a nurse have altered. Whilst they and their parents were familiar with nurses being either male or female their grandparents had only been cared for by

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HISTORY

female nurses. A recent visit to a local toy museum stimulated the pupils’ appreciation of the similarities and differences in the construction and manufacture of toys throughout the last century. Their lively discussion of how the materials had changed but how the appearance had remained similar demonstrated how well they had listened to what they were told. Opportunities to handle many of the artefacts consolidated their learning and many found the rocking horse a firm favourite.

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HISTORY

132. By the end of Year 6 pupils have a satisfactory knowledge of key dates, events and periods of British history. Their level and range of knowledge are adequately developed so they have confidence to explore arguments about past events. Pupils’ experience of the history of other eras and cultures is satisfactory and pupils are given some opportunities to examine different perspectives and aspects they find of particular interest. For example, in their work on the Romans, pupils have used CD Roms, videos and encyclopaedias and enjoyed the visit from the Roman Centurion who brought many artefacts with him to allow pupils to visualise people’s everyday existence and how the legacy of the Romans still impacts on life today. On some occasions, pupils complete similar worksheets which reduces opportunities for them to develop their literacy skills through their work in history.

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HISTORY

133. Pupils have good attitudes to the subject. Many are keen to find things out for themselves and when opportunities are provided they show good levels of concentration and perseverance. Behaviour is often good and pupils show a good desire to do well whilst at the same time showing a readiness to help classmates.

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HISTORY

134. Over time the quality of teaching in history is satisfactory. In a good lesson observed for the younger pupils in Key Stage 2, teaching was effective because it captured the interest and imagination of all the pupils. Pupils were encouraged to recall video reference materials to find information about Anglo Saxon life, including facts about families, housing and clothing. In the lesson, all groups of pupils made good progress because the work they were required to complete was varied. Teachers’ own love of the subject and a good level of subject knowledge are often central to good teaching Luddington and Garthorpe Primary School - 53 and learning. Teaching is good when there is a good mixture of questioning, prompting and explaining and is effective in getting pupils to discuss the difference between fact and opinion. However, teaching is not as effective when the work pupils are given to do is too reliant upon the completion of uninteresting worksheets or where marking is not

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HISTORY

effective in helping pupils to improve their work.

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HISTORY

135. The school has established a good programme of visits and visitors to ensure pupils gain a range of knowledge about events from the past. Pupils have been to such places as Sherwood Forest, to enact their version of Robin Hood and friends. Pupils have also enjoyed activity days where they could learn from visitors. Recently a ‘Roman Centurion’ came to school to teach pupils about the life of soldiers on Hadrian’s Wall in the first and second centuries A.D. Within the immediate vicinity of the school the local heritage of the village is also well used. These initiatives do much to add to the quality of pupils’ learning experiences as well as making the subject come to life. Opportunities for pupils to develop their research skills and then write extended accounts about what they have discovered are not effective in developing literacy or historical enquiry skills because at times they are too limited and not always planned well enough.

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HISTORY

136. The co-ordination of the subject is undertaken by all staff and is satisfactory. There are no formal systems in place to monitor the quality of teaching and learning in the subject throughout the school through lesson observations although the headteacher and staff carry out scrutinies of pupils’ work to help identify strengths and any areas for development. Assessment procedures are satisfactory with the information being increasingly used to help guide and inform future planning. In addition, teachers know pupils very well and have a good personal knowledge of the progress of individuals. Resources for the subject are satisfactory. The subject makes a satisfactory contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

137. Standards have improved since the last inspection of the school. By the end of Year 2, pupils now achieve standards that are above average for their age. Although standards in Year 6 are still average, this does not reflect a lack of progress across the school or the pupils’ inability to achieve higher standards. The difference in standards is due to the vastly improved facilities now available for teaching the subject and which Year 6 pupils have only experienced for one year of their time at the school.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

138. In September 2002, the school opened its new computer suite. Staff and pupils now have access to ten workstations, which are sufficient for pupils to work individually whilst receiving tuition. Extensive use is being made of these good quality facilities to allow pupils to develop key skills and to use them to support their learning in other subjects. Throughout the school day, pupils work with teachers and/or support staff and the computers are constantly in use. The educational experience on offer to the pupils is good and this represents good improvement since the last inspection. Pupils of all abilities are currently making good progress, although over time progress has been satisfactory.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

139. Pupils in Year 1 are developing their keyboard skills in an effective manner. They type directly onto the computer and do not copy prewritten text. Most of them use two hands and only seek help when they do not know how to spell a new word. The higher- attaining pupils successfully complete three short sentences. On completion of the work they know how to print and save it. Pupils in Year 2 generate, amend, and present text in a variety of forms. In previous work, they have word-processed short stories and Luddington and Garthorpe Primary School - 54 poems and use the delete and insert functions to improve the quality of the text. Pupils have a good awareness of the importance of information and communication technology in their lives and that many everyday devices respond to signals and instructions.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

140. Pupils in the Year 3 to Year 6 are making good progress in developing the key skills. In Year 3 to Year 4, pupils are completing information cards to build up a database. They respond quickly to on-screen instructions and quickly scroll through the headings in the chart. The majority of pupils have good keyboard skills and they quickly complete the set task. Standards by the end of Year 6 are at a nationally expected level. Pupils’ word processing skills are at an expected level and these are put to appropriate use when editing and drafting their work. Pupils are confident at interrogating databases, data handling and in presenting information in a range of formats such as text, graphs, pie charts and tables. The pupils are beginning to recognise the potential and communicative power of the Internet. Less evidence is available to suggest that pupils are able to use computers to control events in a predetermined manner and to sense

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

physical data. These pupils in Key Stage 2 are already making good progress and standards across the key stage are improving. 141. The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall but is often good in Year 1 to Year 2. The classroom support assistants carried out almost all the teaching observed. Some of them have good personal skills and this enables them to give good demonstrations of what pupils are to do. The teaching of basic skills is good. Instructions are clear and explanations are given in language that is understood by the pupils and is appropriate for their age. Pupils are generally given individual tuition and they respond positively to the high quality support they are given. Relationships are good. Pupils are enthusiastic workers and they try hard to complete the set tasks. They have good attitudes and give encouragement and support to one another. Learning is fun and pupils show their

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

delight when they or one of their peers successfully collects their finished piece of work from the printer. Scrutiny of pupils’ work in other subjects shows that information and communication technology is being used more and more effectively to support learning in most other subjects. For example, to produce pictures and designs in art, to improve mental ability to solve problems in mathematics, and to sequence the life cycle of a bean plant in science. Pupils in the Year 3 / Year 4 class are using the Internet to carry out research for their history topic on the Anglo-Saxons.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

142. The school now has good quality resources to deliver the requirements of the National Curriculum in all areas except controlling and modelling. However, it has made an arrangement for Year 6 pupils to visit the neighbouring secondary school for two half days in the summer term to experience these areas of the curriculum. In discussion pupils talk enthusiastically about the visits their older brothers and sisters made to the school in previous years and the thrill of working in the school’s computer suite. The school does now have e-mail facilities and teachers’ plans show that this is in the programme for Year 6 pupils later this term.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

143. The co-ordinator gives a good lead to the subject. She has been the driving force behind the acquisition of new facilities and has a good grasp of the strengths in the subject and a very clear vision for the future development of the subject that is based upon further improvement of the computers based in classrooms. All staff have attended recent in-service training courses and they are becoming more confident and competent in teaching and using information and communication technology. Procedures for assessing and tracking pupils’ attainment and progress are satisfactory and the subject makes a satisfactory contribution to the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils. Luddington and Garthorpe Primary School - 55

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MUSIC

144. Standards in music are at the nationally expected level by the end of Year 2 and are above the expected level by the end of Year 6. Pupils of all abilities, including those with special educational needs, make satisfactory progress at Key Stage 1 and good progress at Key Stage 2. This is due to the use of specialist teaching in Year 3 to Year 6. Improvement since the last inspection has been satisfactory.

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MUSIC

145. By the end of Year 2 pupils know the words of a range of songs which they sing clearly and in tune. There are satisfactory opportunities for singing in assemblies. Pupils develop satisfactory skills of performing and are provided with opportunities for listening to music. Pupils recognise that music and sounds can be used to create different moods and effects and put noises in to stories to help them come to life. Pupils are provided with satisfactory opportunities to play untuned instruments to accompany songs that they are singing. Planning shows that pupils learn about the duration of notes and develop a secure understanding of pitch and learn to understand that symbols may be used to represent when instruments play on a simple musical score.

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MUSIC

146. Pupils make good progress during Year 3 to Year 6 and this ensures that pupils achieve above average standards by the time that they leave school. Pupils sing well and pay good attention to phrasing and dynamics. They pick up new songs quickly. Pupils are taught a wide range of songs and are taught singing skills which enable pupils to gain greater rhythmic variety. Pupils understand terminology such as ‘’ ostinato.’’ Pupils understand musical notation well. Pupils have well developed compositional skills and are confident performers. Pupils know many instruments of the orchestra. Pupils have a good understanding of tempo and the higher attaining pupils explain the rationale of the pentatonic scale. The pupils use untuned instruments well to accompany songs and in doing so add another musical layer to the performance. The pupils are introduced to music from different countries such as Israel and are provided with opportunities to listen to and appraise music as diverse as

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MUSIC

Bernstein and the Bee Gees with an emphasis on how the mood of music can evoke different feelings and responses in different people or how the lyrics in a song may tell a powerful story. The weaker element is that pupils have very limited knowledge of composers or their works.

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MUSIC

147. Pupils’ attitudes to the subject are good. Pupils thoroughly enjoy taking part in music lessons and are confident when performing. Pupils listen well and are quick to praise the contributions of their classmates. Behaviour in lessons is usually of a good standard although occasionally some pupils do not pay full attention to the teacher when making very pertinent and important teaching points. This is the exception rather than the norm.

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MUSIC

148. The quality of teaching is satisfactory in Year 1 to Year 2 and good in Year 3 to Year 6. Teaching is good in Year 3 to Year 6 because of the specialist teaching that takes place. The subject is taught by the co-ordinator to all pupils in this key stage and she uses her subject knowledge well to motivate and enthuse the pupils. Teaching covers all elements of the subject and is effective in getting the pupils to use a good technical vocabulary when talking about their work. Singing is taught well with the direct teaching of specific techniques that lead to improvements in the pupils’ level of performance. Pupils are taught to sing in rounds and follow the good examples that are set by the teacher. Expectations are often high and the confidence that the teacher instils in the pupils means that they are confident performers. The area for improvement is for the Luddington and Garthorpe Primary School - 56

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MUSIC

pupils’ awareness of the work of famous composers to be given more prominence which will enhance the pupils’ cultural development as well as their musical knowledge.

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MUSIC

149. Leadership and management of the subject are satisfactory. The co-ordinator monitors planning and has a good grasp of provision in the subject across the school. Pupils are provided with opportunities to perform at concerts and at events in the community. This enhances pupils’ social development as well as furthering their performance skills. The co-ordinator provides recorder clubs for pupils at lunch times and these are well attended by pupils. Resources to support teaching and learning and assessment procedures are both satisfactory. Luddington and Garthorpe Primary School - 57

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

150. The school does not have suitable inside accommodation for allowing the full range of activities required by the National Curriculum to be taught. Although teachers make imaginative use of the good outside facilities the quality of pupils’ learning in gymnastics is unsatisfactory. The hire of the village hall for one morning each week does allow teachers to plan activities that give pupils freedom to explore movement and dance but does not provide a suitable level of accommodation or resources for effective pupil participation in gymnastic activities. Improvement has been satisfactory since the last inspection.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

151. During the period of the inspection, the cold and icy weather conditions meant that it was only possible for two short games sessions to be held. As a result, it is not possible to make secure judgements about pupils’ overall attainment and progress in the subject. However, scrutiny of school records, and discussion with staff, pupils and governors give evidence that pupils in Year 3 to Year 6 achieve standards in swimming and team games, especially football, that are above average for their age.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

152. Pupils in Year 2 are developing hand and eye co-ordination by improving their ability to catch and throw a ball or beanbag. The activity quickly changes to bouncing and catching a ball while standing in a hoop, and then to working with a partner bouncing the ball across the hoop. Levels of attainment are generally average but a few pupils achieve good standards. In the Year 5/Year 6 class pupils are developing the skills necessary to become an effective player in a small team. They are divided into teams of four to play football, netball, or unihoc. They rotate round the activities and show a good understanding of the rules associated with each game. Standards are average overall but there is a wide range in the levels of personal skill, those for football being higher than in the other two disciplines. All pupils are included in all activities. Those with special educational needs are well supported in normal class activities and this

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

enables them to make good progress in developing skills and improving their physical co-ordination.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

153. The quality of teaching is satisfactory. Lessons are well planned and the available time is used effectively. Teachers keep their pupils actively involved in physical activity so that pupils do not become too cold whilst working outside in near freezing conditions. Pupils are constantly reminded of the need to work safely and take care when moving from one area of the hard-play surface to another. In both lessons, teachers make good use of a range of resource materials to support pupils’ learning. Relationships are good and pupils have good attitudes. They give good support to one another when working in pairs or small teams. They enjoy physical education lessons and in conversation talk enthusiastically about representing the school in competitions and matches.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

154. Swimming is included in the programme of activities for Year 3 and Year 4 pupils. They visit a local pool where they receive tuition in basic strokes and life saving. Standards are good. All of the pupils who transferred to secondary education in 2002 could swim at least 25 metres and many of them could swim in excess of 50 metres. Of the 13 pupils in the current Year 6 group, all but one can swim at least 25 metres and six of them can swim in excess of 500 metres. Records show that the 13 pupils in Year 5 are also achieving standards that are above average for their age.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

155. The school offers a good number and range of extra-curricular sporting activities that include football, rugby, netball, kwik cricket, and athletics. Pupils in Year 3 to Year 6 are given opportunities to participate in competitive inter-school matches in football, netball, and cricket. The Saturday morning sports club is well supported by pupils and the local Luddington and Garthorpe Primary School - 58 community. Governors and parents join members of the school staff in organising and coaching the various activities.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

156. Teachers’ plans show that they make the best possible use of the accommodation that is available to them. They plan activities that provide pupils with a positive learning experience in most areas of the curriculum for physical education. The flexible use of time enables them to rearrange the timetable in the summer term in order to make full use of the better weather conditions and the outside facilities. Good use is made of the school grounds for orienteering activities but Year 6 pupils do not experience a full range of adventurous activities.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

157. All teachers are fully aware of their pupils’ individual strengths and weaknesses. They keep records of pupils’ achievements but there is no whole-school system for assessing pupils’ progress as they move through the school. The co-ordinator is keen and enthusiastic and she provides a satisfactory lead for the subject but has no opportunity to work alongside colleagues or monitor practice. There is a good range of equipment to support the teaching of planned activities, but the large equipment is at present stored in a garage awaiting the building of a hall. Outside accommodation is good but the lack of any inside facility means that accommodation overall is unsatisfactory and has a detrimental effect upon pupils’ learning experiences.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

158. By the end of Year 2, the majority of pupils attain standards that are in line with the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus. Standards by the end of Year 6 are above the expected level. Pupils throughout the school benefit from specialist teaching that is of a good standard and this makes an important contribution to the good progress that all pupils make as they move through the school. Improvement since the time of the last inspection has been good.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

159. All lessons start with the lighting of a candle and pupils being given a short period of time to reflect upon issues that are currently affecting their lives. All pupils respond very positively and observe a period of absolute silence in a calm and dignified way. Pupils in the Year 1/Year 2 class reflect upon friends and family and afterwards they are given time to talk about brothers, sisters, and special friends. During the quiet time in Year 5/Year 6 pupils reflect upon an incident earlier in the day when one of their teachers was involved in a motoring accident and the news that she was not seriously injured. Both of these periods for reflection were memorable moments. They give evidence of the positive impact pupils’ experience in religious education lessons has on their spiritual, moral, social development.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

160. Pupils in Year 2 are learning about the life of Jesus and they have a satisfactory understanding of the traditions and symbolism surrounding some of the Christian festivals. For example, many of them explain the significance of the individual parts that make a Christingle candle. They have visited the local church and know that the vicar has a role as a leader in the local community. Pupils explain clearly that religions have different religious buildings. Pupils understand that religions have various ceremonies and special occasions, and they describe in great detail why Christmas is so important to Christians. Pupils understand well the need to belong to a variety of groups and they recognise in particular the importance of their own family and friends. Pupils are aware of the need for caring, both for people and the environment. Luddington and Garthorpe Primary School - 59 161. By the end of Year 6, pupils are well prepared for life in a multi-cultural society. They

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

know that different faith communities have places of worship that are significant to them, such as a Christian church, the Muslim mosque and the Jewish synagogue. They have visited the village church and a mosque in Scunthorpe in their studies of the similarities and differences between Christianity and other religions and faiths. They are knowledgeable about the sacred writings of different religions, including the Christian Bible and the Muslim Qu’ran. They are being given opportunities to develop a balanced view of what it means to be a Christian and to explore their own feelings and beliefs. During an observed lesson, these older pupils discussed the justice and freedom associated with Judas’s betrayal of Jesus. They have good knowledge of the events leading up to the betrayal and they use it confidently and sensibly in contributing to the discussion. They have good attitudes and they are keen to participate and share their

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

ideas. Listening skills are good and pupils are tolerant and sympathetic to views that are different from their own.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

162. A specialist teacher is responsible for teaching all of the classes. She has good subject knowledge and this enables her to give explanations to pupils that are appropriate for their age and maturity. The quality of teaching is good. Lessons are well planned and they are interesting. Longer term planning clearly shows that all areas required by the locally agreed syllabus are being fully met. All work is marked regularly and helpful comments indicate the quality of the work but rarely how it could be improved. Teaching creates a positive and supportive learning environment in which pupils feel secure and valued. Relationships are good. Pupils behave sensibly and try hard to please their teacher. She makes good use of questions to stimulate interest and to check for pupils’ understanding of key facts and knowledge. The calm and dignified way in which lessons are conducted gives pupils the confidence to share their thoughts and

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

feelings. Pupils enjoy religious education lessons because they are allowed to actively participate in their learning.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

163. The co-ordinator manages the subject satisfactorily and has a good grasp of the provision made for the subject. Scrutinies of pupils’ work have taken place but not on a regular basis. Procedures for assessing pupils’ progress are satisfactory. There is a good range of artefacts to support pupils’ learning. Many of them featured in a very good display of ‘religious artefacts from around the world’ that was a focus of pupils’ attention during the inspection.

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