Headlands Primary School

HEADLANDS PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 11 th – 14 th November 2002

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HEADLANDS PRIMARY SCHOOL

Inspection number: 248247 Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 Headlands Primary School - iii 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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HEADLANDS 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. Headlands Primary School - iv

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Oak Tree Lane Holly Tree Meadows Haxby York

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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: Margaret Rogers

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: February 19 th – 22 1998 Headlands Primary School - v

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities 7979 Mr. A. Calderbank Registered inspector Science Physical education Religious education What sort of school is it? The school’s results and pupils’ achievements. What should the school do to improve further? 9895 Mr. R. Williams Lay inspector Educational inclusion, including race equality Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development. How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? 25509 Mrs. J. Clarke Team inspector Foundation Stage Art and design Design and technology Special educational needs 11185 Mr. J.P. Sudworth Team inspector French

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

23375 Mr. J Hicks Team inspector English Geography History How good are curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils? 2465 Mr. G. Yates Team inspector Mathematics Information and communication Technology Music How well are pupils taught? How well is the school led and managed?

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Quality in Focus Thresher House Lea Hall Park Demage lane Lea-by-Backford Chester CH1 6LP

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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 Headlands Primary School - vi

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 1

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? 6

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Headlands School is an average sized primary school for boys and girls aged four to eleven years. The school is situated in Haxby on the outskirts of the City of York. Most children live in owner-occupied accommodation. There are currently 248 pupils on roll. The percentage of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is well below the national average. Twelve per cent of pupils have been identified as having special educational needs, which is below the national average. Eight pupils are receiving external support mainly for moderate learning difficulties, speech or communication difficulties and physical disabilities. Six children have statements of special educational needs. This is above average for the size of school. Almost all pupils are of white ethnic backgrounds. No pupils speak English as an additional language. When children start in the reception class, their attainment is above average. The

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

school was granted Beacon status in July 2001 for work undertaken in target-setting and tracking pupils’ progress, literacy and numeracy.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

The quality of education provided by Headlands Primary School is good. Children learn well because of much good teaching and a rich curriculum. As a result, standards in English and mathematics are above average by the end of Years 2 and 6. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural education makes a significant contribution to pupils’ development. The school is very effective in sustaining a very good standard of pupils’ behaviour. The school is well led and managed and gives good value for money.

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What the school does well

• Standards in English and mathematics are above average by the end of Years 2 and 6. • Information and communication technology is used very well to support learning in most subjects in Years 3 to 6. • Children are given a very good start to their formal education in the reception class. • The leadership and management of the headteacher, senior staff and governors are good. • The quality of teaching is good overall. As a result, pupils behave very well, have very good relationships with one another and are interested in learning. • Very good procedures are in place for assessing pupils’ progress in English and mathematics and the information is used very effectively to plan improvements in both subjects. • Provision for special educational needs is very good. • Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good.

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What could be improved

• Standards in science in years 3 to 6. • The use pupils make of their good writing skills in other subjects. • The quality of the written comments teachers make when marking pupils’ work. (The school has already recognised that these issues need to be addressed.) The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan. Headlands Primary School - 2

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school was last inspected in February 1998. Since then good progress has been made in dealing with all of the issues identified. A management structure has been put in place which supports well the headteacher in carrying out his duties. Classes for mathematics lessons have been reorganised in Years 3 and 4 to enable pupils who are at similar levels of attainment to work together. As a result, all pupils are being appropriately challenged. Parents now receive a termly curriculum newsletter, which provides details of the work their children are going to do. In addition, information evenings take place throughout the year focusing upon different areas of the curriculum and how parents can support their children. The school has gone from having just one computer at the time of the last inspection to having a networked computer in every classroom, a suite of sixteen computers and four interactive whiteboards. It has reviewed its procedures for the supervision of pupils at

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

lunchtimes and behaviour is now very good. Under the leadership of the new headteacher and deputy the school is very well placed to move even further forward.

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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

Key Well above average A 2000 2001 2002 2002 Above average B English A A B C Average C Mathematics A B B C Below average D Science A C D E Well below average E

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schools

Inspection findings show that the above average standards in English and mathematics have been maintained. Standards in science have improved and are now similar to those found in most schools but could be better. Based on test results for the past five years, the trend in the school’s National Curriculum results for English, mathematics and science at the end of Year 6 has been broadly in line with the national trend. The school is likely to achieve its target for Level 4 attainment in English and mathematics in this year’s national tests. Pupils in Years 3 to 6 make good use of information and communication technology in other areas of the curriculum. In religious education standards are in line with those expected in the agreed syllabus. Older pupils achieve above average standards in French. No overall judgement could be made about standards in music. In all other subjects inspected standards are similar to those found in most schools. However, pupils do not use their good

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schools

The majority of children in the reception class make good progress. They are on course to achieve the early learning goals in all areas of the foundation stage and to be working in the lower levels of the National Curriculum by the time they start in Year 1.

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schools

By the end of Year 2, standards of attainment in reading, writing, mathematics and science are above average. Standards in all other subjects inspected are similar to those found in most schools for this age group. It was not possible to make a judgement about standards in music.

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schools

Throughout the school pupils with special educational needs make good progress and are fully included in all aspects of school life. Headlands Primary School - 3

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Very good. Pupils are happy in school and are very keen to learn. Most give their full attention to lessons. Pupils are very enthusiastic and take a pride in everything they do. Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Very good. Pupils play very well together in the playground and work co-operatively during lessons. Personal development and relationships Very good. Pupils show initiative and work conscientiously whether working with the teacher or on their own. Pupils carry out jobs in school responsibly and sensibly. An excellent feature of this aspect is the influence of the school council. Attendance Good. Above average.

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Teaching of pupils in: Foundation Stage Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

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

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Teaching of pupils in: Foundation Stage Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

Teaching is a strength of the school. During the week of the inspection almost twenty per cent of the teaching was very good or better. Only one lesson was judged to be unsatisfactory. Teachers have fully incorporated the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies into their planning. The basic skills of reading, writing, spelling, and handwriting are taught thoroughly. Plenty of opportunities are provided for pupils to use their speaking and listening skills. As a result, this aspect of English is one of the school’s many strengths. Good emphasis is placed on developing pupils’ knowledge and understanding of number and many opportunities are provided for pupils to use their skills to solve mathematical problems. In Years 3 to 6, the grouping of pupils by attainment in mathematics enables teachers to plan effectively to meet pupils’ needs, including those of pupils with special needs. Information

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Teaching of pupils in: Foundation Stage Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

and communication skills are taught effectively and teachers provide very good opportunities for pupils to use their newly acquired skills in other subjects. Pupils’ work is marked regularly but written comments do not always indicate what pupils should do next to improve their work.

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Teaching of pupils in: Foundation Stage Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

The major strengths in the teaching seen were effective planning, teachers’ good subject knowledge and high expectations of the pupils to listen attentively. The quality of learning is good throughout the school. In most lessons, pupils show interest, concentrate carefully and try hard. Teaching assistants provide good support for teaching and guidance for pupils’ learning.

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Teaching of pupils in: Foundation Stage Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

Teaching in the reception class is good. Provision in all areas of learning is very good and the outside environment is incorporated imaginatively into other aspects of the curriculum. Good opportunities are provided for children to explore and learn for themselves. Headlands Primary School - 4 Pupils with special educational needs make good progress, because work is matched to their ability. Teaching assistants support these pupils very well.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Good. The curriculum meets national requirements and is particularly well planned and organised in literacy, numeracy and in the foundation stage. The programme of extra activities and visits is very good. Older pupils benefit from learning French and from the opportunities provided for them to learn an orchestral instrument or be members of the choir. Provision for pupils with special educational needs Very good. Pupils are identified at an early stage and achieve well. Carefully considered targets are set to help pupils to acquire basic skills. The help they receive ensures that they have full access to all activities. Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Not applicable

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Very good. Staff expect pupils to show good manners and to consider others at all times. Assemblies and moments of reflection contribute very effectively to pupils’ spiritual development and to the positive atmosphere of the school. There is very good provision to develop pupils’ self-esteem and a sense of responsibility. How well the school cares for its pupils Good procedures are in place for child protection and for ensuring pupils’ welfare. Pupils’ personal development is very well supported and monitored. Pupils’ progress is assessed and recorded very effectively in English and mathematics. Very good use is made of the information to plan pupils work.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s partnership with parents is very good. Parents are fully involved in their children’s education. The annual written reports to parents contain sufficient information about pupils’ progress in all subjects and how they might improve. Headlands Primary School - 5

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Good. The new headteacher and key staff work well as a team and share in decision making. There is a clear vision for the future with a strong emphasis on raising standards further. Co- ordinators have been given more responsibility and time to carry out their duties. How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Governors fulfil their legal responsibilities well and play an active part in all that the school does. They have a good knowledge of the strengths and weaknesses of the school and are effectively involved in setting targets for improvement. The school’s evaluation of its performance Good. The school has identified appropriate priorities for development. It analyses test results in English and mathematics and uses the information very well to track individual pupils and to set targets for improvement. The strategic use of resources

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Aspect Comment

Good overall. Up-to-date information and communication equipment is used well in other subjects. Budget decisions are linked appropriately to the school’s educational priorities. Monies allocated to such areas as special educational needs are used well.

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Aspect Comment

Staffing levels are adequate for the school’s needs. Most classrooms are of an appropriate size. There are satisfactory resources overall for all subjects. Fiction and non-fiction books could be better organised in classrooms.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• The teaching is good and the school is well led. • Parents would feel comfortable in approaching the school with problems. • Children are expected to work hard and as a result make good progress. • Children like school and behave well. • The school helps children to become mature. • The range of activities offered outside of lessons. • The work that pupils are expected to do at home. • The information they receive about how their children are doing. • The way the school works with parents.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspection team agrees with the parents’ positive views. However, inspectors think that pupils are provided with a very good range of activities outside of lessons. The school makes satisfactory use of homework to extend pupils’ learning. Reports to parents about their children’s progress are of a good quality and include targets for improvement. The school does its best to work closely with parents. Headlands Primary School - 6

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. Standards in English and mathematics are above average by the end of Year 6. These judgements are similar to those made at the time of the last inspection. The school is likely to meet the sufficiently challenging targets set this year in English and mathematics. Pupils’ attainment in science shows signs of improvement and is now broadly average.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. The levels of attainment of children entering the reception class are above average. By the time that they are ready to start in Year 1, most children are likely to have reached the standards expected and to be working in the lower levels of the National Curriculum. This represents good progress.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. In the reception class, children’s personal, social and emotional development is good as they learn to be independent and to work with others. They develop their literacy and numeracy skills well and the majority will exceed the expected standard. Children’s speaking and listening skills are good and most write simple words unaided. In mathematical development, children’s number skills are being developed well through practical activities. They learn to count and recognise numbers to 20 and beyond. They make good progress in developing their knowledge and understanding of the world. Children are interested in their surroundings and understand the need to carry out a test fairly. Attainment levels are above expectations in this area of learning by the end of the reception year. Good progress is made in the development of children’s physical skills. Outside play is thoughtfully incorporated into other areas of learning and

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

children learn how to control pencils, pens and paint brushes. In creative development, the children make good progress as they make use of a variety of materials to make models and pictures. In music they enjoy singing songs and playing with musical instruments. By the time they move up to Year 1, children’s attainment is better than that found in most schools.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. Over the three years 2000 to 2002 pupils have performed better than the national averages in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 2. In the 2002 National Curriculum tests taken at the end of Year 2, pupils’ attainment in reading and mathematics was well above the national average for all schools and above the average achieved in similar schools i.e. in schools with pupils from similar socio- economic backgrounds. In writing, the school’s performance was above the national average and average in comparison to that of similar schools. Teacher assessments for science showed that attainment was very high at Level 2 and above and average at Level 3 and above.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. The school’s results in the 2002 National Curriculum tests taken at the end of Year 6 showed that standards in English and mathematics were above those found in most schools but below in science. The pupils’ performance in English and mathematics was close to the average for similar schools but in science it was well below. However, it is clear that these pupils have made good progress when their results at the end of Year 6 are compared with their results at the end of Year 2.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. Based on test results for the past five years, the trend in the school’s National Curriculum results for English, mathematics and science at the end of Year 6 has been broadly in line with the national trend. Headlands Primary School - 7 7. Over the three years 2000 to 2002, boys performed better than girls in Years 1 and 2 but in Years 3 to 6 it is the other way round. Inspection findings show no significant difference between them. Boys and girls in Years 1 to 6 applied themselves equally and with interest in lessons. However, the school intends to continue monitoring the situation closely.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

8. By the end of Years 2 and 6, the majority of pupils are on line to reach the expected standard in writing, reading, speaking and listening and a significant number to achieve above. Pupils are confident speakers and listen well to others. This is a strength of the school. They read with good expression and understanding. Writing standards are above average but the quality of writing found in their English exercise books is not replicated in the range of work in other subjects. In geography, history and religious education, for example, opportunities are missed for pupils to use their writing skills. Standards of presentation are good overall.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

9. Pupils’ attainment in mathematics has improved and is better than that found in most schools by the end of Years 2 and 6. In 2002, a third of the pupils achieved Level 5 or above. These improvements are due mainly to the good use being made of assessment information to plan further work and the fact that in Years 3 to 6 pupils are taught in groups set according to their prior attainment. Pupils have good computational skills and can solve problems involving numbers and quantities. Numeracy skills are developed well in other areas of the curriculum. For example, in science, pupils present their findings using graphs.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

10. By the end of Year 2, standards in science are above average and more pupils appear to be working at the higher levels than teacher assessments would indicate. Good progress is being made in Years 3 to 6 but higher attainers could be challenged more.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

11. Standards in information and communication technology (ICT) have improved since the last inspection, because of new facilities and teachers’ increasing skills. Pupils’ attainment by the end of Years 2 and 6 is similar to that found in most schools. Good use is made of information and communication technology in other subjects in Years 3 to 6.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

12. Standards in religious education are in line with the expectations in the locally agreed syllabus by the end of Years 2 and 6. Pupils’ attainment in French is above average. In all other subjects inspected, pupils’ achievements are average by the end of Years 2 and 6.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

13. Pupils with special educational needs make good gains in their learning. The school helps and encourages these pupils well in their work and in view of their prior attainment they achieve well. Pupils have very good support both in lessons and in small group work and this has a positive impact upon their levels of attainment. The pupils with special educational needs are an integral part of the life and work of the school. Headlands Primary School - 8

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. Pupils’ attitudes to the school are very good. They are enthusiastic about school and are keen to take part in the activities provided. Children in the reception class come to school smiling and looking forward to the school day. These very positive attitudes have been well maintained since the last inspection. Pupils who have special educational needs are equally keen to do well and they are expected to join in fully with their classmates in all lessons. There is a culture throughout the school which encourages pupils to join in and learn together. The school has very high expectations for all its pupils and treats them as equals. Pupils respond positively and enjoy their time at school. Many pupils like taking part in the very good range of after-school activities the school organises. They like having the opportunity to do something different and learn new skills. For example, sixty pupils are in the school choir, and more than twenty are

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

15. Children in the foundation stage and in Years 1 to 6 behave extremely well in lessons, assemblies, and at lunch and break times. Teaching staff manage their pupils consistently well and have very high expectations for good behaviour. Pupils are very aware of what is expected of them and are keen to receive the rewards they gain for good behaviour. Wet weather during the inspection restricted outside play; but pupils’ behaviour remained very good. The school has successfully maintained this very good level of behaviour since the last inspection. Behaviour during lunchtimes has actually improved. Parents are very pleased with this very good level of behaviour. No pupils have been excluded from school. On the very rare occasions when bullying happens, the school deals with it quickly and immediately informs the parents of the pupils concerned. Pupils all know they must inform a member of staff if they are bullied.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

16. The previous inspection found that pupils’ personal development was very good, and this is still the case. The school encourages a culture of care and respect for others very successfully. Pupils are continually reminded of the school’s aims in a variety of ways, for example, aims appear on bright coloured cards on walls all around the building and classrooms. Pupils are expected to take responsibility for tidying up after activities and returning attendance registers to the office. The range of responsibilities increases steadily as they mature at school. By the time they reach Year 6, the pupils proudly perform duties as class supervisors during wet playtimes, playground patrols to help younger pupils and garden club supervisors, and many other tasks. Their confidence and maturity in performing these extra duties make them excellent role models for younger pupils. Relationships were found to be very good at the last

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

inspection, and they are still very good. Pupils generally like each other and get on very well together. There are very good relationships, too, with all the school staff. All adults are very good role models for pupils.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

17. The school council performs a very important function. It is composed of thirty pupils, representing Years 2,3,4,5 and 6 and is overseen by two teachers. The meetings are held in the form of a working lunch. The headteacher attends regularly and is able to inform pupils about school issues as well as listening to their views. The council has initiated several worthwhile projects, such as ‘Worry Boxes’, ‘Best Kept Toilet’ awards and ‘Waste Action’ to recycle school paper. It is in the process of buying a ‘Buddy Bench’ through the NSPCC, funded by parents. Pupil councillors wear badges and report back to the classes they represent, as well as bringing back issues and suggestions from them. This excellent initiative has a direct effect on pupils’ confidence, self-esteem and involvement with the school community. The forum ensures that they understand fully the effect of their actions and enables their personal

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

development to grow. Their discussions ensure that they understand and respect Headlands Primary School - 9 others’ feelings, values and beliefs. As a result, responsibility and good citizenship are being encouraged. The school’s commitment to pupils’ personal development is in itself a beacon for other primary schools, and is a great strength.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

18. The pupils with special educational try hard during lessons. They enjoy their tasks and with extra support in class and withdrawal groups they are given good opportunities to succeed and this ensures that they remain on task and achieve well. The pupils have very good relationships with the learning support assistants, class teachers and the special educational needs teacher and this means that they have positive encouragement from all members of staff. This has a positive impact upon the self- esteem of these pupils.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

19. Levels of attendance are good and are above the national average. The school has maintained this good level of attendance well since the last inspection. Authorised absence is below the national average and there is no unauthorised absence. Pupils are punctual and arrive at school in good time.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

20. Throughout the school, the teaching is of a good and sometimes very good or excellent quality. In the lessons seen, ninety-eight per cent of the teaching was satisfactory or better and only two per cent was unsatisfactory. Sixty-three per cent was good or better and nearly twenty per cent was very good or excellent. Care should be taken when interpreting these percentages as each lesson represents about two percentage points of the total. As a result of good teaching, standards in English and mathematics are above average by the end of both Years 2 and 6. Strengths found at the time of the previous inspection have been maintained and the weaknesses identified in the teaching of mathematics in Years 3 and 4 have been rectified. No overall judgements can be made about the quality of teaching in information and communication technology, religious education and music in Years 1 and 2.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

21. The teaching is good and often very good in the foundation stage. As a result children are given a very good start to their formal education. The teacher and learning support assistants work well as a team and because they insist on good behaviour there is a very good atmosphere that is conducive to learning. Because very good emphasis is given to the teaching of basic skills in literacy and numeracy, pupils make good progress and by the time they enter Year 1 many are confident in using their acquired skills. Work is planned well and the children experience a wide range of practical learning experiences. All staff are clear about the aims of the activities and their roles and responsibilities. Their good use of questions and comments extends children’s speech and encourages them to think and talk about what they are doing.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

22. Teaching of good quality in Years 1 to 6 is exemplified by very good relationships between teachers and pupils. Pupils make good progress in English and mathematics. Common strengths in most subjects are good use of questioning to assess pupils’ understanding and clear explanations when introducing new ideas. Teachers plan lessons well and achieve a good balance between talking to the whole class, group work and individual tasks. They have a good knowledge of the National Curriculum. The national literacy and numeracy strategies are used well.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

23. English and mathematics are both taught well. In both subjects, teachers have high expectations of what they want pupils to achieve. This is because the systems in place to gather information about what pupils know, understand and can do provide them with the knowledge to plan work that is challenging and to move pupils' learning on. Good Headlands Primary School - 10 use is made of numeracy skills in other subjects, but far more could be done to ensure that pupils use their good writing skills. For example, in religious education there are hardly any examples of writing that allows pupils to explore their own ideas. In history and geography there are too many examples of pupils copying work. This is in stark contrast to the good quality of writing in one class, in which pupils used their writing skills well to write a letter home from a Spartan soldier. Reading skills are taught well but, though pupils are encouraged to enjoy books, teachers do not display books in

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

their classrooms in an interesting way to stimulate pupils` interest.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

24. The quality of teaching in science is good overall. There has been an improvement since the previous inspection in the way teachers ensure that pupils are given more time to raise their own questions about the experiments they are carrying out. As a result, the quality of learning is better because pupils look for evidence when involved in an investigation. In some classes higher attaining pupils are not as well challenged as in others and are not given sufficient opportunities to develop their scientific knowledge further.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

25. It is not possible to make an overall judgement about the quality of teaching in ICT. Teachers are gaining in confidence in using the school's ICT suite. They are good at incorporating the subject in other areas of the curriculum in Years 3 to 6. Very good examples of this were seen during the week of the inspection in literacy and numeracy lessons. The school has four interactive whiteboards that are increasingly being used very well by teachers to enhance the quality of learning in their lessons. It was very noticeable during the week of the inspection that their use really captured pupils' imagination.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

26. The teaching of music is good overall in Years 3 to 6 and older pupils are provided with good opportunities to learn to play an orchestral instrument. Good use is made of imaginative practical activities such as games in French lessons to interest the pupils and the quality of the teaching is good. Teaching in history and geography is satisfactory overall and teachers make good use of visits and visitors to enhance the learning. The quality of teaching in art and design is good and the subject is used well to support pupils’ learning in other areas of the curriculum. No judgements could be made about the quality of teaching in religious education, design and technology and music in Years 1 and 2.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

27. There is clear link between the teaching and rate of learning. In all the lessons where the teaching was good or better, the pupils showed interest and made good progress. This was very evident in a literacy lesson with Years 5 and 6 when the teacher's good use of the questioning about Julius Caesar really encouraged pupils to speak clearly and fluently. However, on the one occasion when the teaching was unsatisfactory during the week of the inspection, pupils were allowed to shout out and the quality of learning became unsatisfactory because other well-behaved pupils were distracted by them and as a result did not make sufficient progress. Headlands Primary School - 11 28. Inspection evidence shows that average and higher attaining pupils are making good progress in most subjects because teachers plan work well and ensure that it meets pupils’ needs. This is especially so in mathematics where the grouping of pupils based

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

on prior attainment allows teachers to set challenging tasks that ensure that pupils really have to think and work quickly.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

29. Teachers set appropriate homework that makes a satisfactory contribution to pupils’ progress. Marking is satisfactory, overall. However, teachers’ written comments, though mostly supportive, do not always ensure that pupils know what they need to do next in order to improve.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

30. The teaching of the pupils with special educational needs is good. The teachers and the learning support assistants plan the pupils’ work well. The pupils with statements of special educational needs achieve particularly well as they receive very good help and learning activities are appropriate. The pupils are included in all lessons and have the same opportunities as the other pupils. The learning support teacher gives pupils good individual support and this help has a significant impact upon their attainment.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

31. The school continues to provide a good range of curricular opportunities that are relevant to pupils` needs and fully meet statutory requirements. All subjects of the National Curriculum and religious education are taught for a sufficient length of time. The curriculum for children in the foundation stage is also good. The school has recently adopted nationally agreed materials and is systematically adapting them to the specific needs of Haxby pupils. These materials are used in planning and assessment so that there is a clear development of pupils` knowledge and understanding as they progress through the school.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

32. The school successfully implements the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies so that standards are good in both throughout the school. Pupils quickly learn to listen carefully to their teachers and classmates and speak with increasing confidence and clarity in a developing range of situations such as assemblies. They learn how to read for enjoyment and information and employ these skills in progressively sophisticated ways. Pupils build on early writing skills so that, by the end of Year 6 they use language to record, summarise, persuade and reason in different situations. However, these skills are not used in other subjects as effectively as they could be because pupils are given less demanding writing tasks than they are capable of tackling. Teachers give pupils good learning experiences in many lessons by using a wide range of carefully selected materials and teaching techniques. Links between different subjects are

p.17

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

being developed and this is having a positive effect on pupils` knowledge and understanding and the use of valuable teaching time. For example, pupils in Years 5 and 6 examine how words from Ancient Greece such as “thermo” and “phobia” are used in modern English.

p.17

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

33. The school has a new computer suite and four interactive white boards. These are used to good effect to support and improve learning in all areas of the curriculum. For example, pupils in Year 5 and 6 get information on Ancient Greece from a website and develop their research skills well using modern technology.

p.17

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

34. Very good provision is made for the pupils’ with special educational needs. Those pupils who have extra specialist help enjoy their learning and achieve well. Individual education plans are available for all pupils and these indicate the help the pupils need. Headlands Primary School - 12 They are very detailed and have small measurable, achievable targets for the pupils to work towards. Early identification of pupils who are in need of extra specific help is a very positive aspect of the work of the school. The tasks set in class are well matched to the pupils’ abilities and pupils have very good help from the talented learning support assistants. This has a positive impact upon the pupils’ learning. Social inclusion for all pupils is a strength and the school effectively promotes racial equality. All staff make very good efforts to include pupils of all abilities and backgrounds into every activity.

p.17

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

35. The school has very good provision for citizenship and for personal, social and health education and the different elements are taught well. The school council gives boys and girls from all age groups an invaluable opportunity to act as class representatives at regular meetings with school staff. They use their speaking and listening skills well and show good maturity when discussing issues such as school meals or recycling waste materials. The school promotes healthy living in a number of ways and won a Healthy School Award last year. Sex education is taught sensitively throughout the school and visitors, such as the school nurse, bring added expertise to lessons aimed at the older pupils. Pupils extend their knowledge about important health and safety issues such as drugs awareness when they attend ‘Crucial Crew’ days.

p.18

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

36. A minority of parents feel the school does not supply a sufficiently wide range of extra- curricular activities. However, the inspection found, in common with the last one, that there is very good provision and staff commitment to extending the curriculum for its pupils. There is a thriving school choir, a gymnastics club, a gardening club, a recorder club, a German club and cricket, football and netball practice and teams. Pupils also benefit from a wide range of visits such as the annual trip to France. Learning in many subjects is enriched by visitors to the school, such as one who dressed in authentic Tudor costume and added great impact to pupils understanding of that period in history.

p.18

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

37. The local community makes a good contribution to pupils’ learning, as the last inspection found. There are good links and visits to the Catholic and Church of England churches. A Methodist Minister discussed the need to support others with the school council, and this resulted in the Playground Patrol Scheme restarting. The school encourages a good range of visitors, and pupils have experienced live, strings and folk music workshops and theatre groups to stimulate and widen their experiences. Field visits and projects are undertaken, such as the Year 5 and 6 visit to the Ouse flood barrier and the infant school visit to Filey for a geography and history project. The school choir, and pupil musicians take part in competitions and events in York and Haxby. The school’s Beacon status promotes very good links with other schools, and it is at the centre of several initiatives to encourage the spread of best practice. Transfer

p.18

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

arrangements to the secondary schools are very good, and there is good liaison between the schools for this purpose. Recent shared events include a French day and secondary school pupils taking an assembly. A newly formed group of Greek parents use the school to teach the use of their language to local Greek children.

p.18

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

38. There are very good, constructive partnerships with other institutions which have been well maintained since the previous inspection. The school is used for training teachers by York College and York University. Secondary school pupils gain work experience at the school in their Years 10 and 12, and York Sixth Form College also send students to the school. Two members of the teaching staff are trained mentors for these student trainees.

p.18

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

39. The provision for the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of the pupils is very good. The school has built further on the strong position reported in the last inspection and improved even further. Headlands Primary School - 13 40. Provision for spiritual development is very good. Assemblies and discussions during religious education lessons make a significant contribution to raising the pupils’ spiritual awareness. Pupils have many opportunities to think about their own beliefs and to reflect on ideas raised during assemblies. There are many opportunities for the pupils to express themselves by using a wide range of media such as art, poetry and their writings. Pupils have also been thinking about communication and the importance of listening to others. They learn about the importance of respecting each other and valuing different points of view. In religious lessons, pupils are given the opportunity to

p.18

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

discuss the importance of different religious festivals such as Ramadan. As a result, the school is successfully providing pupils with a very good knowledge and insight into different faiths and religions.

p.19

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

41. There is very good provision for the pupils’ moral development. Teaching and support staff provide very good role models for pupils and have friendly relationships with them. Adults encourage pupils to behave responsibly because they want them to succeed. The pupils are asked to consider their own actions and the impact of their own actions on others. Moral standards are firmly introduced as part of the school’s codes of behaviour. Pupils’ self-esteem and confidence are helped by fair praise and encouragement. These encourage the pupils to behave better and to strive to learn well.

p.19

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

42. The provision for pupils’ social development is very good. Very good relationships secure the school’s success. Group work in many lessons frequently highlights the very good level of co-operation within the school. A wide range of opportunities are created for pupils to take initiative and responsibility. Older pupils help with the younger pupils during wet playtimes, and clearly find this a very good opportunity to help in the management of the school. The school council provides a very good way for the pupils to accept their responsibilities and to work for the benefit of others in the school. The council members work very co-operatively to bring about improvements for the benefit of all. The pupils are also involved in recycling waste paper and in this way they develop an awareness of the needs of the wider world communities and the need to conserve the worlds’ resources.

p.19

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

43. Provision for pupils’ cultural development is very good. Pupils are provided with many opportunities to learn about other faiths and cultural traditions through literacy, history, geography, art and design and music. Through assemblies and displays around the school pupils develop a very good awareness and knowledge of their own and other cultures. Pupils in Years 5 and 6 have opportunities to learn to speak French and to visit France for an educational visit. In this way pupils’ lives are enriched by their involvement and learning about a European culture and tradition. The pupils have very good links with other cultures through e-mails, videos and letters with schools in France and Morocco. The Years 3 and 4 celebrated their learning about “The Tudors” by taking part in a “Tudor day” in the school. In this very exciting the pupils were able to explore their own British cultural traditions and find out what it felt like to be a Tudor.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

44. Procedures for child protection and for ensuring pupils’ welfare have improved since the last inspection, and are good. The headteacher is now supported by another senior teacher in his role as the designated teacher for child protection. Since the previous inspection, lunchtime supervisors have had training to improve their supervision and management of pupils at play. Pupils in Year 6 assist in supervising younger pupils, in classrooms, if there is inclement weather at lunchtimes. Headlands Primary School - 14 45. Procedures for monitoring and improving attendance are satisfactory. The computerised system is well monitored by school office staff, and the headteacher analyses the data regularly.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

46. The school’s methods for monitoring and promoting good behaviour, and for eliminating oppressive behaviour, are very good. They have improved much since the last inspection, and there is now a very effective positive behaviour policy in place. Thanks to the consistent way the policy is applied throughout the school by all staff, pupils know exactly what is expected and they are very well behaved. All teachers and supervisors keep good records of behaviour, and the headteacher and parents are fully involved should incidents of poor behaviour occur.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

47. The school is particularly effective in monitoring and supporting pupils’ personal development and providing guidance to them in this important area. This provision is thorough, comprehensive and very good overall. It has improved since the time of the previous inspection. Two senior teachers co-ordinate the teaching of personal, health and social education for pupils of all ages through discussions in lessons on health and moral and social issues. The school publishes a regular ‘B Healthy’ magazine to promote healthy living. For example, an ‘Apple Day’ was held, and the school won a Healthy School award last year. The weekly ‘Praise’ assemblies focus on pupils’ achievements, both personal and academic, and the goal is for each pupil to appear at least once per term on the ‘Tree of Achievement’ kept in the school hall. Pupils take great pride in being selected.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

48. The school provides the accommodation for breakfast and after school clubs, which are run by volunteers on a non-profit making charitable basis. Both are well attended, and provide an important facility for pupils whose parents work.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

49. The school council is proving to be an excellent means for developing pupils personally. The inclusion of thirty pupils on the council ensures the widest possible involvement of the whole school community in the day-to-day running of the school. They also get an insight into how the school works, how decisions are made, and the consequences of their suggestions and recommendations on the life of the school.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

50. The procedures for finding out what pupils know, understand and can do are very good in English and mathematics. The use the school makes of this information has improved since the previous inspection.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

51. The assessment of what children can do begins as soon as they start school in the reception class. The school has devised its own entry profile based on the teachers’ observations and examination of work. This information is used very effectively to identify the learning needs of individuals and groups of children. In Years 1 to 6, a wide range of procedures is used in literacy and numeracy to provide a clear picture of individual children’s achievements. The information gathered is being used very well to track each pupil and to set targets for them to aim at. Appropriate records of pupils’ attainment in most other subjects of the curriculum are kept and transferred to the next teacher.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

52. Pupils with special educational needs are supported very well in their work in the school and are helped to achieve the targets set in their individual education plans. The special educational needs co-ordinator and teacher have recently assessed all those pupils who have special educational needs with a new set of tests. This has enabled them to Headlands Primary School - 15 specifically target the pupils’ work and really focus on what it is they need to do to improve further.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

53. Parents have very positive views of the school. They think that teaching is good and that their children are expected to work hard. In addition, parents believe that the school is well led and they would feel comfortable in approaching the school with any problems or suggestions. The inspectors agree with the parents’ positive views. Since the last inspection, the quality of communication with parents and the information supplied to them about the school and its work have improved significantly. Information is now of very good quality.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

54. The school’s prospectus and the governors’ annual report are well presented and informative. There is a newsletter each half term giving information about special events and diary dates, as well as the ‘School News’ issued each term, which gives detailed information about the curriculum from class teachers. The school also has a website. Annual reports to parents about pupils’ progress include targets for development, and this includes children at the foundation stage. A sheet of mathematics targets is sent to parents in each year group by class teachers. Parents’ notice boards are kept up to date, and contain information from the very active parent teacher association. Open evenings are held to inform parents of their children’s progress and to tell them about changes in the curriculum. In addition, parents’ views are sought by the school through surveys and informal discussions with staff.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

55. Those parents who can, help in classes; but the school is always looking to increase the number of helpers. A good number of parents responded to the school’s pleas for help with backing books for the newly introduced reading scheme and in making work cards for numeracy lessons. The school has recently advertised for volunteer parent helpers, and there has been a good response. Parents have identified areas they would like to help in and have informed the school of any special skill or expertise they possess. Many parents hear their children read at home and make sure they do their homework. Some parents expressed concerns about the level of homework, but the inspection found that the amount of work pupils were expected to complete at home was similar to that found in most schools.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

56. The parent teacher association is of great benefit to the school. Its activities and involvement with school affairs have increased since the previous inspection, and it has a good impact on its work. Parents raised a very substantial sum of money towards the new computer suite. The association is a major source of support and forms a strong link with the local community. It also provides practical help. For example, parents laid a path and tidied up the school’s wildlife area recently.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

57. The special educational needs co-ordinator and the special educational needs teacher both have good links with parents. There is a close working relationship between school and home which has a positive impact upon the progress the pupils make. The school has especially good links with the parents of pupils who have statements of special educational need.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

58. This is a well run and well managed school. The headteacher and governing body provide strong and effective leadership. Leadership is not only focused on raising standards but also on ensuring that pupils learn in an environment where the individual Headlands Primary School - 16 child is valued and cared for. The principles of social inclusion are well grounded in all aspects of school life. For example, great care was taken that children with special educational needs took a full part in a Tudor day presentation performed for parents. The high quality of leadership is also recognised by parents in their questionnaire responses. The school ethos is strong and evident in all aspects of its daily life. Children come to school to work, and are relaxed and confident learners.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

59. The previous inspection found weaknesses in the management structure of the school. These have been addressed fully. There is now in place a strong management team consisting of senior staff with clearly defined job descriptions. They carry out their responsibilities well and provide very good support to the headteacher. For example, despite being in post for only two months the deputy headteacher has already ensured that parents are given additional information about what pupils are doing in mathematics. She has also taken over responsibility for the co-ordination of mathematics and religious education.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

60. The headteacher has a vision of providing the best for every pupil in the school. An excellent example being the implementation of the provision made for ICT. There is not only a well-equipped ICT but also four interactive white boards. Teachers are able to improve the quality of learning for pupils by using state of the art technology to illustrate what they are teaching in a highly visual and exciting way. The headteacher has very high expectations of his staff and pupils and is effective in working with others to achieve them. A key strength is his concern and care for others. He knows the staff and children well and is sensitive to personal situations. He has the full support of staff, parents and governors in working to ensure the school’s aims are met. All staff are dedicated and work effectively as a team.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

61. The role of co-ordinators in the monitoring of standards and the quality of teaching and learning in their areas has improved since the last inspection and is good. For example, they check teachers’ medium-term planning to ensure that the curriculum is being planned in line with the agreed schemes of work. Co-ordinators also undertake work sampling to assess whether the children are covering the work planned. In addition, some co-ordinators have carried out classroom observations. Findings are reported back to all teaching staff and changes made to the curriculum if necessary.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

62. The special educational needs co-ordinator and the special educational needs teacher work closely together. They give very good support and guidance to their colleagues and ensure that all the pupils have their entitlement. The co-ordinator has time allocated for the management of this important area of the life and work of the school. The management of special educational needs is good. Resources have improved since the last inspection, the pupils now having access to computers to aid them in their work. The special educational needs co-ordinator has efficiently reorganised the school’s systems in the light of the new government requirements.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

63. Good progress has been made in addressing the issues raised in the last inspection report. The way mathematics is organised has been improved and as a result higher attaining pupils are sufficiently challenged. Parents are now better informed about the work their children are doing in class. During the week of the inspection the weather on most days was atrocious. Despite pupils having to spend dinner times indoors there were no examples of inappropriate behaviour and pupils were well supervised. The school now has an information and communication suite that provides pupils with the opportunity to use and develop their skills well. The senior management team provides good leadership and management. Headlands Primary School - 17 64. Governors are highly supportive of the school and are involved effectively in all aspects of school life. They appreciate greatly the commitment of the headteacher and all staff.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

Governors have a good awareness of what is happening and what needs to be done. Through their committees, governors fulfil their legal responsibilities and share information about the curriculum, standards and the building. The school has a policy for racial equality and the importance of treating people from different backgrounds with respect is implicit in all aspects of school life. The governing body receives regular reports from the headteacher about the work of the school.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

65. The school’s improvement plan is appropriately focused on the raising of standards. It is based upon a thorough review of the strengths and weaknesses in the school’s performance. All staff and governors have the opportunity to contribute ideas. It includes effective systems for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating the progress made towards meeting its objectives. The appropriate priorities in the plan are linked to specific targets that have deadlines for completion and criteria by which to measure success. The allocation of responsibilities for taking the necessary action is clear.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

66. Financial planning and management are very good. The headteacher, secretarial staff and governors conscientiously follow clear financial procedures. There are clear systems in place for ordering materials and handling monies. The governors are aware of the need to obtain value for money on all purchases and follow agreed procedures to ensure they get the best deal for the school. The last audit report found the school's systems to be very good. The additional grants from local or national initiatives including Beacon status money, capital grants and funds for school self improvements are all used well.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

67. The level of staffing and accommodation at the school is generally good. Resources are good overall. There has been an improvement in these areas since the last inspection.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

68. The school has sufficient, suitably qualified teaching and support staff to enable the curriculum to be taught effectively. Relevant and current job descriptions are reviewed annually. All staff receive training which matches the needs of the school and their own professional development. They are required to evaluate their training courses upon return, and comment on their usefulness and value for money. Teaching assistants work closely with class teachers, and also benefit from relevant training. Good procedures are in place to support the professional growth and confidence of staff new to the school and to ensure that pupils’ learning does not suffer when new teachers and students join the school staff. The school has difficulty in attracting and retaining midday supervisors, and usually has a shortage of such staff. However, they are well- trained for their work, and are supplemented by other staff whenever possible.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

69. Accommodation at the school is good, and this allows effective learning to take place for all subjects of the curriculum. The accommodation used for the reception class has improved since the last inspection, and foundation stage children now occupy two classrooms. Generally, the building is in a good state of repair, and it is kept immaculately clean by the caretaker and his staff. An ongoing programme of re- roofing, to fit pitched rather than flat roofs, is under way. The next such building improvement is intended to incorporate a covered passageway to remove the need to use the hall as a route to other parts of the building. The school is well endowed for grounds, which are put to good use for leisure, sport and environmental studies. Organisations from the local community are made welcome, and they make good use of the building and grounds. There is an enclosed garden area used as a peaceful rest

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

area. It has a water feature and seating for pupils’ use. The school’s garden club Headlands Primary School - 18 created and maintain this area. A separate building in the grounds houses the breakfast and after school club.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

70. School resources are good. Since the last inspection, information and communication technology resources have improved considerably, and they are now very good. In music and religious education, too, resources have improved since the last inspection. There is a good range of good quality, accessible resources for foundation stage children, for physical education, and for pupils who have special educational needs. Mathematics resources cover the National Curriculum well and are accessible and used effectively. However, the library was not seen in use during the inspection. Interesting objects and displays of pupils’ work make classrooms and corridors attractive places for learning and encourage pupils to greater efforts by highlighting their best work. Headlands Primary School - 19

p.24

a) improve standards in science in Years 3 to 6 by;

• planning tasks that are well matched to pupils’ needs and abilities; • setting challenging targets and explaining to pupils and parents how these can be achieved. • implementing fully the school’s action plan to improve standards in science; (See paragraphs 1,10,24 and 124 in the main report)

p.25

writing skills in subjects other than English by;

• ensuring that planning in subjects such as history, geography and religious education clearly identifies appropriate opportunities for pupils to use their writing skills; • monitoring pupils’ work to ensure consistency in practice across the school; (See paragraphs 8, 23, 32, 96, 102, 122, 140 and 169 in the main report)

p.25

identify on a more regular basis what pupils need to do to improve by;

• reviewing the school’s marking policy as planned; • monitoring the quality of teachers’ comments. (See paragraphs 29 and 103 in the main report)

p.25

In addition the school should also

• improve the organisation of book corners in classrooms; (See paragraphs 23 and 98 in the main report) Headlands Primary School - 20

p.25

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 42

p.26

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

p.26

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

The table gives the number and percentage of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about teaching. [When the total number is substantially less than 100, add] Care should be taken when interpreting these percentages as each lesson represents more than one [two, three, etc] percentage point[s]. [Where the total is close to or greater than 100, use only the first sentence.]

p.26

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6

p.26

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) N/A 248

p.26

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals N/A 8

p.26

Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6

p.26

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs N/A 6

p.26

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register N/A 31

p.26

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.26

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 0

p.26

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.26

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 15

p.26

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 2

p.26

Attendance

National comparative data 5.6 National comparative data 0.5

p.26

Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Headlands Primary School - 21

p.26

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2002 21 13 34

p.27

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.27

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

Boys 20 21 21 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 13 13 13

p.27

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

Percentage of pupils School 97 (94) 100 (97) 100(97)

p.27

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

at NC level 2 or above National 84 (84) 86 (86) 90(91)

p.27

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.27

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

Boys 21 21 21 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 13 13 13

p.27

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

Percentage of pupils School 100(97) 100(97) 100(97)

p.27

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

at NC level 2 or above National 85(85) 89(89) 89(89)

p.27

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

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

p.27

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2002 25 16 41

p.27

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.27

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

Boys 15 19 20 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 16 16 16

p.27

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

Percentage of pupils School 76 (86) 85 (77) 88 (94)

p.27

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

at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 73 (71) 86 (87)

p.27

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.27

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

Boys 16 18 19 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 16 16 16

p.27

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

Percentage of pupils School 78 (89) 83 (83) 85 (94)

p.27

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

at NC level 4 or above National 73 (72) 74 (74) 82 (82)

p.27

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

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Headlands Primary School - 22

p.27

Ethnic background of pupils

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

p.28

Ethnic background of pupils

White – any other White background 0 0 0

p.28

Ethnic background of pupils

Mixed – any other mixed background 0 0 0

p.28

Ethnic background of pupils

Asian or Asian British – Pakistani 0 0 0

p.28

Ethnic background of pupils

Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi 0 0 0

p.28

Ethnic background of pupils

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

p.28

Ethnic background of pupils

Black or Black British – Caribbean 0 0 0

p.28

Ethnic background of pupils

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

p.28

Ethnic background of pupils

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.

p.28

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 11.33 Financial year 2001-2002

p.28

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 21.9:1

p.28

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 598,072

p.28

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 6 Total expenditure 567,260

p.28

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 74 Expenditure per pupil 2,183

p.28

Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery Balance brought forward from previous year 33,250

p.28

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) N/A Balance carried forward to next year 44,062

p.28

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher N/A

p.28

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff N/A

p.28

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week N/A

p.28

Teachers and classes Financial information

FTE means full-time equivalent. Headlands Primary School - 23

p.28

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 6.4

p.29

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 5.4

p.29

Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

p.29

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.29

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.29

Recruitment of teachers

FTE means full-time equivalent. Headlands Primary School - 24

p.29

Questionnaire return rate

Percentage of responses in each category

p.30

Questionnaire return rate

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

p.30

Questionnaire return rate

My child is making good progress in school. 50 42 2 1 5

p.30

Questionnaire return rate

Behaviour in the school is good. 48 49 1 0 2

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Questionnaire return rate

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 25 61 12 1 1

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Questionnaire return rate

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 29 53 15 0 3

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Questionnaire return rate

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 62 32 5 1 1

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Questionnaire return rate

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 61 37 0 0 2

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Questionnaire return rate

The school works closely with parents. 37 47 13 1 3

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Questionnaire return rate

The school is well led and managed. 52 39 2 1 7

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Questionnaire return rate

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 48 48 1 1 2

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Questionnaire return rate

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 32 51 12 1 4

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Questionnaire return rate

Percentages are rounded to the nearest integer and may not total 100.

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Summary of parents’ and carers’ other responses

19 (15%) parents made additional comments Strongest points in order: • The school is friendly and children like attending. • Some pupils do not do as well as they should. • Better feedback could be given on pupils’ progress. • The school achieves good standards. • There is good provision outside the curriculum. Headlands Primary School - 25

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

72. Before the age of five children attend school on part-time and begin their full-time schooling in the term in which they become five. At the time of the inspection there were nine children in the reception class who attended for both the morning and afternoon sessions. The majority of the children have attended some kind of pre-school educational establishment before they start school in the reception class.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

73. The attainment of the present reception children when they started school although very wide, was above average. All children make good progress throughout their time in the reception class. As a result, most of the children are likely to surpass the early learning goals in all areas of the foundation stage and be working in the lower levels of the National Curriculum by the time they start in Year 1.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

74. At the time of last inspection, children were judged to be making sound progress, teaching was satisfactory but there were some deficiencies in the amount of adult support available for the children and in the accommodation. The school has worked hard to bring about improvements for the children in the reception year. The accommodation is now very good, with a spacious classroom and a secure outdoor area with a good set of resources for the children to use. Teaching has developed further and is now consistently good, some of it very good. Adult support of very good quality is also available for the children to help them with their tasks. As a result of this good provision, the children make good gains in their learning and achieve well.

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Personal, social and emotional development

75. In personal, social and emotional development, by the time they complete the reception year, most children are likely to achieve at levels above the nationally agreed standards. Children make good progress in this area of their work and achieve well, because the teacher has high expectations of them and they work hard in a busy, calm environment. All the children, including those who have special educational needs, are encouraged to join in with class discussions, play together and help each other with their work.

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Personal, social and emotional development

76. Children are encouraged by the staff to share equipment and to collaborate. They readily put up their hands when they wish to speak and wait patiently for everyone to be ready before they start their snack. They chat to one another as they work and often choose to work in groups. Children are polite and respond positively to one another. They are pleased to include a physically disabled child in their work. They recognise and accommodate her disability and make sure that she learns alongside them. For example, in a mathematics session the children passed round a soft toy as they counted on. The toy was placed carefully into her hands when it was her turn and removed by the next child in the circle.

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Personal, social and emotional development

77. Teaching and learning are consistently good. Members of staff are patient and caring and this enables the children to learn and develop their self-confidence. The children work in groups and they learn to work together well. All staff give clear ideas of what is expected of the children. This helps the children’s moral and social development. Patient, supportive teaching results in a calm working environment where the children are happy and confident and make good gains in their lessons. Headlands Primary School - 26

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Communication, language and literacy

78. Children make good progress and achieve well in communication, language and literacy as a result of good and often very good teaching and learning. By the end of the reception year, most children are likely to exceed the levels expected of them and will be working in the lower levels of the National Curriculum.

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Communication, language and literacy

79. The teacher employs a wide range of strategies to encourage the children to develop their vocabulary and confidence in speaking in front of the class. The children discussed the properties of different shapes by looking carefully at a number of solid shapes. They said they were very different from the flat shapes, and that they were “chunky”. On another occasion, a child put his hands in the cooked spaghetti and after careful consideration said it felt “soft and wet.” The children enjoy working with the puppet theatre acting out stories to entertain each other. They took pleasure listening to the story of ‘The Bear Hunt’, recognising the sequence of events and using musical instruments to accompany the story. These kinds of activities ensure that the children find their learning exciting and fun and as a result they are keen to learn and learn well.

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Communication, language and literacy

80. All the children enjoy sharing stories. They happily join in with stories they share with the teacher. This high level of interest means that they are particularly focused on the story, thinking especially about what might happen next and gathering as many clues as they can from the illustrations. The teacher reads stories with great enthusiasm and this encourages and involves the children so that they are keen to join in with repeated phrases. All children have books to take home to share with their parents or carers and in this way their learning at school is extended and reinforced by work done at home.

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Communication, language and literacy

81. Writing is displayed prominently in all areas of the reception class and this encourages children to write. Children regularly work on the writing table or the large whiteboard. Writing and reading skills are taught carefully and systematically and the most able children in the reception class write simple words unaided. The staff focus very clearly on small groups of children giving them individual help with their reading and writing. This good organisational strategy has a beneficial effect upon the way the children learn.

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Mathematical development

82. In mathematical development children achieve well as the result of good and often very good teaching and learning. Consequently the children make good progress and their achievement at the end of the reception year is likely to be above that expected for children of their age. Children are helped to make good progress through the good, practically based teaching they receive.

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Mathematical development

83. The teacher provides many activities and experiences so that the children develop their mathematical skills through work and play. Children sort solid shapes and make cylinders from large pieces of paper recognising that there are two circles at the ends of the cylinders. They quickly decide that cylinders roll but cuboids do not. They print with solid shapes and make cubes from art straws and pipe cleaners. When tasks are difficult the children persevere and with the good levels of help they receive they make good gains in their learning and their development of skills. Threading beads, sequencing shapes and creating shape pictures all help the children to develop their mathematical language and understanding. Children learn to count and recognise numbers to 20 and beyond as they count together. Headlands Primary School - 27 84. Good practical teaching of basic mathematical skills and the good levels of adult

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Mathematical development

support mean that the children have many opportunities to practise their skills and consolidate their understanding. Children work well collaboratively on many different practical tasks in which their mathematical skills are extended and developed. The teacher is effective in planning lessons well so that children’s learning is built securely lesson after lesson.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

85. In knowledge and understanding of the world, most children are likely to exceed the standards expected for this area of learning by the time they complete the reception year. This is because teaching and learning are good. The teacher provides a wealth of exciting activities to extend the children’s understanding of the world around them. Good teaching and learning ensure that the children make consistently good progress and achieve well.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

86. The teacher is effective in planning themes which extend and develop the children’s learning, from starting points within the children's understanding. For example, at present the children are busy working on the theme ‘My Self’. The teacher has planned a varied programme of learning experiences. For example, children tasted a variety of crisps before deciding which were their favourites. They also evaluated various spreads for toast. In this session, the children decided how they were going to test the different spreads to see which they liked the best. One child, who was quite certain that he did not like lemon curd, was most surprised when he tasted it and declared that it was indeed his favourite. The children thought carefully about their test. They formed the opinion that the toast pieces should be the same size and the jams spread to the same thickness. In this way the children developed a good

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

understanding of the need to carry out a test fairly. Indeed, in concluding their tests they found that some results were most surprising and not what they had expected!

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

87. A strength of the teaching is in the way that the teacher plans the curriculum for the children so that the children’s learning is carefully structured. Lesson planning effectively brings together learning in geography, history, ICT and science. The teacher starts from the children’s understanding and takes their learning on so that they extend their learning through play and enquiry. They play with ‘small world’ equipment such as dinosaurs and earth moving vehicles in the construction site. The wide range of activities planned for the children enables them to work in many different scenes and to extend their horizons through play.

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Physical development

88. In physical development, most children are likely to exceed the levels expected for children of their age by the end of the reception year. Good teaching and learning enables the children to achieve well and make good progress.

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Physical development

89. The children are helped to make good progress in this area of learning because the staff employ many strategies to help them to improve their manipulative skills. The outside area is used well to help the children to develop their gross motor skills. They use the wheeled vehicles to work together and also independently. Skilled adult teaching also means that the children are taught how to control pencils, pens and paint brushes as they work. For example, the children use fine paint brushes well as they paint their pictures and are shown how to hold their pencils correctly when writing. Headlands Primary School - 28 90. The teacher in the reception class encourages co-operative working alongside physical development in the children’s play in the outdoor area. Good provision is being made for the youngest pupils in Year 1 to join the reception children for two sessions a week. In this way, the transition from reception to Year 1 is carefully managed. A wide range of

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Physical development

activities give the children opportunities to play together and develop further their skills of communication, independence and self-confidence. This is a particularly important step in managing the transition from a play based curriculum to the more formal curriculum in Years 1 and 2.

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Creative development

91. In creative development most children are likely to exceed the standards expected by the time they reach the end of the reception year. The children make good progress as they are taught well and have many opportunities to learn new techniques and use different materials.

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Creative development

92. They use many techniques to express their ideas and feelings. The staff have a good understanding of the techniques they teach and use specific language to help the children understand what effect different materials have. For example, when the children were making their feely picture they talked knowledgeably about the different materials they had used and whether they were hard, soft or sharp. When they were creating their hand and foot prints, the children chose the colours they wanted to use and talked about the feel of the paint upon their skins. In this way, children develop not only skills in using a range of media but also of making informed and pleasing choices. Prickly hedgehogs made from clay, sequins in green coloured water and glittering bonfire pictures all give the children chances to use a wide range of colourful and stimulating materials.

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Creative development

93. The teacher provides many opportunities for the children to experiment with and to create music. The children sang ‘Four speckled Frogs’, playing untuned musical instruments as they accompanied themselves. Their concentration as they passed bells and tambourines silently around the circle was immense and as a result they were successful. In this way the children understand the need to be extremely careful and quiet whilst waiting their turn to play their instruments.

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ENGLISH

94. Standards have improved since the last inspection. At the end of Years 2 and 6 pupils reach standards that are above those expected for pupils aged seven and eleven nationally. At the time of the previous inspection standards at the end of Year 2 were in line with national expectations and at the end of Year 6 were above those for 11 year olds nationally. The main improvement has therefore been in Years 1 and 2. The school also does well for pupils with special educational needs. They get good support from their teachers and classroom assistants and their work is closely matched to their needs and specific targets in individual education plans. Many improve their reading and writing skills so that they reach the expected levels for their age by the end of Year 6.

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ENGLISH

95. English is rightly considered to be a high priority by the school and this is reflected in the significant amount of time allocated to teaching the subject. The National Literacy Strategy is understood and used well by teachers and these two factors contribute significantly to the improvements seen since the last inspection. Teaching in Years 1 and 2 is good overall and work is particularly well matched to pupils` learning needs. As a result, pupils of all abilities make good progress and this is reflected in the high Headlands Primary School - 29 levels of attainment in the national tests for seven-year-olds. The curriculum for the youngest pupils in Year 1 has been re-organised so that they can consolidate their learning from the Foundation Stage. This is having a positive effect. Planning fits the needs of pupils well so that they all make good progress. Classroom assistants are deployed effectively and are an important part of the team. Teachers make sure the

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ENGLISH

assistants know what is being taught and what their contribution is and this has a positive effect on teaching and learning for pupils of all abilities, especially those with special educational needs.

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ENGLISH

96. By the end of Year 6 pupils’ attainment is above average. Standards could be improved further by increasing the opportunities for pupils to use their good writing skills in other subjects. This was done effectively in a Year 5 and 6 class when the pupils used their good skills to write arguments for and against the assassination of Julius Caesar. Teaching is good overall and pupils continue to make good progress throughout Years 3 to 6. The preparation of lessons is thorough so that they are stimulating, challenge pupils of all abilities and contain a good balance of activities. In most lessons this enables pupils to have enough time to practise and demonstrate mastery of what they have learned.

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ENGLISH

97. Pupils speak and listen well in a number of different situations and this is a strong feature of the subject. By the end of Year 2, pupils listen carefully to their teachers when they are being taught or given instructions. They contribute sensible ideas and suggestions in lessons and listen to their classmates with courtesy and interest. They develop their vocabulary in a range of specialist areas and this helps them with their studies in other subjects such as history and geography. By the end of Year 6, pupils speak with confidence in a wider range of situations. For example, they contribute well to class lessons and enter into debate with classmates, showing careful thought and an understanding of different points of view. Throughout the school pupils are keen to offer ideas and suggestions and take a full part in lessons. Pupils work well together in groups of different sizes and develop their ability to take turns and contribute effectively

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ENGLISH

to shared topics and projects. Teachers throughout the school make sure that pupils are given good opportunities to practise and develop their speaking and listening skills in subjects other than English. For example, pupils in a Year 3 and 4 class held an interesting discussion about the wives of Henry VIII and said things like, “He couldn`t chop the heads off the other wives because they came from a different country and it would have started a war”. Assemblies are sometimes used well to give pupils valuable experience in speaking to, and being part of, a large audience.

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ENGLISH

98. Reading is seen as an important skill in all classes and pupils are encouraged to enjoy books as well as to learn from them. However, book corners in classrooms are not well organised to stimulate pupils` interest. Books are not displayed in interesting ways and the collection of fiction books does not include sufficient popular modern authors. Standards in reading are good by the end of Years 2 and 6. During Years 1 and 2, pupils learn to read with expression to add interest for the listener. They use punctuation well to emphasise words, phrases and sentences. By the end of Year 2, pupils tackle new books with increasing confidence and have developed a range of skills for working out unknown words. They read with enjoyment and talk with interest and understanding about the books they have read. Most have a good collection of their own books and enjoy building up a personal library of favourite authors. They talk

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ENGLISH

about stories and characters they have enjoyed such as ‘Matilda’ and ‘Chloe the chameleon’. Pupils show they enjoy reading as when, for example, a pupil in Year 2 spontaneously bursts into laughter when reading about an elephant that tries to climb a tree and falls out. Headlands Primary School - 30 99. During Years 3 to 6, pupils develop their reading skills well and attain good standards. They understand how non-fiction books are organised and use the contents, index and glossary sections to locate information accurately and with improving speed. They do not have sufficient access to the central collection of reference books however, and this hampers the development of their library and research skills. When reading fiction books, they use their voices well to demonstrate understanding of the story and the nature of different characters. Pupils use their knowledge of language structures effectively to correct any errors they make in reading so that it makes sense. They use

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ENGLISH

different strategies when choosing books, such as the ‘blurb’ on the back and talk sensibly about how the plots in their books are likely to develop.

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ENGLISH

100. Parents support their children well by listening to them read regularly and encouraging them to talk about their books. Younger readers have a reading diary and this is shared so that parents are aware of what is being read. However, this record does not have space for comments about how pupils are developing their reading skills to keep parents better informed. Teachers keep records of this type and information could be usefully shared with parents to help them work with their children even more constructively. The school is phasing in new reading materials and these are providing added stimulus and support for reluctant readers, such as some of the boys. This is already beginning to have a positive effect on learning.

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ENGLISH

101. Standards in writing by the end of Year 2 are good. Most pupils develop a legible style of handwriting and use simple punctuation such as full stops and capital letters to add accuracy to their written work. The higher attaining pupils sometimes add punctuation such as question marks and show that they understand how stories and accounts are structured when they write a number of connected sentences. For example, pupils in Year 2 use words such as, ‘first’, ‘then’, ‘next’, ‘after’ and ‘finally’ when writing a sequence of instructions about learning to swim. Teachers foster pupils’ writing well when they use models from their reading to set good examples for written work. This happened effectively in a Year 2 class where pupils shared a book about making a mask and talked about the way instructions should be written. Pupils spell most words accurately from memory and they use their knowledge of sounds to make reasonable

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ENGLISH

guesses at words they do not know. For example, they write ‘pleyd’ for ‘played’ and ‘lern’ for ‘learn’.

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ENGLISH

102. By the end of Year 6, standards in writing are good and pupils develop their technical skills in a number of important ways. For example, they use speech marks effectively when using dialogue in their stories. They use their writing skills for a wide range of different purposes such as persuasion, information and balanced argument. For example, they listed the main characteristics of the Spartans and Athenians so that they could be compared. Teachers encourage pupils to write imaginatively and with feeling as when writing as a Greek mother, ‘My son, brother and husband are in the war. I think of them every night. I think they have died in pain’. Teachers make sure that pupils know what they should learn during lessons and plan their work well to achieve those aims. This helps to engage their interest from the start and their work is better focused throughout lessons. Teachers show a good understanding of the

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ENGLISH

English curriculum when they shape discussions by increasingly probing questions so that pupils refine their thoughts and ideas. For example, pupils in a Year 3 and 4 class were given words to look up in the contents page of a reference book on birds and had to use their vocabulary skills well to find other words for ‘how birds are born’. Teachers systematically develop their pupils` knowledge and understanding of story construction and colourful, descriptive language. By the end of Year 6, pupils write lengthy and interesting stories and accounts. However, they are not given sufficient opportunity to display their good writing skills in other subjects such as history and religious Headlands Primary School - 31 education. When allowed, pupils write imaginatively about difficult and demanding topics. For example, a pupil in Year 6 wrote a long, imaginative myth about, ‘How Kingfishers’ Beaks Came to the World’.

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ENGLISH

103. Standards of presentation and handwriting are good. Teachers` marking is generally satisfactory but could be improved. Although pupils are set specific learning targets, teachers do not generally refer to these when marking work so pupils do not know how well they are doing. Pupils do not always do corrections when asked and teachers’ written questions about their work normally go unanswered. Marking is not focused on specific learning needs and it is not monitored to ensure it is effectiveness.

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ENGLISH

104. Teachers use the time at the end of lessons well when they review what has been learned. They manage pupils very well to create a good atmosphere for learning in classrooms that is built on very secure and warm relationships. Expectations are generally high, although this sometimes results in pupils of lower ability struggling and achieving less than they could.

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ENGLISH

105. The subject is co-ordinated effectively and managed well. As a result, staff understand the structure of the National Literacy Strategy and use it well to plan, teach and assess their lessons thoroughly so that pupils attain good standards. As a Leading Literacy Teacher herself the co-ordinator is well qualified and knowledgeable. This experience is used well to review teachers` planning, offer suggestions and, where necessary, give demonstration lessons. Work in the subject is constantly under review and the school is in a good position to react to changes at local and national level.

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MATHEMATICS

106. Standards are above average by the end of both Year 2 and Year 6. Pupils, including those with special educational needs, make good progress overall. Good improvements have been made since the time of the previous inspection and higher attaining pupils throughout Years 1 to 6 now make good progress. There is no significant difference between the results of boys and girls.

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MATHEMATICS

107. Pupils performed well in the 2002 national tests in the subject. When compared with results in all schools nationally, Year 6 results were above average; they were average compared with those of similar schools. The school narrowly missed the target it had set itself to achieve. Almost a third of the age group achieved an above average level. The standards achieved represent good progress when comparisons are made with what pupils in this age group achieved at the end of Year 2. The 2002 national test results at the end of Year 2 were well above average when compared with those of all schools and above average when compared with those of similar schools. This represents very good progress since the time of the previous inspection, when standards were below average.

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MATHEMATICS

108. The above average standards are due to a number of factors. The school makes very good use of the information from assessment to plan suitable work for different groups of pupils. In Years 3 to 6 good use is made of grouping pupils into teaching groups based on this information. This organisational pattern is successful in that work is always challenging and pupils of similar levels of attainment are able to work together. The National Numeracy Strategy is well integrated into the teaching of the subject and pupils benefit greatly from the emphasis placed on developing their numeracy skills. A key factor in pupils' good achievements is the good opportunities provided for pupils to use their skills in problem-solving situations. Headlands Primary School - 32 109. Inspection evidence shows that standards are above average by the end of Year 2. An above average number of pupils are working successfully at tasks that are at a higher

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MATHEMATICS

level than expected for their age. Most pupils in Year 2 can double numbers and work out the answers to simple money problems. They are keen to answer and because of the good quality of the teaching they receive make good progress but also enjoy their lessons. One child was heard to remark, “Maths is fun”. The class shop gives pupils of all levels of attainment the opportunity to receive and give change. Pupils count quickly and accurately in fives and tens both forwards and backwards. Higher attainers have a very good knowledge of the names and properties of two- and three-dimensional shapes and are developing good problem-solving skills. A display of work in the school hall demonstrates pupils' good skills in sorting cylinders and cuboids into different sets. In Year 1, most pupils can name and use numbers up to 10 and higher attainers can use a table of results to put numbers in the right order. However, in the age group there

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MATHEMATICS

are some pupils whose immature behaviour sometimes restricts the progress they make.

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MATHEMATICS

110. Throughout Years 3 to 6, pupils make good progress overall. Inspection evidence shows that standards in Year 6 are above average. The school is likely to achieve the target set in the subject this year. Pupils in Year 6 have a good grasp of numeracy. Almost a third of the age group have above average skills. For example, they can quickly and accurately work out the cost of an item when 20 per cent has been deducted from the price. Most pupils in Year 6 use different strategies to carry out mental work quickly. They work out both the area and perimeter of shapes and explain how they arrive at their answers. Discussions held with pupils indicate that most have a good understanding of the relationship between decimals, fractions and percentages. They have a good mathematical vocabulary that they use well. For example, pupils have no problem in explaining the meaning of ‘frequency’, ‘mode’, ‘median’ and ‘mean’.

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MATHEMATICS

111. Because the teaching is interesting and stimulating, pupils are attentive and work well together. A very good example of this was seen in Year 5 when a group of pupils were withdrawn for additional help in developing their understanding of inverse operations. Very good use of the interactive whiteboard really captured the pupils’ imagination and ensured that the quality of learning was of a high standard. Most teachers use questioning well and give pupils time to suggest alternative ways of working things out.

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MATHEMATICS

112. Teachers provide good opportunities for pupils to use their mathematics skills in other subjects such as science to produce graphs when recording the results of an investigation. Time lines are used well in history, for example, to show the life span of Florence Nightingale. Information and communication technology is used effectively to enable pupils to produce graphs from the data they have collected.

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MATHEMATICS

113. Teachers have a good understanding of mathematics and high expectations of pupils’ learning. They plan work very well. The information gained from the previous half term's assessments is used effectively to ensure that any gaps in pupils' knowledge and understanding can be addressed in future lessons. This ensures that pupils of all levels of attainment develop their mathematical knowledge in an effective way. Pupils are involved in target-setting that gives them a better understanding of what they need to achieve. The presence of an achievement tree in the school hall, that includes celebrating achievements in mathematics, is an excellent example of one of the school's aims, to develop self-esteem. Teachers are good at encouraging pupils to work problems out for themselves and to explain to the rest of the class how they reached their answers. Where teaching is occasionally less successful, too much

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MATHEMATICS

time is spent explaining to pupils what they have to do and as a result by the end of the lesson there is unfinished work. Headlands Primary School - 33 114. The quality of learning is good because the way pupils are grouped is effective and the work set is matched to their needs. Pupils work well in pairs and the strong emphasis placed on the correct use of mathematical language ensures that pupils have a good knowledge of the subject. This was very much in evidence in one class when pupils were plotting coordinates. The teacher insisted that pupils put brackets around the coordinates.

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MATHEMATICS

115. The co-ordinator is also the deputy headteacher and is new in post. In a very short period of time she has developed a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses in the subject. This is because of the very good quality of information gathered together by her predecessor. She is involved in monitoring and evaluating the quality of teaching and learning. The quality of information sent out to parents about the subject has been improved. Parents are now being provided with year group information, not only about what pupils are doing but also about how parents can help their children. Assessments of pupils’ learning are of a very good quality and provide consistent records of the progress made by individual pupils. This information is used well to track the progress of groups and individual pupils and to plan future work. There are satisfactory resources for the subject.

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SCIENCE

116. Standards are better than those found in most schools by the end of Year 2 and have improved since the time of the previous inspection, when they were found to be average. Most pupils in Year 2 are attaining the level expected for their age and a significant minority are doing better. The school’s performance in the 2002 teacher assessments in science was very high in comparison with the national average at Level 2 and above and was in the top five per cent in the country. At level 3 and above, the school’s results were broadly in line with the national average but below the average for similar schools at Level 3. However, inspection findings indicate that the proportion of pupils working at the higher level is above average.

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SCIENCE

117. By the end of Year 6, pupils’ attainment is broadly average. Standards have declined since 2000 when they were well above average. This decline was due mainly to the introduction of a new scheme of work that has taken longer to establish than was first anticipated. However, during the inspection it was clear that standards are now improving because of good teaching especially in Years 5 and 6. A key factor is the teachers’ good use of questioning and technical vocabulary to deepen pupils’ understanding.

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SCIENCE

118. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress and achieve well. Girls have recently been doing better than boys in the end of Year 6 tests, but no difference in attainment was observed in lessons.

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SCIENCE

119. By the end of Year 2, pupils have a good understanding of the differences between living and non-living things. They know that living things can run, feed, rest, exercise and play and are cared for. One pupil remarked that the bottle could not be alive because it had no legs, didn’t breathe and had no face. Younger pupils are familiar with the main parts of the body and can make appropriate observations when engaged in a scientific enquiry. For example, in one lesson they successfully guessed what was in a variety of containers by using only their sense of smell. Some interesting comments were made by the pupils during the investigation such as “smells are soft”. Headlands Primary School - 34 120. By the time they leave the school at the end of Year 6, pupils have covered a broad range of science topics and have learned sound scientific skills of enquiry. In the classes for the younger pupils, they learn the need for a balanced diet and undertake an

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SCIENCE

investigation to show that shadows change in length throughout the day. Older pupils construct experiments to determine the most effective means of causing water to evaporate and extend their understanding of physical processes by practical research into how sound travels.

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SCIENCE

121. When given the opportunity pupils make good use of their mathematical skills in science. For example, when investigating shadows they made measurements and displayed their findings in graphical form. There are some good examples of pupils word processing their observations but little evidence of ICT equipment such as sensors being used. Some of the topics they study, for example, healthy living, make a good contribution to their moral development.

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SCIENCE

122. Work is generally recorded well, using diagrams and personal writing. However, sometimes worksheets are used, which makes it hard for teachers to determine the depth of pupils’ understanding because answers are often confined to one or two words.

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SCIENCE

123. The quality of teaching is good overall throughout the school. Teachers make the lessons interesting and pupils talk with enthusiasm about their work, especially the practical aspects. Teachers plan their lessons carefully and usually take account of the differing needs of groups of pupils. They explain clearly at the beginning of each lesson what the class will do and what they are expected to learn. At the time of the last inspection it was found that whilst teachers listened carefully to what pupils were saying, they did not make sufficient use of pupils’ questions in prompting investigations. This weakness has been addressed and teachers now display pupils’ queries before beginning a scientific enquiry.

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SCIENCE

124. Most lessons are well structured, have a good pace and include a strong practical element that helps pupils’ understanding. Teachers offer good support and guidance during practical sessions. They generally use questions well to make pupils think but in some classes teachers do not always sufficiently challenge the more able. A common strength is the very good relationship between adults and pupils, who are eager to show and share what they have observed and discovered. Classroom assistants are well briefed so that they are able to support individuals and groups.

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SCIENCE

125. The management of the subject is good. The co-ordinator has a good overview of the subject’s strengths and what still needs improving. She has identified, for example, that a significant number of pupils have difficulty interpreting data. An action plan has been drawn up to address this and other issues raised during a recent review. Assessment procedures are satisfactory and good use is now being made of the information to improve standards and to track pupils’ achievements. Resources are good.

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ART AND DESIGN

126. Pupils’ standards in art and design are average at the end of Years 2 and 6. This is a similar position to that at the time of the last inspection. Art and design has a secure place in the work and life of the school. It is a medium in which all the pupils achieve well. Teaching and learning are good overall and the pupils make good progress. Art and design is taught not only in its own right but is also used to support other areas of the curriculum. For example, older pupils have completed pastel drawings of Greek soldiers as an integral part of their Headlands Primary School - 35 history topic. A particular strength in the teaching of art and design is in the way the teachers concentrate on the development of the pupils’ skills so that they have a secure base to work from.

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ART AND DESIGN

127. Teachers ensure that there is a progressive development of skills, closely building on what the pupils have done before. They find that the new set of plans is particularly effective in giving guidance in this way. The pupils use different media to see its effects. For example, in Year 1 and 2 pupils experimented with paint, charcoal, pastels, pencils and felt pens to look closely at the different marks they made. They worked carefully with these materials and thought about how they could use the different textures and effects in their self-portraits. At the beginning of the lesson the class teachers showed the pupils the work of famous artists so that they could see how lifelike the people they portrayed looked and how they had used paint to great effect.

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ART AND DESIGN

128. Teachers ensure that the pupils have many opportunities to work with a wide range of media and use a variety of stimuli. For example, the pupils in Years 1 and 2 have drawn pictures of Florence Nightingale in pastels and paint. They also made huge, vivid, red poppies for Remembrance. Pupils in Years 3 and 4 have drawn self portraits using blending techniques in their pastel work. Collage materials provided a good tool to create effective portraits of Henry VIII. The clever use of different tones was achieved when the pupils explored what happened when they added more white paint to their colours. In Years 5 and 6 pupils worked with clay to make pots, which they painted in the style of ancient Greek urns.

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ART AND DESIGN

129. Teachers encourage pupils to evaluate their work. In this way, pupils have the opportunity to look at others’ work and consider what is particularly effective. For example, in a very good art and design lesson in Years 5 and 6, the teacher drew all the pupils together at the end of the lesson to look at what they had produced. The pupils asked each other pertinent questions about the effects they had achieved in their drawings. They clearly valued each other’s work and were rightly complimentary about the standards some of the pupils had achieved. The very good relationships in this class enabled the pupils to give their opinions and viewpoints perceptively.

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ART AND DESIGN

130. The pupils have good opportunities to use ICT in their art and design lessons. For example, pupils in Year 2 have been using a program to create their own computer art. The teacher in Years 5 and 6 downloaded some illustrations of artefacts from the British Museum for the pupils to study during their lesson. These pictures fascinated the pupils and generated lots of ideas which they were able to include in their own work. The persistence and the industry of the pupils showed in the fine detail, and the quality of the finished pieces of work.

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ART AND DESIGN

131. The co-ordinators give good support to their colleagues and all staff show a keen interest in the development of the subject.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

132. Pupils’ standards are average at the end of Years 2 and 6 and satisfactory progress is made throughout the school. This is a similar position to that at the time of the previous inspection. Judgements have been based upon discussions with the pupils and teachers, observations of the pupils’ work and an interview with the co-ordinators, as only one lesson was observed during the inspection. Pupils report that they enjoy the units of work they cover in their lessons. They say that they have good opportunities to develop and refine their skills.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

133. The teachers plan their lessons securely using nationally recommended guidelines. This gives a clear framework for planning within the school, which develops and Headlands Primary School - 36 extends the pupils’ skills. In Years 1 and 2, pupils make puppets, Easter and Mothers’ Day cards which incorporate a number of moving parts and a diorama of Mary and Joseph in the stable with the baby Jesus. The pupils have opportunities to investigate a range of materials and construction kits as they design, plan and make their models and artefacts. From the finished products it can be seen that they use tools sensibly and cut and stick with care and consideration. As a result of their considered use of tools and materials, the end products were well constructed.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

134. The designing and making process is further developed for the older pupils, who look carefully at articles and consider how they are made and what makes them fit their purpose. Indeed, in a Year 3 and 4 lesson, the pupils looked at a selection of photograph frames and considered how they worked and which were the most effective, their ability to stand up independently being of paramount importance. The pupils then discussed which photograph frames would suit different types of people. In this way the pupils considered not only whether the frames were fit for their purpose but also to whom they would appeal.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

135. The planning and designing sheets the pupils used reflected the care and consideration the pupils are encouraged to put into the designing and making process. This reflects the teachers’ philosophy that the designing part of the process should be secure if the product is to good. The pupils considered carefully the materials they needed and the methods and tools they were going need to use to make their photograph frames. This project, which was very much in its early stages, encouraged the pupils to collaborate and to discuss the mechanisms which allowed the photograph frames to stand up and also secure the photograph. In Years 5 and 6 the pupils extend and develop their ideas still further as they plan and make a range of musical instruments. Headlands Primary School - 37 136. ICT is used well as an aid. For example, pupils in Years 5 and 6 made brochures for the Olympic Games using a desktop publishing program. Here the pupils arranged the

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

information and illustrations well to create attractive and informative brochures. In this way they used the skills they had learnt in their information and communication technology lessons to aid their learning in design and technology.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

137. The subject co-ordinators are enthusiastic and have good ideas for the further development of the subject throughout the school. They monitor pupils’ work and ensures that a progression of skills is taught throughout the school.

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

138. During the inspection, history lessons were observed in Years 1 to 6 but only one geography lesson was seen. This is because the school plans the teaching of these subjects so that they take place at different times of the year. Judgements about geography are, therefore, based mainly on an examination of pupils` work, discussions with pupils and a review of teachers` planning.

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

139. By the end of Years 2 and 6, pupils attain the standards expected nationally for pupils of their age in both history and geography. They all make satisfactory progress in Years 1 to 6, including those with special educational needs. These findings broadly reflect those made at the time of the previous inspection so there has been no improvement.

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

140. The quality of planning and teaching in both key stages is satisfactory and generally meets the needs of pupils of different abilities. Teachers are beginning to make links between different subjects to make better use of time. However, the good literacy skills that pupils have developed in English lessons are not always harnessed sufficiently in these subjects. As a result, pupils of all ages copy too much work when they are often quite capable of writing interesting, analytical and informative accounts. A good example is when a pupil in Year 6 uses his well developed language skills and vivid imagination when writing a letter home from a Spartan soldier. Research skills are not as well developed as they could be because the main collection of reference books is currently stored in a small room with very limited access for pupils.

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

141. Pupils throughout the school enjoy their lessons in history and geography. In Years 1 and 2, they learn about important people in history such as Florence Nightingale. They begin to develop a sense of when things happened by using time lines that show important dates and events. Pupils in Year 2 learn about more recent events in history when they write about Remembrance Day. One pupil showed good understanding when he/she said, “I went to see the crosses in France and I started crying”. Pupils begin to learn about the world as they follow the travels of a stuffed toy, Blunkett the bear, when he is taken to countries like Canada, France and the United States of America. Pupils in Years 3 and 4 learn about the Tudors and demonstrate a sound understanding of events with comments such as, “Henry VIII had six wives because he wanted a son to rule the country after him”. Older pupils can use an increasingly

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

sophisticated range of resources such as ICT to find and check information. For example, pupils in Years 5 and 6 logged on to the British Museum website and used pictures of artefacts to answer questions when studying the Ancient Greeks. They also used a desk top publishing program well to produce colourful, informative booklets on the Olympic Games.

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

142. Both subjects are brought to life by events such as the Tudor afternoon held by pupils in Years 3 and 4. Pupils demonstrated a good knowledge and understanding of the music, dances, and crafts of those times. They showed good links with their studies in Headlands Primary School - 38 literacy when writing and acting a play about the life and times of Henry VIII in front of an audience of parents. Teachers are good at developing this kind of enriching opportunity and use a good range of techniques in lessons to motivate pupils. For example, pupils in Years 5 and 6 showed good learning in geography when they looked at how the local community responds to change. A variety of different teaching styles was used to get the message over including the use of an electronic board, role-play and brainstorming ideas in groups.

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

143. The school has adopted nationally agreed materials for both subjects and this ensures that lessons have the necessary structure to make sure pupils learn about a wide range of subjects. Pupils’ work is now regularly assessed and this gives the school a clear idea of how successful their teaching is and how high standards are. Most teachers encourage pupils by displaying their work in classrooms in an interesting and stimulating way.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

144. One of the key strengths of the school is the good use made of ICT in most other subjects of the curriculum in Years 3 to 6. The previous inspection found that resources were unsatisfactory. This is not now the case and provision is now of a high standard. The school has a fully equipped state of the art ICT suite. In addition there are four interactive whiteboards to support teachers in their lessons. All classes have weekly timetabled lessons in the information technology suite and sound progress is made in developing the necessary skills. Pupils with special educational needs receive good support and have access to an additional computer when taught in withdrawal groups. As a result they make satisfactory progress in developing ICT skills.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

145. Standards overall by the end of both Years 2 and 6, as at the time of the previous inspection, are in line with those found in most schools. However, pupils' word processing skills and the way they present their work using all the techniques available is higher than normally found. In this aspect progress is good and in all other aspects it is satisfactory for pupils of all levels of attainment. There are no differences between the performance of girls and boys.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

146. Pupils in Year 2 have satisfactory word-processing skills. Most can manipulate a mouse with increasing accuracy. They use the shift key to locate capital and lower case letters. They know that computers are used for different purposes. During the week of the inspection pupils in Year 1 developed skills, with the help of the teacher, in using a programmable toy. However, no additional adult support was provided to supervise them practising their skills individually or in a small group.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

147. By the end of Year 6, there is very good evidence of pupils’ typing direct to screen. In a literacy lesson, very good use was made of the interactive whiteboard to display an example of a letter that Julius Caesar's wife might have sent to her husband. Pupils in a relatively short period of time word-processed and printed out their own version of the letter. They use text, colour and different font size to produce booklets of high quality about topics such as the ancient Greeks. Pupils load, save work, print and choose from a menu. There is little evidence of pupils’ use of modelling and control but this work is planned for later in the year.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

148. ICT is used very well in other subjects. For example, pupils in Years 3 and 4 design a 'Maths Woman' using squares, circles and rectangles. Pupils’ ability to handle mathematical information is apparent when data is used effectively to produce spread sheets and graphs. Power point presentations are used to enliven topic work. In Headlands Primary School - 39 history, a desktop publishing package is used well by pupils to make designs and posters linked to the history of the Olympic Games. In science, graphs are produced to show healthy foods. Pupils in Year 2 use their skills well in literacy lessons to produce poems with titles such as,' My colour poem'. The poems are well presented and good attention is given to the use of coloured text. Very good use is made of the interactive whiteboards as teaching aids. Inspection evidence shows that in the lessons where use was made of them, they had a positive impact on the quality of learning. For

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

example, in mathematics pupils were keen to use the technology available to display their answers. In literacy the excellent, easy to see and read display of written text acted as a stimulus to pupils to produce work of quality.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

149. It is not possible to make an overall judgement about the quality of teaching because only a small number of lessons were observed and other forms of evidence are limited. The overall quality of the lessons seen was satisfactory. For example, good direct teaching methods were used successfully in demonstrating to pupils how an electronic keyboard can be programmed to produce a particular sound. However, while progress was satisfactory in this lesson, only one keyboard was available, which limited the opportunities pupils had to experiment for themselves. In a good lesson observed in a Year 5 and 6 class, pupils showed a high level of interest when asked to interrogate a fictitious criminal database to look for possible suspects identified by witnesses as having distinguishing features. Because the topic was relevant to real life, the room took on the resemblance of a police studio. Pupils were hard at work trying to track

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

down the suspects using well the ‘sort’ techniques available.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

150. The co-ordinator is new in post and has not yet had time to gain any real overview of standards in the subject. She has, however, demonstrated to staff some new ICT techniques. She is enthusiastic and keen to improve standards. Staff have undertaken training. There is a whole-school approach to the recording of pupils’ progress. Teachers from other schools benefit by being able to visit Headlands to up-date their knowledge of ICT teaching aids. All information technology hardware and software are well maintained. The school has created the computer suite in a classroom that is readily accessible from all classes. With the new equipment that is now in place and in the light of the planned work outlined in the subject action plan standards are set to rise in the subject. The school is well placed to ensure that pupils are given every opportunity to use the latest technology available.

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FRENCH

151. Pupils’ attainment and progress have both improved since the last inspection. Pupils make good progress during the one lesson per week that they have during Years 5 and 6. By the end of Year 6, standards in French are now better than might be expected for the age group. The emphasis is rightly on conversational work and role-play activities. Pupils also build up sufficient reading skills to tackle a simple fairy story after careful preparation and learn a number of songs. Very little writing is undertaken.

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FRENCH

152. The quality of learning is greatly enhanced by the very good opportunities pupils have to use their French in practical situations. Many of the Year 6 pupils took part in a visit to Normandy. Here they had to buy the ingredients for one of their meals in the local market and they visited the local bakery. They have also performed songs at a European Languages Day in the City of York. These activities have increased pupils’ confidence and interest in the language and helped to raise standards of performance. Headlands Primary School - 40 153. Pupils enjoy their language lessons. They participate well in the activities and readily volunteer to make a contribution. They try hard to imitate the teacher’s pronunciation. They maintain good levels of concentration throughout the lesson.

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FRENCH

154. The overall quality of the teaching is good. A strength of the teaching is the use of imaginative practical activities, such as games, to keep the pupils’ interest alive and to keep them well motivated, while they are practising vocabulary. As a result, lessons often have a sense of fun and enjoyment. Very good use is made of the interactive whiteboard and computer technology to provide a visual stimulus and to involve pupils in the lesson. The pace of activities is good and lessons are carefully planned and organized so that the momentum of learning and interest is maintained. There is a very positive learning atmosphere in lessons, which encourages pupils to participate. Teachers ensure that questions and activities are structured so that all children can take part.

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FRENCH

155. The co-ordinator has written a series of lesson units which cover the basic words and phrases for the main situations that the pupils are likely to encounter in the early use of the language. This supports the good progress pupils have made. At the time of the inspection, however, the co-ordinator was piloting a Qualifications and Curriculum Authority unit that combined French and geography. This lesson introduced only a small amount of new vocabulary alongside the geography material and the lesson plan did not allow the teacher to use the target language as much as she would normally do. As a result, pupils made only satisfactory progress overall during this lesson. Progress was better in those parts of the lesson where the teacher was able to exploit her good command of French.

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FRENCH

156. Co-ordination and leadership of the subject are very good. The co-ordinator sets a very good example and provides effective planning for the subject for the other teachers. The resources for the subject are good. Many have been made by the teachers themselves. The co-ordinator has given guidance to teachers from other schools on how effective use can be made of simple resources. ICT is used well to support teaching and learning. More able linguists have been able to extend their skills by working with CD ROMs and by having small group practice with students. Good efforts are made in liaising with local primary schools and the main receiving high school to try to ensure continuity of learning in French when pupils move to secondary education.

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MUSIC

157. During the week of the inspection too few lessons were observed to make any overall judgement about standards in music or the quality of teaching in Years 1 and 2. Evidence from lessons, assemblies and a public performance show that by the end of Year 6, pupils have good singing skills and understanding of pulse and rhythm. Pupils also benefit from being able to join the school choir. There are very good opportunities for pupils to learn to play a wide range of orchestral instruments. Many pupils take up this opportunity and are becoming competent musicians.

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MUSIC

158. Pupils in Years 5 and 6 understand how mood can vary with different styles of music. The school has acted on the recommendation made in the previous report to improve its range of instruments. As a result pupils now have access to a wider range of instruments, including Indian percussion instruments. They listened intently to how an eight beat cyclic pattern can be played. Pupils then worked in pairs, showing a very good level of concentration and behaviour to produce their own compositions. The rhythmic patterns pupils perform are of a high quality. A key factor in the quality of their performance is having the right instruments available for them to use. Orchestral Headlands Primary School - 41 music is used well in assemblies as a means of helping to develop pupils' listening skill.

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MUSIC

159. Lessons were observed with all three classes containing pupils from Years 5 and 6. The quality of teaching in these lessons was good overall. Teachers plan activities well and include good warm up activities such as clapping rhythms. Relationships are very good and pupils’ behaviour is well managed. The quality of learning is not as good when no opportunities are provided for pupils to evaluate the performance of others.

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MUSIC

160. The music scheme of work is new to the school and is being trialed this year. It covers all areas of the curriculum. This is an improvement since the previous report but it is not possible at this stage to judge its success. The co-ordinator has good subject knowledge and gives of her time willingly to organise the choir and provide additional instrumental tuition to pupils. Visiting music specialist teachers support pupils well.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

161. During the inspection lessons were seen in dance, gymnastics and games. Swimming and water safety activities are provided for during Years 3 and 4. Older pupils in Years 5 and 6 participate in a residential visit to France that enables them to take part in a range of adventurous outdoor pursuits. This aspect of the subject has improved since the last inspection when it was judged to be limited. As a result of this sound provision in physical education, all pupils, including those with special educational needs, make satisfactory progress overall throughout the school.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

162. Standards by the end of Year 2 are similar to those found in most schools. Pupils are confident in their movements and show appropriate control and co-ordination. They make good use of space when in the hall and know the need for warm-up and cool- down at the beginning and end of lessons. In a good lesson, pupils in Year 2 developed their dance skills well as they pretended to be high or low flying fireworks. They responded energetically to the musical stimulus, altering the rhythm, speed, level and direction of their movements. A class made up of pupils from Year 1and 2 demonstrated sound gymnastic skills as they explored different ways of moving around the hall and using a variety of apparatus. Pupils in Year 1 successfully used different movements to represent the characters in ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

163. By the end of Year 6, standards are satisfactory overall. Older pupils catch and throw with accuracy and safety when practising their rugby skills. Overall, boys displayed more confidence in these skills than girls. In another lesson, all pupils demonstrated satisfactory gymnastic skills as they performed symmetrical and asymmetrical balances. Younger pupils in Years 3 and 4 can link movements within a sequence and can offer constructive criticism to others.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

164. The quality of teaching is generally satisfactory with examples of good practice. The planning of lessons is sound and teachers are clear about the learning objectives to be achieved. Close attention is given to warming up and cooling down before and after activities. These are usually carefully managed and provide a good starting point for lessons. Games lessons contain well structured activities and pupils are provided with appropriate opportunities to repeat and practise their skills in order to improve them. They usually respond well during lessons and listen carefully to instructions. However, the quality of learning is not as good when the teacher has to spend too much time ensuring that pupils remain attentive. When such interruptions occur they slow down the pace of the lesson. Learning is better when the teacher chooses individuals to demonstrate and asks the rest of the class to evaluate the performance. When this

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Headlands Primary School - 42 happens pupils rise to the challenge of trying to emulate and better the achievements of their peers. The management of pupils is good overall and care is given to ensuring safe working practices.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

165. The subject is well managed. The co-ordinator is currently reviewing the scheme of work. The dance curriculum has already been re-organised and the gymnastic and games elements are to be done shortly. The attainment of each pupil is recorded at the end of each year. Resources and equipment are satisfactory overall. At the time of the last inspection it was found that some of the mats used for gymnastics were in need of replacement. This issue has been addressed. There is a good range of after- school sporting activities which includes football, netball and rugby.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

166. The school has maintained the standards identified in the last report. Inspection evidence, which includes two lesson observations, an analysis of pupils’ work, a discussion with the member of staff responsible for the subject and observations of displays, indicates that by the end of Years 2 and 6 pupils’ attainment is in line with the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

167. In Years 1 and 2, pupils make satisfactory progress in understanding the significance of religious symbols. Pupils in Year 2 learn that the candle given to babies at their Christening represents Christ as the light of the world. They know about some of the important festivals in the Christian calendar such as the Harvest Festival. When given the opportunity, pupils write about popular stories from the Bible such as Noah and the Ark. One child wrote in his book, ‘ Noah built an ark because God was going to do a flood’.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

168. The older pupils in Years 3 to 6 extend their knowledge of different religions including Hinduism thanks to relevant coverage of the scheme of work. The rate of pupils’ progress varies reflecting strengths and weaknesses in the quality of teaching and in the teachers’ confidence. Pupils in Years 5 and 6 have made good progress in refining their understanding of the significance of the river Ganges to Hindus. They know that Hindus believe that if their ashes are scattered in the Ganges, they will reach the world of their ancestors. In one lesson, the teacher shared with the class her experiences during a recent exchange visit to Morocco. She took the opportunity to focus on the beliefs of Islam and the importance of water and cleanliness to Muslims. Pupils made good progress in this lesson because the teacher introduced technical vocabulary such as Wadu and Salah.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

169. Only two lessons were observed during the inspection so it is not possible to make an overall judgement about the quality of teaching. In an excellent lesson observed with one of the older classes, the teaching was very effective because there was a lively and well-informed approach to the subject. The teacher used a variety of artefacts she had brought back from Morocco to hold the pupils’ attention and encourage positive responses. For example, she dressed one boy up in a djaballa, slippers and a hat. This enhanced the quality of learning because it made the content of the lesson more realistic. Both teachers have good skills in introducing lesson themes and providing pupils with many opportunities to respond to issues and ideas through discussion. However, the survey of work shows that teachers do not provide sufficient opportunities for pupils to undertake reflective writing in order to explore their own ideas and to raise

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

questions. Headlands Primary School - 43 170. The newly appointed deputy headteacher has taken over responsibility for the subject. The local authority has just completed a review of its religious education syllabus. The co-ordinator has already started to work on an updated policy and long-term plan, which is to be discussed with the whole staff before being implemented next year. There are currently no agreed procedures in place for recording the acquisition of skills as pupils move through the school.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

171. Resources have improved since the last inspection when they were found to be inadequate. The school now has a good collection of artefacts to support teaching and learning in all aspects of the Agreed Syllabus. The subject makes a good contribution to the pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development through its studies of Christianity and other world faiths and opportunities for pupils to reflect on a range of issues.

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