Elvington Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

CONTROLLED PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 14 – 17 October 2002

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CONTROLLED PRIMARY SCHOOL

Inspection number: 248268 Full inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 This report may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that all extracts quoted are reproduced verbatim without adaptation and on condition that the source and date thereof are stated.

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CONTROLLED 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. Elvington C of E Primary School - 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Infant and junior school

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Dauby Lane Elvington 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: Mrs S Challis

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: February 1998 Elvington C of E Primary School - 5

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

25431 Mrs L Clark Registered inspector Science Information and communication technology Geography Music Special educational needs What sort of school is it? How well is the school led and managed? What should the school do to improve further?

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

19343 Mrs M Howel Lay inspector Pupils' attitudes, values and personal development How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? 14591 Dr R Perkin Team inspector English Art Design and technology History English as an additional language The school's results and achievements How well are the pupils taught?

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

25376 Mrs L Alvy Team inspector Mathematics Physical education Religious education Provision for children in the foundation stage. Educational inclusion How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils?

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Yorkshire Educational Services Ltd 16 Burn Hall Darlington Road Croxdale DURHAM DH1 3SR

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

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

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE

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REPORT CONTENTS

Elvington C of E Primary School - 6 Page

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 10

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Elvington Church of England Primary School is smaller than average with 123 pupils between the ages of four and 11. It is set in an area which is largely affluent and numbers have doubled over a ten-year period as the village has grown in size. A small number of pupils come from further afield. Most pupils are of white British heritage; none is learning English as an additional language. The proportion of pupils qualifying for free school meals is considerably below the national average at less than one per cent. The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs is much lower than average at six per cent as is the number of pupils with statements of special need. The range of special needs includes autism, moderate learning, behavioural and emotional difficulties. Children’s attainment on entry to the school varies quite widely from year to year because of the small numbers; overall it is broadly average. Most pupils have attended the local playgroup which is

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

on the school site. Additional funding to keep class sizes small and to cater for an increase in the school’s standard admission number means that currently pupils are taught in small, single age groups of about 20. At the time of the inspection two teachers were on temporary contracts.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a very effective school. Pupils attain well above average standards because the very good teaching engenders in pupils the will to learn and fosters a genuine spirit of enquiry. There is very good provision for pupils’ personal development and the leadership of the school sets and expects high standards as well as providing a strong level of enjoyment. Very good management ensures that the school is run efficiently. The school gives very good value for money.

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What the school does well

• Standards in English, mathematics, science, art and design, geography and history are well above average by the age of eleven and above average in all other subjects. This is because of very good teaching and a rich curriculum very well supported by a wide range of extra- curricular activities and educational visits. • Pupils’ attitudes and behaviour are very good and the very good provision for their personal development fosters their independence and sense of responsibility. • The leadership and the management of the school are very good. • Parents make a very good contribution to their children’s learning.

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What could be improved

• The provision for swimming. • The coordinators’ overview of some subjects. • The provision of classroom assistants to help children in the reception class and to give additional support in classes where there are pupils with special educational needs. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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What could be improved

HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

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What could be improved

The school has made very good improvement since the last inspection in February 1998. Standards have improved markedly in Years 1 and 2 since then and are now above average. Pupils’ attainment in information and communication technology (ICT) is now above average because of the improved provision of ICT equipment and the many opportunities pupils have to use the computers. The timing of the school day has been adjusted and time keeping and punctuality are of a very high standard. Communication with parents has improved considerably and parents’ involvement with their children’s homework is a particularly strong feature. The school has very Elvington C of E Primary School - 8 effective procedures in place to monitor pupils’ behaviour and behaviour is very good. In addition, standards overall have improved from being broadly average to well above average by the end of Year 6. This reflects the considerable improvement in the quality of teaching since the last

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What could be improved

inspection and in several aspects of the leadership and the management of the school.

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STANDARDS

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

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schools

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

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schools

Standards in English, mathematics and science in the national tests for 11-year-olds were well above average in 2002. This marked an improvement on national test results in 2001 and a significant improvement since the last inspection in all three subjects. When compared to similar schools, standards were above average in all three subjects. The school comfortably exceeded its targets for both English and mathematics. The attainment of boys and girls varies from year to year, largely because of the small numbers involved but overall their attainment is not significantly different from the national pattern.

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schools

Pupils’ performance in the national tests for seven-year-olds for reading and mathematics in 2002 was in the top five per cent both nationally and when compared to similar schools. In writing, standards overall were well above the national average but below the national average for those attaining the higher than expected level. In teacher assessments for science, results were in the top five per cent both nationally and in comparison with similar schools, although the proportion attaining a level higher than typically expected was well below average.

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schools

Pupils achieve well and by the end of the reception year although standards in language, literacy, mathematics and creative development are broadly in line with the level expected, standards in communication, personal, social, emotional and physical development as well as knowledge and understanding of the world are a little above average. Pupils achieve well in Years 1 and 2 and standards are above average in English, mathematics and science. By the end of Year 6, pupils have achieved very well for standards overall are well above average, particularly in English, mathematics science, art and design, geography, history and in aspects of music, and above average in all other subjects.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Very good. Pupils are extremely enthusiastic and clearly enjoy learning. They ask many questions and use ICT very well to find out answers for themselves. Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Very good. Pupils behave very well and older pupils take their responsibilities very seriously and willingly supervise and play with younger pupils. Elvington C of E Primary School - 9 Personal development and relationships Very good. Relationships between adults and pupils are warm and friendly and so pupils learn tolerance and cooperation. This contributes to a caring and happy school. Attendance Very good. The very good levels of attendance and punctuality mean that pupils make the best of their time in school.

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

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

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

Teaching and learning are very good throughout the school. The teaching of English, mathematics, science, art, geography and history is very good and leads to very good development of pupils’ understanding and skills. Literacy and numeracy are very well taught. The skills of ICT are taught effectively so that pupils are able to use ICT well to learn in other subjects. Children are very well prepared in the reception class for their future learning. Teachers use exciting and stimulating methods and resources that capture pupils’ interest and lead them to work creatively and to think for themselves. Because teachers have very high expectations of pupils’ work and behaviour, lessons move at a brisk pace and no time is wasted. Very constructive relationships ensure that pupils’ behaviour is managed very well. Teachers use homework very well to extend pupils’ learning, particularly in Year 6.

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

Lack of support staff in the reception class inhibits pupils’ learning at times, particularly in outdoor activities. When pupils who have special educational needs are well supported they make good progress. There are occasions when teachers work without support in classes that contain particularly challenging pupils and learning sometimes slows as a result.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Good. The quality and range of the curriculum is good with particular strengths in the very good provision for extra curricular activities and the creative arts. The statutory requirement to provide opportunities for children to learn to swim is not being met. The school does a reasonable job to provide pupils with equal opportunities. The curriculum for outdoor activities for children in the reception class is limited. Provision for pupils with special educational needs Satisfactory. Although there is very good provision in terms of organisation, and individual education plans are of good quality, the level of assistance in the classroom is insufficient for pupils with behavioural and other learning difficulties. No pupils are currently identified as gifted. Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Very good. The school provides very good support for pupils’ personal

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Aspect Comment

development. Pupils are prepared effectively for life in a diverse society, and to take responsibility. The school encourages pupils to develop lively, enquiring minds and to reflect on what they learn. The school council is part of the school’s very good provision for pupils’ social development. How well the school cares for its pupils Provision is good. The procedures for personal support and guidance are very good. Procedures for assessing academic progress are effective. There are satisfactory procedures for child protection and to Elvington C of E Primary School - 10 ensure pupils’ welfare. How well the school works in partnership with parents The partnership is good. The school has good links with its parents and provides a good level of information about the curriculum and their children’s progress. Parents make a very good contribution to their children’s learning both at school and at home.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Very good. The head teacher and senior managers provide very effective management and give a very clear lead to other staff. The school is very well managed and the school’s aims are clearly reflected in its work. The quality of leadership is also very good. How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Well. The governors give good quality support and have a good understanding of the school’s strengths and its relative weaknesses. Not all statutory requirements are being met. The school’s evaluation of its performance Good. The school’s monitoring of its performance in English, mathematics and science is very strong and clearly links to the well above average standards pupils achieve. Teachers in charge of subjects other than English, mathematics, science and ICT have an insufficient overview of standards. The strategic use of resources

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Aspect Comment

Good. Financial management is very good and the school uses new technology very well to run the school efficiently. The school compares its performance with other schools, sets itself increasingly challenging targets, and ensures that financial decisions provide good value in relation to its educational priorities. Pupils are consulted regularly and their views are taken into account. Resources in terms of classroom assistance do not always match pupils’ needs.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Their children like coming to school • The quality of teaching is good and teachers have high expectations of their children • The school helps children to become mature and responsible and they make good progress • The school is well led and managed • A range of activities outside lessons • To be better informed about their children’s progress • The school to provide opportunities for their children to learn to swim

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspection team agrees with parents’ positive views and agree with their opinion that this is a very good school. They disagree strongly with parents’ views that the range of activities outside lessons could be better. One of the most striking features of this school is the wide range of extra curricular activities and educational visits to support many different aspects of the curriculum. These play an important contributory part in the very good standards pupils achieve. In the inspection team’s view, parents are given good quality information about their children’s progress. The school should provide the opportunity for pupils to learn to swim. Elvington C of E Primary School - 11

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1 Standards for 11-year-olds overall have improved considerably since the last inspection. This is reflected in pupils’ performance in national tests in English, mathematics and science, which was well above average in 2002. Over a period of eight years, the school’s analysis shows a steady increase in the number of pupils attaining the level expected for 11-year-olds. Although the trend in the school’s results appears to be lower than the national rate, this is largely because in 1995 the school started at around a 20 per cent higher rate than the national at that time and has continued that way. The proportion gaining the level above that expected has also increased. In 2002, the school comfortably exceeded its challenging targets for English and mathematics, the result of very good teaching and the successful implementation and adaptation of the national strategies for literacy and numeracy. The school’s results compared well with those of similar

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

schools in English, mathematics and science. In 2002, boys performed better than girls; however, this is not always the case. Over the years, comparative performance has varied considerably and there is no clear pattern in the relative attainment of boys and girls.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2 Children’s attainment when they start school varies considerably both within and across years. Overall, their attainment in most of the areas of learning is broadly at the level expected for their age, although their oral communication skills and their personal and social development is slightly better than this. By the time they leave the reception class, they are on target to achieve the early goals in language, literacy and mathematical and creative development and to exceed them in knowledge and understanding of the world, personal, social and emotional development and physical development. Approximately half the children have only two terms in the reception class because of where their fifth birthday falls. This is why their attainment, even with very good teaching, is broadly at expected levels for their age rather than above.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3 The very good teaching gives the children a positive start to their school life. By the time they reach the end of Year 2, pupils are consistently reaching levels above those expected, noticeably in English, mathematics and science. Their performance in the national tests for seven- year-olds in 2002 was outstanding in reading and mathematics, where their results were in the top five per cent both nationally and in comparison with similar schools. Pupils also did well in writing, although a below average proportion reached the level above that expected. A similar pattern was seen in the teacher assessments for science, where the number attaining the expected level was in the top five per cent nationally and in comparison with similar schools; however, the proportion gaining higher than expected levels was well below average. These variations are not seen in the present Year 2, where standards are consistently above average and higher attainers achieve well

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

in reading, writing, mathematics and science; pupils also attain well in speaking and listening.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4 Because of the consistently rich opportunities offered to pupils throughout the school to use their literacy and numeracy skills in other subjects, standards of literacy and numeracy are very good. Oral communication skills are also very well developed because of the exciting opportunities that pupils have to speak in public for a variety of purposes. The use of ICT in other subjects not only promotes skills and progress in those subjects but also ensures that pupils’ standards in ICT are above average by the time they leave the school. The high priority given to the arts and the very good standard of display ensures that pupils do very well in art and design and, by the time they leave the school, their standards are well above those expected. The very stimulating use of artefacts and other learning resources in the teaching of history and geography and a strong emphasis on the systematic teaching of the skills of these subjects ensures well above average

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

standards in both subjects. Standards in design and technology, music, physical education and religious education are above those expected for 11-year-olds by the time pupils leave the school. It is not possible to judge standards in swimming. Elvington C of E Primary School - 12 5 Pupils, including higher attainers and boys and girls, achieve very well during their time in school. Parents make a very good contribution to their children’s learning. The school is careful to ensure that pupils who have special educational needs are fully included in all aspects of school life and these pupils often make good progress because they are supported well; however, there are times when extra support is not available and their rate of learning slows so that overall their progress is satisfactory.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

6 Pupils have very good attitudes to their work and play. Their behaviour is very good, and the relationships throughout the school are also very good. The school has very successfully resolved the concerns about behaviour mentioned in the previous report. The attendance rate is well above the national average. These aspects make a very considerable contribution to the education the pupils receive, and are a strength of the school.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

7 Pupils clearly enjoy coming to school and show great enthusiasm for their work and play. In the overwhelming majority of lessons pupils have extremely good attitudes to learning and behave very well. As a result, pupils make very good use of the lesson time available to them. They take a very active part in their lessons and are very eager to offer opinions or join in discussions. This was seen on a number of occasions, most notably in a Year 6 history lesson where the pupils could hardly wait to get started because they were so keen to debate. The pupils take full advantage of the opportunities provided for extra curricular activities, including the sporting, musical and computer clubs. They talk with enthusiasm about their particular interests, and enjoy visits such as to the recent production of ‘Cats’. The pupils make good use of the playground and enjoy their breaks. Part of the playground is set aside for pupils to use scooters, skateboards or footballs.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

This was instigated as a result of discussions in the school council. The majority of the pupils know and understand the playground rules and thoroughly enjoy this additional feature.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

8 The behaviour of pupils is very good, both during lessons and breaks. They know and understand the school’s code of conduct, and they live up to the high expectations the teachers have of them. The children in the reception class, who had only been in school a few weeks, were already well aware of the classroom routines and the behaviour expected during playtime. There are very few incidents of oppressive behaviour. Initially the pupils are encouraged to try to resolve any difficulties themselves, but they know that the teachers will help and support them if a problem persists. There have been no exclusions during the past year.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

9 Pupils work very well together in pairs or small groups. They concentrate well and are very willing to listen to their fellow pupils. The Year 6 pupils help the younger children through the ‘helping hand’ scheme. They offer help and support during assemblies and at break times. They keep a friendly eye on their specific class and make a point of talking to the younger children during the day. This level of responsibility helps to promote the very good relationships within the school. All pupils are given very good chances to use their initiative and to take responsibility, and these opportunities increase as they move up the school. The school council has representatives from all year groups and, by the time pupils reach Years 5 and 6 there are excellent opportunities for pupils to undertake more challenging responsibilities. The pupils rise very readily to these challenges, and as a result, they increase in confidence and maturity.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

10 The attendance levels are well above the national average, with below average rates for non-attendance. Very few pupils arrive late to school. The school requires the pupils to change their shoes once they are inside the building. They either wear slippers or socks. This causes no time to be wasted and all lessons begin very promptly. Older pupils, however, are sometimes a little careless about putting their shoes back on if they have to nip out between buildings.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

Elvington C of E Primary School - 13 11 Teaching is very good throughout the school; in over one lesson in ten, it is excellent. Much of the excellent teaching is seen in Years 5 and 6. Teaching and learning are consistently very good in the reception class, where children are prepared very well for their later learning. The teaching of English and mathematics is very good so that pupils leave the school with very well developed skills in reading, writing, speaking and listening and mathematics. Literacy and numeracy are very well taught not only in English and mathematics lessons but also in most other subjects; frequent opportunities to find and record information are offered in several subjects. Pupils’ interest and skills in mathematics are developed by, for example, using ‘timelines’ or setting dates in chronological order in history and measuring contours in geography; pupils also explore

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

Greek, Egyptian and Islamic number systems. ICT is taught well in its own right and is also used regularly to enhance learning in other subjects; consequently, pupils are able to share their learning with others in a variety of ways such as the extended projects undertaken by pupils in Year 6, many of which strongly feature ICT. The teaching of science, art, history and geography is very good and pupils reach well above average standards in these subjects. The teaching in these and other areas is very effectively supported by the school’s commitment to providing a programme of stimulating visits and visitors to supplement the skills of the teachers and support staff. The very striking displays around the school also significantly enhance pupils’ learning.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

12 The strong and very successful emphasis on the teaching of skills in all subjects ensures that pupils develop their knowledge in, for example, history alongside a capacity to sort out what is likely to be true and what might be biased. Pupils in Year 2, for example, identify old teddy bears from newer ones by looking at wear and tear, the materials used to make their eyes and the clothes they wear, before learning that older teddies have other characteristics such as jointed legs and arms. Teachers are very good at teaching not just the facts but ensuring that pupils understand the implications of those facts. The skills of reading and writing are developed systematically from the reception class and parents are encouraged to help in this process through the very good homework arrangements and the homework diaries and planners used throughout the school. Consequently, pupils make very good progress in their communication skills, both written and oral,

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

and their enjoyment and understanding of books. As pupils get older, they are taught to apply more advanced skills so that, for example, pupils in Year 5 are expected to use metaphors in their poems and, by the time they are in Year 6, they are able to understand, with some help, the meaning of a complex speech from a Shakespeare play and to apply their learning to their own poetry with considerable success.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

13 Lessons almost always move at a very brisk pace. They start promptly and very little time is wasted. This very efficient use of time ensures that pupils work very productively and often with very good levels of creative and intellectual effort. The teachers’ very well developed skills in class management, based on very constructive relationships, lead to very good levels of behaviour so that pupils work independently and responsibly and, when asked, share resources and ideas amicably and without fuss. Teachers have very high expectations both of pupils’ behaviour and of their response to tasks. A great deal is expected, for example, of pupils in Year 6 in terms of the amount of homework they are set; they rise to this expectation very well because of the stimulating tasks and because much of it takes account of their own interests and their growing capacity to be independent. For example, a pupil spent a great deal of time preparing a presentation to the class

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

about pandas and gained much pleasure from the interested questions it provoked and the genuine appreciation it received from her classmates.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

14 Teachers are particularly good at choosing materials that capture the pupils’ interest and at presenting them in exciting ways. The teacher in Year 4 kept secret the writing in the family Bible until the pupils had carefully examined handwritten extracts from a recipe book that they decided were written by a Victorian person. It was only at the end of the lesson that the teacher revealed the handwriting in the Bible and the pupils realised that it was the same as in the recipe book. The methods used by the teachers are very well calculated to involve all the pupils. Questions are carefully targeted at particular individuals to draw out their learning or to build their confidence. Valuable aids to writing are used to help pupils whose writing skills are less well developed. However, where the pupil is considered to be capable, they are expected to work independently and to high standards. Elvington C of E Primary School - 14

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

15 Where classroom assistants and voluntary helpers are available, they are generally used well. For example, in a group of Year 3 pupils following the additional literacy strategy, the well trained classroom assistant taught the group well and they made good progress. When support is available for pupils with challenging behaviour, this helps these pupils to work well and also enables the teacher to ensure that the rest of the class do too. When no such support is available, there are times when the pace of learning drops while the teacher is dealing with problems posed by these pupils. Opportunities for outdoor play in the reception class are limited by the lack of a qualified assistant for sufficient time.

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PUPILS?

16 The curriculum provided by the school is good. It meets national requirements for all subjects except for the provision of swimming. It meets the requirements of the local diocese syllabus for religious education well. A very good range of activities outside lessons, such as gymnastics, music, computers and games also enrich the curriculum significantly. The national strategies for literacy and numeracy are very effectively planned and taught and contribute very well to the high standards pupils achieve. Improved resources for ICT have enriched the curriculum effectively since the last inspection.

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PUPILS?

17 The curriculum planned for the children in the reception class is suitably based on the national early learning goals for this age group. Each area of learning is carefully planned to provide interesting and purposeful activities. Provision for the outdoor curriculum is restricted in terms of accommodation, and the provision of resources for teaching and learning. There are insufficient adults in the reception class to provide a proper curriculum in relation to the learning that should take place outside.

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PUPILS?

18 The time given to subject teaching and other activities is now sufficient and is used very well. This has improved significantly since the last inspection. School starts early because pupils attend a ‘breakfast club’, extra music lessons are in full swing before the school day actually begins and after-school clubs extend the teaching day. Pupils move purposefully around the school; time during lessons is used very well and each subject moves swiftly onto the next so no time is wasted reflecting the high standards found in many of them. 19 The provision for pupils’ personal, social and health education is good. The current policies for this aspect of the pupils’ development provide a clear framework that ensures it is taught progressively through the school. It includes teaching about the misuse of drugs, sex education and vital issues such as racism and prejudice. Parents have the opportunity to withdraw pupils

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PUPILS?

from sex education lessons if they wish to do so. Provision for an adventurous outdoor activity course is being built in the school grounds and a visit from the ‘Jeep’ National Horse Riding Association has been planned in response to the national and school’s concern about children’s levels of fitness.

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PUPILS?

20 The provision for pupils with special educational needs is satisfactory overall. The quality of individual education plans and of the involvement of pupils, parents and outside agencies is good. Targets are appropriately challenging and developmental and written in language that pupils readily understand. The provision of additional classroom support is satisfactory for pupils with statements of special need but barely adequate for those pupils whose learning or behavioural difficulties are such that they find it hard to learn as well or as independently as others without additional adult assistance. Although the number of pupils so affected is very small, and they are taught in small classes, their learning nonetheless is adversely affected at these times.

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PUPILS?

21 A well-planned range of educational visits effectively enriches the curriculum and supports the pupils’ learning. This includes interesting residential visits for Year 5 and Year 6 pupils. Joint activities such as history and mathematics projects take place with the secondary school that the Elvington C of E Primary School - 15 pupils transfer to at the end of Year 6; these give pupils a taste of being taught by subject specialists. Visitors to the school are numerous and diverse. These include the local police, the school nurse and a range of sporting professionals as well as musicians, dancers and storytellers from pupils’ own and other cultures. Links with senior citizens and the drama group means the pupils are involved in local joint ventures as well as school events like the school marathon and the ‘Tudor Fair’. The school sponsors two children, one from South America and one from India, and

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PUPILS?

regular correspondence keeps them well informed of how money raised by the pupils is used.

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PUPILS?

22 The provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good. Provision in each of these areas of development complements the whole, giving pupils every opportunity to leave the school as well rounded and mature individuals.

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PUPILS?

23 Provision for spiritual development is very good and particular strengths lie in the development of pupils’ care and respect for themselves and others. The school works hard to develop a climate within which all pupils can grow and flourish, be respected and learn to respect others. For example the election of a school council meant pupils had to think about the qualities that would make them a good council representative. The mature writing gave the readers an effective insight into how the pupils felt that school life had prepared them well for the task. The school provides very good opportunities through drama and art to develop and express creativity. An impressive display of two and three-dimensional art work in Year 6 gives a powerful message celebrating sustained effort and individual expression. When the pupils gather together in assembly very good opportunities are provided to deepen their spirituality through the use of questions,

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PUPILS?

through music, quiet reflection and meditations written by the pupils themselves.

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PUPILS?

24 There is very good provision for pupils’ moral and social development. A clear moral code provided by the school rules is an effective structure for helping pupils to become responsible members of the school community. Older pupils set a good example to the younger pupils by their very good attitudes and behaviour. Being a member of the ‘Helping Hands’ is a source of pride to older pupils and younger pupils look up to them. As a result the school is a friendly and orderly community based on trust and respect. Teachers have high expectations of behaviour and rarely have to remind pupils about the consequences of their thoughts and actions on others. The current programmes for personal social and health education, citizenship and the School Council also support this area of development successfully.

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PUPILS?

25 There is very good provision for the pupils’ cultural development. Careful thought has been given to the importance of visits, visitors and events to provide opportunities for pupils to explore their own culture and that of others. Visiting artists and musicians for example from a range of cultures support the pupils’ cultural awareness very well. Pupils study the major world faiths during religious education such as Judaism and Sikhism as well as participating in events that reflect the Christian status of the school. Subjects such as English, mathematics, history, art, music and geography for example support cultural development well. By the end of Year 6 pupils are open to new ideas, they understand events that have shaped their own culture and are willing to reflect on them.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

26 The school cares well for its pupils. There is a friendly and calm atmosphere, and the pupils know they can turn to their teachers for help.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

27 There are effective procedures relating to child protection matters and health and safety. The delegated person has received training and all staff are aware of the procedures. Minor health and safety issues were brought to the attention of the headteacher, including the need for formal risk assessments to be carried out. The school has appropriate policies relating to attendance, behaviour and anti-bullying, and these are used effectively. Elvington C of E Primary School - 16 28 The teachers play an important role in the personal development of the pupils. They know the pupils and their families well, and offer good support if problems arise. The teachers work closely together and share relevant information. The pupils are confident they will receive help from their teachers, and the good relationships, particularly between pupils and teachers, demonstrates the effectiveness of the support the school provides for its pupils. The friendly caring atmosphere in

p.15

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

the school extends to all staff. The cook remembers each pupil’s birthday and provides a birthday cake for them. Such actions help the pupils to feel they are known as individuals.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

29 The school has good procedures overall for assessing pupils’ academic progress: they are very good in English, mathematics, science and ICT but less formally developed in other subjects. Teachers use the information gleaned from assessments well to determine what pupils should learn. Because of the way the curriculum is organised, there is a great deal of discussion between teachers about how to extend pupils’ learning and so levels of challenge, matched to pupils’ needs, are well thought out so that pupils build on what they know and understand as they move through the school.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

30 The parents are very supportive of the school and the education it provides for their children. There was a good response to the questionnaire, and the parents’ meeting was well attended. The parents said their children liked school and were helped to mature and to accept responsibilities. They felt that the school had high expectations of the children and there was good teaching provided. There were some concerns raised about the number of extra curricular activities available and the amount of information supplied to parents. There were also concerns that the children are not given the opportunity to learn to swim. The inspection team supports the parents’ positive views and shares parental concerns over the lack of provision for swimming. The inspection found, however, that the school provides very good extra curricular opportunities for its pupils, and that there is good information supplied to parents.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

31 Each term, parents are invited to spend an afternoon in school. Their children have an opportunity to show the work they have been doing, and take pride in sharing their experiences with their parents. This is followed by a formal meeting with the teacher, when parents can discuss their child and the work they have seen. Teachers are available at any time to discuss concerns or problems that may arise during the term. The annual reports the school provides are helpful and informative. They clearly relate to the individual child, and contain information about the targets for the coming year. Regular newsletters are produced and these keep parents informed of staff news and forthcoming events. Parents are also given information about the topics to be studied and the levels of work set in mathematics.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

32 Parents are welcomed into school for the Friday assembly, and they give good support to school events and productions. Some parents are able to offer regular teacher support during lessons, and this is appreciated by the school. There is an active parent/teacher association, and valuable funds are raised through the social events organised to provide additional educational resources.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

33 The co-operation and support the parents provide make a significant contribution to the learning and development of the pupils. The links between home and school are very strong. In particular, the home/school diaries offer a strong link between home and school, keep parents closely informed about what their children are doing and provide a useful link with the secondary school to which most pupils transfer, where a similar system operates.

p.16

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

Elvington C of E Primary School - 17 34 The school is very well led by the headteacher and senior staff. It is also managed very well. The efficient systems for management stem from a minute knowledge of the workings of the school gleaned through teaching and working closely alongside colleagues. This means that systems are unobtrusive, simple and linked very firmly to enabling pupils to attain above average standards. The school’s principal aim for pupils ‘to develop lively, enquiring minds, the ability to question and to argue rationally and to apply themselves to tasks’ is manifestly realised and is strongly supported through very good provision for their personal development enabling them to learn moral values and respect and tolerance of others.

p.17

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

35 The headteacher and senior managers set extremely high standards in their teaching and in their leadership: the underlying belief that pupils need to learn and to practise different skills in each subject is a strong contributory factor in pupils’ high achievement. The co-ordination of English, mathematics, science and ICT is very good because of rigorous procedures for assessment and scrupulous monitoring of both teaching and learning. The co-ordinator for special educational needs has scrupulous systems in place to track pupils’ progress and works well with teachers to ensure that individual education plans are accessible and easy for pupils to understand. Other subject co-coordinators, however, have a less assured overview of their subjects for they do not monitor standards through scrutinising teachers’ lesson plans or pupils’ work or through simple assessments to check pupils’ progress. Staff new to the school are given good guidance.

p.17

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

Temporary teachers, for example, have quickly settled in to the ways of the school and contribute as well as others to helping pupils to achieve very well.

p.17

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

36 The school improvement plan reflects the leadership’s very direct approach. It sets out in simple terms the school’s priorities for development and the rationale behind each proposed development including the implications for funding. As such, it can easily be understood by governors and enables them to give good quality support and suggestions for amendments if necessary. The governors are firmly supportive of the school’s commitment to keep class sizes small and believe that single year groups enable teachers to give the best quality of education. Although staffing is discussed regularly, the governors have not fully considered the consequences of limiting the amount of trained assistance in the reception class, for example, or fully recognised that in classes where pupils have particular learning or behavioural requirements they learn less well when they do not have support assistants. This sometimes makes it hard for pupils with

p.17

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

special educational needs to meet the targets in their individual education plans. The governors know the school well and have a good knowledge of its strengths and weaknesses. The statutory requirement that pupils be given the opportunity to learn to swim is not fulfilled.

p.17

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

37 The recent auditor’s report confirms that day-to-day financial management is very good and the school’s very good use of new technology helps with the efficient running of the school. The management of the school demonstrates a good understanding of the principles of best value in terms of competitive pricing linked firmly to educational value. A good example is the imaginative outdoor play equipment currently being installed to extend pupils’ physical development for pupils in Year 1 to Year 6. The consultative element of the process is relatively less strong and a small number of parents feel they are not always consulted sufficiently.

p.17

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

38 The school’s caring environment for learning, the stimulating teaching and fostering a love of the creative arts is strongly in evidence because of the very good leadership and management of the school. Elvington C of E Primary School - 18 Elvington C of E Primary School - 19

p.17

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

39 In order to improve further, the headteacher, other staff and governors should:

p.19

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(i) fulfil statutory requirements by ensuring that all pupils have opportunities to learn to swim by the time they leave the school; (Paragraphs 4, 16, 30 36)

p.19

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(ii) enable the co-coordinators of art and design, design and technology, geography, history, music, physical education and religious education to gain a fuller overview of their subject by:

p.19

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

- monitoring teachers’ short-term planning; - systematically reviewing samples of pupils’ work throughout the school; - developing procedures to assess pupils’ progress in their subject; (Paragraphs 35, 65-66, 70, 75, 75, 79, 82, 90)

p.19

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(iii) increase the level of support in the reception class and in classes where there are pupils with particular needs. (Paragraphs 5, 17, 36, 41, 43-45, 48, 55, 78)

p.19

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

In addition, the following minor point for improvement should be taken into account:

p.19

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Improve the resources in the reception class, particularly for outdoor activities* (Paragraphs 17, 45)

p.19

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

* Recognised by the school in its action plan. Elvington C of E Primary School - 20

p.19

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of lessons observed 43 Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 41

p.20

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor Number 5 18 15 4 0 0 0 Percentage 12 43 36 9 0 0 0 The table gives the number and percentage of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about teaching. Care should be taken when interpreting these percentages as each lesson represents more than two percentage points.

p.20

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR– Y6 Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 123 Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 1 FTE means full-time equivalent.

p.20

Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6 Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 1 Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 9

p.20

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils Number of pupils with English as an additional language 0

p.20

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 13 Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 18

p.20

Attendance

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence % % School data 4.2 School data 0.1 National comparative data 5.6 National comparative data 0.5 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Elvington C of E Primary School - 21

p.20

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

Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2002 * * 21

p.21

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics Boys * * * Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls * * * Total 20 20 21 School 95 (95) 95 (95) 100 (100) Percentage of pupils at NC level 2 or above National 84 (83) 86 (84) 91 (90)

p.21

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science Boys * * * Girls * * * Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Total 20 18 21 School 95 (95) 86 (100) 100 (100) Percentage of pupils at NC level 2 or above National 85 (84) 89 (88) 89 (88) Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year.

p.21

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

* In order to avoid identification of individual pupils, where the number of boys and/or girls falls below 10, the results are not shown.

p.21

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

Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2002 * * 21

p.21

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science Boys * * * Girls * * * Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Total 19 20 21 School 90 (84) 95 (80) 100 (80) Percentage of pupils at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 71 (72) 87 (85)

p.21

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science Boys * * * Girls * * * Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Total 18 19 21 School 86 (72) 90 (72) 100 (72) Percentage of pupils at NC level 4 or above National 72 (70) 74 (72) 82 (79) Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year.

p.21

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

* In order to avoid identification of individual pupils, where the number of boys and/or girls falls below 10, the results are not shown. Elvington C of E Primary School - 22

p.21

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.22

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

White – any other White background 1 0 0

p.22

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi 0 0

p.22

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British – any other Asian background 0 0

p.22

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black or Black British – any other Black background 0 0

p.22

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and classes: YR – Y6 Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 7.8 Financial year 2001-02 Number of pupils per qualified teacher 15.8 Average class size 20 £ Total income 356,987 Education support staff: Y[ ] – Y[ ] Total expenditure 348,859 Total number of education support staff 3 Expenditure per pupil 2,390 Total aggregate hours worked per week 30 Balance brought forward from previous year 38,516

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 46,644 Elvington C of E Primary School - 23

p.22

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 0.2 Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 2.5

p.23

Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0 Number of vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of a term or more (FTE) 1.5 Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) FTE means full-time equivalent.

p.23

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Questionnaire return rate Number of questionnaires sent out 123 Number of questionnaires returned 69

p.23

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category Strongly agree Tend to agree Tend to disagree Strongly disagree Don’t know My child likes school. 52 46 3 0 0

p.23

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 41 52 4 0 3

p.23

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 37 53 4 6 0

p.23

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 30 57 7 3 3

p.23

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 28 54 16 0 1

p.23

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 39 48 4 9 0

p.23

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 51 46 1 0 1

p.23

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 26 58 14 1 0

p.23

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 38 55 7 0 0

p.23

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 38 55 3 1 1

p.23

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 21 47 28 4 0

p.23

Other issues raised by parents

Parents expressed concern that the school does not provide opportunities for their children to learn to swim. Elvington C of E Primary School - 24

p.23

Personal, social and emotional development

40 Standards are above those normally expected by the end of the reception year. The quality of teaching is very good and, as a result, the children achieve well, particularly when the fact that half the children spend only two terms in the reception class is taken into account. The reception teacher has high expectations that children will behave sensibly and with great sensitivity helps individual children to think about how they should behave. Stimulating and interesting activities capture the children’s attention and so they concentrate very well. During a visit to the local church the children took part very maturely in a ‘mock’ christening and watched with awe as the Vicar demonstrated, using a favourite doll, how he blessed the baby. Listening quietly they tried to answer some of the teacher’s challenging questions about the church. One or two higher attainers knew that the church is a ‘special place’. Children apply themselves sensibly to tasks most of the

p.24

Personal, social and emotional development

time and work with sustained concentration. They talk very readily about what they are doing.

p.24

Communication, language and literacy

41 Standards are broadly average in language and literacy. Children’s ability to communicate orally, however, is above average and higher attainers in particular are quite articulate for their age. The majority of children speak clearly and communicate effectively. Children achieve well, learning quickly in response to the very good teaching they receive. Standards are no higher because some children have only two terms in the reception class before Year 1. Planning is well thought out and the teacher creates many opportunities to widen children’s vocabulary as in the role-play area where interesting resources encourage children to talk together as they play imaginatively. There are missed opportunities, however, to develop children’s language for thinking and expressing feelings and to help them to make connections in their learning because of the lack of trained, additional adult assistance.

p.24

Communication, language and literacy

42 Children begin to develop appropriate reading habits and share books sensibly in an inviting book corner. Higher attainers know that text and pictures tell a story and with adult help begin to read a simple sentence while lower attainers talk about a story very hesitantly, not fully understanding how to use the pictures to help them. Careful records aid teaching and both parents and the teacher work well together to help children to make good progress. This well organised approach to reading means there is rapid development but the teacher has to work hard to fill the gaps in children’s understanding of early reading conventions such as using picture clues to predict what might be happening in the story. Children make good progress with their early writing skills because there are plenty of opportunities to write informally and for a range of purposes. For example, children wrote labels for parcels they had wrapped; this gave them practice in writing two

p.24

Communication, language and literacy

key words, ’to’ and ‘from’, as well as their names. Because the labels were small they had to carefully keep their letters as even in size as possible. The teacher’s use of effective questioning and her high expectations result in highly motivated children. The results of the very good teaching can be seen in the fact that higher attaining children begin to write simple sentences using their knowledge of letter sounds to form the beginning of words and lower attainers confidently write and read back their own versions.

p.24

Mathematical development

43 Children achieve well and are on course to attain the level expected by the time that they leave the reception class. A small proportion of higher attainers are likely to reach levels above those expected. The quality of teaching is very good and provides a good balance between independent practical activities and written tasks. These are matched well to the children’s abilities Elvington C of E Primary School - 25 because the teacher keeps careful observations of achievement that are used to plan further work. Lessons are carefully planned with a clear structure that builds progressively on the important basic skills of numeracy. Positive relationships between the teacher and the children plus the use of interesting resources encourage enthusiasm and perseverance in tasks. For example, the children read a number and eagerly count the equivalent number of spots on the colourful ladybirds the

p.24

Mathematical development

teacher had made. Using individual whiteboards most children make a good attempt to read and write numerals to five although middle and lower attainers need assistance. Lessons move at a brisk pace and the teaching is so skilful that tasks change seamlessly so that the children remain interested and alert. Each aspect of mathematical development is taught systematically and computer software programs are used effectively to support this. For example two higher attaining children used the computer to make patterns; they found a shape, moved it and changed its size to make a pattern. They do not always wait to follow the teacher’s instructions however; this results in them making mistakes. Minimal additional support with independent tasks means that there are missed opportunities to develop mathematical and scientific language as children play with sand or water, for example, or through activities outside. This particularly adversely affects the standards

p.25

Mathematical development

reached by average and lower attaining children.

p.25

Knowledge and understanding of the world

44 The quality of teaching is very good and children learn at a good pace. Parents contribute very well through talking to their children about what they have been doing. Standards are above those normally expected and children achieve well. Most higher attainers are confident to ask and answer questions particularly when exciting events occur like the visit of a new baby. Children increased their understanding well because the teacher has a very good relationship with them building on their good attitudes to learning through high expectations and good use of questions. Progress is very good and by the end of the session the children had learnt to sequence a range of interesting baby, toddler and child toys and clothes. There are missed opportunities to develop activities associated with this topic such as imaginative ‘role play’ or the activity focus in the water because there is no additional adult support available. Children use the computer and

p.25

Knowledge and understanding of the world

audiocassette with facility. The additional support for the development of computer skills is good and gives children a good start to their knowledge, skills and understanding of ICT so that they confidently and independently use the a range of programs during practical activities.

p.25

Physical development

45 The teaching of more formal physical skills is very good and children learn rapidly because the very good teaching in lessons compensates for the limitations on the size, resources and use of the small outdoor space provided for the reception class. Careful planning, clear learning objectives and very good management and control are strengths in the teaching. Children are well behaved and respond well as a result, trying hard to follow instructions and control how they move on the floor and on the apparatus. Children benefit from daily opportunities to play outside alongside older pupils and, at set times, to use small games equipment and two wheeled toys brought from home. However there are significant limitations on the rich quality of experiences that should be provided by the outdoor curriculum. Insufficient additional adult support means limited opportunities to develop creative and imaginative play, to develop further the skills of co-operation and to learn

p.25

Physical development

how to make choices and become independent. Overall therefore, the quality of teaching in this aspect is satisfactory. Children have a satisfactory level of skill in using small equipment such as pencils, scissors and paintbrushes, though lack of additional adult support means missed opportunities to improve and prolong their use.

p.25

Creative development

46 Children’s creative work is satisfactory. Children have good opportunities to paint independently and to make choices from a range of paintbrushes and to mix their own colours using dry paint. Paintings are at the level expected for most pupils. Higher attainers take great care when printing for example and the finished product shows attention to detail and precision. Children Elvington C of E Primary School - 26 think carefully before choosing a range of materials to cut and stick and benefit from a parent’s sensitive intervention in helping to complete a task successfully. Creative activities are cleverly linked to other areas of learning by the choice of materials and resources provided by the teacher. For example, counting skills were reinforced when children painted ladybirds on a leaf shape or roll and cut out shapes to make a robot. The majority of children are confident to join in songs and

p.25

Creative development

rhymes and sing with a developing sense of rhythm. The teacher uses drama well to develop speaking skills and a group of children with good support from the teacher were confident to perform the traditional story of ‘The Enormous Turnip’ to an audience of older children in assembly. The quality of teaching is good overall.

p.26

ENGLISH

47 Standards have significantly improved since the last inspection and are now well above average. In the national tests for 11-year-olds in 2002, pupils’ performance was well above the national average and above the average for similar schools. These results exceeded the school’s targets by a considerable margin and marked an improvement on the results of the previous year. Standards are above average at seven in all aspects of the subject. Pupils achieve very well, starting school with broadly average standards in communication, language and literacy and making clear progress as they move through the school because of the consistently very good teaching they receive.

p.26

ENGLISH

48 The school has adapted the National Literacy Strategy very effectively to meet the needs of the pupils. Higher attainers are very well challenged by the tasks they are set and consequently achieve very well. Lower attainers make good progress in the extra lessons they receive with a well-trained classroom assistant. Pupils who have special educational needs make good progress when they receive extra support in the classroom; however, when there is no additional support, these pupils make satisfactory rather than good progress. Although there is considerable variation in the relative achievement of girls and boys in different years, overall there is no significant difference in their rates of achievement. Teachers are careful to ensure that both girls and boys are fully involved in lessons and that they make appropriate progress.

p.26

ENGLISH

49 Pupils’ standards of speaking and listening are well above average by the time they leave the school. Throughout the school, pupils are provided with many opportunities to develop their skills not just in English lessons. Teachers are adept at asking the right question to draw out an answer that involves more than a gesture or a single word or phrase in reply and even the youngest pupils get used to talking in front of the whole class, knowing that they will be listened to attentively. By the time they are in Year 6, pupils can speak articulately and with passion from the viewpoint, for example, of a landowner resisting change or a doctor desperate to establish some control over the health of the people. Such debates foster pupils’ confidence, their ability to see an argument from several points of view and an understanding of civic matters and the need to take account of others’ beliefs and opinions in presenting their own case. The two presentations that form part of the

p.26

ENGLISH

English curriculum for all pupils in Year 6 provide a more formal chance to talk from a script and be questioned about their research into an area of interest or into a topic that has been set by the teacher. Not only are pupils’ speaking and listening skills developed but also their skills in researching a topic from a variety of books, documents and the Internet and in organising material into a coherent piece of writing.

p.26

ENGLISH

50 Well above average standards in reading are promoted by the systematic teaching of reading skills and strategies in Year 1 and Year 2, the regular and frequent opportunities to read to adults in school and parents at home, a well equipped and organised library and a challenging selection of books available for each attainment level throughout the school. Pupils who are less skilled at reading benefit from the extra teaching they receive in small groups from a skilled classroom assistant. The very effective teaching of literature ensures that pupils have an insight into how stories and poems work, well in advance of that expected for their age. The poems that teachers choose to stimulate the pupils’ own writing are invariably of good quality and designed to Elvington C of E Primary School - 27 catch the interest of the particular age group. The teacher’s presentation of Geoffrey Summerfield’s

p.26

ENGLISH

‘Dusk Change’ to pupils in Year 5, for example, ensured that pupils could apply the ideas in the poem to their own experience and understand clearly just what the poet was trying to say. It was not surprising, then, that the pupils’ own poems were of a very good quality. The pupils’ very well developed reading skills were typified in an excellent lesson in Year 6 where pupils were taken through Shakespeare’s ‘seven ages of man’ speech and a child’s poem about the ‘seven ages of women’ before writing their own ‘seven ages’ poems. Their understanding of the concept was extremely skilfully brought out by the teacher so that their own poems showed how well they had understood Shakespeare's idea – and they could apply it to such varied topics as the seven ages of a badminton player (the baby had a ‘Lilliputian racket’) or a penguin (‘sheltered but imprisoned at birth by its father’s feet’).

p.27

ENGLISH

51 The well above average standards of writing are the result of the systematic teaching of basic skills with good attention being paid to handwriting and the development of a sense of pride in their work that leads to very good levels of presentation. Pupils are encouraged to write independently and to use their own words from the start and, while spelling is seen as important, the use of drafting books allows pupils to write fluently in the knowledge that they can check their spelling or their choice of words later through the use of dictionaries or thesauruses. Regular spelling homework from Year 1 onwards and the teachers’ careful marking reinforce pupils’ skills of spelling and punctuation. Pupils are encouraged to use a variety of connecting words in order to make their stories or accounts interesting: ‘After I had an ice-cream, I went on Thunder Mountain,’ wrote a Year 2 pupil. Teachers are very good at encouraging pupils to use their imaginations and

p.27

ENGLISH

be original – teachers read pupils’ work aloud or encourage them to read their own work to the class and pupils are generous in recognising original creations such as, ‘The guinea pig is a walking slipper’ or ‘The creaking bridge is calling you – come here now’. Pupils are provided rich opportunities to write for different audiences and purposes and to use different forms; for example, they write sermons and prayers for assemblies. Play scripts (one boy wrote a play called ‘The hedgehog's copped it!’), poems, accounts, diaries and letters all form part of the pupils’ experience. Writing is often stimulated by visits and visitors; for example, pupils travelled to a poetry day in a nearby town by train and used the journey as subjects for their poetry. Pupils are sometimes encouraged to write as though they were someone else and this stimulates some extremely effective writing. For example, as part of a topic about gargoyles that arose from a visit to a church,

p.27

ENGLISH

Year 6 pupils asked questions on behalf of the gargoyles: ‘Why do you condemn me to perch on high ledges?’ Pupils’ writing is often focused on a particular skill; for example, one task in Year 5 was to build suspense using adverbs.

p.27

ENGLISH

52 The quality of teaching and learning is very good, with the strongest teaching in Year 5 and Year 6 where it is often excellent. Strengths in the teaching are in the selection of materials and other resources and in the teachers’ confident subject knowledge that allows them to select exciting tasks and activities that promote the pupils’ creativity and stimulate them to work very hard and with enjoyment. The teachers’ very good class management, based on very constructive relationships, leads to very good behaviour, often very good levels of concentration and very good attention to pupils’ individual needs. In some classes, pupils who have special educational needs receive effective support from support assistants for their learning and personal development for part of the school day; these pupils achieve less well, however, when that support is not present. Pupils’ achievement is very well supported by homework. Planners and reading diaries are used well to

p.27

ENGLISH

allow parents to contribute to their children’s learning and to let the school know about their perception of how well their child is doing. In Year 6, the homework arrangements are excellent; as well as support and practice related to the national tests, pupils also prepare presentations, continue to practise their reading and writing and undertake a project that involves extensive research from a variety of sources and the recording and presentation of their findings in a variety of ways, often involving ICT.

p.27

ENGLISH

53 The subject is strongly led and managed. Assessment systems are very good so that the school knows which areas they need to focus on in particular classes and teachers are able to plan to put right weaknesses for particular groups and individuals. The subject makes a very strong Elvington C of E Primary School - 28 contribution to pupils’ personal development by encouraging their creativity, developing their appreciation of literature and promoting their understanding of the feelings and values of others.

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MATHEMATICS

54 Standards in mathematics are well above the level expected by the end of Year 6. Pupils achieve very well. Standards have improved considerably since the last inspection, particularly in Years 1 and 2. The subject is strongly supported by the effective use of the National Strategy for Numeracy providing systematic teaching of key objectives year on year so that pupils build up knowledge, skills and understanding in a very progressive way. The subject is well led and supported by both the headteacher and the subject co-ordinator. Effective assessment procedures and careful analysis of national test results are used well to monitor pupils’ achievement each year. This provides a very clear picture of what is required to rectify pupils’ misconceptions and work is planned accordingly. Tracking of pupils’ progress is used well to predict expected levels of attainment by the end of Year 6 and additional support is provided where necessary and early

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MATHEMATICS

55 Strong features of lessons are the consistently effective lesson planning; succinct learning objectives introduced clearly and taught well; very good management of pupils; and effective organisation leading to well-behaved and attentive learners. Teachers mark work regularly and so common misconceptions are rectified quickly, such as reaching the wrong answer in the subtraction of two-digit from three-digit numbers because the sum has been set out incorrectly. In the infants, pupils are given plenty of opportunities to practise basic skills; for example pupils in Year 1 counted forwards and backwards from zero to 20 with facility. The teacher extended this by challenging pupils to throw a dice and double the numbers. Higher attaining pupils quickly calculated the answer mentally whilst average and lower attainers needed support to complete the task. Pupils with special educational needs were able to take part productively because of the extra

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MATHEMATICS

classroom assistance, though this is not always available. By Year 2 pupils are eager to demonstrate their ability to calculate numbers to 100. During a well-paced mental arithmetic activity they showed good understanding of addition and subtraction as they applied the method of adding 10 and adjusting by one to add nine to any two-digit numbers. Presentation of work is neat showing perseverance and care. Higher attaining pupils can read, write and order whole numbers to a 1000 and know what each digit represents.

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MATHEMATICS

56 The quality of teaching is very good overall with excellent teaching in both Year 5 and Year 6. Well thought out and well-paced lessons extend pupils’ mathematical understanding very well. For instance, in a very good lesson, three pupils in Year 4 quickly understood how to measure the perimeter of a quadrilateral triangle by calculating the sum of the two sides. The teacher sensibly used the pupils to demonstrate this to the rest of the class. This they did confidently so the teacher increased the challenge by asking the pupils to explain how to find the length of the four sides of a square whose perimeter measures 24cms. The pupils were riveted as higher attainers used some ingenious methods of calculation to reach the answer. Similarly in a very good lesson in Year 6 pupils worked quickly as the teacher set the scene effectively for an investigation where pupils needed to solve a problem by making 100 flowerbeds using a given pattern of hexagonal slabs.

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MATHEMATICS

Pupils applied themselves industriously to the task, working at a rapid rate, recording data neatly and carefully. Higher attaining pupils quickly applied a formula to their recorded results. Some pupils explained how they thought it was going to be a difficult problem to solve but they helped each other at the beginning and worked it out ‘step-by-step’.

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MATHEMATICS

57 Pupils have plenty of opportunities to use and apply their mathematical knowledge and skills. For example, excellent and imaginative teaching in a Year 5 lesson turned what could have been an abstract lesson on percentages into a practical one through the use of story, involving 100 pirates on a pirate ship. The pupils giggled appreciatively as they realised the implications of 50 per cent being seasick. Furthermore, writing their own ‘percentage stories’ gave pupils the opportunity to Elvington C of E Primary School - 29 apply what they had just learnt. Extremely good use of ICT enabled pupils to work co-operatively or independently resulting in a rapid work rate and above average standards. Pupils work very well and as they get older they are encouraged to evaluate their achievement. Pupils know when they have struggled and need more support and when they are ready to move on. A well-planned

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MATHEMATICS

system of homework contributes very well to the progress pupils make.

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MATHEMATICS

58 The lively and imaginative teaching generates a very good response from pupils, creating a very good working atmosphere. The climate of care and support for each other fostered by the school means pupils ask for help readily without fear of ridicule when they recognise that they do not understand. They work very confidently either independently, in pairs, in groups or as a class. The quality of teacher’s planning the use of resources and the often-ingenious way mathematics is taught gives a clear picture of why standards in mathematics are high in this school.

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SCIENCE

59 Standards are well above average at the end of Year 6 and have improved substantially since the last inspection. Standards are above average overall at the end of Year 2 because pupils, including lower attaining pupils and those with special educational needs, reach at least expected standards by the age of seven. The strong emphasis throughout the school on pupils learning through undertaking practical investigations, which they record in their own way, has a considerable impact on their very good overall achievement by the end of Year 6. The subject is extremely well led by a knowledgeable and enthusiastic co-ordinator who has worked alongside colleagues developing their interest and expertise in the subject as well as fostering a very largely practical approach to science in every class. This, together with effective systems for recording pupils’ progress, has had a most beneficial impact on standards and contributes well to the very good

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SCIENCE

quality of teaching seen throughout the school.

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SCIENCE

60 By the end of Year 2, pupils attain above average standards in terms of presentation, understanding and explaining their findings using their own words. Pupils’ observations are accurate and higher attainers give good reasons for selecting certain materials for making a window in a doll’s house, writing ’the best one is the yellow one because it is see through and is a little bit strong.’ In a very good lesson, the teaching led to high levels of learning as the pupils excitedly discussed what was happening. An average attainer explained that, ‘Every time you pour water in it goes to the bottom and pushes off into the middle and then stops’. A lower attainer commented that the bubbles ‘go to the top and then they explode’ and a higher attainer began to work out that ‘because a sponge sucks up water it sinks because it’s very heavy’. What made the teaching very good was the seamless link between the activity, the pupils’ hypotheses and moving

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SCIENCE

on to examine water in a changed state. Lower attainers were given the opportunity to learn through touch, discovering that when a warm hand touches ice, ‘it gets a bit warmer’. The very good level of questioning and the teacher’s instinctive understanding of the excitement of learning something new created a charged atmosphere of suspense as the pupils held their breath to see what would happen when a frozen balloon was dropped.

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SCIENCE

61 Standards are well above average by the end of Year 6 and a real zest for learning is evident in most classes. In Year 4, pupils enthusiastically collected worms to make a "wormery" and carefully examined a piece of cut turf for evidence of plant and animal life. The quality of questioning is very good and enables pupils to work out answers for themselves which especially benefits higher and average attaining pupils and is useful as a way of giving additional explanations to lower attainers. In Year 5, through careful observation of different fruits, pupils modified their original ideas as to what a fruit was. Higher attainers worked out that a fruit might be an ovary and offered plausible suggestions as to why some fruits had very tough skins. The same quality of excitement at discovering for themselves was evident in an excellent lesson in Year 6 in which pupils moved quickly from categorising seeds they were familiar with to those unknown to them.

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SCIENCE

What lifted this learning out of the ordinary were the pace and the well above average knowledge which enabled pupils to discuss the likely method of dispersal for a coconut. When looking at Elvington C of E Primary School - 30 seeds dispersed by wind pupils could say not only that the seeds were ‘very light’ but also how they would travel and why they might need to travel some distance.

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SCIENCE

62 The teaching gives pupils many opportunities to make independent choices; for example, selecting individual flowers to study in detail using ICT to research additional information. The quality of marking is good overall though variable as there is no systematic scheme of marking for science throughout the school. Teachers have very high expectations of standards of presentation. In Year 6, the marking is of exceptionally high quality and makes clear to pupils where weaknesses lie and what needs to be done to improve their work. Separate marks for content and technical aspects of recording as well as detailed comments such as ‘These are really carefully produced diagrams. Your labels are accurate but a little tricky to read.’ help to encourage lower as well as higher attaining pupils.

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ART AND DESIGN

63 Standards have improved since the last inspection and are now well above those expected by the end of Year 6. Pupils, including higher attainers, achieve very well; pupils who have special educational needs make good progress, particularly when they receive extra support.

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ART AND DESIGN

64 Very good teaching ensures that pupils develop their skills systematically in all areas of the art and design curriculum. The school complements the teachers’ skills through the use of visiting artists who share their special skills with both teachers and pupils. For example, a visitor worked in clay with Year 2 pupils, who produced pleasing picture frames decorated with shapes and patterns in clay of a different colour. By the time pupils are in Year 6, they are able to use a wider range of tools to manipulate clay into closely observed cross sections of a variety of fruit, using a much more sophisticated variety of techniques to portray skin textures and the shapes of the seeds. Year 6 pupils also produced excellent models of gargoyles alongside appropriately shaded pencil drawings. Similar progress can be seen in the quality of the pupils’ observational work where their drawings and paintings of plants and flowers show more careful detail and control as they grow

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ART AND DESIGN

older. Younger pupils create collages that are colourful and have a good sense of texture. Year 1 pupils worked with a visiting artist on weaving textiles into colourful mats after looking at Indian clothes and fabrics. They also produced striking collaborative wall hangings from a variety of painted fabrics and other materials. Year 2 pupils produce striking full length collage figures in the style of Klimt. The collage work of older pupils shows more control and more appropriate choice of materials with a greater variety of textural effects. Pupils in Year 3 move on to more elaborate three-dimensional works when they produce very impressive papier-mâché owls; they are all the more effective because of the imaginative way in which the teacher has displayed them sitting on a branch in front of the drawings and paintings of owls which preceded the sculpture activity.

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ART AND DESIGN

65 The quality of display is very good throughout the school and enhances the pupils’ work significantly. For example, a large seascape produced collaboratively by Year 4 pupils stands out impressively from the wall. Reproductions of famous paintings are displayed all over the school and much of the pupils’ art work is inspired by the work of well-known artists such as Matisse and Georgia O’Keeffe. The teaching generates a sense of excitement and stimulates pupils’ creativity very effectively so that pupils of all abilities and talents achieve to their full potential. Visits such as that to the Yorkshire Sculpture Park extend pupils’ experience further. A very productive ‘Big Art Day’ enabled pupils to work together in mixed-age groups to make artefacts for an enchanted forest from old bicycle wheels, used wood and metal, old fabrics and natural objects. Twenty-four pieces were created, including a paintbrush lollipop, a feather-brain creature and lovely singing tree. The

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ART AND DESIGN

subject makes a very good contribution to pupils’ personal development which would be even better if the range of art experiences was extended to include a wider range of art and design from other cultures. The keen and knowledgeable co-ordinator promotes the subject well but has only informal opportunities to gain an overview of the subject.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

Elvington C of E Primary School - 31 66 Standards in the subject have improved since the last inspection and are now above average by the end of Year 6. Pupils make good progress throughout the school and understand the need to plan for a project and to evaluate how well it works afterwards. The co-ordinator is enthusiastic and knowledgeable but as yet there are no procedures to give a clear view of how successful the subject is: the co-ordinator does not monitor teachers’ planning, or pupils’ work. Assessment systems are only just beginning to be put in place.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

67 Pupils in Year 1 chose the kind of puppet they wanted to make and decided on the materials they needed to make it. Their evaluations of the puppets were in the form of discussion with the teacher. Older pupils record in writing and diagrams their designs and any modifications they make after evaluation. For example, pupils in Year 5 used graph paper to produce a detailed, carefully measured plan of the shoe they wanted to make. They had already learned about the qualities of possible materials so that they could choose the material they thought most appropriate. Some plans had to be re-thought after they were found not to fit the designer’s foot properly. Pupils used a range of fixings to ensure that the shoe did not fall apart and, after they had completed the shoe and tried it on, they decided what they needed to do to improve it. They recorded this evaluation by taking photographs and labelling the bits they thought worked and those they felt did not work.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

68 No lessons were seen but it is clear that teachers ensure that pupils’ preparation for their designs is full and informative. For example, Year 5 pupils drew diagrams of chairs to determine exactly how they were constructed and then examined detailed pictures of chairs by a range of famous designers before starting to plan their own designs. Finished products are of good quality, as shown by the detail of doll’s houses with their well-thought out colour schemes, tiled roofs, wall dividers and carpets. Pupils successfully designed and constructed battery driven lights that worked, to go on model Christmas trees. Pupils use an appropriate variety of tools and materials and learn the skills of the subject systematically.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

69 The subject is very well supported by educational visits and visitors. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 visited a local pizza restaurant as part of their food technology programme and were taken through the whole pizza-making process, making, baking and eating their own pizzas before giving their judgement on their quality. Other pupils learned to build a wall using bricks and mortar under the supervision of a local builder. On another occasion, pupils made excellent food creatures such as cucumber alligator and a kiwi-fruit hedgehog.

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GEOGRAPHY

70 Standards are well above those expected at the end of Year 6. Pupils achieve very well, acquiring detailed knowledge and skills of enquiry that are well above average for their age. This is largely because of a well-planned curriculum in which geography is enriched by other subjects, such as ICT and art and design, as well as educational visits both locally and farther afield. Standards have improved considerably since the last inspection as a result of the very good teaching and the strong emphasis on pupils finding out information for themselves through using the Internet and CD-ROMs. The subject is satisfactorily led by a relatively inexperienced co- ordinator. Without time to scrutinise lesson plans or assess pupils’ work in order to monitor standards throughout the school, she has limited impact apart from purchasing consumable resources. The interest and expertise the leadership of the school has in the subject, however,

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GEOGRAPHY

means that geography is often central to residential and other educational visits as well as other subjects. This has a positive impact on standards and the overall quality of teaching.

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GEOGRAPHY

71 By the end of Year 2, pupils have a good understanding of why different types of dwellings are built in different places. Although no teaching was seen at this stage, it is quite clear from pupils’ previous work that they develop above average skills in creating and interpreting maps both of the local village and of a contrasting locality on the coast. Pupils use ICT very well to depict a journey to the seaside and use different symbols imaginatively to show the sun, sand castles and the sea. Higher attainers wrote a long account at the side of their map to show the transition from one place to another. By the end of Year 6, standards are well above average. The work is very carefully planned so that pupils build on what they know and understand. There is a strong emphasis on using correct terminology and in Year 5, for instance, pupils collected useful terms and their meanings. Teachers encourage pupils to use their own ideas; in Year 4, for example,

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GEOGRAPHY

Elvington C of E Primary School - 32 pupils found out about different mountainous regions of the world using the Internet. This leads to a well above average understanding so that lower attainers, for example, understand that ‘When India reached Asia it made the Himalayas’. In Year 6, pupils used several websites to find out about questions which interested them such as ‘Which is the dirtiest mountain in the world?’ as well as the different animals and vegetation to be found in mountainous regions. Higher attainers explained that certain types of animals with hooves ‘cope with uneven slopes because they are sure-footed to climb the jaggy and uneven stones’. The teaching balances conveying information with questioning to check pupils’ understanding very well indeed. Pupils clearly find geography interesting and ask probing questions such as this from an average attainer: ‘What happens in between the rain

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GEOGRAPHY

72 The teaching has high expectations and pupils’ work is marked thoughtfully, encouraging them to present their work imaginatively and neatly. Extended educational visits to London give pupils in Years 5 and 6 the opportunity to test their map reading skills as they follow the underground maps to get to different places or work out the co-ordinates for St Paul's or Kew Gardens. This broadens the curriculum for geography and emphasise the need for accuracy. Consequently, all pupils, including those with special educational needs attain at least average standards and most average and higher attainers far exceed expectations.

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HISTORY

73 Standards have improved since the last inspection and are now well above average by the time pupils leave the school. Pupils of all levels of attainment achieve very well. Those in Year 6 have a mature understanding of the importance of evidence and very well developed skills in evaluating it. Their classroom has a display about varieties of evidence to which pupils can refer. This ensures that pupils consider a wide range before committing themselves to a judgement. They understand that people of a particular period are like us in having different viewpoints. Younger pupils learn to put themselves in the shoes of other people in the past through writing as though they were, for example, a child living in the workhouse in Victorian times. Older pupils took on the roles of civic dignitaries, each with his or her own point of view, to discuss the pros and cons of establishing a health board for every town; not only was this a most enjoyable experience for the

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HISTORY

pupils, but it taught them a great deal about seeing things from a viewpoint that they themselves did not share. By the time they are in Year 6, pupils’ knowledge of history is very well developed. Younger pupils develop their sense of chronology by looking at, for example, holidays now and in the past. Pupils in Year 2 begin to refine that knowledge when they look at three teddy bears and have to decide which is the newest and which is the oldest. Knowledge of chronology is reinforced by displays of aspects of Victorian life in relation to time in all classrooms.

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HISTORY

74 The quality of teaching and learning is very good. History is taught through a series of topics studied by all years at the same time. Because the planning is good, there is very little overlap from year to year and pupils are able to build upon their past knowledge and the skills they have developed earlier to learn more about the topic and increase the depth of their understanding to levels that are well above those expected for their age. For example, when studying Victorian England each class deals with an aspect of the period at levels that matched the age group concerned while challenging the higher attainers to go further. Teachers use very high quality materials in their teaching, many of them provided by themselves or brought by the pupils. The variety of teddy bears brought by the teacher and the pupils for a Year 2 lesson provided a rich resource for the teacher to use. Good quality photographs of original documents are used

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HISTORY

whenever possible to add authenticity and to provide pupils with examples of evidence. The role play sheets provided for a debate about health boards in Year 6 were extremely well planned to ensure that pupils not only had to think about the viewpoint of the character they were to play but also had to take account of the viewpoints of all the other characters. Teachers make imaginative use of the local community. The evocative old photographs displayed around the school raise pupils’ interest in the history of their school and the village; history has a highly visible profile in the school. Human resources are used effectively as, for example, when senior citizens from the village were interviewed by pupils about their memories of the war or when a support assistant shares her experiences as a child. Learning resources are used extremely well to capture pupils’ interest and to stimulate independent thought. For example, the teacher in Year 4 began the lesson

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HISTORY

by showing pupils things with familiar brand names that she had bought at the supermarket that Elvington C of E Primary School - 33 weekend. The pupils were amazed when they were told that all these brand names were established in Victorian times – they then avidly searched for the label on each article that showed the year of the firm’s establishment. The teaching is characterised by high expectations and exciting teaching methods to which pupils respond very positively. Because of the high levels of interest, pupils’ behaviour and work levels are very good.

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HISTORY

75 The co-ordinator is very knowledgeable and capable but the co-ordinator’s role is under- developed and she has little opportunity to examine teachers’ planning or to monitor samples of pupils’ work systematically. Assessment systems are beginning to be put in place.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

76 Standards in ICT are above average by the end of Year 6 and reflect the attention the school has paid to improving aspects of this subject since the last inspection. Pupils achieve well. ICT infuses the curriculum in most subject areas and the central location of the computer suite makes it easily accessible to pupils during other lessons as well as being large enough for a whole class to be taught together. In addition, there is a rota for each class to use the computer suite at lunchtimes and pupils avail themselves of this and additional opportunities after school to practise their skills. Pupils clearly enjoy working together and lower as well as higher attainers make good progress throughout the school. The quality of teaching is good and staff, under the very good guidance of the co-ordinator, find ingenious ways to develop pupils’ skills in ICT through other subjects. ICT is very well led and managed and pupils’ skills as they progress through the school

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

77 Pupils in Years 1 and 2 are adept at finding and exiting from programs and printing out their own work. In Year 2, they use the mouse very effectively to draw and colour in objects to be found in church such as the font or lectern. Higher attainers are able to depict a stained glass window in some detail, building on their skills acquired in Year 1 when pupils described how they ‘clicked on the colour and drawed an outline’. In Year 4, pupils use the Internet with ease and by Year 6 pupils present an autobiography or a particular hobby very effectively using a wide range of different media. Often ICT links in with other subjects such as science, when pupils devise how to set up a burglar system for a house or geography as when they use different types of spreadsheets to present data or program traffic lights timed correctly to come on in sequence. In an excellent mathematics lesson, pupils’ understanding of percentages developed apace as they challenged

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

themselves to move on to the next level, progressing from percentages of 100 to 50 and then 25. They were reluctant to leave ‘the game’, as they saw it, incomplete.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

78 The quality of teaching is good overall as is teachers’ knowledge of the subject. Their expertise is further enhanced by the assistance of a technician so that ambitious lessons are less likely to be hampered by technical hitches. When pupils with special educational needs are given additional assistance this enables them to achieve well; otherwise they require a lot of support from the teacher. A strong feature of the teaching is the organisation and management of pupils so that no time is wasted and the maximum time is spent on practical activities. Pupils clearly enjoy using computers and happily work together, both helping and challenging each other. Pupils spend some of their spare time devising interesting covers for different projects and delight in exploring a range of fonts and styles as they experiment with different colours and layouts. Resources for learning are mostly easily accessible for pupils to use, though the storage of CD-ROMs is a little

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MUSIC

79 Standards in music are above expected levels by the end of Year 6 and similar to those reported in the last inspection. Standards are higher in instrumental playing because all pupils in Year 3 learn to play the descant recorder and approximately half the juniors learn to play another musical instrument as well. Consequently, all pupils learn to read conventional notation for the treble clef. The school is very well served by visiting music teachers so pupils learn to play a range of woodwind, brass and stringed instruments. The school has a very good tradition of musical Elvington C of E Primary School - 34 performance and there are opportunities for pupils to sing and dance as well as to play in the school’s and the local school’s orchestras. The subject is well led though opportunities to assess progress as pupils move through the school are limited. The co-ordinator gives good guidance on

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MUSIC

the curriculum and resources for learning but rarely sees teachers’ plans and so cannot advise on effective practical activities. Only a small range of lessons were seen and none in Year 5 or 6.

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MUSIC

80 Pupils are very enthusiastic about music and it is not uncommon to hear ripples of laughter as young pupils work out unfamiliar scales on an instrument. The quality of teaching is at least good and games such as a ‘lucky dip’ bag to select which scale to play add a sense of shared enjoyment as pupils exclaim, for example, at having to play a scale in G minor. Pupils in Year 2 learn to play and sing phrases following simplified notation with above average levels of success and concentration. The teaching expects pupils to use and to understand technical terms. Thus in Year 3, for example, pupils correctly identify by name and clap the correct rhythm for quavers, crotchets and minims. Pupils sing confidently and musically and articulate the words clearly. Lively piano accompaniments encourage pupils to sing with gusto. Boys as well as girls in Year 5 are very proud of the end of year production of ‘Cats’ which they performed with last year’s Year 6. The

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MUSIC

very knowledgeable lead provided by the headteacher helps pupils to appraise music at the start of assemblies, identifying, for example, a few bars used in West Side Story taken from a Beethoven piano concerto. Pupils new to orchestral playing quickly learn to perform confidently with others because of the high expectations of music making. Pupils in Year 3 learn to compose music, selecting instruments, for example, to suggest different animals and write an effective narration through sound to convey a sequence of events. Standards at this stage are above average and teachers’ planning indicates that skills learnt at this age are used well to develop future learning as pupils grow older.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

81 By the time they leave school, pupils’ attainment is above expected levels. No judgement has been made about attainment in swimming, as the school has chosen not to teach it at present. This is because the vast majority of pupils have swimming lessons outside school. Pupils of all levels of ability, including those with special educational needs achieve well. Standards by the end of Year 6 are similar to those reported in the last inspection. There has been good improvement in the standards achieved in Years 1 and 2. Evidence of increasing skill and very good progress in Year 1 dance, for example, suggests that standards are improving rapidly as a result of the very good teaching of physical skills in the reception class.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

82 The quality of teaching is good overall with very good teaching seen in both Year 1 and Year 6. Most lessons have a good structure with a suitable warm-up activity, a period of sustained activity linked closely to the lesson objectives and then a period to cool down. In an effective Year 2 dance lesson pupils demonstrated a good awareness of using a controlled starting position. They responded well to the teacher’s enthusiastic guidance and tried hard to interpret the music as they extended their ability to travel in different directions. Higher attaining pupils began to make sensible and simple judgements about other’s work although some pupils found it difficult to remain still and concentrate fully during this time. Whilst teachers plan carefully, introduce clear learning objectives well and use pupils to demonstrate to help them to evaluate other’s work they do not always extend this to include the pupils’ evaluation of their own progress and achievement. In a very good lesson

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

in Year 6, despite the inclement weather, because of the strengths in the planning, organisation and management, the pupils, who were determined to complete a game of ‘Tag Rugby’, quickly and sensibly returned to the classroom when rain stopped play, to take part in a very good discussion on tactics before returning swiftly to the pitch to continue the game. The teacher’s very good subject knowledge and management of the lesson meant that pupils’ very good efforts led to rapid progress in using tactics to beat the opposition in a competitive game. Pupils are keen to succeed, listen carefully and persevere with improving their performance in running, passing and defending. Higher attaining pupils showed skilled and controlled running, very good footwork and tactical manoeuvres to secure a goal.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

83 Whilst teachers assess pupils’ progress effectively during lessons there is insufficient formal assessment built into planning to give a clearer picture of standards and achievement across the school. The monitoring of teaching and learning is largely underdeveloped and so there Elvington C of E Primary School - 35 is no provision for making sure that knowledge, skills and understanding is being systematically developed by pupils. The co-ordinator has a very clear view of the subjects’ development. A suitable space is available indoors and outside although the storage of equipment in the hall other than that required for physical education restricts its use.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

84 Additional good teaching of games skills in activities such as football, netball and rugby is provided in activities outside the normal school day. The subject is well managed and the co- ordinator ensures that older pupils have the opportunity to take part in competitive sport such as netball, rounders and football. The use of visiting experts from, for example, professional rugby and football clubs also helps to develop pupils’ skills in these and other sports further. Teaching and learning in outdoor and adventurous activities is effectively developed through the regular annual residential visits and visits to a local secondary school each having a wide range of sporting facilities. Pupils respond very positively to such opportunities and discuss them enthusiastically. The visits, the opportunity to take part in team games and the strong spirit of co-operation and pleasure in competing and performing make a significant contribution to the pupils’ spiritual, moral,

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

85 Standards in religious education are above the level expected by the end of Year 6; pupils achieve well. Pupils with special educational needs achieve well when there is additional support available. The quality of teaching is good overall and as a result pupils are positive about their work. Exemplary relationships were seen in a Year 6 lesson because the excellent teaching allowed pupils to very effectively explore and share personal insights and beliefs linked to a Christian theme of prayer. Improvements since the last inspection are good because the curriculum is now planned logically and progressively. A comprehensive range of guidance supports subject planning very well.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

86 The school has strong links with the local church and the pupils visit it regularly often to celebrate events such as Harvest or Christmas as well as part of work on other aspects of religious education. In addition, visitors from a range of religions and a series of visits provide effective support for the subject. Religious education makes a very good contribution to the development of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

87 As a result of an effective introduction to a lesson about ‘special celebrations’ Year 2 pupils remembered many of the artefacts they had seen in their recent visit to the local church. Higher attaining pupils had good knowledge of some of the artefacts and symbols associated with the Christian religion such as font, altar and cross and named them confidently. Some are beginning to suggest reasons for their use. Good relationships between pupils and the teacher meant that most are confident to try and recall their own experiences of events they have attended in church such as weddings or christenings. They respond eagerly when given the opportunity to re-enact a christening although this lost some of its impact because of insufficient thought given to the planning of resources to extend the pupils’ understanding further. However, literacy skills were used well in follow up work and most pupils made sound progress in extending their knowledge and

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

understanding about features of religious life and practice. One or two higher attaining pupils made better progress and began to suggest meanings for some religious symbols and words.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

88 In an excellent lesson in Year 6, a rapid start to the lesson, high expectations and confidence to challenge pupils’ thinking through well thought out questions helped pupils to respond in an exemplary manner. Consequently, the pupils learnt to take turns very sensibly and gave quiet and thoughtful answers, respecting the thoughts and feelings of others as the excellent teaching lead them to deepen their own understanding and share personal insights and beliefs. Careful thought is given to resources and their use. For example, the poem ‘The Secret Place’ read evocatively by the teacher secured the pupils’ immediate interest and respect. This inspired them to share ideas unselfconsciously and helped them to produce some skilful writing of their own that showed good understanding of the uses of personal prayer and meditation. This provided excellent support for pupils’ spiritual development.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

Elvington C of E Primary School - 36 89 Pupils in Year 6 have a good understanding of what belonging to a religion involves. However their use of technical vocabulary and recall of aspects of other major faith religions such as key beliefs is somewhat limited. Analysis of pupils’ work demonstrates a systematic approach to the teaching of religious education. Work is carefully recorded and presented and Year 6 higher attaining pupils particularly show increasing ability to ask and answer questions about more puzzling aspects of life and moral and religious issues.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

90 There are insufficient planned opportunities for the co-ordinator to monitor teaching and learning however although the current action plan gives a good steer to the development of the subject including the introduction of more formal assessment procedures.

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