Kings Cliffe Endowed Primary School

KINGS CLIFFE ENDOWED SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 19 th -21 st May 2003

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KINGS CLIFFE ENDOWED SCHOOL

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

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KINGS CLIFFE ENDOWED 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. Kings Cliffe Endowed School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Park Street Kings Cliffe Peterborough

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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 A Pakenham

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 19 th – 20 th June 2001 Kings Cliffe Endowed School - 4

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

C Parker Registered inspector Science Information and communication technology Physical education Equal opportunities The school’s results and achievements How well are pupils taught? How well is the school led and managed? A B Anderson Lay inspector The 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? M Powell Team inspector English Art and design Music Design technology Religious education How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils?

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

J Collins Team inspector Foundation Stage Special educational needs Mathematics History Geography

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Hugh Protherough Inspections Ltd PO Box 396 Banbury Oxfordshire OX15 5XJ

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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 Kings Cliffe Endowed School - 5 London WC2B 6SE Kings Cliffe Endowed School - 6

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 10

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

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AREAS OF THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES 23

Kings Cliffe Endowed School - 7 Kings Cliffe Endowed School - 8

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Kings Cliffe Endowed is a lower primary school for pupils aged four to nine years. It serves a village community and its surrounding area. At present, there are 84 pupils on roll who are taught in four classes. A very small percentage of pupils take free school meals. Almost all of the pupils are of white British decent and they all speak English as their first language. The proportion of pupils with special educational needs is below average. Two children have statements of special educational need. Overall, the pupils’ attainment on entry is broadly average.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

This is a very good school. Its strong caring ethos results in very good relationships and the very effective personal development of the pupils. They are achieving very well and making good progress because the teaching is very good. Taken overall, standards in mathematics, reading and writing are high. The school is very well managed and the headteacher motivates and influences both staff and pupils. The costs per pupil are high, but nevertheless the school provides very good value for money.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

What the school does well • The pupils are achieving very well and many of them are working at higher levels in reading, writing and mathematics because the teaching is very good. The pupils’ work is very effectively marked in a manner that tells them what they need to do to keep improving. • Standards in religious education are well above average because of the thorough, systematic and interesting teaching of a broad curriculum. • There is high level of commitment to the inclusion of all the pupils in all aspects of the school’s provision. • In most subjects, the curriculum is very skilfully planned to ensure that there are good links between one area of learning and another. • The school has good arrangements for promoting and monitoring discipline and good behaviour. As a result, the pupils behave well and concentrate on their work. Relationships in the school are very good. • The arrangements for monitoring the pupils’ academic performance and personal development are good.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

• Relationships between the school and parents are very good. The parents are kept well informed. • The headteacher provides excellent leadership. Her strategic thinking and planning are clear and effective and promote further improvements. She is very well supported by the governors.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

What could be improved • The curricula for information and communication technology and art and design are not broad enough to allow the pupils to develop a full range of skills and attain the high standards they should. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Since the school was inspected in June 2001, the governors have successfully appointed a permanent headteacher who is leading the drive for continuing improvement very effectively. The school improvement plan is central to this process and pivotal to the work of the governing body. The very high quality teaching has been maintained and in some cases improved. Consequently, standards are continuing to rise across the curriculum and the pupils are achieving very well. Standards in handwriting and general presentation have also improved considerably. Kings Cliffe Endowed School - 9 STANDARDS

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

The table shows the standards achieved by pupils at the end of Year 2 based on National Curriculum test results.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

mathematics A* C A B Excellent well above average above average average below average well below average A* A B C D E

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

In the Foundation stage, the children are on course to reach the early learning goals set for them and some will exceed them. The pupils are well taught and are achieving well as a result. The results of national tests at the end of Year 2 have improved, and in 2002 were well above the national average in reading, writing and mathematics. When compared to the performance of similar schools, the results were well above average in reading and writing, and above average in mathematics. The inspection judgements show that the pupils are achieving very well and many are continuing to work at higher levels.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

The pupils in Years 3 and 4 are also achieving very well and making good progress so that by the time they leave the school standards are above average in English and mathematics. Standards in religious education are well above average because of the thorough, systematic and interesting teaching of a broad curriculum. In science, design technology and music the pupils' attainment is above average, and they are achieving well and making good progress throughout the school. Their work is at the expected levels in history and geography. Standards in art and ICT are average but could be higher because a broad curriculum is not yet established in these subjects.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Attitudes to the school Children of all ages consistently demonstrate positive attitudes to their work. They are very enthusiastic, motivated and eager to learn.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Overall, standards of behaviour are good throughout the school. The pupils’ behaviour in the classrooms, at breaks and at lunchtime is consistently good, and sometimes very good.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Personal development and relationships The relationships in the school are very good. The pupils relate very well to their teachers, to other adults and also to one another.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Attendance The attendance rate at the school is broadly in line with the national average. There is little or no unauthorised absence. Kings Cliffe Endowed School - 10 TEACHING AND LEARNING

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Teaching of pupils in: Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Quality of teaching 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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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

The teaching is very good overall because of the consistently high expectations that the teachers have of the pupils. Just over half of the lessons seen were good and nearly all of the rest were very good. A few were excellent.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

In the foundation stage, the teaching is consistently good and helps the pupils towards the early learning goals at a good pace. In Years 1 to 4 there is some very strong teaching. The planning, teaching and assessment of literacy and numeracy are very good and are the reason why standards are continuing to improve. The pupils use and practice their literacy and numeracy skills right across the curriculum. The teachers motivate the pupils by making lessons interesting and exciting; consequently they respond enthusiastically and learn effectively.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

The quality and range of the curriculum The school offers a broad, balanced and interesting curriculum that is very skilfully planned to ensure links are made between one area of learning and another. The curriculum for the foundation stage is well planned and managed. The school is effectively supporting the development of core areas such as literacy and numeracy.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with special educational needs The pupils with special educational needs (SEN) receive good, often very good, support in lessons. This means that most are making good progress in achieving the targets of their individual education plans.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development There is a strong commitment to fostering spiritual values. This is evident in the sensitivity of the pupils’ response to one another. A sense of right and wrong is well developed. The pupils are encouraged to work harmoniously together to enable them to interact well and a respect for other traditions and cultures is widely engendered.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

How well the school cares for its pupils The school provides effective care for its pupils. The headteacher places a high priority on pastoral care and provides very good leadership in this aspect.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

The parents hold the school in high regard and recognise the significant improvements that have been made. They are kept very well informed about their children’s progress and welcome the opportunities they have to talk to the teachers.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

The use of information and communication technology across the curriculum has improved, but the pupils have inadequate opportunity to develop their skills in modelling and controlling. The current curriculum for art and design is also insufficiently broad.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

The procedures for child protection and ensuring pupils’ welfare are securely in place. The school has good arrangements for promoting and monitoring discipline and good behaviour. The systems for monitoring the pupils’ academic performance and personal development are now good. Kings Cliffe Endowed School - 11 HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The headteacher provides excellent leadership that promotes very high expectations. It motivates her colleagues to strive for further improvements and to provide the pupils with a high quality education. In her relatively short time as headteacher, she has established a very clear vision for the school which values and includes every pupil.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities The governors organise their work very effectively to support school improvement. They fulfil their responsibilities very well. They are kept well informed through detailed reports from the headteacher and a well-planned programme of visits to the school to find out how well it is doing.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

The school’s evaluation of its performance The headteacher now keeps careful track of the progress of individual pupils and year groups. She carefully analyses test and assessment data to determine the priorities for school improvement.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

The strategic use of resources The school’s resources are very well managed and carefully allocated. The bursar oversees the day-to-day running of the budget very efficiently and the finance committee of the governing body monitors the spending.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

The school has sufficient teachers for the number of pupils on roll. The quality of resources is improving rapidly to specifically support the planned curriculum. The classrooms are of adequate size and place no restrictions on the implementation of the full curriculum. The school is set in very pleasant grounds.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Many aspects of the principles of "best value" are built into the work of the governors, such as competitive tendering, analysis of results and consultation with parents. The stable situation is now allowing the governors to evaluate the effect of key spending decisions on the provision made for the pupils and their attainment and progress

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

• The improvements in standards and the good progress the children are making. • The high expectations, good behaviour and relationships within the school. • The good teaching and positive links with parents. • The strong leadership of the school. • The good support for special educational needs. • Support for higher attainers.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

The inspectors agree with the many positive views of the parents. The teachers plan work for the pupils based on a comprehensive assessment of their previous learning. As a result, many are now attaining at the higher levels. The school is aware of the need to continually stretch these pupils and has identified it as a priority in the school improvement plan. Consequently, in most of the lessons seen during the inspection the needs of the higher attaining pupils were taken account of, and they were set work with an appropriate level of challenge. Kings Cliffe Endowed School - 12

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. In the Foundation Stage, the children are on course to reach the early learning goals set for them and some will exceed them. They are well taught and, therefore, are achieving well.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. The results of national tests have improved, and the good progress made in recent times appears to have come to fruition in the 2002 tests when the results were well above the national average in reading, writing and mathematics. In comparison to the results achieved in similar schools, they were well above average in reading and writing; and above average in mathematics. In reading, all of the pupils attained the expected level and half reached the higher levels; approximately a third of the pupils attained the higher levels in writing and mathematics. The inspection evidence shows that standards at the end of Year 2 are being maintained and the pupils continue to achieving very well. A good proportion are working at higher levels in reading, writing and mathematics.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. From year to year, there is some variation in the results of boys and girls. Overall, the girls do better than boys in reading and in writing, but the boys do better than the girls in mathematics. Similar variation is often found between relatively small cohorts, as is the case of the current Year 3 and Year 4 groups. In relation to expectations for their age, the Year 3 group attains higher standards than the Year 4 group, but both are achieving very well and making good progress. Consequently, by the time the pupils leave the school standards are above average in English and mathematics. The quality of the pupils' handwriting was less than satisfactory at the time of the last inspection, but this no longer the case. Standards of presentation and handwriting are now good.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. The strong teaching of literacy and numeracy is the key factor in sustained improvement in standards in recent years. It is underpinned by the very effective leadership of the headteacher and the literacy coordinator. The headteacher has instigated a comprehensive analysis of the test results and identified, for instance, a particular weakness in spelling amongst small groups of pupils. As these weaknesses are tackled in this way, standards continue to rise. The pupils with special educational needs are well supported and as result most are making good progress towards the targets of their individual education plans.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. Standards in religious education are well above average because of the thorough, systematic and interesting teaching of a broad curriculum. In science, design technology and music, standards are above average, the pupils are achieving well and making good progress. Throughout the school, the pupils are working at the expected levels in history and geography.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. Standards in art and information and communication technology (ICT) are average. There have been major improvements in the provision for ICT and the teachers are making very good use of it right across the curriculum. However there are some aspects of the information and communication technology curriculum that are not yet given sufficient attention. Similarly, in art the curriculum is rather narrow and restricts the range of skills the pupils acquire. Steps should now be taken to broaden the curriculum in information and communication technology and art and design so that the pupils can attain high standards across all aspects of these subjects. This is a key issue for action. Kings Cliffe Endowed School - 13

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

7. The majority of pupils have very positive attitudes to the school. They arrive promptly each morning and are keen to start the day’s activities. They quickly settle down in registrations, assemblies and in class. Children of all ages consistently demonstrate positive attitudes to their work. They are very enthusiastic, motivated and eager to learn. The pupils are attentive to their teachers, willingly ask and answer questions, and freely offer their own ideas and opinions. Nearly all parents agree that their children like school.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

8. Overall, standards of behaviour are good throughout the school. The teaching and non-teaching staff, parents and the majority of pupils themselves have high expectations of the standards of behaviour that are acceptable in the school. The children move around the school in a quiet and orderly manner and their behaviour in the classrooms, at breaks and at lunchtime is consistently good, and sometimes very good. There were no signs of either bullying or isolation of individual pupils. There have been no exclusions in recent years. The vast majority of parents agree that behaviour in the school is good.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

9. The relationships in the school are very good. The pupils relate very well to their teachers, to other adults and also to one another. They are polite, well mannered and very welcoming to visitors. Boys and girls of all ages work very well together in the classrooms and play happily together in the playgrounds. They collaborate well, share resources, take turns and listen to each other. The pupils consistently show respect for their teachers, each other and the environment. In assemblies pupils bow their heads reverently during moments of reflection and are respectful of the occasion.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

10. The pupils’ personal development is good. They are learning a good range of social skills that is helping them to develop into well-rounded individuals. In the classrooms, most pupils willingly take responsibility for their own work, and in lessons many children were observed working independently. They maintain high levels of concentration and persevere with tasks given to them. The pupils go out of school on an appropriate range of educational visits and meet a wide range of visitors. The school supports local, national and international charities and the pupils are learning to be aware of others less fortunate than themselves. The parents unanimously agree that the school is helping their children to become mature and responsible.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

11. The attendance rate at the school is broadly in line with the national average. There is little or no unauthorised absence.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

12. The teaching is very good overall because of the consistently high expectations the teachers have of the pupils. Just over half of the lessons seen were good and nearly all of the rest were very good. A few were excellent.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

13. In the foundation stage, the teaching is consistently good and takes the pupils towards the early learning goals at a good pace. The teaching is increasingly taking account of all abilities and providing opportunities for the more able pupils to take their learning further through well planned and interesting activities. This was evident, for example, when the children were sorting materials. The teacher's questioning gave them the opportunity to identify the right categories and explain why they had chosen them. Within the same activity, the teacher took the opportunity to enhance the children’s phonic awareness. Kings Cliffe Endowed School - 14 14. In Years 1 to 4, there is some very strong teaching. The headteacher and the key stage 1 co- ordinator have very high expectations not only of the pupils, but also of the other teachers. The planning, teaching and assessment of literacy and numeracy are very good and are the reason

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

why standards are continuing to improve. The teachers prepare thoroughly for every lesson and plan precisely what it is they want the pupils to learn. This is based on their previous learning and thorough marking and assessment. Consequently, the teachers set tasks that are pitched at the right level and sensibly modified for pupils of different abilities. In Years 1 and 2, the teacher provides the pupils with a very lively range of interesting tasks and questions and motivates them very effectively. In mathematics, for example, mental arithmetic activities are carried out a good pace and with an increasing level of challenge to which the pupils respond enthusiastically. The pupils with special educational needs are well supported and those with the potential for higher attainment are appropriately challenged to enable them to achieve the standards of which they are capable.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

15. Good classroom organisation and management of the pupils are very strong features of all classes. Any hint of either misbehaviour or lack of application is quickly tackled and the pupils directed to the task in hand, thereby ensuring that they concentrate and learn very effectively. The teachers have good subject knowledge which they use to good effect. In Years 1 and 2, the teacher is particularly successful in developing the pupils’ basic skills, which are then built on effectively in Years 3 and 4. The teachers also motivate the pupils by making lessons interesting and exciting. This was evident in mathematics in Year 3 where the teaching is excellent and the pupils sustain concentration, persevere and enjoy learning. For example, the pupils responded very enthusiastically to the opportunity to provide sums and questions for target answers the teacher had prepared on the whiteboard. In this lesson, and all of the others observed, one task

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

rapidly followed another so that no time was wasted and the opportunities of working with a small teaching group were taken in full. Consequently, the pupils learn a lot. The temporary teacher in Year 4 has successfully embraced the school’s expectations and ways of working. This was evident in very good religious education lesson about signs and symbols. In this and many other lessons, good use was made of information and communication technology to support the pupils’ learning.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

16. The exercise books have clear targets at the start of each piece of work and all of the work is marked in manner that provides the pupils with an indication of what they need to do to keep improving. This is consistently effective feature of the teaching throughout the school. The pupils have an appropriate range of homework tasks which most parents actively support. This also makes a good contribution to their learning.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

17. The very good teaching reported at the last inspection has been maintained and strengthened by rigorous monitoring and support of the headteacher.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

18. The school continues to offer a generally broad, balanced and interesting curriculum that meets the requirements of the National Curriculum and the locally agreed syllabus for religious education. It is very skilfully planned to ensure links are made between one area of learning and another. For example, the pupils effectively use some of their skills in drawing and illustration to record work in religious education. Reading skills are given the same attention when the pupils are finding information for work in history as when they read during literacy lessons. Although the teaching of information and communication technology and also art and design has improved, Kings Cliffe Endowed School - 15 the pupils need more opportunities, for example, in modelling and control. They also need to develop their skills in art and to raise their awareness of the work of a variety of artists and craftspeople.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

19. The curriculum for the foundation stage is well planned and managed and ensures that most children achieve the targets identified for this stage. At all stages, the curriculum provides a very good foundation for the pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. The adults are alert to opportunities to promote the pupils’ awareness of poetry and music that encourages reflection and an understanding of the fact that there is a world beyond that which is immediately tangible.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

20. The school is very effectively supporting the development of core areas such as literacy and numeracy. The teachers have worked hard to provide programmes of work where reading and writing are not only regarded as highly important core skills, but also seen as enjoyable activities. In the lessons observed, the pupils at all levels were eager and enthusiastic writers. The mathematics curriculum is lively and encourages the pupils’ problem solving skills. There is also a good range of activities in science that encourages them to be enquiring and to adopt an investigative approach. The curriculum is effective because the planning is consistent across all classes and care has been taken to ensure that the learning is accessible to the pupils.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

21. The school has a high commitment to the inclusion of all its pupils in all aspects of its provision. Those with special educational needs receive good additional support from the teachers and learning support assistants that enables them to achieve well in relation to their previous leaning. There are appropriately different tasks for these pupils in literacy and numeracy lessons and they are well supported in, for example, science and information technology.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

22. The academic curriculum is underpinned by good attention to the pupils’ personal development. There is a well devised programme of topics which covers personal, health and social development, pitched at a level suitable for the age range of pupils in the school. Work in science, for example, promotes the importance of appropriate diet and exercise in a healthy lifestyle. The pupils’ self-esteem is consistently enhanced through encouragement, praise and rewards that value a wide range of achievements, which are celebrated in school assemblies. The school recognises its roots in the community and ensures that a wide range of people such as local religious leaders, poetry groups and people who provide services contribute well to the broader education of the pupils. The local church is used as an important resource and local people run after school activities. The links with the playgroup and the middle school are good

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

and ensure that the pupils make a smooth transition from one phase of schooling to the next.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

23. The school has a very strong ethos. There is a very pronounced sense that this is a school that has a clear value system and knows how to reflect it. In addition to its dedication to promoting high academic standards, there is a strong commitment to fostering spiritual values. This was very marked during school assemblies and in the sensitivity of the pupils’ response to one another. It was also reflected in their poetry writing and the recorded work of older pupils in religious education.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

24. The supportive, caring atmosphere in the school raises the pupils’ self-esteem and also their confidence. Relationships are very good and enable all the pupils to look beyond themselves. Their awareness of the difference between right and wrong is well developed. The pupils not only work harmoniously together, but also have social skills that enable them to interact well with visitors. This was very evident as they read and discussed their reading habits with the inspectors. In this whole area, the adults set a very good example. They are clear and Kings Cliffe Endowed School - 16 consistent about what kind of behaviour is appropriate so that the pupils develop an awareness of how their behaviour might bear upon others.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

25. Careful thought has been given to promoting a broader awareness of a range of cultural issues. Work in geography has increased the understanding of the younger pupils of how life in a Mexican village compares with their own lives. The lessons in religious education engender a wider knowledge of religious practices in predominantly Muslim and Hindu countries as well as reinforcing the Christian aspects of their local heritage. They have a strongly developed sense of pride in the cultural heritage of their local area. This was very prominent when the pupils in Year 3 were discussing a visit to their local church, including the churchyard where they had carried out some quite detailed observations.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

26. The school provides effective care for its pupils. The headteacher places a high priority on pastoral care and provides very good leadership in this aspect. All members of staff are caring, dedicated and committed to the welfare of the children in their charge. They are very approachable and supportive. The non-teaching staff are effectively deployed and give very good support to the teachers and pupils alike, particularly those pupils who have special educational needs. This has a beneficial effect on the progress these children make and the standards they achieve. All pupils are treated as individuals and given the help and support that they need.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

27. The procedures for child protection and ensuring the pupils’ welfare are well established and fully understood by all staff. Pastoral care and the arrangements for first aid and dealing with minor injuries are good. There is consistent safe practice in lessons, for example, when the pupils' are handling tools in design technology lessons. The governing body and the headteacher take their health and safety responsibilities seriously and all the required health and safety inspections, including risk assessments are systematically carried out and formally recorded. Conscientious teachers and teaching assistants, who are alert and vigilant, supervise pupils very well at breaks. When the children are eating their packed lunches in the classrooms, the standard of supervision is high. However, the current deployment of the midday supervisors, combined with their relative inexperience, leads to some weaknesses in outdoor supervision at

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

lunchtimes where, at times, only one supervisor is present.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

28. The school has good arrangements for promoting and monitoring discipline and good behaviour. All members of staff conscientiously implement these procedures and consistently maintain high standards of conduct throughout the school. The behaviour policy is supplemented by four sensible rules that are easily understood by all pupils. Anti-social behaviour is addressed in assemblies and in personal, social and health lessons. The procedures for monitoring and promoting attendance are very good. The registers are completed accurately and the few instances of unexplained absences are quickly and rigorously followed up.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

29. The school has improved considerably its procedures for monitoring the pupils’ academic performance and personal development and they are now good. The class teachers and teaching assistants know their pupils very well and have a very good understanding of their individual personal needs. The headteacher now keeps careful track of the progress of individual pupils and year groups by analysing the test and assessment data to determine the priorities for school improvement. Very good use is made of the assessment information to guide curriculum planning and set targets for improvement for individual pupils. All the class teachers maintain comprehensive assessment records to a consistent whole school format. This Kings Cliffe Endowed School - 17 starts in reception where the teacher maintains individual records, including baseline assessments, making good use of pre-school profiles on every child. The teachers keep group

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

and individual records, for example, on reading, writing, mathematics, science and information technology. They are well supported in this by the classroom assistants who assess the children they support and regularly feed back information to the class teacher. The school has plans to extend these systems to other subjects of the curriculum. The assessment and monitoring of progress of pupils with special educational needs are also good. The Individual Education Plans are good and the targets set for them show evidence of their progress as the pupils improve.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

30. Relationships between the school and the parents are very good. The school enjoys the active support of the majority of the parents, and most are fully involved in their children’s work in school and at home. For example, they fully support homework and home reading. A few also help regularly in the classrooms and accompany the children on out of school trips, for example, the weekly swimming lessons. There is an active Parents and Friends Association that raises considerable funds for the school. The majority of parents expressed a very high level of satisfaction with most aspects of the school, but a small number think that the school does not provide an interesting range of activities outside lessons. The inspection evidence did not support the views of these parents, and the provision of extra-curricular activities was judged to be good.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

31. Communication between the school and home is very good. The school sends out regular, informative newsletters and appropriate individual letters about specific events and activities. The school publishes an attractive, comprehensive and informative prospectus and the parents receive comprehensive curriculum information at the start of each half term. The governors hold an annual meeting with parents and publish a useful annual report. However, the latest report omits some statutorily required information, for example, the rates of pupils’ authorised and unauthorised absence and details of the arrangements for the pupils with disabilities. The parents receive informative annual progress reports that clearly indicate what the pupils can do and the progress they are making. They also set targets for improvement. They are offered the opportunity to attend appropriate consultation meetings to discuss their children’s work and

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

progress with the teachers. The headteacher and her staff are very welcoming and approachable and there are plenty of opportunities for parents to talk to staff informally at the start and end of each school day. The weekly ICT / library club, run by the school bursar, also gives parents the chance to view their child’s work and be involved in changing their library books.

p.17

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

32. The headteacher provides excellent leadership that promotes very high expectations and motivates her colleagues to strive for further improvements in order to provide the pupils with a high quality education. In her relatively short time as headteacher, she has established a very clear vision for the school which values and includes every pupil. She leads by example, setting a very high standard in the quality of her own teaching. With the help of the key stage 1 co- ordinator she is bringing about continuing improvement and has generated a strong commitment to further development. The plans for improvement are linked to performance management. All development activities are monitored and the headteacher utilises her evaluations in the next stage of improvement planning. This is evident, for example, in the school’s ongoing work to improve standards further in reading and spelling. Kings Cliffe Endowed School - 18

p.17

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

33. Her strategic thinking and planning are clear and effective. The monitoring and evaluation process has a significant effect on the quality of teaching, which is consistently strong. The headteacher and key stage 1 co-ordinator carry out frequent observation of the teaching. Their findings are fully documented, communicated to the teacher concerned and any points for improvement are followed up on subsequent observations. The support and induction of the newly qualified teacher are excellent. In combination, these activities result in a high level of consistency in the approaches to planning and the quality of the teaching. The policies on the management of the pupils, the presentation of their work and its assessment are also consistently implemented throughout the school.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

34. The same rigorous approach is taken to curriculum planning and most subjects have been the focus of a very thorough review, the notable exceptions being art and information and communication technology. The leadership and management of special educational needs are good. The co-ordinator is ably supported by the governing body. The excellent leadership and management of the school results in a very well organised and developing curriculum, very good teaching and high standards of work.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

35. The headteacher is very well supported by the governors, who organise their committees and their business to support school improvement. They fulfil their responsibilities very well. They are kept well informed through detailed reports from the headteacher and a well-planned programme of visits to the school to find out at first hand how well it is doing. They are aware of the school’s performance because the headteacher provides comprehensive analyses of the results of national and school tests, which are used in the school improvement planning. The governors are very aware of the school’s strengths and the need to maintain a stable staff, following the many changes that have taken place in recent years. To this end, they have allocated a significant proportion of the current financial balance to maintaining staffing levels for the next two years.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

36. The school’s resources are very well managed and carefully allocated. The bursar manages the day-to-day running of the budget very efficiently and the finance committee of the governing body monitors the spending. Many aspects of the principles of "best value" are built into the work of the governors, such as, competitive tendering, analysis of results and consultation with parents. The governors are now evaluating the effect of key spending decisions on the provision made for the pupils and their attainment and progress. It is clear that recent developments, such as the establishment of the information technology suite, are having a beneficial influence on the pupils’ learning and that the school is well placed to broaden the range of opportunities it offers them.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

37. The school has sufficient teachers, and in Years 3 and 4 the small classes enable the pupils to make rapid progress. The quality of the resources is improving rapidly. The headteacher has successfully acquired resources to specifically support the planned curriculum.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

38. The school is set in attractive grounds comprising a large hard surface playground, grassed play areas and a securely fenced environmental area with pond. The playground is well marked out for games and activities. However, there is no separate enclosed play area where the youngest children can freely move from indoor to outside play, though this is planned.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

39. The classrooms are of adequate size and place no restrictions on the implementation of the full curriculum and there is adequate space for the storage of resources. There is a small, but adequate, multi-purpose hall, well equipped for physical education lessons. The recently refurbished library area and computer suite provides a particularly useful learning resource. Kings Cliffe Endowed School - 19 Throughout the school, the access for disabled people is not particularly good, but a portable ramp has been provided for this purpose. Moreover, there is currently no proper toilet provision for this group. The accommodation is used effectively, kept very clean, well maintained and the learning environment is enhanced by attractive displays of the pupils’ work. Kings Cliffe Endowed School - 20

p.18

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

40. In order to continue to raise standards further the governors, headteacher and teachers should continue with the present excellent procedures that are already bringing about very worthwhile improvements. They should now:

p.20

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

§ take steps to ensure that the pupils have a broad range of opportunities to develop their skills and knowledge in all areas of the information and communication technology and art and design programmes of study. Kings Cliffe Endowed School - 21 PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

p.20

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 20

p.21

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

p.21

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

The table gives the number and percentage of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about teaching. Care should be taken when interpreting these percentages as each lesson represents more than three percentage points.

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 84

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 2

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 2

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 5

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 0

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 2

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 3

p.21

Attendance

National comparative data 5.4 National comparative data 0.5

p.21

Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Kings Cliffe Endowed School - 22

p.21

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2002 14

p.22

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.22

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

Boys Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls

p.22

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

Percentage of pupils School 100 (75) 100 (81) 100 (100) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (84) 86 (86) 90 (91)

p.22

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.22

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

Boys Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls

p.22

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

Percentage of pupils School 100 (81) 100 (94) 100 (100) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (85) 89 (89) 89 (89) Kings Cliffe Endowed School - 23 Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year.

p.22

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.23

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

White – any other White background 1 0 0

p.23

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Mixed – any other mixed background 0 0 0

p.23

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British - Pakistani 0 0 0

p.23

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi 0 0 0

p.23

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.23

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black or Black British – Caribbean 0 0 0

p.23

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.23

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. Kings Cliffe Endowed School - 24

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 4.7 Financial year 2002/3

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 18:1

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR - Y4 Total income 325 010

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 4 Total expenditure 280 570

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 102 Expenditure per pupil 3 340

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance brought forward from previous year 21 260

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 44 440

p.24

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 6.5

p.24

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 6.3

p.24

Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 1

p.24

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.24

Recruitment of teachers

Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) 1

p.24

Recruitment of teachers

FTE means full-time equivalent. Kings Cliffe Endowed School - 25

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

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

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 73 27 0 0 0

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 63 33 0 2 2

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 63 33 4 0 0

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 71 27 2 0 0

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 81 13 6 0 0

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 77 23 0 0 0

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 60 31 8 0 0

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 73 27 0 0 0

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 77 19 0 0 4

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 52 25 15 4 4 Kings Cliffe Endowed School - 26

p.25

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

41. The children enter the reception class as a single intake in the September following their fourth birthdays. At the time of inspection, there were 25 children in the Foundation Stage, a number of whom were still under five.

p.26

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

42. On arrival, most children’s attainment in all areas of learning is in line with that expected for their age. This is confirmed by the assessments from the pre-school units and those conducted at the end of the first term of the reception year. The children are achieving well and by the time they are ready to start in Year 1, will attain the early learning goals in all the areas of learning. The majority of the children are already achieving these goals in communication, literacy and language, mathematics, physical development and personal, social and emotional development. These findings are consistent with the previous inspection report of good progress.

p.26

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

43. The school’s good Foundation Stage curriculum provides experiences that are relevant, imaginative and enjoyable and have a balance of teacher-directed and children’s self-initiated activities. This is evident, for example, in creative work such as painting or making collages of different materials, and in the use of the outdoor area. The planning is good and reflects all areas of learning. The planning has improved and now takes very careful account of the recommendations in the recently produced national guidelines. It is appropriately linked to the advancement of children’s knowledge, skills and understanding. The main aspects of the literacy and numeracy hours are already well established in the infant classes. The reception teacher and the classroom assistant plan together very effectively to provide a stimulating range of activities with specific learning outcomes. They clearly outline their weekly and daily planning with suitable

p.26

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

learning intentions for all areas of learning. There are very effective and consistent procedures for assessing the children on a day-to-day basis, in order to check and record their ongoing progress and to plan for their specific learning needs. The new Foundation Stage Profiles recording the progress of the children are already well established.

p.26

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

44. The quality of teaching in the Foundation Stage is good overall. The members of staff know how young children learn and are able to extend their responses sensitively. The teachers’ expectations of work and behaviour are very high and the tasks effectively match the children’s level of functioning and skill. Homework in the form of borrowing books is used particularly well to enhance the children’s progress. The staff team works extremely well together in a mutually supportive manner.

p.26

Personal, social and emotional development

45. The children enter the school with sound personal, social and emotional skills that enable them to settle down quickly and feel both happy and secure. Most of them are now achieving the early learning goals in this area. This shows good achievement and reflects the skilful teaching of the staff.

p.26

Personal, social and emotional development

46. The children are confident and sit quietly and concentrate. They listen carefully, show respect for equipment and take turns fairly. This is clearly evident every day as they listen to others and take turns at speaking in a familiar group, for example when sharing a book. During whole-class activities and in discussions, the children are encouraged always to put their hands up and wait Kings Cliffe Endowed School - 27 to be asked. This was seen, for example when they were answering questions and discussing the story of ‘The Gingerbread Man’. The children form good relationships with others in many purposeful activities when they work either as part of an independent group or with an adult. They listen and concentrate for a fair length of time and clearly understand the set routines for both indoor and outdoor work.

p.26

Personal, social and emotional development

47. The adults act as good role models for the children and explain clearly what is expected of them. Some simple classroom rules are shared with all. The children are taught the difference between right and wrong and guided to behave sensibly at all times. They are attentive and eager to learn, and enjoy showing their work to any available adult. The teacher and classroom assistant manage children well and enjoy very good relationships with them all.

p.27

Communication, language and literacy

48. All members of staff value the children’s efforts at communicating. The teaching of basic skills, such as speaking clearly and holding a pencil correctly, is very good. The children are encouraged to talk about their experiences and develop new vocabulary during discussions and in their play activities. Some willingly talk about the aspects of their work, but others find speaking clearly and in full sentences quite difficult. Some older children have already gained good control in their early writing skills, and also draw and paint with increasing dexterity. A significant number of the children write their own names unaided. The children make good progress when adults work with them either in small groups or on a one-to-one basis to give them individual attention.

p.27

Communication, language and literacy

49. The introduction of the literacy strategy is having beneficial effects. The children enjoy using the big books such as ‘The Gingerbread Man’, and have well-planned opportunities to develop new vocabulary as they talk about pictures and focus on key words, such as ‘on’ and ‘the’. All the adults use talk to a very good effect and are good active listeners. The children like the imaginative play-corner, which is well set up with a good range of appropriate and interesting items, which stimulate the children to talk. Nevertheless, greater adult intervention in the play activities would help the younger and less able children to develop their imaginative and expressive vocabulary more rapidly. All the children are able to recognise and use the phonic sounds of letters to build words and a number of the older and more able children are confident readers. The assessment procedures and the regular recording of the children’s progress in

p.27

Communication, language and literacy

language activities are good. This is because all adults are very thorough and are involved in making daily observations of individual children so they can consistently build on what they have already achieved.

p.27

Mathematical development

50. The children’s progress is good overall, and the majority are likely to reach the early learning goals in mathematics by the end of Foundation Stage. Already many children are able to count and order accurately up to ten. Most others can recognise the number symbols. The practical mathematical activities are well planned and ensure that the children know to write the number symbols and signs correctly. Most children understand how to solve simple problems involving addition and subtraction, and use vocabulary such as, ‘add one more’ or ‘take one away’, ‘how many altogether’ and ‘how many left,’ in discussing their work. The effective use of number rhymes and songs further enhances the children’s learning. The children recognise basic shapes and have some knowledge of capacity and weight from practical experiences with sand and water. Some older children are able to describe objects by position, shape, size, colour and

p.27

Mathematical development

quantity. Adult involvement in the children’s activities is good. The teacher makes detailed Kings Cliffe Endowed School - 28 assessments of each child's ongoing progress, which she then employs successfully in the planning of further suitable activities.

p.27

Knowledge and understanding of the world

51. Most children enter the reception classes with suitable general knowledge for their age. Good teaching supports the children’s understanding, and encourages learning. For example, in one lesson, the teacher helped the children to sort a range of different materials according to their properties. Careful questioning enabled all the children to explain their choices and led to good development of their vocabulary. The children work with sand, water and playdough, and freely explore properties of other malleable materials. They can name basic colours correctly, and they mix paint to produce other colours for use in their pictures. They use different materials, such as paper and textiles, and develop cutting, joining, folding and building skills with construction materials and kits. Many have sufficiently developed skills to ask questions that enable them to find out how things work. Most children demonstrate the range of computer skills expected for

p.28

Knowledge and understanding of the world

their age. For instance, they show increasing control in the use of mouse to move items on the screen. The adults intervene effectively in these activities and encourage the children to explore new ideas.

p.28

Physical development

52. Most of the children have already achieved the early learning goals in this area of their work. In the main school hall, they are aware of space and show co-ordination and control in their movement. In their use of construction toys, a significant number of pupils demonstrate good hand and eye co-ordination. They are developing confidence in the use of different tools and joining materials, such as sellotape and glue when making collages. The children select from a range of materials and use scissors carefully. The children also have planned opportunities to use the very good range of large and small outdoor resources such as bikes and prams, and its improvement is a target in the school’s development plan. The adults prepare well and provide calm and sensitive support. They have a strong awareness of the children’s safety.

p.28

Creative development

53. Most children are on course to meet the requirements in this area of learning. They experiment with paint and use their observations and imagination to create pleasing results. They are given opportunities to explore colour and texture, to paint pictures and to work with a range of materials such as sequins and coloured stickers to create collages. The children explore colours and shapes in their painting, and use computer programs to enhance their artistic skills. They sing and clap nursery rhymes with great enjoyment. All the staff work closely as a team and make very positive contributions to children’s learning. They talk to the children and ask relevant questions to extend their vocabulary, for example, when mixing colours. However, they do not always engage sufficiently in the children's activities in the role-play area. Consequently, opportunities to extend the children's language and understanding in various contexts, such as domestic play, are

p.28

ENGLISH

54. In the national tests in 2002, a Year 2 class of particularly high attaining pupils achieved results that were well above average. A good proportion of these pupils achieved the higher levels in both reading and writing. Furthermore, these high standards are being maintained. The pupils are achieving very well in reading and reaching above average standards in their writing. By Kings Cliffe Endowed School - 29 the end of Year 4, the pupils make good progress and achieve well in relation to their prior attainment. Throughout the school, the pupils' speaking and listening skills are very good.

p.28

ENGLISH

55. The school now has a very effective literacy strategy that is consistently applied in all the classes. There is a clear and precise Action Plan, the implementation of which is very carefully and incisively monitored. This has resulted in the development of strong assessment procedures and well focused target setting. They underpin the preparation and modification of the teaching plans and ensure the continuing progress of all the pupils.

p.29

ENGLISH

56. The tasks set for the pupils are interesting and motivate them to listen well. In a lesson in Year 3, for example, the teacher skilfully initiated a discussion about the appearance of various flowers. The pupils were alert and their responses showed that their imagination had been fired. As the teacher developed the questioning, the pupils’ answers indicated that they were choosing their words carefully and extending their vocabulary as the discussion progressed. The effect on their subsequent written work was very positive. The oldest pupils responded enthusiastically during a discussion about their earlier learning in some of the foundation subjects. They listened courteously to each other and were very ready to extend one another’s contributions.

p.29

ENGLISH

57. By the end of Year 2, the pupils are making good progress in their reading and achieving very well. Most are attaining the level expected at this stage and a good proportion reads either above or well above the average level. This is because they are taught a good range of skills to enable them to read unfamiliar words. Some pupils are very adept at splitting words into their component sounds and then re-assembling them to read the word correctly. This skill was seen being thoroughly practised in the Year 1/2 class, and it is an approach that is applied consistently in all classes. The older pupils generally read well, but when they were heard to read individually, the text they had chosen was, in some cases, rather difficult. The resultant reading was a little hesitant and the pupils found it hard to read with meaning. Nevertheless, all clearly enjoyed reading and showed great persistence when tackling words such as “impression”,

p.29

ENGLISH

“attention”. The pupils benefit from hearing their teachers read very expressively and also from the way the guided reading groups are conducted. As they share the group reading books, the teachers’ effective questioning skills not only enable the pupils to make sense of what they are reading, but also reinforce their recognition of sounds. A good example was seen when younger pupils were sharing nonsense poems with their teacher. The school is actively promoting a strong book culture. Since the last inspection, a library has been set up and pupils have been taught how to obtain information from books. In addition, there is now a conscious effort in the classrooms to display groups of books attractively, for example, by either topic, author or type. The pupils are encouraged to read at home, and this also has a positive effect on their reading development.

p.29

ENGLISH

58. The school is successfully encouraging the pupils to enjoy writing, and their willingness to settle to their tasks was very evident. In all classes, there is a good balance of independent writing and writing that is produced jointly by the teacher and the class. This is why standards are continuing to rise. By the end of Year 2, a good proportion of the pupils write with grammatical accuracy and are learning to be critical of sentence structure and the quality of language. They understand the conventions of narrative, for example, how to vary the beginning of their stories with “One day……..” or “Once, long ago………”. They are selective in their choice of verbs; for example, one child wrote, “a snake lay coiled around the branch of a tree”. Regular spelling homework and phonic work in the classrooms are having positive effects on the accuracy of the pupils’ spelling. Many pupils are able to form well shaped letters when they write, but too few

p.29

ENGLISH

use the joins they have practised in their daily writing. Kings Cliffe Endowed School - 30 59. The attainment of the pupils in Year 4 is a little above average. For this group, it represents good progress. They achieve well because their written work is thoughtfully marked and regular account is taken of their individual targets. Most pupils now confidently punctuate direct speech and the higher attaining pupils are using paragraphing skills effectively. Their stories are logical and they select detail well in their descriptive writing, using phrases such as “Shadows chasing around the house” or “A window stuffed with sacking”. The writing of all the pupils benefit greatly from the fact that these skills are very well used to record work in all subjects. In science and religious education books, there were many well-written pieces of the work. The pupils’ spelling skills are developing well as their phonic recognition grows. Computers are used

p.29

ENGLISH

to record work, often quite inventively. Although the general presentation of the pupils' work is good, the need for a well formed and joined handwriting style is still a recognised target throughout the school.

p.30

ENGLISH

60. The development of the pupils' literacy skills has been a focal area in the school’s improvement plan. Accordingly, the teachers have provided interesting tasks for writing and an increasing range of books to stimulate the pupils’ enjoyment of reading. They very effectively ensure that higher attainers and those pupils whose literacy skills are weaker make equally good progress in line with their ability. The marking of work and the records of progress guide the planning of the work for individual pupils. The subject is very well led and all members of staff are well supported in providing a strong curriculum for literacy.

p.30

MATHEMATICS

61. Standards in mathematics have risen since the last inspection. The results of the latest national tests and current inspection evidence shows that by the end of Year 2 the majority of the pupils are attaining above average standards. This improving attainment continues in Years 3 and 4. It is mainly due to the improved teaching of mathematics and the way the school has successfully adopted the National Numeracy Strategy. The lessons are well planned with a good match of activities for the different ability groups so that they are able to achieve well and make good progress.

p.30

MATHEMATICS

62. By the time the pupils enter Year 1, they are well prepared for the work of the National Curriculum. A scrutiny of previous work in Years 1 and 2 shows that the majority of pupils have a secure understanding of the place value of two-digit numbers. They can correctly identify and name common two-dimensional figures, such as circle, square, triangle and rectangle, and three-dimensional shapes, such as cube, cylinder and pyramid. The less able groups of pupils can use coins up to 50p in ‘shopping’, and the average and brighter pupils are secure with coins up to £1. The pupils have collected and then recorded data the form of simple tables and block graphs. In one lesson seen, they used their previous knowledge of addition and subtraction of numbers up to 100 to quickly calculate addition of 9 to any two-digit number. Their learning was very good because the teacher ensured that the objectives of the lesson

p.30

MATHEMATICS

were clearly understood by all pupils and referred back to them at intervals during the lesson. As a result, the pupils remained focused on their activities and achieved very well.

p.30

MATHEMATICS

63. Similar very good teaching is evident in Years 3 and 4. A particularly strong feature of all mathematics lessons is the mental calculation session at the start. The pupils respond eagerly and with enthusiasm to the quick-fire challenge of well directed questioning, as was evident in a Year 3 lesson on developing different strategies for problem solving. The teacher was careful to ensure that all pupils took part and could contribute effectively by framing her questions according to their levels of ability. A scrutiny of their previous work shows that by the end of Year 4 most pupils can sort two-dimensional and three-dimensional shapes according to their Kings Cliffe Endowed School - 31 special properties. The average and less able pupils can extend simple number patterns and measure accurately in centimetres. There has been a good development of written recording methods, for example in the addition of three-digit numbers.

p.30

MATHEMATICS

64. The teaching is now very good overall and some is excellent. The lessons are characterised by a good pace and challenge. Careful planning, based on the objectives of the National Numeracy Strategy, ensures that all groups of pupils are able to take an effective part in lessons and learn well. These are all improvements since the last inspection. The overwhelming majority of pupils respond well to the learning environment created by their teachers. They are enthusiastic and eager to show their knowledge and greatly enjoy the mathematical ‘games’ that are such a feature of many lessons. When required to work in either small groups or pairs, they co-operate and share resources fairly. This all leads to a good pace to learning and the majority of pupils work hard. This was evident, for example, when Year 4 pupils were challenged to find the missing numbers in addition and subtraction sums. A notable feature of many lessons is the

p.31

MATHEMATICS

good use made of the support staff to help the less able groups and the pupils with special educational needs. The support staff are well briefed, know the pupils well and help to develop their confidence. Consequently, in the whole-class sessions at the end of lessons, these pupils are just as eager to show their learning as other groups. Their responses are valued as much as any other group of pupils and this develops their sense of respect for themselves and their opinions.

p.31

MATHEMATICS

65. The subject is well led by the head teacher, who has supported colleagues during the introduction of the Numeracy Strategy. She has monitored the pupils’ work and the teachers’ planning so that there is more consistency in the teaching and learning across the school. The resources are now good and their effective use is contributing to the rising standards.

p.31

SCIENCE

66. Standards in science have been maintained since the last inspection and are above average at the end of years 2 and 4. The science curriculum is well planned so that the pupils cover all aspects of the programme of study and have particularly good opportunities for scientific investigation. Good links are also made with other subjects so that work about sunflowers, for example, is used to give a context for the pupils' writing in English.

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SCIENCE

67. The pupils are achieving well and make good progress. Their written work in Years 1 and 2 shows that they can use pictures, words and diagrams to record their observations. They are able to construct a table to indicate where living things can be found and show a growing ability to describe and record what they see. Pupils of all abilities are doing well and all are on course to reach at least the expected level by the end of Year 2. The more able pupils are on course to attain the higher level by that stage. In the one lesson seen in Years 1 and 2, the pupils were learning about healthy foods and the more able pupils were able to talk, for example, about recent news reports on excess salt in many food products. Most were able to group foods into fruit and vegetables, meat and fish, dairy products and bread and cereals. In this lesson, the teaching was very good because it was well structured with a very clear objective, built

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SCIENCE

effectively on previous learning and involved the pupils in interesting tasks.

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SCIENCE

68. In Years 3 and 4, the pupils continue to achieve well. For example, they demonstrate a good knowledge of the different types and uses of their teeth. Pupils of all abilities can identify transparent, translucent and opaque materials. In the lesson observed, the teaching was satisfactory, but the teacher's long term plans and the children’s books indicate strongly that the work is good overall. In this lesson thorough planning and preparation of resources allowed the Kings Cliffe Endowed School - 32 teacher to introduce the lesson in a manner that motivated the pupils and raised pertinent questions before they embarked on an investigation to discover how exercise affects their bodies. Most of the older pupils were able to carry out the tests and record their findings with reasonable accuracy. All made clear gains in their learning, but some of the more able pupils could have been given greater independence in devise quicker ways of recording their findings.

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SCIENCE

A scrutiny of the pupils completed science work from the previous terms suggests that they also use and enhance their mathematical skills by recording data and creating graphs, often with the help of information technology. Similarly, they exercise and extend their writing skills, for example, when compiling lists, recording observations and structuring reports of their investigations.

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SCIENCE

69. The teachers give the children a target at the start of each activity they undertake. This ensures that they know what they are expected to learn and the teachers' informative marking subsequently tells them how successful they have been and where they can make improvements. The school has comprehensive records of the pupils’ attainment. There is good monitoring to ensure that the pupils have access to a broad curriculum, but some developments, for example, the building of a portfolio of work, have been interrupted by the recent departure of the science co-ordinator.

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ART AND DESIGN AND DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

70. Two lessons in art and one lesson in design and technology were scheduled during the inspection. However, sketch books and very detailed design and technology diaries were scrutinised together with the teachers' planning for both areas of the curriculum. Some past work was also made available. The limited evidence from these sources indicates that currently standards are above average in design and technology, but only average in art and design. A good start has been made in the use of the national guidance, and although some examples of good quality were seen, overall the work is not yet well advanced. In the case of design and technology, however, the planning is very thorough and ensures that a range of skills and techniques are taught. There are strong policies to guide the work in both areas and the links between these and other school policies, such as that for assessment, are very coherent.

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ART AND DESIGN AND DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

71. In Years 1 and 2, the pupils have had positive experiences of mixing paints. They now appreciate how to produce lighter and darker tones to reproduce, for example, the colour of human flesh. Their portraits in Year 2 are humorous and interesting, enlivened by attempts to represent, for example, the textures of hair and the varying shapes of eyes. Their drawings to illustrate work in other subjects are careful and, where appropriate, colour is neatly applied.

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ART AND DESIGN AND DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

72. In key stage 1, the pupils' work in design and technology is more detailed and varied and their planning skills are above average. For instance, the pupils worked collaboratively to plan and make a fruit drink, showing an awareness of how to allocate tasks between them and what implements were needed for the task. Their evaluations of the finished project were frank and good natured. Work on Hinduism in religious education formed the basis of a moving picture of Rama fleeing in search of his wife Sita. They successfully developed a range of products from prototype paper designs to well-finished felt and sock puppets, which they evaluated and subsequently embellished with details such as wool hair and bead eyes. In this way, they investigated various ways of joining materials and recorded the outcomes. They also understand how to make simple winding mechanisms, using appropriate components such as rods and axles.

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ART AND DESIGN AND DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

The pupils are now well used to planning their work and evaluating the finished product. The teaching is of very good quality because it not only promotes design skills, but also enhances the Kings Cliffe Endowed School - 33 pupils’ knowledge of a range of technical vocabulary and the need to record the process of design logically.

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ART AND DESIGN AND DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

73. The one art lesson seen in key stage 2 was of good quality because it was based upon first hand observation. Thorough discussion preceded the drawing task. As a result, several pupils drew careful representations of sunflower heads before transferring them to a polystyrene tile in order to make a printing block. The oldest pupils have used their sketchbooks appropriately to explore shading techniques to be applied to drawings of fruit.

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ART AND DESIGN AND DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

74. The work in design and technology is more advanced and shows that the pupils’ skills are developing well. The pupils in key stage 2 have worked with a variety of materials, for example, to investigate simple circuits such as those used in a torch. Another project involved making a simple pneumatic mechanism to open and close the jaws of a card "monster". In discussion, four of the oldest pupils eagerly explained how they were currently using their earlier experience of stitching and making flaps to produce a pop-up book for the younger children. They were engagingly frank about the degree of success they had experienced when designing and stitching a pencil case in binka. Nevertheless, it is very clear that their critical skills are being well developed and they are progressing well in communicating their design ideas.

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ART AND DESIGN AND DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

75. The teaching seen in both subjects was good. In design and technology, the pupils are experiencing a wide range of design activities. However, their opportunities to engage with a range of artists and crafts people in the art and design curriculum are currently inadequate. The school is aware of this and plans are in hand to raise the profile of art and design, and in particular to acquaint the pupils with the work of artists from the other cultures they learn about in, for example, geography and religious education.

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

76. By the end of Year 2, standards in geography and history are broadly in line with those expected nationally for pupils of a similar age. These subjects are taught in blocks of time, therefore only one lesson in each subject was seen during the inspection. The following judgements are based on these lessons, discussions with teachers and the pupils, and a scrutiny of the pupils’ previous work.

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

77. From the teachers’ planning and the pupils’ previous work, it is clear that both subjects are meeting all the requirements of the National Curriculum. Satisfactory use is made of topics to develop an appropriate range of skills, knowledge and understanding. For example, in a lesson on the life of Catherine of Aragon, the Year 4 pupils show good recall of the facts of her life from their previous work. At the same time, the teacher carefully and sensitively allowed the pupils to express their ideas and opinions about other issues behind the story. This effectively developed the pupils’ moral and cultural views about events of the past and reinforced their concept of time. A similar lesson in Year 1/2 on the life of a family in a Mexican village enabled the pupils to compare it to their own situations. Discussions with the pupils show that they are developing an awareness of how history is presented in different ways and beginning to

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

consider how to use evidence to come to a point of view.

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

78. A scrutiny of the previous work in geography shows that similar opportunities have been taken not only to extend the pupils’ knowledge, but also to develop other skills. The younger pupils’ were made aware of their immediate area through a study of the school, and the older pupils in Year 3 were asked to plan a trail around the village. The Year 4 pupils have investigated noise pollution around the school. Good use has also been made of the village in comparing it with Kings Cliffe Endowed School - 34 other areas locally and abroad, such as Bangladesh. They have also compared weather information and plotted this on a world map. The pupils’ mapping skills are developed satisfactorily from the production of a simple plan of the school to the use of more detailed representations of the surrounding area. They can also use simple compass directions to plot a journey.

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

79. In both lessons seen, the teaching was good. The teachers have good knowledge of these subjects, and their planning is now securely based on the nationally approved schemes of work. The great majority of the pupils respond with interest and enthusiasm to their lessons. Those with special educational needs are well supported during class and group activities, and this enables them to contribute purposefully. In both subjects, the pupils have good opportunities to use their literacy, numeracy and computer skills. These are all improvements since the last inspection.

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

80. The leadership and management of both subjects are satisfactory. The head teacher reviews the teachers’ planning. The resources for both subjects have been updated and contribute to the teaching and learning in both subjects.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

81. Standards in information and communication technology are in line with expectations. The pupils show good skills when they are communicating their ideas in words and pictures. This was evident, for example, when they created well-designed information booklets about Bangladesh and when they worked with data to produce graphs in science. However, the pupils, and particularly those in Years 3 and 4, do not yet have sufficient opportunity to develop their knowledge and skills of creating, testing, improving and refining sequences of instructions or using simulations and exploring models. During the inspection, the pupils in Year 4 were making a start in learning to give instructions to an on-screen turtle to draw, for example, an equilateral triangle. Although the school’s improvement plans are bringing greater breadth, there is a need to increase the opportunities for pupils to learn about these important areas.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

82. The resources for information and communication technology are much improved and are now very good. The teachers make good use of the computer resources they have in the classrooms as well as those in the new computer suite. For example, when the pupils in Year 3 were writing letters to a ‘botanist’ they showed a great deal of confidence and independence in their use of a word processor which allowed them to improve their writing and produce work of a high quality.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

83. Although improvements are needed in the range of the curriculum, the actual teaching of the present topics is good. The teachers are making good use of the school’s software to support learning across the curriculum and planning its integration very effectively into the pupils’ learning. Most importantly they are developing in the pupils an awareness of when the technology can help and a confidence to use it. As a result, the pupils have a positive and mature attitude to the use of information and communication technology.

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MUSIC

84. There is insufficient evidence to make an overall judgement about standards across all aspects of the music curriculum. However, it is very clear that by the end of years 2 and 4, the pupils achieve above average standards in singing. This was a view echoed by parents who attended the pre-inspection meeting. The appointment of a specialist teacher with good subject knowledge is raising the standards the pupils achieve. This was very evident when the pupils in Kings Cliffe Endowed School - 35 Year 3 were invited to accompany the same song by tapping a variety of rhythms. The teacher then stretched their experiences further by demonstrating examples of the use of syncopation in jazz music.

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MUSIC

85. Although no lessons were seen in Years 1 and 2, the singing in assemblies provided very sound evidence that the pupils sing expressively. When singing a well-known hymn, they modulated their voices well and were able to conclude by appropriately sustaining the final note. The skills taught in the specialist lessons are being well reinforced by the assembly leaders who encourage the pupils to sing melodiously and with clear diction. Their sense of pitch was particularly good as they sang the higher notes very accurately.

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MUSIC

86. No lessons were seen in Year 4, but the pupils in Year 3 showed that they are developing a good awareness of phrasing when they sing. This is because the teacher is skilled in enabling the pupils to achieve variety in their performance. When they were asked to perform to their class teacher, they exhibited a well-developed awareness of audience as they stood proudly before her, radiating pride in what they had achieved during the lesson. In lessons, the pupils regularly use a variety of percussion instruments to explore different patterns and rhythms. The good range of instruments available is a positive feature of the provision made by the school.

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MUSIC

87. The pupils clearly appreciate the skilled teaching they receive and enjoy their music lessons. They are now being encouraged to be more attentive, for example, when advice is given about how to handle instruments appropriately. A few pupils benefit from additional violin lessons, and there is also a recorder club to further broaden their musical experiences. The curriculum planning indicates that the music selected for listening and performance makes a valuable contribution to the pupils’ broader cultural development. For example, there is music linked to celebrations, a topic that the pupils explore in religious education.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

88. During the course of the inspection, only one physical education lesson was observed. The teacher ensured that the pupils in Year 3 were properly warmed up before embarking on a series of activities to improve their throwing and catching skills. The lesson was well structured and the pupils displayed throwing, striking and fielding skills in line with expectations. The teacher developed the lesson by adding an element of competition in the form of a game of non- stop rounders. The teacher emphasised the importance of striking the ball into spaces and for fielders to locate themselves where the ball was most likely to go. The pupils’ awareness and skills improved as a result of this good teaching.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

89. No other aspects of physical education were taught during the inspection so it is not possible to make a judgement about the overall standards attained by the pupils. However, it is clear from the teachers' records that there is a well-planned programme of lessons for dance, gymnastics, games and swimming. The facilities for promoting these aspects of physical education are adequate. The school has a small multipurpose hall and outside there is a hard play area and playing field with enough space to teach ball skills.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

90. The curriculum for religious education is well planned and very well taught. This is the reason why standards are very high particularly in key stage 2. By the end of Year 2, the pupils have a very good understanding of the significance of belonging, for example, to a family. They know that family celebrations, including those that are seen as major religious festivals, for instance, in Kings Cliffe Endowed School - 36 Christianity, Judaism and Hinduism, represent very special times. In one classroom, a very good display of artefacts and photographs of Jewish family life has been a focus of interest for the pupils. In another, a display linked to wedding celebrations clearly reflected the importance of this event. The younger pupils have a good level of knowledge of some of the stories told by Jesus and have begun to appreciate why he told them. There is a very good balance of work based on Christianity and other major faiths. The tasks recorded are interesting and varied and

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

reflect the pride the pupils have taken in their learning.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

91. The topics covered in key stage 2 are very broad and are treated in considerable depth. This is why the pupils’ knowledge is well secured and their understanding well above average for pupils at this stage. For example, a visit to the local churchyard prompted a highly sensitive, well informed discussion about the significance of tombstones and the kind of emotions people experience when faced with the death of relatives and pets. The pupils also gained some appreciation of the historic value of such evidence to the local community. The pupils’ moral development was also enhanced when they discussed the importance of rules and subsequently the value of friends. They have a good appreciation of people’s interdependence, having been engaged in topics on Oxfam and Children in Need. A well produced booklet on Islam reflected the fact that great care was taken to present this topic sensitively and with respect.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

92. The quality of the pupils’ work fully reflects the very good teaching they receive. The lessons are very well planned. The aims are explained clearly to the pupils and there is an expectation that work will be recorded with care and pride. The recording methods were varied and interesting and often accompanied by carefully drawn illustrations. The school has made great effort to acquire interesting resources such as artefacts, and good quality books and illustrations, and has taken positive steps, whenever possible, to get local religious leaders to engage in discussion with the pupils.

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