Brinsley Primary and Nursery School

BRINSLEY PRIMARY SCHOOL

Inspection number: 248362 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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BRINSLEY PRIMARY SCHOOL

Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the school must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. Brinsley Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Moor Road Brinsley Nottingham Postcode: NG16 5AZ

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mr Brian Deller

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 19 January 1998 Brinsley Primary School - 4

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Aspect responsibilities

21190 Keith Edwards Registered inspector English Music Physical education What sort of school is it? The school’s results and achievements How well are pupils taught? How well is the school led and managed? What should the school do to improve further? 13828 Ron Ibbitson Lay inspector Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development. How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? Accommodation 20798 John Marlow Team inspector Geography History Information and communication technology Mathematics Religious education How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils?

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Aspect responsibilities

22396 Jenny Young Team inspector Art Design and technology Foundation stage Educational inclusion Science Special Educational Needs Assessment Brinsley Primary School - 5 The inspection contractor was:

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Aspect responsibilities

Sandfield Educational Consultants 16 Wychwood Drive Trowell Park Nottingham NG9 3RB

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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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Aspect responsibilities

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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Aspect responsibilities

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Brinsley Primary School - 6

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 7

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? 11

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Brinsley Primary draws most of its children from the immediate locality. Numbers on roll have fallen since the time of the last inspection and are continuing to fall. There are 159 full-time boys and girls as well as 46 children who attend the nursery on a part-time basis. Almost all of the pupils are white and come from homes where English is the first language. Seven per cent of the pupils have an entitlement to free school meals. This is below the national average.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

There are three intakes into the reception class during the course of the year. Not all of the children who start in the school’s nursery transfer into the reception class. The attainment of most of the pupils on entry to their reception year is average although there is a significant variation in the pupils’ achievement at the start of their full-time education. There is a wide spread of ability in each class. Twenty per cent of the pupils are on the school’s register for special educational needs. This is similar to the national average. One of these pupils has a statement of special educational needs.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

The school provides a satisfactory standard of education and the pupils make sound progress as they move through the school. Standards are broadly in line with national expectations at the end of year 6 and the pupils’ performance in the national tests has improved steadily since the last inspection. The overall quality of leadership, management and teaching is satisfactory. The school has a positive ethos in which each pupil is valued as an individual. The pastoral care is good. The school provides satisfactory value for money.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What the school does well • Standards in science are above average. • The provision for those pupils with special educational needs is very good. • The provision in the Foundation Stage is good and it enables the children to make a good start to their learning. • The quality of teaching in Years 5 and 6 is good. • The teaching assistants make a valuable contribution to the quality of learning throughout the school. • The school provides a caring ethos where the pupils feel safe and secure.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What could be improved • Standards of behaviour in class. • The quality of teaching in Years 1 to 4. Some lessons lack challenge in the work set for different groups of pupils. The use of homework to help the children to learn is inconsistent. • The rigour in the school’s management systems. • The use of information and communication technology to support learning across the curriculum. • Steps to help prepare the pupils for life in a multi-cultural society. • The library. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school was last inspected in January 1998. Since then it has made satisfactory progress. It has met two of the recommendations of the last inspection successfully and the improvement in results in the national tests has broadly kept pace with the national trend. The governors are now more engaged in the work of the school and all statutory requirements are met. Resources for learning have improved. For example, a thorough programme of staff training combined with the introduction of new computers for each class has greatly enhanced the school’s capacity to teach information and Brinsley Primary School - 8 communication technology successfully. The school now has clear assessment procedures which enable the teachers to track the pupils’ performance as they progress through the school. However, although the school has developed the role of the subject co-ordinator and has implemented procedures

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

to check on the quality of teaching and learning, the disruption to the senior management team through the long-term illness of key members of staff has adversely affected the rigour of its work. In addition, there is a lack of focus in the analysis of classroom practice to ensure that the quality of learning is improving. For example, the school collects detailed information about each pupil but has not refined its assessment procedures to ensure that this information is used consistently to set clear learning objectives for individuals or groups of pupils.

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STANDARDS

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

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STANDARDS

Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

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STANDARDS

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

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STANDARDS

With the exception of standards in science, the above table does not fully reflect the current situation in the school. Inspection evidence shows that standards in Year 6 are broadly in line with expectations in English and mathematics, but vary in other years. However, the school is unlikely to meet the challenging targets set in English and mathematics at the end of Year 6 in the current national tests (SATs). This is because the pupils’ progress in some classes is limited by the unsatisfactory behaviour of a minority of pupils. Furthermore, the quality of teaching in Years 1 to 4, although satisfactory, does not consistently build on the pupils’ achievements in the Foundation Stage. Consequently, by the time that they reach Years 5 and 6, the pupils have to make up too much ground to reach their potential. Standards in science are above average by the end of Years 2 and 6 as this is well taught throughout

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STANDARDS

the school, with a good emphasis on practical and investigative work. Standards in information and communication technology meet expectations although opportunities are missed for the pupils to practise their skills in other subjects. In all other subjects standards are satisfactory.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attitudes to the school Satisfactory. Pupils are happy to attend school and most pupils apply themselves and work hard.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Unsatisfactory. The poor behaviour of a minority of pupils in most of the classes limits the progress of other pupils who want to learn.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Personal development and relationships Satisfactory. Most of the pupils are growing in maturity and are able to form positive relationships with their peers and with adults.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attendance Good. Almost all children arrive promptly at the start of the school day Brinsley Primary School - 9 and lessons start and finish on time.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

In almost all of the lessons observed the teaching was satisfactory or better. The overall quality of teaching in literacy and numeracy is satisfactory. The quality of teaching for the children in the nursery and reception classes is good and this enables them to make good progress. The quality of teaching in Years 5 and 6 is good and this enables the pupils to make good progress in their last years at school. Those pupils with special educational needs are taught well. The quality of science teaching is exciting and effective. The teachers have developed greater expertise in information and communication technology and are beginning to use the new suite of computers to teach skills, but too little use is made of computers to support learning in other subjects. The teachers work well with other adults in the classroom. However, the poor behaviour of a few pupils in each class, who demand too

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

much of their teachers’ time, limits the quality of learning. The quality of marking is good although more use could be made of assessment information to provide more challenging work, especially in English and mathematics in Years 1 to 4. Furthermore, the teachers could take steps to make more effective use of time to ensure that the pupils are kept on task. Inconsistent use is made of homework to support learning.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The quality and range of the curriculum Satisfactory. The curriculum is good in the foundation classes and satisfactory in the juniors. The provision the school makes for the pupils' personal, social and health education is effective and the science provision supports the pupils’ personal development.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Very good. The provision for the pupils with special educational needs is well considered, sensitive and helps the pupils to make good progress.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development S atisfactory. Although the provision is satisfactory overall, too little attention is given to promoting an awareness and understanding of the multi-cultural nature of contemporary society.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

How well the school cares for its pupils Good. The school provides a warm and caring learning environment. Child protection procedures are secure. The monitoring of the pupils’ academic performance is satisfactory.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The school has developed a satisfactory working partnership with the parents. The involvement with the community has a good impact on the pupils’ learning. Brinsley Primary School - 10

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Satisfactory. The leadership has established a strong caring ethos but there is a lack of rigour to ensure that all of the pupils are achieving their best. Subject co-ordinators are inconsistent in their approach to monitoring their subjects.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Satisfactory. All statutory requirements but governors rely too heavily on information provided by the headteacher and could ask more questions to deepen their understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The school’s evaluation of its performance Satisfactory. The school has drawn up a comprehensive improvement plan that prioritises the key areas for development. The school recognises that it is important to improve standards of behaviour in order to raise achievement by the time the pupils leave school.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The strategic use of resources Satisfactory. Educational priorities are supported through the school’s financial planning and the school seeks best value in its spending decisions. However, the school has overspent in the last financial year. Nevertheless, the school provides satisfactory value for money.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved • Children like school and are making good progress. • The teaching is good and their children are expected to work hard and achieve their best. • The school helps children to become mature and responsible. • Poor behaviour of some pupils • More information about how their children are getting on at school. • The school’s links with parents • Better management of the school

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Although the inspectors agreed with most of the points mentioned they considered that the information given to parents was good and sufficient to enable parents to know how well their children were getting on. Brinsley Primary School - 11

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. The attainment on entry to the nursery class covers a wide range but it is broadly average. In spite of the very good start these children have in the nursery class, some parents remove their children and send them to another school for their reception year. This affects the overall attainment on entry into the reception, which is generally below average, especially in the children’s communication skills. Nevertheless, the children continue to make good progress and successfully build upon their learning.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. The children in the Foundation Stage make good progress in their personal and social development because the adults provide such good role models and provide a rich variety of experiences for the children. This also contributes significantly to the children’s growing confidence in speaking and listening. The children follow a stimulating curriculum that includes a wide range of activities, routines and experiences that are carefully chosen to meet their learning. In particular, the good teaching and the close teamwork with their teaching assistants and the nursery nurse, results in a positive atmosphere where children are inspired to learn. The classrooms and the outdoor play area provide a stimulating environment for learning. In addition, there is a strong emphasis on valuing each child and this helps the children to feel included and have a really positive start to their education. Assessment is used consistently well throughout the Foundation Stage to ensure that the children build

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

on their previous experiences. The children with special educational needs are sensitively supported and helped to make good progress, particularly in their communication and mathematical skills.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. The National Curriculum tests and assessments at the end of Year 2 in 2002 showed that the pupils’ attainments were average in reading; standards in writing and mathematics were above average. The pupils achieved as well as those in pupils in similar schools. An analysis of the work of the current Year 2 pupils shows that standards in reading, writing and mathematics are broadly average. There is scope for raising the expectation of the infant staff to ensure that all of the pupils, particularly the higher attainers, achieve their potential in literacy and numeracy. Overall, boys and girls make steady progress in Years 1 and 2.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. The National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 6 in 2002 show that standards were below average in English and mathematics. In science, standards were above average and well above average when compared to pupils from similar schools. The inspection evidence shows that standards in English and mathematics are broadly average and standards in science are above average at the end of Year 6. The emphasis that the school gives to investigative science is a key factor in helping the pupils to make good progress in the junior classes. The overall improvement in standards is the result of the rigorous use of assessment and tracking procedures and a strong upper junior teaching team. The improvement in test results for Year 6 has kept pace with the national trend since the last inspection.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. The pupils make satisfactory progress in speaking and listening and standards are average for their age by the end of Year 6. Although most pupils are confident and articulate, there is a significant minority of pupils who are diffident and reluctant to express themselves. Most pupils listen carefully to their teachers and to their peers in class discussions. The pupils make sound progress in learning to read as they move through the school. The pupils respond well to the daily opportunity for them to become engrossed in a book and in the current Year 6 standards are broadly average. Unfortunately there are too few reference books in the school; this restricts opportunities for pupils to conduct their own research. Most pupils read with reasonable expression, fluency, accuracy and understanding. Brinsley Primary School - 12 6. The pupils with special educational needs make good progress in their reading and in writing

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

because they are well supported. An additional factor in this good progress is the clarity of the pupils’ individual education plans which are relevant and introduce the appropriate amount of challenge. The school is not as clear about the identification of those pupils who are gifted and talented and consequently, there is scope for improvement in the provision made for them.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7. Standards in writing are broadly average by the end of Year 2 and Year 6. The pupils’ spelling, sentence construction, punctuation and handwriting are satisfactory. The pupils make satisfactory progress in writing in most classes until the end of Year 4. However, in Years 5 and 6 the quality of teaching is more effective and this enables the pupils to make better progress. The pupils are given many opportunities to express themselves in writing in a range of styles and formats. They are encouraged to develop their literacy skills in many other subjects and this policy is proving to be successful. By the end of Year 6 the pupils understand the conventions of grammar, know how to punctuate their work accurately and the higher attaining pupils use a broad range of vocabulary to make their work more interesting for the reader. The handwriting style of most pupils is well-formed and most pupils present their work well.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

8. By the end of Year 6, standards in mathematics are average. Although the National Numeracy Strategy is well established there is too little attention paid to problem solving and to the use of information and communication technology to support learning. However, the teachers insist on the use of appropriate mathematical vocabulary and this has resulted in the pupils making sound progress. The pupils are able to collect data and represent the information in a range of graphical forms. The pupils are offered regular opportunities to apply their numeracy skills in other subjects such as science and geography and this makes a strong contribution to the pupils’ progress.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

9. The pupils make good progress in science and by the end of Year 6 standards are above average. Throughout the school the pupils engage in hands-on investigations and learn from making predictions and from direct observation. Younger pupils benefit from practical work in the school grounds to support their learning on plants and animals. They can classify materials according to their properties. By the end of Year 6, the pupils engage confidently in a range of investigations and apply sound scientific methods to their conclusions. They check the validity of their predictions and know how to apply the concept of a fair test. Their skills are consolidated through the application of their knowledge in other areas such as plant propagation in the green house.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

10. The pupils respond well to the improved provision for information and communication technology and make sound progress in learning the technical skills of word processing, data handling and researching information. However, too little use is made of information and communication technology to support learning in other subjects. Although there are examples of good use being made of programmable toys, tape recorders, digital cameras and computers to support learning, particularly in the infant classes, these opportunities are too infrequent.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

11. Standards are satisfactory in religious education at the end of Years 2 and 6 and meet the requirements of the Agreed Syllabus. The pupils, including the more able and those with special educational needs, make satisfactory progress overall and good progress in the social and moral aspects of religious education. The pupils have developed a satisfactory understanding of Christianity and other world faiths but the pupils have very little experience of different places worship.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

12. Standards in history and geography are average by the end of Year 2 and Year 6. Standards in art and design and design and technology are supported by clear schemes of work and are average overall. The pupils achieve satisfactory standards in physical education and there is a strength in swimming, as most pupils are able to swim 25 metres by the time they leave school. Standards in music are average. The school lacks a specialist teacher and opportunities are missed for the pupils to perform, to appreciate a range of genres and to understand musical structures. Brinsley Primary School - 13

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13. The attitudes of pupils are satisfactory but not as good as those found at the last inspection. Although most pupils have satisfactory attitudes there is a significant minority of pupils who show poor attitudes to school and to their work. In lessons, most pupils listen to their teacher, concentrate well and show a keen interest in their work. A boy in reception class, for example, was completely absorbed when looking at a live worm through a magnifying glass. Others in the same class were busily constructing a wormery. By contrast, a few pupils in the junior classes show little interest in their work and at times little respect for their teachers. There is reluctance by some pupils to co- operate in lessons. For example, in a Year 5 and 6 class discussion, almost all of the boys refused to volunteer information in spite of sympathetic encouragement by the class teacher. Several Year 4 boys in a literacy lesson lacked concentration and were disruptive and unproductive.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. Although the behaviour of many pupils in and around the school is satisfactory, and, for the younger pupils often good, the behaviour of pupils overall is unsatisfactory and this is below the standard reported at the last inspection. The unsatisfactory behaviour in lessons by some pupils, particularly in Years 4, 5 and 6, adversely affects the quality of learning because of the amount of time teachers have to spend in maintaining discipline. During the inspection there were no signs of aggressive or bullying behaviour but both children and parents say that bullying does occur. The pupils have a sense of appropriate behaviour and are aware of the school’s rules and the sanctions incurred when these are broken, but a significant minority choose to ignore the code of conduct.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

15. The pupils’ relationships with their teachers and other adults are generally good and they have good relationships with each other; this is an important factor in their attitudes to school. Pupils who are reluctant to join in lessons have less satisfactory relationships. Pupils are friendly to visitors and will talk freely about their school life. In a discussion with some Year 6 pupils they said they found the school friendly and they enjoyed their lessons. They thought that teachers made lessons fun.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

16. The personal development of children is satisfactory. There are many opportunities for the pupils to exercise their initiative and to show a sense of responsibility. The school council provides opportunities for all pupils to engage in elections when seeking new representatives. Council members discuss school matters and make suggestions for improvements. ‘Name-calling’ was felt to be a problem in school and was discussed. The result was a heightened awareness of ‘name calling’ in the school and several measures taken to counter it have been effective. Pupils are encouraged to help in the school and tasks are allotted according to age and ability. They are generally proud of their school and during the inspection there were no signs of litter or graffiti. Two Year 2 girls were seen picking up litter in the grounds. The school greenhouse, flowerbeds and vegetable plots provide opportunities for children in the garden club to enjoy cultivating plants. The school supports various charities and

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

through these pupils gain an understanding of others less fortunate than themselves. They also see that they can help in a small way to make other lives better.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

17. Pupils’ respect for the feelings, values and beliefs of others is satisfactory. Through religious education lessons they are beginning to understand different religious beliefs and are learning to respect views different to their own. They are beginning to think about differences between their own values and those held by others. For example, a boy in Year 6, in a discussion on ‘name calling’, felt that it was wrong to make judgements on the basis of appearance because ‘underneath they are just like us’ and the other children in the group agreed. In a similar way the pupils agreed that the religious beliefs that others held should not be a barrier to personal relationships. Brinsley Primary School - 14 18. There has been a slight fall in attendance in the past year but the overall attendance rate is good and is similar to that found at the last inspection. Punctuality is a problem for a few children but

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

19. The overall quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. In the lessons observed, fifty- seven per cent of the teaching was good or better with nine per cent being very good. Two lessons, in the infant classes, were judged to be unsatisfactory. The very good lessons were mainly seen in Years 5 and 6 and in a science lesson in Year 1. Although the teaching of English and mathematics is satisfactory overall, more could be done to raise the expectations of the pupils, particularly in Years 1 to 4. Information and communication technology is well taught in the computer suite but the computers are underused to support learning in different subjects. In each class, time is not used as efficiently as it might be; this is particularly the case in the daily reading sessions in which a significant minority of pupils waste time and there are few checks on what they have read. Throughout the school, the quality

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

of marking is good and consistently applied to give good feedback to pupils. Teaching assistants are used well to provide valuable support for different groups of pupils.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

20. The quality of teaching for children in the Foundation Stage is good. Lessons are very well planned to challenge children of all ability levels and move them along at a pace that suits their age and stage of learning best. Teachers and the teaching assistants, who support them, work well together and have a very good understanding of the needs of young children. Carefully prepared topic activities keep children’s interest levels high. They show enthusiasm and excitement when learning. The classrooms where the Foundation Stage children are taught are well organised to encourage their independence. The children sense that their teachers want them to be happy and successful, and they respond extremely positively to this trust. They think for themselves and try hard. Teachers take great care to make sure that children are given tasks that are appropriate for their age. In reception, when

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

the whole class is together at the start of literacy or numeracy sessions, those who have special educational needs are catered for well because the teachers make sure that a range of suitable questions are asked. Different groups of children are set to work and time is then spent aiding those who require extra support. This practice impacts significantly on the quality of learning for all the children and enables them to make good progress during their time in Foundation Stage.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

21. The quality of teaching by all those who support pupils with special educational needs is good. The co-ordinator takes responsibility for all the staff and advises the teaching assistants and other adults (for example parents, other professionals and outside agency support) throughout school. She matches adults and pupils very carefully in order that the support is effective as possible. The staff liaise with her regularly, in formal and informal meetings, when pupil progress issues are discussed and new targets are set. The adults have a high awareness of individual special needs and the expertise they share enables the support to be high quality.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

22. A key issue of the last inspection was to improve the quality of teaching in Years 1 to 4 from sound to good. This has still not happened. Although the teachers’ planning has improved and lesson objectives are clearly shared with the pupils, there remains a lack of rigour in lessons, particularly in the use of time and managing the pupils’ behaviour.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

23. The quality of teaching in Years 1 and 2 is broadly satisfactory and it helps the pupils to build steadily on their achievements in the Foundation Stage. However, more could be done to raise the expectations of all of the pupils. The teachers’ planning is appropriately structured and lessons have clear learning objectives. The planning takes some account of the range of age and ability of the pupils in the class. Praise and ongoing assessment are used effectively to motivate the pupils and to raise their achievement, although too little attention is paid to assessment data to ensure that all of the pupils Brinsley Primary School - 15 are sufficiently challenged in lessons. The quality of marking is good. The literacy and numeracy hours are taught satisfactorily. Resources are well organised and the teachers make good use of display to support the pupils’ learning in these areas. The teachers have established good working relationships

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

with their teaching assistants and they work well together, particularly in support of those pupils with special educational needs. Homework is set regularly and the ongoing dialogue between home and school in the pupils’ reading diaries supports the pupils’ learning. A strength of the teaching is the emphasis that is given to practical work and the pupils are presented with exciting opportunities to learn from first hand experience. For example, in a very effective science lesson in Year 1, the pupils made very good progress in sorting materials according to whether or not they were magnetic and then making predictions about the properties of other materials. However, a common feature of less successful lessons is a failure to maintain effective discipline. For example, in a physical education lesson in Year 2, the poor behaviour of a small group of pupils jeopardised the learning opportunities of

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

24. Although the quality of learning in Years 3 and 4 is satisfactory overall, there is scope for improvements in the quality of teaching. In Years 5 and 6 the quality of teaching is good. In the very best lessons, the teachers use a range of strategies to manage the behaviour of the pupils and to maintain their interest. The teachers support this with thorough planning and use their skills to teach the pupils in an imaginative way. For example, in a very good literacy lesson on empathetic writing the teacher ensured the work was pitched at the appropriate level and then involved the pupils in a range of activities to develop their writing and to extend their vocabulary. In a very good physical education lesson, the teacher motivated her pupils through a series of imaginative exercises in which she led by example. She ensured that there was an appropriate degree of challenge for each ability group and

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

the entire lesson was conducted at pace. In each of these lessons the teachers maintained very good discipline in an atmosphere of good humour. In the weaker lessons, typically those for the lower junior classes, there are too many interruptions to learning because the behaviour of a minority of pupils is not managed well. Furthermore, many lessons lack challenge and there tends to be an overuse of uninspiring worksheets. The teaching of basic skills, such as reading, lacks the rigour. Because the setting of homework is inconsistent, opportunities are missed to further involve the parents in their children’s learning and the impact of homework is unsatisfactory.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

25. The curriculum provided by the school is satisfactory. At the last inspection the quality of teachers’ planning and the provision of schemes of work used to support pupils’ learning in all National Curriculum subjects was found to be weak. Since that inspection the school has worked successfully to improve the planning, assessment and delivery of the curriculum for all children, and this provision is now satisfactory. The planning, content and implementation of the national Literacy and Numeracy strategies have been successfully introduced. The curriculum for the Foundation Stage is broad, balanced and of good quality. The learning tasks are relevant and suitably based in play to interest and motivate the children of different ages and abilities. The classrooms are organised into different curriculum learning areas. This allows the children increased independence and choice from the activities offered. The outdoor curriculum environment offers good learning potential for the children.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

26. The school provides a broad and generally balanced curriculum for the infant and junior pupils that includes all subjects of the National Curriculum and religious education. A priority for the school over the last two years has been a focus upon the development of literacy and raising pupils’ attainment. The school has prioritised more curriculum time for English and its related areas, for example reading, speaking and listening and ‘circle time’, than to the foundation subjects. Consequently subjects such as history, geography, religious education, design and technology and music are not currently enriching the curriculum as much as they might. Furthermore, too little use is made of information and communication technology to support learning. However, all statutory Brinsley Primary School - 16 requirements are met. In religious education, the school meets the requirements of the locally agreed

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

27. The system for supporting the learning of pupils with special educational needs is a strength of the school, and this ensures that they make good progress in their learning. There is an extremely effective system in place for the identification and monitoring of pupils’ progress. Individual education plans set out clear achievable learning targets. The pupils’ progress is reviewed regularly. The school uses a range of strategies to help the pupils to learn and is very effective in providing a fully inclusive curriculum so that all pupils are given equal access to the statutory curriculum.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

28. The curriculum makes a valuable contribution to pupils’ intellectual, physical and social development. Personal and social issues are raised across all subjects, and consideration for others is given a high priority. A very comprehensive personal, social and health education (PHSE) scheme is being implemented across the school, within which the concept of citizenship is well developed. There are appropriate opportunities for promoting health education throughout the school. For example, the school nurse works with Year 6 pupils about good health, hygiene and sex education in line with the guidelines agreed by the governing body. A programme of drugs awareness, ‘DARE’, operates with the older pupils. All of the children benefit from the school’s ‘Life Education’ programme and ethical and moral issues are dealt with through discussion in circle time and within school assemblies. The ‘School Council’ allows pupils a voice to influence improvement through change; and emphasis is

p.16

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

placed upon the necessity for full consultation before proposals are adopted.

p.16

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

29. Over the year, the choice and diversity of extra curricular activities on offer to the pupils is good. There are numerous clubs that cater for football (boys and girls), information and communication technology, art, ecology, rounders, and the creative and expressive arts. Older pupils have the opportunity to take part in residential visits to Hathersage and study days at Eyam and Eden Camp; these are much appreciated by the pupils and help to promote their social and academic skills.

p.16

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

30. The school’s good links with several community organisations make an effective contribution to the pupils’ learning. For example, a local forum consisting of representatives from several organisations such as the Rural Community Council funded 50 per cent of the costs of a new computer suite, the remainder being raised by the school’s friends association and by school funds. There are good links with Nottingham Trent University. Representatives from the university visit the school, give talks to pupils and take lessons.

p.16

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

31. Parents of children about to join the nursery receive home visits from the nursery teacher and parents of children about to start reception are invited to a meeting at the school to meet the reception teacher. In both cases parents are welcomed and any concerns they may have are dealt with so that they are assured of a confident start to their children’s school career. The good links with the main receiving secondary school ensure that pupils have a smooth transfer from primary to secondary education. Certain policies, such as positive behaviour management, the monitoring of attendance and the home/school agreement have been adopted from those seen at a local beacon school.

p.16

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

32. The overall provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is satisfactory. It is embedded in all aspects of the school’s work and is a major contributory factor in enriching its friendly learning environment. The provision for pupils’ spiritual development is satisfactory. Spiritual development is fostered in assemblies and in many areas of the school’s life and work. The school encourages all pupils to develop an understanding of the existence of a supreme power, whether this is a Christian or other deity. There is an effective spiritual focus running through the school’s religious education programme. Pupils study a major religion in each year group, learning about the basic beliefs, the routines at home, the part played by clergy and the practices followed in the place of worship. These studies strengthen pupils’ spiritual development through an understanding of the

p.16

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

Brinsley Primary School - 17 beliefs of others. Pupils are encouraged to reflect upon religious ideas by listening to music and then by talking about the feelings and thoughts that the music invokes in them.

p.17

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

33. Moral development is promoted throughout the school. Teachers are skilful in making pupils aware of how their actions affect others, thereby developing their sense of responsibility. Pupils are taught the difference between right and wrong and the school expects all those involved with it to follow its very clear code of conduct. The staff provide good role models for the pupils. The school promotes an ethos that fosters positive behaviour, good citizenship and good relationships between staff and pupils and amongst the pupils themselves. Care and respect for property and for people’s different beliefs and values are an integral part of the school’s way of life. This helps to promote an effective learning environment in which pupils feel safe and secure. However, the behaviour of a significant minority of challenging pupils is currently having a negative effect on the school’s moral ethos.

p.17

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

34. The school develops pupils’ social awareness in a variety of ways and this provision is satisfactory. Pupils are consistently treated in a warm and friendly manner by all staff and this has a positive effect on their relationships with others. The pupils are encouraged to carry out useful tasks such as tidying the library areas and setting out the hall in preparation for assembly. Teachers and teaching assistants specifically organise group activities such as ‘circle time’, ‘School Council’ and ‘Buddy System’, where the children can discuss issues that are relevant to them and which can be applied every day during school times. An example of this is, preventing bullying on the playground. Pupils are encouraged to co-operate in pairs and small groups to help and support each other and to recognise the achievement of others.

p.17

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

35. The school’s provision for cultural development is satisfactory. A little is done to broaden the pupils’ outlook and the school is aware of the need to develop this area of the curriculum further. Visits to the immediate area around school as part of their work in geography help pupils to understand their local culture and traditions. In their art and design lessons, pupils develop an awareness of art that crosses cultural boundaries. Pupils study and interpret the work of famous artists such as Picasso and Vincent Van Gogh; and through these studies gain a better understanding of the people and societies which influenced their paintings. Music plays a part in the cultural development of all pupils as they sing traditional and multicultural songs. Since the last inspection limited progress has been made in purchasing more books and artefacts relating to other cultures. A weakness still remains in

p.17

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

the multi-cultural provision for the children. Visits from different ethnic groups into school are rare; and there needs to be more opportunities for pupils to visit multi-cultural centres or places of worship.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

36. The school’s provision for the care of its pupils is good and this is broadly similar to the findings of the last inspection. There are good procedures, adopted from the local educational authority guidelines, for dealing with child protection matters. The headteacher is the named person for dealing with child protection and he has recently completed a re-training programme. Staff are aware of the need for vigilance and any suspicions they may have are reported to the headteacher. Appropriate records are kept in secure conditions. Procedures for ensuring the health and safety of pupils are good and all necessary statutory requirements such as holding evacuation drills are regularly carried out and the results recorded. Appropriate risk assessments are conducted.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

37. Pupils are well supported in school by caring teachers and support staff who are very patient and show great sensitivity when helping pupils. This is particularly evident when managing pupils with behavioural problems. The behaviour of pupils is well monitored and there are elaborate systems of rewards for good behaviour and sanctions for inappropriate behaviour. However, the policy has had little impact on the behaviour of a significant minority of pupils so far. Brinsley Primary School - 18 38. Procedures for monitoring and promoting attendance are good. Attendance is carefully monitored and class teachers have responsibility for checking cases of unexplained absences on the day of absence. The educational welfare officer visits the school regularly. Registers are accurately and promptly marked at the beginning of morning and afternoon sessions. The holiday request forms used by parents to take children out of school for holidays in term time could be better used more

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

39. The procedures for assessing the pupils’ attainment and progress are good throughout the Foundation Stage. The use of assessment to guide curricular planning is particularly effective because all of the adults are clear about what the children should learn. Care is taken to identify any future learning needs that individuals or groups of children may have and these are noted and acted upon. The children are guided through tasks and know precisely what is expected of them at every stage of learning.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

40. The children who attend nursery are assessed shortly after they start school and again when they begin full-time education in reception. An individual record of achievement and profile is compiled for each child from the time they start, either in nursery or reception. The same methods for assessing and monitoring pupils’ progress continue throughout the infant and junior classes. The information is used to set particular learning objectives for individuals and groups of children. The teachers use tracking and anecdote sheets to record children’s progress and analyse these in order to identify particular areas for future development. This system of joint planning and evaluation enables the teachers to have precise information about what the pupils have achieved and therefore find it easier to plan future lessons effectively. This is particularly important for the older reception children

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

who are taught in Year 1. It also impacts directly on the children’s quality of learning and the progress they make over time in Foundation Stage.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

41. The school has sound procedures for assessing and tracking individual pupil’s progress in English, mathematics and science. The teachers successfully supplement what they have learnt from formal assessments each year and particularly in Years 5 and 6 with information they gain from the marking of pupils’ work. This provides useful insights into what the pupils know and can do and what they need to do next to improve. The use of assessment information is particularly successful in science where, at the end of each topic, the pupils are assessed to indicate to the teachers how well ideas and skills have been learned. The school has already identified and is working towards systematically extending this successful assessment system to cover all the other curriculum subjects. The teachers use the results of the national tests to analyse patterns of attainment in the pupils’ work and their rates of progress. However, the outcomes of assessment and the tracking of the pupils’

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

individual progress are used inconsistently when teachers come to plan further work in English and mathematics. The school recognises that more rigour is required in the use of this information to support learning.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

42. The school’s satisfactory partnership with parents is similar to that found at the last inspection and is an important contribution to children’s learning.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

43. Of those who replied to the pre-inspection questionnaire, most parents feel that their children like school and are making good progress but some are unhappy with the behaviour of the children. Teaching is considered good by most parents but a small number feel that the school does not work closely enough with parents and that the school is not well led and managed. There are strong links with the parents of children in the foundation stage and many parents come in to help there.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

44. Parents of children with special educational needs are particularly appreciative of the school. The school works closely with these parents and any difficulties are discussed with them at an early Brinsley Primary School - 19 stage. Parents are kept fully aware of the school’s policy and practice. They are very supportive and pleased with the speed at which the school identifies children who need extra support. A very positive support system exists between the parents and the special needs staff. The co-ordinator offers time when it is possible to meet with her. She also organises coffee mornings and other social events for parents and carers in school. Parents know she is readily available when and if they need to talk. This system is effective and efficient. This aspect as a strength of the provision.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

45. The information given to parents about the life of the school and their children’s progress is good. The annual pupil reports meet statutory requirements and are given to parents at Easter. Years 2 and 6 pupils have additional reports on national tests in the summer term. The governors’ annual report to parents and the school prospectus fully meet requirements and both are very informative. Newsletters are written in a friendly style and give parents information on a wide range of school activities and events. Questionnaires have been sent to parents in an effort to find out parents’ views but there was a disappointing response. All parents receive a copy of the home/school agreement so that they may know the responsibilities of parents, school staff and pupils. Parents’ evenings are held once a term at which parents have an opportunity to discuss their children’s work. At the summer meeting there is an opportunity to discuss children’s progress since the annual report received at

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

Easter. Workshops are held for parents to understand how certain subjects are taught. All pupils have a home/school diary intended as a means of communicating with the home but these are not well used by parents.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

46. The contribution of parents to their children’s learning is satisfactory. The majority of parents see that their children come to school regularly and punctually and they take an interest in their children’s education. There was good attendance at a reading workshop and following this success a maths workshop is being planned. The majority of parents have signed and returned a copy of the recently revised home/school agreement. The Friends of Brinsley is an active association of parents that successfully arranges fund-raising events. As a result of their efforts the association is able to make substantial donations to the school and to support children’s learning.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

47. The quality of leadership and management is satisfactory. There have been improvements in the quality of the educational provision since the last inspection and two of the key issues have been satisfactorily addressed. The improvement in the pupils’ results in the Year 6 national tests has kept pace with the national trend. The headteacher has been successful in maintaining the tone of the school, based on the ethos of social inclusion, that was reported in the previous inspection. The school is successful in meeting its aims which focus on the personal development of each child. Pupils of all abilities and backgrounds are happy to come to school; this is reflected in the levels of attendance and the positive response of the parents in the questionnaire and at the meeting prior to the inspection. The school has successfully integrated pupils from a range of difficult social backgrounds. However, there

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

remain weaknesses in the quality of teaching and strategic planning in the face of falling rolls.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

48. Although there is a strong sense of teamwork there are weaknesses in the strategic management of the school, which have not been helped by recruitment difficulties. There has been a significant change of staff since the last inspection. The curriculum priorities identified in the school development plan are appropriate. However, although the school is aware of the fact that the boys do not perform as well as the girls academically, there has been a lack of rigour in the strategies used to improve the boys’ standard of behaviour. This has had a significant impact on their relative under- achievement. Furthermore, there remains a lack of rigour in the monitoring of teaching. A few of the subject co-ordinators are new to their role and still lack confidence and expertise. They do not yet evaluate the teaching and learning in their subject in a planned and systematic way. There is a shared commitment to improve standards but the leadership has not fully addressed the focus required by the

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

last inspection to improve the quality of teaching in Years 1 to 4 from sound to good. Brinsley Primary School - 20 49. A further example of the weakness in strategic planning is the school’s current budget deficit. The school has very good accounting systems and a budget shortfall was anticipated early in the last financial year. However, the school has still not managed to balance its budget and is having difficulty deciding where to make savings. However, because the pupils make satisfactory progress and because standards are in line with national expectations, the school provides satisfactory value for money.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

50. The provision for those pupils with special educational needs is very well organised and managed. The new Code of Practice is fully in place and the school policy meets all the requirements of the new Code. The co-ordinator ensures that individual education plans are relevant to pupils and guide lesson planning, and ensures that teaching assistants are efficiently and effectively used. Where pupils with special educational needs require external support, this is used efficiently and pupils’ needs are taken into account.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

51. The governing body has developed its role since the last inspection and is very supportive of the headteacher. The committee structure is successful in recruiting an adequate number of suitably committed governors although there remain vacancies on the full governing body. The chair of governors, who visits the school regularly, knows the staff and pupils well. The governors fulfil all of their statutory duties. They have a clear understanding of pastoral, curriculum and premises issues but are less well informed about strategic planning. The governing body's role as a critical friend to the school is satisfactory, although the governors rely heavily on information presented to them by the headteacher.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

52. The teaching assistants make a valuable contribution to pupils’ learning. The overall good quality provision is having a positive impact on the standards. The office staff provide a friendly first point of contact. Office procedures are efficient and make good use of new technologies.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

53. The accommodation is good, well utilised in the delivery of the curriculum and provides a good learning environment. The building is satisfactorily maintained and the site manager and cleaning staff keep the accommodation clean. Certain rooms adjacent to classrooms in the newer part of the school are too small to take whole classes and the school is considering ways to improve the layout of these. Although used effectively as a meeting room for adults the library is not an attractive space for children and offers them little encouragement to select books and to browse. Measures such as improving access for the disabled are under consideration by the governors but the building is not well suited to allow access to children having physical disabilities.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

54. The school is fortunate in having spacious and pleasant grounds. These have been developed well to provide a stimulating playground for the infants and a large playground for the junior pupils. There is in addition a large playing field. Items such as a greenhouse, flower-beds and a small vegetable plot create extra interest. A fenced wildlife area, which includes a pond, is overgrown. Although providing a suitable habitat for wild life it needs managing to make it a safe place for children to visit and to learn. Brinsley Primary School - 21

p.20

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

55. The headteacher, staff and governors should now:

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) raise the quality of teaching and learning, particularly in the infant and lower junior classes, to the standard of the best by:

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• raising standards of behaviour, particularly in those classes where it is causing concern, by ensuring that all teachers manage pupils effectively and apply the school’s behaviour policy more rigorously (paragraphs 14, 23, 24, 48) • planning lessons that are challenging and set high expectations for all pupils (paragraphs 23, 24) • making more effective use of time (paragraphs 23, 24) • using homework more consistently (paragraph 24 )

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(2) raise the quality of leadership and management by: • developing a clear financial strategy to ensure that the school returns to, and maintains, a budget that is in balance (paragraph 49) • developing the role of the headteacher, senior management team and subject co-ordinators to evaluate teaching and learning with rigour and to share good practice (paragraph 48)

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(3) develop the use of information and communication technology to support learning across the curriculum (paragraphs 26, 80, 89, 98,125, 129 )

p.21

Minor issues

(1) develop the library and availability of books, particularly for the junior pupils (paragraph 74) (2) improve the quality of the provision to better prepare the pupils for life in a multi-cultural society (paragraph 35) Brinsley Primary School - 22 (3) PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

p.21

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 40

p.22

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

p.22

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 two percentage points.

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR-Y6

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 23 159

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 11

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 1

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 5 37

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 1

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 7

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 14

p.22

Attendance

National comparative data 5.4 National comparative data 0.5

p.22

Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Brinsley Primary School - 23

p.22

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 13 14 27

p.23

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.23

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

Boys 11 9 12 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 14 14 14

p.23

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

Percentage of pupils School 93 (73) 85 (85) 96 (85) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (84) 89 (89) 89 (89)

p.23

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.23

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

Boys 11 12 12 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 14 14 14

p.23

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

Percentage of pupils School 93 (77) 96 (77) 96 (85) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (85) 89 (89) 89 (89)

p.23

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

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

p.23

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2002 18 18 36

p.23

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.23

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

Boys 13 14 17 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 11 11 16

p.23

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

Percentage of pupils School 67 (76) 69 (71) 92 (90) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 73 (71) 86 (87)

p.23

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.23

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

Boys 13 14 15 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 15 15 16

p.23

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

Percentage of pupils School 78 (81) 81 (76) 86 (90) at NC level 4 or above National 73 (72) 74 (74) 82 (82)

p.23

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

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Brinsley Primary School - 24

p.23

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

p.24

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

p.24

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 0 Other minority ethnic groups

p.24

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 8.3 Financial year 2002/2003

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 159

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 540860

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 5 Total expenditure 548465

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 105 Expenditure per pupil 3170

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery Balance brought forward from previous year 12587

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 1.1 Balance carried forward to next year -7604

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 23

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 1

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 35

p.24

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 5

p.24

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 5

p.24

Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

p.24

Recruitment of teachers

Number of vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of a term or more (FTE) 1

p.24

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.24

Recruitment of teachers

FTE means full-time equivalent. Brinsley Primary School - 25

p.24

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 41 53 3 2

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 23 52 22 1 2

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 36 46 16 3

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 24 53 17 4 1

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 55 34 10 1

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 43 48 7 2

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 22 55 17 3 2

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 24 54 13 7 2

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 35 58 4 2

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 26 55 9 3 7 Brinsley Primary School - 26

p.25

CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES

56. There are 38 children who attend nursery each day for a part-time morning or afternoon session. They are admitted in the term when they turn three. Inspection evidence suggests that the children enter nursery with a wide range of ability, with many achieving the same as in most schools.

p.26

CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES

57. In the term of their fifth birthday, the children are admitted to the reception class. If class numbers are too high in the summer term, the older children are taught with Year 1. The children make good progress in nursery. The assessment completed soon after admission to reception shows children to have a wide range of ability. By the time they leave the reception classes, the children have made good progress with a significant number achieving the expected Early Learning Goals in each of the six areas of learning. Children are well prepared in the reception class for Key Stage 1 of the National Curriculum. Those children who have special educational needs are identified quickly and the appropriate action is put into place extremely effectively. A major strength in both the nursery and reception class is the good quality relationships that exist. The adults work extremely well together

p.26

CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES

and this has a positive impact on children’s learning, particularly for those with special educational needs. The personal and social development of all the children is seen as an important priority and is very well taught.

p.26

Personal and Social development

58. The children are making good progress in learning to be independent; many children in nursery and reception make good attempts at taking care of themselves. The older children are developing a good understanding of what is expected of them and learning the difference between right and wrong. This increasing independence and eagerness to participate in tasks enables reception children to make choices for themselves, be responsible and care for the things they use. They show their self-help skills are developing well when fastening buttons and putting shoes on the correct feet. In all the classes, children are learning to work well together either as part of a group or independently. Many reception children persevere with activities without direct supervision. They are becoming increasingly sensitive to others' feelings as they get older. Although many nursery children are at the stage of

p.26

Personal and Social development

playing alongside each other within a group task, the older reception co-operate well when sharing resources. Adults ensure that children are clear about expectations for behaviour and as a result, it is consistently good often very good. Playtimes are very much a social occasions. The joint use of the play area by all of the infant children works extremely effectively. Older pupils take the responsibility of taking care of the younger children seriously. They share snacks willingly, enable turn taking to work well and make sure that no child is isolated unless they have a desire to sit and watch. This experience ensures that younger children are well prepared when they transfer to Year 1.

p.26

Personal and Social development

59. The teaching of personal and social aspects is good. This area is given high priority. Strong relationships exist between the staff and children. Those who have special educational needs are well supported in their learning. the nursery, the strong focus put on daily routines and social development tasks impacts extremely positively on the overall attainment and progress made by the children at the end of the Foundation Stage.

p.26

Language and Literacy

60. Many children attain the level expected for five-year-olds nationally. Specific times are set for specific speaking and listening skills to be developed in a group situation for example at snack time or when children are engaged in a particular observation task, such as discovering the properties of shells and seaweed or hunting for snails. The quality of questioning during these sessions is very good and a strength of the adults’ work. It is contributing very well to widening the children’s vocabulary Brinsley Primary School - 27 and enabling good progress in this area. In the reception classes, most have learnt to listen attentively to their teacher. Many wait without interrupting until it is their turn to speak and are becoming increasingly eager to contribute to discussions and conversations. Most have good levels of fluency and use their developing vocabulary well, expressing ideas and opinions independently. They choose

p.26

Language and Literacy

words carefully and thoughtfully when asking and answering questions. In the nursery, the children find their names on the board at the beginning of the session. This practice is developed further in the reception class. Older children search for their own reading and work books and write their names to identify belongings whenever possible.

p.27

Language and Literacy

61. Mark making is practised in a variety of activities throughout the Foundation Stage. The nursery children trace, draw, crayon, finger-paint and experiment with dough during indoor and outdoor tasks. They are encouraged to ‘write’ independently on wipe clean surfaces or at the writing table. In reception, children are becoming confident in the early stages of writing and reading and are well prepared to start the National Curriculum. They enjoy reading books and know that the pages tell the story in a sequence. They know that books are for enjoyment as well as helping them to find out things. Many children are competent early readers and most have begun to develop their early writing skills. Some can write their own names, using capital letters correctly. The quality of teaching is good. The teachers work hard to keep an appropriate balance between the teaching of the conventions of written English with the imaginative emergent stage of the children’s own story writing in the nursery.

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Mathematical development

62. In mathematics, attainment for a significant minority of children is above the level expected nationally by the end of reception. In nursery and reception, mathematical learning is promoted through a range of practical tasks. The nursery children begin to develop their knowledge of number as they count and sort bricks, shapes and toys. They make up games as they match familiar objects by colour shape or size. Older reception children extend this previous learning by estimating and measuring. They compare size and shape with increasing accuracy. With adult prompts, they measure how far cars go when travelling down ramps of different heights. Many children are confident to explain why they arrive at certain decisions when making choices. Because they are absorbed in the activities, they often concentrate for longer than expected. They try hard to offer solutions to mathematical problems such as why the height of the ramp affects how far the car travels, or how to

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Mathematical development

work out the functions of a measuring stick. Good opportunities arise to develop mathematical problem-solving experiences by adding carefully chosen equipment in the role play area. The Mini- beast shop takes on a different dimension with the addition of wings to sort and share.

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Mathematical development

63. In reception many children count to ten and work more confidently with numbers up to five. Higher-attaining children, with support, are developing a secure understanding of simple addition facts up to five. Many of the older children have gained a good understanding of mathematical concepts, having adapted well to the early stages of the numeracy strategy, including an informal special time to concentrate on number skills. The teachers who teach reception are building on what children know in order to develop understanding further and this has a significant impact on children’s attainment in all aspects of mathematics. The quality of teaching is good. The planned mathematics fits closely to the theme of the particular teacher-focus tasks. The teachers make good use hall times to play number games and songs that reinforce the children’s recognition and knowledge of number.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

64. By the end of reception year, most of children are likely to reach the expected standard. The children are offered many opportunities to make connections between past, present and future events. This allows them to develop their knowledge and understanding of the world as meaningfully as possible. Those who teach reception children reinforce this understanding very effectively by giving them opportunities to plan and participate in class routines. Each day the class construct a time-line of Brinsley Primary School - 28 the day’s planned tasks and discuss what will happen. They take a nature walk in the grounds to spot mini beasts and identify familiar ones. They observe the best place to find worms in order to make a wormery. The nursery collect snails and make a suitable temporary habitat in a tank in order to observe their behaviour each day. In these situations, adults offer good quality opportunities for

p.27

Knowledge and understanding of the world

children to learn about themselves and the environment. In the Foundation Stage, the birth of a new baby in the family and individual children’s birthdays are treated as special times. The daily routine includes ordering and recognising the days of the week, different weather conditions and how the seasons change. The children are increasingly confident as they find their way around school, describing how to get to the playground or dining hall, often using gestures as well as carefully thought out directions. In the nursery, technological skills-development is given high priority. The children cut, stick and join as they construct three-dimensional models using re-cycled materials and construction kits. They follow instructions carefully as they make fish hats, taking care to secure the decorations securely with glue. The teaching is particularly good when adults carefully guide small groups of

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

children through the different skills they need, for example, to successfully build a town on the play mat or lay the table ready for tea in the house. A source of great excitement for younger children was when they were observing tadpoles and describing what they saw. The teaching is good in this area of learning because the adults offer plenty of opportunities for children to investigate and problem solve as they learn more about themselves and their environment. Parental involvement in class also adds considerably to the quality of children’s learning.

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Physical development

65. Most children will have reached the standard expected of them by the time they finish reception class. The structured outdoor play offers children many opportunities to practise and improve their manipulative skills. Many children steer the wheeled toys with confidence and reasonable accuracy. A variety of activities that extend manipulative and physical skills are also offered in the classrooms. The children gain finer control through cutting, painting and building. They benefit from the times allocated to showing them how to use tools, equipment and materials. The nursery staff appreciate that the children’s handling and use of pencils, crayons and other tools is less accurate and need continued practice in small hand control skills to enable them to write letters and numbers more easily as they progress through school. These skills continue to be developed most successfully in the classes where reception children are taught. Nursery children enthusiastically try to

p.28

Physical development

master basic computer skills in order to make the fish talk to them.

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Physical development

66. Most children are learning to move confidently, imaginatively and with good directional control. Proficiency is shown when moving at different speed as they practice routines in the hall. This is extended as they respond to the requests to stop, look and listen in order to follow instructions successfully. Throughout the Foundation Stage the school hall is used for different physical activities and music making. In these lessons, children are given opportunities to move in a variety of ways demonstrating a good awareness of space and their own and others' safety. At playtimes children make up rules and join in playground games to further develop effective control of their bodies. The teaching for this area of learning is good because adults encourage the children to persevere in order to improve what they do. The outside play area provides an exciting, stimulating environment, which challenges and encourages children to respond confidently as their skills increase. Reception benefit

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Physical development

from the extra time allocated to them at playtime with Key Stage 1.

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Creative Development

67. In the creative area of learning most children are likely to achieve the level expected for their age by the time they reach the end of the reception year. There is a wide range of self-manageable creative tasks available to the children. Most of the creative elements, including sand, water and using paint are available for some part of each day. Brinsley Primary School - 29 68. As they mature, many children are developing a good range of creative skills. Opportunities are provided for them to explore colour and texture as they talk about the shape and size of different mini-beasts and sea creatures. They colour-wash and test the results as they mix colours and form abstract designs. They show growing understanding of how to blend materials and experiment when choosing colours. They listen carefully to music, with older and more confident children singing a range of previously learned songs with an understanding of the tune. Children explore pitch, singing loudly or

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Creative Development

quietly, and accompany simple songs using percussion instruments. Younger nursery children beat simple rhythms with support from their teacher. During their snail hunt, reception children are encouraged to identify familiar summer sounds around them.

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Creative Development

69. Creative opportunities for the older children are well planned and carefully linked to daily tasks. They are taught how to use tools, scissors and a variety of brushes with increasing competence as they complete different tasks. Both in nursery and reception, the teachers provide good opportunities for role-play. Often they participate naturally, asking a pertinent question in order to spark the children’s imaginative thoughts further. The quality of teaching is good. The children are offered many opportunities to experiment and learn by a process of trial and error, in integrated activity sessions. The quality of the relationships is a major strength in the Foundation Stage. The adults are well prepared and work extremely effectively together. This has a positive impact on how all the children learn.

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ENGLISH

70. By the end of Years 2 and 6, pupils attain standards that are broadly average. The findings of the inspection indicate an improvement in both reading and writing over the results achieved by the pupils in the national tests at the end of Year 2 and Year 6 over the last five years; however, standards are not as good as those described in the last inspection report. The pupils enter the school with average levels of attainment and make steady progress through the infants as a result of the systematic teaching. Although the pupils' progress through the juniors is satisfactory overall, their rate of progress is accelerated in Years 5 and 6. This is because the teaching in these classes is more effective and it enables most pupils to achieve the expected levels and to achieve their targets.

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ENGLISH

71. The school has worked hard to try to ensure continuity and progression through the introduction of the National Literacy Strategy. Although this is largely successful throughout the school it is more effective in Years 5 and 6 where the teachers maintain good discipline and have high expectations of the pupils’ achievements. A further contributory factor to the uneven rate of progress is that although the school has developed thorough procedures to assess pupils' achievements, this information is not used consistently to provide work that is appropriate or challenging enough for pupils of all abilities, particularly in Years 3 and 4. As a result, the quality of learning, although satisfactory overall, is uneven across the school.

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ENGLISH

72. The teachers place sufficient emphasis on developing opportunities for pupils to discuss a range of subjects in lessons. For example, at the beginning of each literacy lesson, infant pupils are encouraged to talk about the illustrations and the content of the book that the class reads together. They learn to form questions and to recognise the words such as “how” and “why” that usually introduce questions. In Year 6, the pupils are encouraged to discuss the content of the text from the perspective of different characters. Opportunities to promote speaking and listening are developed well within other areas of the curriculum such as information and communication technology where the Year 5 and 6 pupils are expected to co-operate in their work and to use the appropriate technical language. As a result, most of these pupils make good progress and by the end of Year 6 the standards achieved by the majority of pupils are average. Although most pupils listen attentively to the

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ENGLISH

teacher and to one another, there is a small element in each class that finds it difficult and this limits the pupils’ progress in these classes. Brinsley Primary School - 30 73. In reading, pupils attain standards that are broadly average by the end of Years 2 and 6. There was a dramatic improvement in the results in the national tests in 2002 and this improvement looks likely to be sustained. Every pupil has the opportunity to practise reading on a daily basis. Teaching assistants work well within classes to support the development of reading and the infant teachers keep careful records of the pupils' understanding and knowledge of letters and sounds. Home/schoolbooks are used increasingly to encourage the participation of parents and carers in their children's education.

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ENGLISH

74. The co-ordinator has introduced several initiatives to promote reading in the junior classes. For example, she has introduced “curiosity kits”, “story sacks” and “browsing boxes” to help to encourage the boys in particular to take more interest in reading. However, the range of fiction and non-fiction books on offer, particularly for the junior pupils, is limited. The school library is not child friendly as there is no guidance provided on how to find specific information and the range of books is very limited and in poor condition. As a result many pupils lack a breadth of reading experiences and the library skills of the older pupils are below average. Although in some classes the pupils take home reading books, the practice across Years 3 to 6 is inconsistent.

p.30

ENGLISH

75. When reading aloud, the above average and average attaining pupils in Year 2 read confidently, are fluent and pay attention to punctuation. They have a secure grasp of letter sounds and use these well along with the picture clues to work out words that are new to them. They respond to the humour in the text. They recall events in the narrative and make predictions about what may happen next. When reading from a simple text the below average readers recognise most of the words and understand the content but their reading lacks fluency. They use the initial letters and sounds to help them work out new words. Pupils express an interest and enjoyment in reading.

p.30

ENGLISH

76. By Year 6, many pupils lack enthusiasm for reading. The higher attaining readers discuss a number of favourite books and read aloud confidently, fluently and with expression. They pay attention to the content and discuss the causes of events and characters in the story. Although the average and below average attaining pupils read accurately and reasonably fluently, they generally lack expression. Furthermore they lack the skills of scanning and skimming to access information and very few are able to draw inferences from the text. Almost all of the junior age pupils know how to use the contents' page and index to locate a specific topic in a reference book. They know that the books are arranged in topics in the library but have little knowledge of formal classification systems.

p.30

ENGLISH

77. The pupils' attainment in writing is average in both Years 2 and 6. In Year 2, pupils of all ability levels communicate some meaning in their writing. The most able and average seven-year olds write their ideas independently, putting their ideas in a logical sequence. They generally use capital letters and full stops correctly to denote sentences. The below average pupils attempt to write independently and put their ideas in order. They use a limited vocabulary and are not yet secure in using full stops and capital letters correctly when writing simple sentences. Although the spelling of simple words by the higher attaining pupils is generally secure, it is less so by the pupils of average and below average ability. Pupils are taught to write using a joined script; however, most of them tend to print within their daily work. The presentation of pupils' work is satisfactory overall.

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ENGLISH

78. Although the pupils in Years 3 to 6 make satisfactory progress in developing their skills in writing, their progress is inconsistent across the classes with a more rapid rate of progress in Years 5 and 6. Pupils have the opportunity to write for a range of purposes and this promotes learning. For example, younger pupils describe how to grow a sunflower and the pupils in Year 4 contribute extra verses to poems they have read. By Year 6, the writing of the higher and average attaining pupils is technically competent with the correct use of use of punctuation and paragraphs. The more able pupils are beginning to use an increasingly imaginative and wider range of vocabulary to make their writing more interesting. As a result of a drive to improve the quality of the pupils’ writing, most pupils understand how to plan and organise their ideas when writing a story. The below average pupils have similar opportunities for writing but they use a limited range of vocabulary and lack a secure

p.30

ENGLISH

Brinsley Primary School - 31 understanding of the technical skills when writing sentences. Their spelling is insecure and they make many mistakes. The handwriting of most of the Year 6 pupils is well formed and standards of presentation are mainly satisfactory.

p.31

ENGLISH

79. The pupils on the register of special educational needs make good progress towards their literacy targets. This is largely as a result of the emphasis placed on identifying the needs of these pupils at an early stage and providing generous support both within classes and in small withdrawal groups.

p.31

ENGLISH

80. The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall, with some good teaching and learning, particularly in Years 5 and 6. In the most effective lessons, the teachers are secure in their knowledge and use a wide range of teaching strategies and activities that engage the interest and involvement of the pupils and ensure good learning. These lessons are conducted at a good pace with high expectations of the pupils’ behaviour and of the standard of work that the pupils are to achieve. The clear setting of objectives and the standard of questioning and discussion at the start of each lesson ensures that the pupils understand what they are supposed to learn. Discussions at the end of the lessons are used well to provide further opportunities both to review learning and provide further challenges for homework activities. The quality of the teachers’ marking is consistently good. Good use is made of learning support assistants and resources. For example in an effective literacy lesson in

p.31

ENGLISH

the computer suite, the Year 6 pupils made good use of the thesaurus in the word processing program to extend their vocabulary. However, too little use is made of computers to support learning in most classes. Another feature of the less successful lessons is weak discipline which means that too much time is wasted on reprimanding a small percentage of pupils who demand attention and distract their peers.

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ENGLISH

81. The school has developed good procedures to assess the achievements of its pupils, based on regular evaluations by class teachers and standardised tests. This information, alongside that gained from the assessment of pupils' attainment soon after they start school is used to plot the progress of pupils as they move through the school. In some classes this information is used well to set targets for groups of pupils for writing but this practice is not used consistently throughout the school. The use of assessment information is not always used as well as it might be to plan and set work that is well matched to pupils' abilities and in particular to challenge the higher-attaining pupils.

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ENGLISH

82. The management of the subject is good. The co-ordinator has a clear understanding of what needs to be done to continue to raise standards throughout the school. Although she regularly monitors the pupils’ work she does not yet monitor teaching although this is part of her action plan agenda.

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MATHEMATICS

83. By the end of Year 2 and Year 6 the pupils achieve standards that are in line with the national average, and the majority of pupils make satisfactory progress. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress as a result of the valuable support provided by the teaching assistants.

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MATHEMATICS

84. The Year 2 pupils’ attainment in mathematics in the 2002 national tests was above the national average and again when compared with the standards for similar schools. Work seen during the inspection shows that the pupils’ attainment in Year 2 is about average for their age; this matches the judgement of the previous inspection. Inspection evidence shows that at present, standards by the end of Year 6 are in line with the national average, this is not as good as the last inspection report. The evidence from the sample of pupils’ work reveals that this decline by the end of Year 6 is due to the fact that the pupils have too few opportunities to apply mathematics to everyday life and to engage in problem solving investigations. There is no significant difference between the performance of boys and girls. Brinsley Primary School - 32 85. By the end of Year 2, most pupils confidently use the vocabulary of number such as digit, tens,

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MATHEMATICS

total and subtract successfully. They recognise odd and even numbers, and can recognise simple number patterns, for example, solving the missing number in a sequence. They recognise and name simple three-dimensional shapes and measure objects in non-standard units. By the time they are 7 years old, less able pupils add reasonably confidently to at least 20, average pupils work confidently with numbers up to 100, while more able pupils multiply units by at least 5 and 10. Pupils’ increasing confidence and skill with place value was demonstrated in a Year 2 lesson, when they were observed using number lines to add two digit numbers e.g. 65 + 23. Most were able to use their mental recall of facts to begin with the number 65 and count on in tens and then units. They are familiar with a range of two-dimensional shapes and understand some of their properties such as edges and surfaces.

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MATHEMATICS

86. By the end of Year 6, most pupils have a range of strategies that they use successfully to solve number problems. Pupils confidently use numbers to at least 1000. In Years 5 and 6 the pupils show a sound understanding of negative numbers. They have a good knowledge of place value and can explain what each figure is worth in numbers with up to three decimal places. The majority of the pupils are able to use calculators with accuracy in order to help them to do this. They recognise equivalent fractions and can reduce these to their lowest terms. They understand how to calculate with a high degree of accuracy the areas and volumes of shapes. They have a sound understanding of area and perimeter and use line and conversion graphs to convert, for example, foreign currency into sterling. In a Year 5 /6 lesson pupils were observed comparing and recording the temperature and rainfall between cities in Peru, and then drawing simple line and bar graphs of their results. It provided

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MATHEMATICS

the pupils with opportunities to develop their skills in interpreting and recording data. Many pupils are able to find factors, range, median and mode of a series of numerical facts. However, opportunities for the pupils to apply their mathematics to everyday life in problem solving situations are underdeveloped.

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MATHEMATICS

87. The quality of the teaching ranges from unsatisfactory to good and is judged to be satisfactory overall. The better teaching was observed in the upper junior classes. Most teachers use their sound subject knowledge effectively to plan a range of activities that meet the needs of all pupils. As a result, the best lessons have a sharp focus, move at a brisk pace and the teaching is clear and imaginative. Pupils’ work is marked regularly with annotated notes used very effectively to celebrate their efforts and move the thinking and learning forward. The National Numeracy Strategy is successfully established and teachers place a clear emphasis on the teaching of mental activities at the start of most lessons. This was evident in a Year 3 lesson where pupils needed to discover three numbers to add up to a target number. Most used their knowledge of number facts to quickly add or subtract mentally to achieve the answer. By the end of the lesson more able pupils were confidently

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MATHEMATICS

setting much larger two digit target numbers for their partners. Teachers use questioning skills well to assess pupils’ knowledge and understanding. In the best lessons, teachers provide good opportunities for groups or individuals to explain their findings. The unsatisfactory teaching was the result of weak classroom management, where the pace of the lesson was slow and discipline was not positive enough to allow sufficient progress to be made. Pupils’ attitudes in lessons are generally satisfactory, most co- operate appropriately in groups and are keen to learn. However, a significant number of pupils in each class consistently disrupt lessons, and this is hampering the school’s efforts to raise standards.

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MATHEMATICS

88. Teachers create suitable opportunities for pupils to use their number skills in other subjects. For example, in history, pupils learn about and construct time lines covering the centuries; while in geography they measure distances and area during studies of the local environment. The subject also makes a positive contribution to pupils’ personal, social and moral development as they are encouraged to share data and ideas, listen sensitively to the findings of others and to collaborate in group activities.

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MATHEMATICS

89. Leadership and management of the subject are satisfactory. Improvements in curriculum planning have been successfully implemented since the last inspection. The co-ordinator has begun to monitor and evaluate teaching and learning and provide constructive feedback to teachers, with Brinsley Primary School - 33 information being used to support future target setting. The assessment of pupils’ work is good. Teachers regularly assess pupils’ work and adapt their planning to address identified areas of weakness or to support individuals experiencing difficulties. The co-ordinator thoroughly analyses all statutory tests and assessments and uses the information effectively to tackle weaknesses by setting targets for the whole school. However, a weakness in the curriculum is the insufficient use of the computer suite and relevant software to support numeracy development in all classes. Resources are

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MATHEMATICS

satisfactory and are used effectively in all classes.

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SCIENCE

90. The standards achieved by the pupils at the end of Years 2 and 6 are above the national average. Inspection evidence and teacher assessments at the end of both key stages in the current year show that standards are continuing to rise. Many pupils are exceeding expected levels of attainment at the end of the infants and by the time they leave school. The evidence in pupils’ books and discussions with groups of pupils indicate high standards in investigational science, life and living processes and physical processes.

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SCIENCE

91. Standards are similar to those observed when the school was previously inspected. The school has addressed the key issue from the previous report. A scheme of work for this subject is now fully in place.

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SCIENCE

92. The pupils achieve well and reach high standards because of the emphasis placed on investigational science. This practice has a marked impact on how pupils learn and gives them the ability to easily transfer their knowledge as they solve problems in every day situations. For example, during a discussion with Year 6 about their crystals experiment, they were able to show a high level of reasoning ability and a very good understanding of method. They demonstrated their skill to experiment, think for themselves, predict what might happen and form their own conclusions as they investigated and evaluated together. They made a number of observations and knew how to modify their design and method in order to improve the size of the crystal. The pupils with special educational needs receive very good support from the learning support assistants and make very good progress

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SCIENCE

93. By the time the end of Year 2, the pupils understand the difference between a fair and unfair test as they investigate what happens to their heart when they exercise and when they are still. They form opinions about how to keep healthy and the importance of exercise. During an investigation of food, they make decisions about which foods are healthy or unhealthy. Their knowledge and understanding of materials and their properties is enhanced significantly because the teaching ensures that pupils are asked the questions that will move them on in their thinking. Careful teacher intervention allows higher attaining pupils to identify facts about magnets. These findings are discussed whilst other class members contribute what they have found out. Time is well spent discussing language such as, aim, prediction, hypothesis and apparatus.

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SCIENCE

94. By the end of Year 6, the pupils’ scientific knowledge has developed well. Many have a good understanding of physical and natural science. Water is investigated and the properties of different materials are tested. The pupils know how to identify reversible and irreversible change. Within health education, the life processes of people and plants are researched competently. Environmental issues and drug awareness are often raised and debated enabling the pupils to gain a growing ecological awareness. Pupils in Year 3 are taught systematically how to plan an experiment. They are given the task of finding out how a plant transports water. After investigating a celery stick, group discussion focuses on whether the dye will travel up the stem to the leaves. This idea is taken a stage Brinsley Primary School - 34 further as pupils give reasons why the white daisy heads have changed colour since they were put in

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SCIENCE

95. By Year 5, the pupils have sufficient confidence to vary their experiments in order to find out a range of facts. As they investigate ‘growth’, they set about finding out what conditions impede and improve growth. High quality discussion enables the class to widen their focus and to talk about life cycles, food chains, micro-organisms and the effect decay has on life. In Year 6 the pupils learn what happens to water on a hot day. They were able to set up an experiment to test the rates of evaporation.

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SCIENCE

96. The quality of teaching is consistently good with examples of very good teaching in both key stages. An important feature is the high profile given to investigative skills-development and the use of specific scientific language. The emphasis placed on these two aspects and the high standard of teachers’ marking, particularly in Years 5 and 6, has a significant effect on keeping standards high. Good classroom management and appropriate attention to health and safety allow the pupils to be responsible, use resources sensibly and work together safely.

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SCIENCE

97. Within classes, attention is given to the individual learning needs of pupils. Challenges are readily available for higher attaining pupils. Those who have special educational needs are very well supported in class. This enables them to participate fully in activities and share in discussions. Visual prompts, for example, key words, spellings and a guide as to how to present findings are used well by the pupils.

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SCIENCE

98. In Years 5 and 6, a particular strength is the pupils’ attitude to their work. Most pupils work responsibly and independently. Good relationships exist between adults and pupils. The pupils are extremely enthusiastic about their work and share equipment well. They are supportive of each other and value contributions to discussions, applauding each other’s successes. The participation and concentration in group tasks is very good. However, the use of computers as a research tool and to record data is developing too slowly.

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SCIENCE

99. The new co-ordinator has a clear vision for further developments that include more opportunities to use the excellent grounds surrounding school and the pond area. The subject and resources are carefully organised to allow maximum opportunities for the pupils to improve. The assessment procedures are good and enable pupils to have a good understanding of the level they are working to and what they need to do to improve.

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ART AND DESIGN

100. The pupils’ attainment by the end of Years 2 and 6 is average. The older pupils show much aptitude. During the inspection only two lessons were observed in the junior classes. However discussions with pupils, scrutiny of the planning and work samples show that all aspects of the art and design curriculum are covered in full during a two year cycle.

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ART AND DESIGN

101. At both key stages, the pupils make sound progress in developing their knowledge, skills and techniques. They are given many opportunities to draw what they see using a variety of media. They are encouraged to experiment with colour and texture, work with pastels and discover the style of famous artists. Pupils in Years 5 and 6 show understanding of the different techniques used to create a particular effect: for example, when designing masks, they shaped tape to their faces in order that the final cast would fit securely. The designs for the decoration were intricate and thoughtful with each pupil producing a totally original piece of work. Their colour mixing ability is enhanced as they smudged pastels, combined vibrant coloured paint and swirl with metallic liquids to recreate the necessary effect before adding their chosen final decoration. Their high quality observational skills are

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ART AND DESIGN

also evident when perspective is explored or when a still life is created using a similar technique to Brinsley Primary School - 35 Cezanne. The pupils enjoy the experience of exploring different styles of art and refer to picture evidence for clues when describing their previous experiences. Because some pupils with special educational needs have difficulty in expressing themselves orally, they show their feelings and ideas through drawing, painting, or creating a collage.

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ART AND DESIGN

102. Pupils in Year 1 are learning to understand techniques, such as colour washing and collage to create particular effects for pictures of traditional stories, landscapes, still life or collaborative group work. They learn how to print using different materials, comparing these techniques with those used by Picasso in his abstract designs. They are encouraged to experiment with colour and texture when studying a range of styles of famous artists after a visit to Nottingham Castle Art Gallery. They use their knowledge to match and blend colours to create suitable backgrounds for their work when painting their sunflowers. Their skills of shape and form are demonstrated when they construct paper sculptures or draw a cross section of different fruits. Having studied the works of Van Gogh, older Key Stage 1 pupils observe the different facial features of their friends in order to produce a portrait.

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ART AND DESIGN

103 The quality of teaching in the two lessons observed was good with some very good features. The lessons were very well planned, showing a purposeful link with geography, design technology, mathematics and English. The pupils were encouraged to express themselves creatively. A strength of the teaching was the very good use of questions. This enabled the teachers to challenge the pupils to develop their own style and interpretation in response to each other’s work as well as the work of famous artists. The teachers had high expectations of their pupils’ abilities and this encouraged the production of best quality work. The pupils’ enthusiasm was obvious as they collaborated, discussed ideas and worked imaginatively to finish their task, or design plans.

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ART AND DESIGN

104. The co-ordinator has a clear vision for the place of art within an integrated curriculum and appreciates the importance of helping pupils to develop skills as well as knowledge. The range and quality of resources is good. Sketch books have been introduced successfully and their use is developing well. The curriculum at both key stages is enriched by educational visits that enable pupils to work with local crafts people, observe the work of famous artists and appreciate art from different cultures. The Art Club is a popular out of school activity where the pupils produce quality work, as demonstrated by the beautiful mosaic pictures that are in the process of being made. The use of information technology as a research tool is developing satisfactorily throughout the school. The sensitivity and quality of the displays in Years 5 and 6 are a fitting tribute to the pupils’ efforts and show their creative efforts to best advantage.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

105. The standards reached at the end of Years 2 and 6 are broadly average. Most pupils, including those with special educational needs make good progress. These findings are the same as at the previous inspection. During this inspection only one lesson was observed and it is therefore not possible to give a judgement on the quality of teaching. Discussions with pupils and the scrutiny of the planning and work sample show that all the required elements of the design and technology curriculum are covered.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

106. By the end of Year 2, the pupils produce simple designs in preparation for making puppets. Their evaluation of playground equipment led to them designing items out of construction kits. Having scrutinised photographs of their designs, they made detailed models from card. The pupils made good use of guide sheets provided by the teacher to help them evaluate and modify their designs. The pupils are encouraged to use the appropriate technical terms and try hard to use this vocabulary when talking about their finished article. Many pupils give imaginative descriptions of what they have learnt and enjoy debating how they would modify their original ideas next time. They are also keen to praise the efforts of others in their class. Younger pupils benefit from food technology opportunities, such as Brinsley Primary School - 36 making friendship cake and culturing yoghurt whist choosing different kinds of flavouring for the

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

finished food. 107. By the end of Year 6, the pupils know enough about the design process and the use of materials to produce a wide range of interesting musical instruments, some of which have more than one function. Most of the work is completed to a good standard, with pupils keen to show how their models work. They carry out investigations based on the durability and production of sound. The quality of the work they produce is discussed in class in order for the pupils to decide if it is of a high enough standard. In the same way, older pupils worked conscientiously when investigating materials in the construction of shelters and obviously enjoyed the practical activity. They show clarity and purpose when talking about their finished product and have a clear set of criteria for judging their finished results. This is because the skills they acquire are well established and those pupils who need it

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

receive a lot of relevant help and guidance from their teachers. The majority of Year 6 is sufficiently able to manage and conduct the whole process, from design to finished article, in a systematic and methodical manner. They often discuss, plan, design and make things together, and this gives them sufficient opportunity to consolidate the skills they need. In consultation with their teachers, many pupils are now beginning to assess their own learning and talk about the amount of progress they have made. Such is their skill that they have recently won a local competition for a slipper design.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

108. The subject co-ordinator has compiled samples of the pupils’ work to help the teachers assess the attainment and progress made by the pupils. The curriculum has improved since the previous inspection because of the introduction of the scheme of work.

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GEOGRAPHY

109. Only one lesson in a junior class was observed during the inspection. However, additional evidence was assessed from looking at the pupils’ work, displays, photographs, teachers’ planning and from discussions with the subject co-ordinator and pupils. This evidence indicates that standards in geography are in line with national expectations by the end of Year 2 and Year 6 and pupils make satisfactory progress. The pupils with special educational needs make good progress when supported by teaching assistants. These results match the judgements of the previous inspection.

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GEOGRAPHY

110. Pupils throughout the school study a range of geographical topics through practical, relevant and enjoyable activities. Pupils in Year 1 have a sound knowledge and understanding of geographical features of their own school and the local environment, and effectively develop their observational skills when drawing maps of nearby streets and their homes. From their studies of pupils’ journeys to school they understand the problems associated with traffic congestion, and the potential dangers to themselves and other pedestrians. This work makes a positive contribution to pupils’ moral development and citizenship as they evaluate the needs of others within the community and ways to improve their environment. By the end of Year 2, they have a wider understanding of the world beyond their homes. For example, they compare the natural features of their own village with those of Tocuaro. Most pupils understand that maps have keys and symbols to provide information and they

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GEOGRAPHY

111. Pupils in Years 3 to 6 build satisfactorily on their previous understanding and learning. Teachers systematically revisit previous learning, thus reinforcing such learning and ensuring a firm foundation for new knowledge. They further develop their mapping skills and extend their knowledge of the village by looking at local traffic distribution and trying to predict the effects of vehicles on the local environment. Pupils’ studies of the environment include calculating the impact of tourism on a community. For example, a Year 5/6 class were observed drawing upon their own experiences to assess the effects of tourists on a community, and whether the economic benefits outweighed the additional litter and spoilt countryside. By Year 6, pupils show a sound knowledge and understanding of the water cycle and river systems. The majority of pupils have positive attitudes to their work. Brinsley Primary School - 37

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GEOGRAPHY

112. Although only one lesson was observed during the inspection, the evidence from teachers’ planning, sampling the pupils’ work, and discussions with pupils, suggests that the quality of teaching and learning is generally satisfactory, but insufficient time is allocated throughout the year to fully develop the pupils’ vocabulary, geographical and investigative skills. This is having an impact on the progress made by the pupils. The quality of recorded work is variable across the school and indicates that in the infant and lower junior classes the pupils’ literacy skills are not being fully used to record their findings. Insufficient use is made of the computer suite and the library as resources to support pupils’ learning.

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GEOGRAPHY

113. Leadership and management are satisfactory. Since the last inspection the co-ordinator has worked well with colleagues to introduce a scheme of work. The co-ordinator is very enthusiastic about the development of geography and has many good ideas about how to improve standards, but currently has few opportunities to monitor teaching and learning across the school. The previous report highlighted the lack of resources for general use around the school. Some resources have been purchased in recent years, but more atlases and globes are still needed.

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HISTORY

114. Standards in history by the end of Year 2 and Year 6 are broadly in line with those expected nationally and the majority of pupils make satisfactory progress. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress often as a result of well targeted support by the teaching assistants. Standards are similar to those achieved at the time of the last inspection.

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HISTORY

115. By the end of Year 2, pupils have experience of constructing timelines of their own lives and make predictions of the stages they will go through in the future. They use their analytical skills well when comparing children’s lives from 100 years ago with their own. Pupils in Years 1/2 discover the important events in history through studying the lives of people such as Louis Braille and Florence Nightingale. Pupils use their previous knowledge and understanding of the changes in society over the years to effectively describe the changes in the living room from their grandparents’ time to the present day. They understand and can describe the changes that have taken place in the design and construction of toys through the ages. Pupils in a Year 1/2 class, were seen examining and sketching a range of toys from the Victorians to the present day. They used their enquiry skills well to compare

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HISTORY

and contrast the materials and durability of the different toys.

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HISTORY

116. By the end of Year 6, pupils have a good understanding of the chronology of events, and can recognise some of the similarities and differences between societies. For example, they understand that while the Ancient Greeks and Ancient Egyptians were different societies, they were both successful for different military and economic reasons. Pupils are encouraged to try and imagine living in the period being studied and what life might have been like for ordinary people. For example, pupils in Year 5 / 6 discover the terrible conditions that existed for soldiers in World War 2 and try to imagine and record the horror of the event. Educational visits to Eyam and Eden Camp are well used by teachers to provide vital tangible evidence to support studies in the classroom. The quality of recorded work in Years 3 to 6 is variable. Too often, particularly in the lower juniors, the pupils do not record

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HISTORY

117. The quality of teaching observed was satisfactory. Lessons are often well planned with clear learning objectives. Teachers use a variety of resources effectively to provide interesting activities. A weakness of lessons is often the pace in which they develop, and this affects the concentration of the pupils and the quantity and quality of work produced. Teachers use questioning effectively to make the children analyse events from different view points and to get them to think more deeply. For example, pupils in a Year 4 class were seen studying the symptoms and known cures of the plague in Tudor times. Many drew upon their knowledge of modern medicine to assess the possible effectiveness of accepted Tudor cures, and whether victims were likely to survive or tragically die. Teachers have sound historical knowledge and they ensure that pupils use the correct vocabulary. Brinsley Primary School - 38

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HISTORY

Pupils show satisfactory attitudes to work and generally support each other by sharing resources, but the poor behaviour of a significant number of children limits the progress of others in the class.

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HISTORY

118. A weakness of the current history curriculum is the amount of time allocated for study throughout the year. The pupils have too little time to study in the range and depth needed to raise levels of attainment from satisfactory to good. The use of computers is underdeveloped as a resource for learning.

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HISTORY

119. The management of history is satisfactory. The co-ordinator has a sound understanding of the subject. She periodically monitors teachers’ planning and advises and supports colleagues on an informal basis, but does not directly observe any teaching. Consequently she is not fully aware of the standards being achieved in each class or the progress being made by pupils. Resources are adequate, although pupils would benefit from the use of more artefacts in lessons.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

120. Standards in information and communications technology (ICT) are in line with national expectations at the end of Year 2 and Year 6; and the majority of pupils make satisfactory progress. The progress of pupils with special educational needs is good, this often occurs as a result of the support provided by teaching assistants in the class and computer suite. These results match the judgements of the previous inspection. Standards are improving with some current work being done by older pupils in junior classes that exceeds the standards expected. This is due to improvements in resources and by the direct teaching of skills, which have resulted in better provision.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

121. Pupils in the infant classes learn to use computers through appropriate games and activities. In Year 1, children learn how to import pictures into their text and there is effective development of technical language. Many pupils are able to select a picture, change its size, shape or detail and consider where it can be best positioned. By the end of Year 2 most pupils are skilful in the use of the standard keyboard and mouse. They follow icons on the tool bar and on-screen prompts to retrieve and improve work. More able pupils can organise information satisfactorily, and present findings clearly using charts. Pupils have a sound understanding of the use of ICT in peoples’ everyday lives. They know, for example, how it is used to purchase goods from shops, paying by credit card and how the internet can be used to book holidays. Pupils are developing skills in programming devices with sequences of instructions, and predicting which direction it will travel. In a Year 1 / 2 class, pupils

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

were observed programming a floor turtle to travel across the classroom, they used their knowledge of direction and turning to make the turtle move accurately between the legs of their desks.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

122. In the junior classes, pupils continue to develop their skills. They show increasing confidence and understanding when logging onto the internet, loading programs and opening files. They create pictures using a sound range of drawing tools, write text and increasingly combine graphics and pictures. Pupils are discriminate in their use of ICT and that it is important to consider whether ICT or manual systems will be most efficient for their task. By Year 6, pupils show confidence when they make comparisons between paper and electronic systems using spreadsheets. They understand and correctly use the specialist language of spreadsheets in their answers to questions. Most can use the internet and CD-ROMS to find and select information. In this way, pupils often explore several different sources and find a wealth of material to support their independent studies. They show interest and enthusiasm, taking pride in their increasing skills.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

123. The quality of teaching throughout the school ranges from satisfactory to good, but is judged to be satisfactory overall. The better practice resulted from the direct teaching and support of pupils in the ICT suite, but it was not so evident in class-based lessons. Lessons are generally well organised, with teachers sharing lesson objectives with the pupils. There is an improving level of expertise within the school. Within lessons there are valuable opportunities for pupils to share ideas and talents. Teachers periodically set open-ended tasks that allow pupils to express themselves and to use their Brinsley Primary School - 39 investigative skills to research information, particularly in Years 4 to 6. For example, in a Year 4 lesson pupils completed a homework task, in which they had to formulate the commands for a screen roamer to produce letters. The children were able to test their instructions, modify them if necessary

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

and finally print the successful shape. This reinforced and extended their understanding of formulating a sequence of instructions.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

124. Pupils’ attitudes are satisfactory, with the majority showing particular enthusiasm for lessons in the computer suite, where they co-operate and support each other to solve problems. In class, a significant minority of pupils, who display challenging behaviour, often provide distractions that impede the concentration and progress of other children.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

125. The co-ordinator provides effective leadership. She has good subject knowledge and is aware of the strengths and weaknesses of the subject throughout school. The recording of pupils’ work on computer files is well established and this forms the basis for assessing skills and progress. The subject co-ordinator currently has few opportunities to monitor the teaching and learning in colleagues’ classes, and therefore finds it difficult to provide practical advice and support when needed. Resources for supporting teaching and learning have improved since the last inspection and are now satisfactory, and they are having an impact upon the progress the pupils are making. However, too little use is made of information and communication technology to support learning across the curriculum. This is particularly true of those pupils whose classrooms are in a separate block to the computer suite.

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MUSIC

126. The standards the pupils attain by the end of Years 2 and 6 are in line with those expected nationally, and they make satisfactory progress in gaining musical skills, understanding and knowledge. With the exception of the quality of singing which was judged to be good, this is a similar picture to that found at the time of the previous inspection. All the pupils, including those with special educational needs have opportunities to take part in a range of musical activities.

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MUSIC

127. By the time the end of Year 2, the pupils sing a range of songs and they enjoy adding actions to the words. The pupils successfully sustain simple rhythms whilst listening, playing or singing. They know the names of a variety of percussion instruments and how to play them. They can match sounds to the theme of a story to provide a soundtrack. In Year 4, the pupils make satisfactory progress in learning to sustain different rhythmical clapping patterns. However, the poor behaviour of a few pupils hinders the progress of the majority. By the end of Year 6, the pupils have had opportunities to devise simple compositions, play a range of tuned and untuned percussion instruments and evaluate their performances. They make steady progress in learning, understanding and applying musical terms such tempo and dynamics . Pupils in Years 5 and 6 respond satisfactorily to music, particularly in dance sessions. However, there are too few structured activities for the pupils to listen to a range of musical

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MUSIC

styles and to appraise its quality. Although most pupils throughout the school are eager to get involved in singing and in instrumental activities a few pupils in each class find it hard to remain focused and attentive. Although most pupils enjoy singing an increasing range of songs, opportunities are missed in assemblies for the pupils to extend their repertoire.

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MUSIC

128. The quality of the teaching is satisfactory overall. The teachers have clear plans for what they want the pupils to learn and make good use of resources such as taped music and instruments. Where the best teaching was seen, the teacher had very good management of the pupils. This enabled them to make good progress in controlling the volume of their voices and when playing percussion instruments. The school is following the national guidelines on what to teach in music lessons. It has introduced a commercial scheme of work to support the non-specialist teachers. This gives clear guidance on how the music curriculum can be planned and taught. The teaching makes good use of the basic range of traditional percussion instruments available. However, too little use is made of information and Brinsley Primary School - 40 communication technology to support learning and the range of instruments from other cultures and

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MUSIC

129. The long-standing subject manager is enthusiastic and plans to check how well teaching and learning in music is progressing and decide what needs improving. The school enhances the opportunities the pupils have to participate in musical activities by making available a range of activities outside normal lessons. For example, the school makes effective use of a visiting teacher to provide weekly lessons in playing the clarinet and the flute and the co-ordinator runs two recorder clubs. These features taken together with the class music lessons and assemblies ensure that the musical curriculum makes a satisfactory contribution to the pupils’ spiritual, social and cultural development. However, little use is made of information and communication technology to support learning.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

130. The school provides a satisfactory programme of physical education and, as a result, the pupils make satisfactory progress and standards are in line with those expected by the time pupils are 7 and 11 years of age. Standards in swimming are in line with those expected of Year 6 pupils, as most are able to swim 25 metres unaided. This is a similar picture to that found at the time of the previous inspection.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

131. In Years 1 and 2, the pupils work with a partner to develop throwing and trapping skills with balls and beanbags. The indoor session is more successful as the class teacher was able to maintain good discipline to ensure that the pupils stayed on task. However, a failure to maintain reasonable class control in Year 2 meant that little was achieved. In both lessons there was too much teacher talk at the expense of pupil activity and this limited their progress. In Year 3, the pupils are learning the basic skills of hurdling. The higher attaining pupils rapidly learn to measure their paces to ensure fluent movement over the obstacles. Pupils in Years 5 and 6 are learning about dance patterns to enable them to improvise on basic movements. Most pupils are aware of the music’s rhythm and perform dance steps and action patterns in response to it. Because the teacher is well prepared and leads by

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

example, the pupils respond well to instructions and are usually on task. However, a few pupils show a marked reluctance to participate during teamwork and the teachers regularly need to intervene or remind them to co-operate with a partner or a group.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

132. The teaching is satisfactory overall, although the dance lessons for the older pupils had very good features. For example, the teachers maintained effective discipline and conducted the lessons at pace. They made effective use of feedback to the pupils to raise their self-esteem and to encourage them to improve their performance. The teachers ensured that each group had the opportunity to demonstrate their sequence of movement to the rest of the class and used the detail of their movements, such as a hand gesture or turn of the head, to help the other pupils to refine their own performance.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

133. The co-ordinator provides satisfactory leadership. There is a satisfactory range of extra- curricular activities, including football, rounders and athletics as well as annual residential visits that involve adventurous and team building activities for the pupils. The school makes very good use of its spacious grounds which have been well developed to promote the pupils’ interest and sporting skills. The school has adopted a well-planned scheme of work based on national guidelines and good use is made of links with Nottingham Trent University to broaden the range of the curriculum

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

134. Due to timetabling restrictions only one lesson was seen during the inspection. However, from the scrutiny of pupils’ work, displays, photographs, teachers’ planning and from discussions with the subject co-ordinator and pupils; it is clear that by the end of Year 2 and Year 6 pupils reach standards Brinsley Primary School - 41 which are in line with those expected for their age as set out in the locally agreed syllabus for religious education. Standards have been maintained since the last inspection. There are no significant differences in attainment between boys and girls. Over the course of their time in school, the pupils’ achievement is satisfactory. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

135. As pupils move through the school they gain appropriate knowledge and understanding about Christianity and other faiths such as Judaism and Islam. They reflect on what they learn and how people’s faith influences their daily lives. By the end of Year 2, pupils are beginning to examine relationships between themselves and others. They know something of the main festivals of the Christian calendar and other faiths. They can recount the birth of Jesus and are beginning to understand the meanings attached to some festivals, for example, why Easter is so important to Christians. However, a considerable amount of the work given to pupils is over reliant on the completion of worksheets, and this restricts opportunities for pupils to develop their own writing and recording styles.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

136. By the end of Year 6, pupils have developed a satisfactory knowledge of the six main world religions. They learn about the symbols, clothing and buildings that are important to the people who follow these religions. Pupils show respect and tolerance for the opinion of others, and share their ideas and experiences with growing confidence. They are encouraged to reflect upon the impact religious leaders have upon the lives and aspirations of ordinary people. For example, in a Year 5 / 6 lesson pupils were observed studying the life of Guru Nanak. The task for Guru Nanak was to place something into an already full bowl of milk without spilling a drop, a task he skilfully achieved using a jasmine flower. The children had to interpret his actions. One pupil suggested ‘whatever happens there’s still more room for goodness and people in the world’, while another said ‘God always has room for one more’. This demonstrates their ability to interpret ideas and how well developed their

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

137. Teachers encourage collaboration in activities and discussion work so that all individuals have a full chance to participate in the work. Lessons are planned to build upon pupils’ knowledge, understanding and cultural experiences. Teachers show confident subject knowledge. While teachers’ planning does include coverage of the locally agreed syllabus, too little time is allocated to the subject to raise standards. There are effective links made with personal, social and health education, as well as literacy, art and reading stories; but multi-cultural studies are weak because the children have few ethnic visitors into school and they rarely visit religious centres or places of worship. The pupils’ literacy skills are underdeveloped in the recording of ideas and investigations. A more consistent balance is needed between oral and written reporting.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

138. Religious education is led and managed by an effective co-ordinator. Links have been made with the school’s personal, social and health education programme and the subject makes a valuable contribution towards developing pupils’ spiritual awareness. Whilst the co-ordinator monitors planning and informally liaises with colleagues, she does not yet have the opportunity to observe and support the teaching and learning in classes. Overall, the resources are satisfactory. However, there is little use of information and communication technology to support teaching and learning in religious education.

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