Newstead Primary and Nursery School

NURSERY

Reporting inspector: Alison M. Cartlidge OIN 23609

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NURSERY

Dates of inspection: 30 th June – 3 rd July 2003

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NURSERY

Inspection number: 248374 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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NURSERY

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. Newstead Primary and Nursery School - 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Hucknall Road Newstead Village Nottingham

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mr. R. Chapman

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: June 2001 Newstead Primary and Nursery School - 5

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responsibilities

23609 Alison M. Cartlidge Registered inspector Foundation Stage Mathematics Art and Design Design and Technology Music Religious Education The school’s results and achievements How well is the school led and managed?

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responsibilities

9545 Kevin Greatorex 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? 23239 Mike Capper Team inspector English Science Geography History Information & Communication technology Physical Education Special Educational Needs Educational Inclusion How well are pupils taught? How good are curricular and other opportunities?

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responsibilities

The inspection contractor was: Barron Educational Company Limited, Hendre, Loudwater Lane, Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire, WD3 4AN. 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: The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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responsibilities

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway Newstead Primary and Nursery School - 6 London WC2B 6SE Newstead Primary and Nursery School - 7

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 10

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

The school is situated in the former mining village of Newstead, to the north of Nottingham. It has on roll 120 pupils between the ages of three and eleven, with 33 of these children attending the nursery for either morning or afternoon sessions. Pupils are taught in six classes in the mornings and five classes in the afternoons, when nursery and reception children are taught together. With the exception of Years 5 and 6, pupils are taught in mixed age groups. The area suffers from high unemployment and low incomes and most pupils come from the village and surrounding area. Thirty-four per cent of pupils take free school meals and this is above average for the country. Assessments carried out when children first start school in the nursery or reception classes show that attainment varies from year to year but is well below average overall. The number of pupils identified as having special educational needs is

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

twenty-three per cent and no pupils have statements of special educational needs. The number of pupils with special educational needs varies from class to class and is slightly above average overall. All pupils are of white English heritage and none have English as an additional language. There have been many changes in teaching staff over the last two years making it difficult to maintain continuity in some classes.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Newstead Primary School and Nursery is a good school. The headteacher provides strong and effective leadership, and good quality teaching throughout the school enables pupils to make good progress. Whilst there are still some weaknesses in pupils’ attainment, they enjoy school and develop very good attitudes towards learning. The cost per pupil is high and the school provides sound value for money.

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What the school does well

• The good leadership of the headteacher ensures that standards are continuing to rise. • Pupils achieve well in English and science by the end of Year 6. • Children in the nursery and reception classes make very good progress in their personal, social and emotional development. • Teachers’ excellent management of pupils ensures very good relationships and behaviour throughout the school. • There are very good procedures for promoting pupils’ social development and self-esteem. • Effective use is made of the local community and additional activities to enrich the curriculum.

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What could be improved

• Pupils’ attainment in mathematics throughout the school and in English and science by the end of Year 2. • The use of literacy to support pupils’ learning across the curriculum. • The monitoring of pupils’ progress and the use of this information to help plan work that consistently matches differing needs. • Pupils’ rates of attendance. 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 has made good progress since the last inspection in June 2001. There have been further improvements in pupils’ attainment and behaviour by the end of Year 6. Good quality teaching has been maintained and schemes of work now support the curriculum effectively. Opportunities for pupils’ spiritual and cultural development are now good. Newstead Primary and Nursery School - 9

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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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Key

English E E* C A Well above average above average A B mathematics E* E E C Average below average C D science E* C E C Well below average Lowest 5% nationally E

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Key

E* All children, including those with special educational needs, make good progress in the nursery and in the reception classes. They make very good progress in developing social skills and improving their listening. By the end of the reception year, children’s attainment is in line with the nationally recognised ‘early learning goals’ in personal, social and emotional development, creative development and physical development. It is below the early learning goals in communication, language and literacy, mathematical development and knowledge and understanding of the world.

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Key

By the end of Year 2, pupils’ attainment is well below average in English and mathematics and below average in science and geography. This year group has a higher percentage of pupils with special educational needs than other year groups in the school. Whilst pupils have made good progress this year, they have not achieved well enough from the time they entered the school due to a lack of continuity caused by an exceptionally high turn-over of teachers. National Curriculum test results at the end of Year 2 in 2002 show that the number of pupils achieving the expected level (Level 2) was similar to that found in other schools, although no pupils achieved the higher level (Level 3). Despite lower test results in 2003, the trend has been upward over the last few years.

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Key

In Year 6, based on the work seen in pupils’ books and during lessons, pupils’ attainment is average in English and science and below average in mathematics. In mathematics, lower attaining pupils lack confidence and do not always understand the mathematics needed to solve a problem. In science, pupils’ practical skills are less well developed than their knowledge and understanding of key concepts. National Curriculum test results for 2003, for which there are no national comparisons, suggest a continuation of improvement in English and science but weaker results than 2002 in mathematics. In mathematics, more pupils gained the higher level (Level 5) in 2003, although a few pupils predicted to achieve the expected level (Level 4) narrowly missed this target.

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Key

In all other subjects, attainment is broadly in line with national expectations by the end of Year 2 and Year 6. Whilst there is limited evidence of independent writing in many subjects, pupils are able to remember and discuss what they have learned this year. Pupils’ attainment in information and communication technology (ICT) continues to develop since the last inspection and pupils make effective use of their ICT skills to extend their learning across the curriculum in Years 3 to 6.

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Key

Pupils who have been identified as having special educational needs receive good quality support from teaching assistants and they make good progress overall. However, some pupils become over- dependent on this support and lack confidence when working independently. In addition, in some lessons they complete work that they do not understand. The school does not identify gifted or talented pupils, although more able pupils are generally supported well in most aspects of English and mathematics.

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Key

The school sets challenging targets for achievement at the end of Year 6 in English, mathematics and science. Targets set for 2002 and 2003 were exceeded overall, although the target set for mathematics in 2003 was over-ambitious. Newstead Primary and Nursery School - 10

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Very good. Pupils are very enthusiastic and take pride in their work. They show high levels of respect for adults and are polite and friendly.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Very good. Pupils concentrate very well in lessons and most behave sensibly on the playground.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Good. Pupils develop very good relationships overall and are keen to take responsibility. They sometimes lack confidence when working independently.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Unsatisfactory. Pupils usually arrive punctually but rates of attendance are below the national average and are not monitored effectively.

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Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

Quality of teaching Good Good Good Inspectors make judgements about teaching in the range: excellent; very good; good; satisfactory; unsatisfactory; poor; very poor. ‘Satisfactory’ means that the teaching is adequate and strengths outweigh weaknesses. Overall, the quality of teaching is good throughout the school, with examples of very good teaching in the nursery and in Years 5 and 6. Throughout the school, the management of pupils is excellent, enabling them to be very attentive and hardworking in lessons. There are very strong relationships between members of staff and the pupils, and personal and social skills are taught and developed very well. Teachers plan an interesting range of activities in lessons and ensure that basic literacy and numeracy skills are taught well. There is a good pace to most lessons and well-trained members of support staff enable all pupils to take part during group work. However, tasks are not always matched closely enough

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Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

to the wide range of abilities in the school, particularly in the classes with two age-groups, and additional adult support could be used more effectively during whole class work. There are too few opportunities for pupils to use their literacy and numeracy skills to support learning across the curriculum.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Good overall. There is a broad curriculum with very good after-school activities. Effective use is made of visits and visitors to make lessons interesting and meaningful.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Satisfactory. Individual education plans are thorough and provide good detail about what pupils need to learn next. Pupils are supported well by teaching assistants although they are not always given appropriate work by the teachers.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Good overall. Social development has a very high profile in the school. Members of staff provide very effective role models and manage behaviour consistently. Assemblies make a particularly good contribution towards spiritual and moral development. Visits and visitors contribute well to pupils’ cultural development.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares Good overall. There are very good procedures for promoting and monitoring good behaviour. However, information on pupils’ progress is Newstead Primary and Nursery School - 11 for its pupils not used rigorously enough to support learning. The school has developed a good partnership with its parents.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and manage- ment by the headteacher and other key staff Good overall. The headteacher provides a very good educational direction for the work of the school and is supported by committed and enthusiastic members of staff who fulfil their responsibilities well.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Satisfactory. Governors are supportive and kept well informed by the headteacher. However, their role as a critical friend is underdeveloped.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Good overall. There is a clear understanding of what still needs to be improved. However, the performance of different groups of pupils is not monitored effectively to provide early intervention when needed.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Good. Effective financial planning is based on raising standards and is targeted on areas of greatest need. The school applies best value principles appropriately. The school has a satisfactory number of members of staff. Accommodation is satisfactory overall, although the small and cluttered hall is not ideal for physical education lessons. There is a satisfactory range of learning resources.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Children like school and are expected to work hard. • Behaviour is good and children are helped to become mature. • The school is well led and managed. • Good teaching and improving attainment. • Information on pupils’ progress. • Homework.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspection team agrees with parents’ positive views. Whilst the provision for homework is satisfactory, annual reports on pupils’ progress include insufficient information about pupils’ attainment in subjects other than English, mathematics and science, and they do not always show what pupils need to do to improve. Newstead Primary and Nursery School - 12

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. Overall, pupils’ standards of attainment have risen by the end of Year 6, since the time of the last inspection. They are higher than they were at that time in English and science and are now average. Standards have remained below average in mathematics. By the end of Year 2, standards remain well below average in English and mathematics and below average in science and geography. This year group has a higher percentage of pupils with special educational needs than other year groups in the school. In all other subjects, attainment is broadly in line with national expectations by the end of Year 2 and Year 6. Whilst there is limited evidence of independent writing in many subjects, pupils are able to remember and discuss what they have learned this year. Parents are pleased with the progress their children make.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. Children’s attainment on starting school in the nursery varies from year to year, but is well below average overall. All children, including those with special educational needs, make good progress in the nursery and in the reception classes. They make very good progress in developing social skills and improving their listening. By the end of the reception year, children’s attainment is in line with the nationally recognised ‘early learning goals’ in personal, social and emotional development, creative development and physical development. It is below the national goals in communication, language and literacy, mathematical development and knowledge and understanding of the world.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. Inspection findings show that pupils’ attainment in Year 2 is well below average in reading, writing and mathematics and below average in science. Whilst pupils have made good progress this year, they have not achieved well enough from the time they entered the school due to a lack of continuity caused by an exceptionally high turnover of teachers.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. National Curriculum test results at the end of Year 2 in 2002 show that pupils’ attainment was below average in reading and well below average in writing and mathematics when compared with all schools. When compared with similar schools, pupils’ attainment was above average in reading, average in writing and below average in mathematics. In all three tests, the number of pupils achieving the expected level (Level 2) was similar to that found in other schools, although no pupils achieved the higher level (Level 3). In science, teacher assessments show that the number of pupils achieving the expected level (Level 2) was average and the number of pupils achieving the higher level (Level 3) was well below average when compared with all and similar schools. Despite some weaknesses in test results, the trend has been upward over the last few years.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. In the current Year 6, based on the work seen in pupils’ books and during lessons, pupils’ attainment is average in English and science but below average in mathematics. In mathematics, lower attaining pupils lack confidence and do not always understand the mathematics needed to solve a problem. In science, pupils’ practical skills are less well developed than their knowledge and understanding of key concepts.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. In 2002, National Curriculum test results at the end of Year 6 showed that pupils’ attainment was average in English but well below average in mathematics and science when compared with all schools. When compared with similar schools, pupils’ attainment was well above average in English and average in mathematics and science. A comparison of National Curriculum test results at the end of Year 2 and the end of Year 6 shows that these pupils made good progress over time in English, satisfactory progress in science but insufficient progress to reach the national averages in mathematics. National Curriculum test results for 2003, for which there are no national comparisons, suggest a continuation of improvement in English and science but weaker results in mathematics than in 2002. In mathematics more pupils gained the higher level (Level 5) in 2003, although a few pupils predicted to achieve the expected level (Level 4)

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

Newstead Primary and Nursery School - 13 narrowly missed this target.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7. Pupils make limited use of their literacy and numeracy skills to aid learning in other subjects. Pupils’ attainment in information and communication technology has continued to develop since the last inspection and pupils make effective use of their skills to extend their learning across the curriculum in Years 3 to 6.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

8. Pupils who have been identified as having special educational needs receive good quality support from teaching assistants and they make good progress overall. However, some pupils become over-dependent on this support and lack confidence when working independently. In addition, in some lessons they complete work that they do not understand. The school does not yet have a policy for identifying and supporting gifted or talented pupils, although more able pupils are generally supported well in most aspects of English and mathematics.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

9. The school sets challenging targets for achievement at the end of Year 6 in English, mathematics and science. The school successfully exceeded the targets set for 2002 and 2003, although the target set for mathematics in 2003 was over-ambitious.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

10. Pupils’ attitudes, behaviour and relationships have improved significantly since the last inspection and are now very good. They are now strengths of the school and have a positive affect on the quality of teaching and learning.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

11. Virtually all pupils have very positive attitudes to the school and their work. From the earliest stages, they show great enthusiasm for what they are asked to do and apply themselves very well to their activities. This was well demonstrated by the reception pupils during their outdoors physical development session as they practised their Sports Day skills. In all year groups, pupils sustain good levels of concentration because teachers plan tasks that challenge and motivate them. They take great pride and enjoyment in their activities as shown by the joyful whole school approach during their participation in assemblies.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12. Behaviour is consistently very good and this confirms the views of parents. When they come to school, in assemblies, at lunch times and at playtimes, all pupils achieve very high standards of behaviour. This was particularly demonstrated during one assembly where the pupils’ behaviour was of the very highest quality. Pupils move around the school in a very orderly manner and have a clear understanding of the standards expected of them. In lessons, behaviour is very good and almost all pupils conform to the high expectations even when not closely supervised. There have been no recent incidents of exclusion from the school. During the inspection, there was no evidence of bullying or lack of respect for school property.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13. Relationships in the school are very good. Pupils form very constructive relationships with each other and with adults. They work and play co-operatively together, demonstrating that they will listen with interest to each other and will try to understand the other person’s point of view. During break times, they are constantly involved in active physical exercise but are happy to accept the decisions of others in a friendly manner. Pupils show genuine pleasure in the achievements of others. Virtually all pupils act in a mature and responsible way. They consistently demonstrate patience, tolerance and understanding for others, as shown when queuing for lunch in the dining hall. It is unfortunate that occasional disputes that occur when pupils are not at school can have an impact on their relationships at school.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. Pupils’ personal development is satisfactory. The school provides a good range of opportunities for the pupils to show initiative and take responsibility and they demonstrate that the trust is well placed. Pupils make good progress in their personal, social and emotional development as they perform jobs within the classroom and around the school. The possibility of forming a school council is being investigated and pupils are enthusiastic about taking part. Nevertheless, Newstead Primary and Nursery School - 14 because of a lack of consistently regular opportunities to work independently, some pupils are not very confident when asked to do so.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

15. Levels of attendance at the school are below the national average and are unsatisfactory. Unauthorised absence is above the national average and is also unsatisfactory. Almost all pupils are punctual and many arrive early. They come to school happy and ready to learn, and despite the regular latecomers the school manages to make a prompt and efficient start to the school day.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

16. The school has maintained the good quality of teaching found at the time of the last inspection, with 75 per cent of lessons being good or better. Teaching is very good in 19 per cent of lessons. As at the time of the last inspection, there is no unsatisfactory teaching. 17. In the nursery and reception classes, teachers are caring and patient. Members of staff work together effectively, providing a good range of exciting and purposeful activities. They have a good knowledge of the early years’ curriculum and are successful at ensuring that children make good progress in improving their literacy and numeracy skills. Well-chosen activities make lessons fun and encourage children to work quickly and become fully involved in their learning. A particular strength in teaching in the nursery and the reception class is in the area of personal, social and emotional development. This area of learning is taught very well, with

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

teachers giving children very good opportunities to work together and to learn good manners and behaviour.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

18. Throughout the school, behaviour management is a key strength of teaching and is a major factor in the good quality learning now evident in all classes. Teachers have very high expectations of how well pupils should behave and they implement the school’s rules firmly but fairly, ensuring that there is a good pace to learning. They get on well with the pupils, showing good levels of patience and a genuine concern for their well being. Minor occurrences of misbehaviour caused by incidents outside school are dealt with sensitively.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

19. Teachers are very enthusiastic and work very hard to plan an interesting range of activities. They have good subject knowledge and use a good range of different teaching methods including group work, whole class teaching and individual activities. In the most successful lessons, the teachers’ own interest and enthusiasm for a subject is very apparent and this helps to motivate and inspire the pupils. This was seen to good effect in a literacy lesson in Year 5, where the teacher enthusiastically introduced pupils to ‘rap’ poetry, performing a poem herself and giving the pupils the confidence to have a go for themselves. As a result, there was very good quality learning, with all pupils participating well and learning new skills at a fast rate.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

20. Teachers are very conscious of the need to extend the pupils’ experiences and they do this successfully, using a good range of resources, including visits and visitors to make learning interesting. For example, in Year 6, a recent walk around a local wood was used effectively to help pupils learn about different habitats. Similarly, a recent five-day residency by a theatre group made a good contribution to learning in music, drama and dance.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

21. Throughout the school, teachers plan carefully for lessons. However, expectations of what more able pupils could achieve should be higher and too often they complete very similar work to that of other pupils. Teachers’ planning does not always identify what pupils of differing age or ability are expected to learn and, as a result, work is not always closely enough matched to individual needs. This was seen to affect both more able and less able pupils in different lessons during the inspection.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

22. Teaching assistants give good support in lessons, especially when working with lower attaining pupils or those who have been identified as having special educational needs. Newstead Primary and Nursery School - 15 23. Other strong features of teaching include the very good use of ICT to support learning in Years 5 and 6 and the good use of questioning and discussion to extend pupils’ speaking skills. This was seen to good effect in a science lesson in Years 1 and 2, where the teacher led a carefully structured discussion to help pupils think about the life cycle of a frog. Teachers are very good at drawing on the pupils’ own experiences to make learning purposeful. Thus in this lesson, pupils were encouraged to talk about what they already knew about frog-spawn and tadpoles, with pupils explaining how they had seen frogs growing in ponds in their gardens.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

24. Teachers’ written comments on pupils’ work are often detailed and helpful. This has a good impact on learning, as pupils are beginning to take account of these comments when completing their next piece of work. Individual target setting in numeracy and literacy is well established. Targets are shared with pupils, who understand clearly what they need to do to improve the quality of their work. However, insufficient use is made of the information gathered through these thorough assessment procedures to help ensure that the next piece of work builds on what has already been learnt. This is an important weakness of provision.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

25. Overall, the school provides a good range of learning opportunities, with the curriculum significantly enhanced by a very good range of clubs, visits and visitors and good links with the local community and local schools.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

26. Provision for children in the nursery and reception class is good. Teachers plan a broad and balanced curriculum, which takes good account of the low levels of attainment evident when children start school. Basic skills are effectively promoted and the classroom is well organised. A very strong emphasis is placed on children’s personal, social and emotional development and this has a good impact on learning. Good use is made of the outdoor area to promote the development of skills in the different areas of learning.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

27. The curriculum in Years 1 to 6 is broad and balanced and fully meets statutory requirements. Over the last three years, a high priority has been given to developing pupils’ literacy and numeracy skills, and there are sound strategies for doing this. The school allows a higher than normal time for the teaching of English, with additional opportunities outside the literacy hour for the development of reading and writing skills. Both the National Numeracy and Literacy Strategies are well embedded into school practice. However, pupils continue to have too few opportunities to use their literacy and numeracy skills in different curriculum areas. There is little recorded work in subjects such as history, geography and religious education and there are missed opportunities to use numeracy skills in science.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

28. An improvement since the last inspection is the way that the curriculum is planned. The last inspection identified the need to implement plans to review schemes of work in some subjects. This has been corrected and the school has adopted nationally recommended schemes of work in all subjects. Teachers’ medium term planning is detailed and a useful curriculum overview shows which elements of the schemes of work will be covered in each term. However, planning does not yet take account of the needs of all pupils and there are occasions when work does not build on previous learning. This is a contributing factor to the lack of challenge for more able pupils that is evident in some of their work.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

29. A strong feature of the curriculum is the good use of the local community to enrich the curriculum. A stimulating range of educational visits and visitors is planned each year and they make a good contribution to pupils’ learning. For example, pupils in Year 6 took part in a Victorian role-play day at Newstead Abbey. Younger pupils have carried out studies in the village and good use is made of a local wood to support work in science. Pupils participate in local events such as ‘Mayday madness’ when pupils performed circus skills and maypole dancing in the village streets. Pupils have good opportunities to take part in competitive sport Newstead Primary and Nursery School - 16 against other schools.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

30. Visits by a theatre group make a good contribution to learning in English, music and dance. Pupils in Year 6 take part in a short residential trip to Derbyshire each year. These activities make a good contribution to pupils’ personal development as they learn new social skills.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

31. There is good liaison with local secondary schools including joint topics at the end of Year 6, which are continued in the pupils' first few weeks at their new school. This helps to ensure that pupils settle in well when they move on at the end of Year 6.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

32. There is a very good range of extra-curricular activities, which help pupils to improve their skills outside the school day. These are organised by members of staff, a teacher from the county council arts support service and other helpers. The school also benefits in this area from additional funds from a range of local sources. These have been used effectively to fund an after-school club and to provide additional support at lunchtimes when there is a good focus on teaching pupils playground games and helping them to learn how to play together. This has been a significant factor in the overall improvement in behaviour over the last three years.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

33. The school ensures that all pupils have equal access to the curriculum and makes satisfactory provision for pupils with special educational needs. Individual education plans are thorough and provide good detail about what they need to learn next. The special educational needs co- ordinator carefully monitors provision and keeps teaching assistants well informed of important issues. Teaching assistants are well trained and give good quality support. However, there are occasions when pupils with special educational needs do not make sufficient progress because the work that they have been given is not closely enough matched to their needs.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

34. The school promotes pupils’ personal development well. Since the last inspection, there have been improvements in provision for pupils’ spiritual and cultural development, both of which are now good. Assemblies are well planned and make a good contribution to pupils’ spiritual development. The music that is played every morning as pupils enter the hall helps to create a reflective atmosphere. Pupils feel comfortable about joining in with acts of worship and they participate well in assemblies, listening carefully to stories. Good quality displays around the school help pupils to appreciate the beliefs of different faiths.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

35. As at the time of the last inspection, pupils’ moral development is supported effectively. Stories in lessons and assemblies effectively promote pupils’ awareness of moral values, and school rules are prominently displayed in classrooms. Teachers have very high expectations of how pupils should behave. This is clearly understood by pupils, who try hard to achieve the standards of behaviour expected. Teachers are very good role models. Incidents that occur in or out of school are discussed with pupils, helping most of them to distinguish between right and wrong. There is appropriate provision for personal, social and health education, teaching pupils about citizenship and the dangers of substance abuse. The school runs a sex education programme for older pupils with the support of the school nurse.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

36. Provision for social development is very good. This has been a key area of focus for the school over the last three years, with the headteacher and other members of staff working together to raise pupils’ self-esteem. The school celebrates success in lessons and assemblies and activities such as ‘the potted sports’ day’ teach the older pupils to look after the younger pupils. Pupils are given good opportunities to work collaboratively in class and are encouraged to take responsibility for aspects of school life. They do this well. For example, pupils in Year 6 run the library, collect registers and help in assemblies. These activities help to develop pupils’ sense of belonging and make a very good contribution to the development of social skills.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

37. Pupils are given good opportunities to learn about cultures other than their own in lessons and through visits and visitors. For example, a Buddhist recently came into school to talk to older pupils about his beliefs. Pupils study different countries in geography and learn about various beliefs in religious education. These help pupils to appreciate cultural differences and to learn to respect views or beliefs that are different from their own. Pupils are beginning to develop an Newstead Primary and Nursery School - 17 awareness of their own cultural heritage, but the headteacher has rightly identified this as an area of provision that could be developed further.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

38. The school provides good quality support and guidance and effectively promotes the welfare, health and safety of its pupils in a welcoming, caring and secure environment. This atmosphere encourages pupils to learn and develop as individuals and promotes their awareness of citizenship issues. Members of staff know their pupils well and have a very clear idea of their personal strengths and weaknesses thus enabling them to offer effective counselling and support. In addition, the teaching assistants are used effectively to support pupils with particular needs. All staff members show great concern for the well-being of pupils and a range of measures exists to promote their development. Teachers are sensitive to the needs of the pupils and monitor their personal development and their ability to cope on a day-to-day basis very well. There was no overall judgement made at the time of the last inspection about how

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

39. There are satisfactory procedures for monitoring pupils’ attainment and progress. However, this information is not used rigorously enough to ensure that pupils are always given appropriate work in lessons. This means that at times, whilst support is made available for lower attaining pupils, this makes an inappropriate task manageable rather than supporting a manageable task appropriately.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

40. The procedures for monitoring and improving attendance are unsatisfactory. Registers are marked speedily, correctly and efficiently at the start of the school day and after lunch. Although all absences are properly noted, the school does not contact parents to ask for explanations for absences on the first day. There is insufficient time allocation for the Education Welfare Service to be effective in addressing potential problems and the strategies introduced by the school have not yet been successful. Many parents do not realise the importance of regular attendance to improve the quality of their children’s education. Attendance figures are properly collected and reported to parents.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

41. The headteacher and staff provide very good role models in promoting high standards of good behaviour. Procedures for monitoring and promoting discipline and good behaviour are in place. The school rules are clearly exhibited throughout the school and are known by all pupils. The consequences of unacceptable behaviour have been made clear and are fully accepted by all pupils. The behaviour policy is consistently applied by all members of staff, who were seen to pre-empt incidents of possible misbehaviour with firm, calm intervention so as to maintain good control.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

42. Child protection issues are handled effectively. Members of staff understand their roles and responsibilities and are aware of the need for vigilance and the steps to take if suspicions are aroused. Health and safety is promoted effectively in the school. Site inspections are conducted at regular intervals to identify and remedy potential hazards. All equipment is regularly tested and all hazardous materials are kept securely away from the pupils. All members of staff are safety conscious and watch for the security of the children. They work hard to maintain a secure environment in which the well being of pupils is promoted effectively.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

43. Parents’ views of the school are very positive. A high proportion of parents responding to the Newstead Primary and Nursery School - 18 questionnaire and those who attended the meeting are very supportive of the school and confirm that it has many strong features. All those responding to the questionnaire agree that their children like school. They believe that the school expects their children to work hard and that behaviour in the school is good. They also believe that the school is well led and managed and it helps their children to become mature and responsible. There were no judgements made about the school’s partnership with parents in the last inspection report.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

44. Almost all would also feel comfortable about approaching the school with a problem and they feel that the school works closely with them. They believe that the teaching is good and their children make good progress in the school. Unusually, a very high proportion of parents feels that the school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. Inspection evidence confirms all of these extremely positive views of parents.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

45. A very few parents responding to the questionnaire expressed reservations about the amount of homework. These reservations are not supported by inspection findings. The amount of work to be done at home is appropriate for the age range of these pupils.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

46. Parents and other adults are encouraged to involve themselves in the life of the school and a few respond positively. Some help in the classroom and around the school as well as on the school trips. These parents support the teachers and the teaching assistants well. In addition, some parents support their children with homework. Although there is no Parents Association many parents help fund raising and social events in support of the school. The school values the contributions made by parents to enhance the children’s learning and personal development.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

47. Information to parents is satisfactory overall. Parents continue to have very good access to teachers. As well as the day-to-day opportunities provided through the school’s easy access policy, parents are welcome to attend an information meeting and regular progress meetings throughout the year. The school prospectus and the governors’ annual report to parents are attractive, informative and meet statutory requirements.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

48. Although some of the reports to parents contain good information, their overall quality is inconsistent. Most include information about what the pupils know, understand and can do in English, mathematics and science. However, most of the other subjects place more emphasis on the areas of study covered rather than what the pupil can do. While some contain information about progress, most do not include any targets to assist future development. The school has recognised this flaw and has plans to produce an improved version this term. Attention should be given to ensure that the new reports all give consistent information about progress, attainment and targets for improvement.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

49. The leadership and management of the headteacher and senior members of staff are good overall. The headteacher provides a very clear educational direction for the work of the school and there is a very strong commitment amongst members of staff to raise standards further. Members of staff are hardworking and are keen to provide the best possible education for their pupils, giving the school a very good capacity to improve. There is a good delegation of responsibilities amongst senior members of staff and the school’s aims to have high expectations for achievement and behaviour are reflected clearly in its work. Many subject co- ordinators are new but are enthusiastic and keen to bring about positive change. They have good opportunities to monitor teaching and learning in their subject ensuring that good teaching is maintained. However, some lesson evaluations do not focus enough on what teachers could

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

do to improve pupils’ learning. The good quality of leadership and management and the strong teamwork have been maintained since the time of the last inspection, despite several changes in teaching staff. All parents who completed the pre-inspection questionnaire stated that they were pleased with the way the school is led and managed. Newstead Primary and Nursery School - 19 50. The governing body fulfils its responsibilities satisfactorily. Statutory requirements are met and governors are supportive of the school. They understand the school’s strengths and weaknesses through the good information supplied by the headteacher. However, the governing body’s role as a critical friend is underdeveloped and it plays little part in helping to shape the direction of the school’s work.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

51. Overall, the school has good systems for monitoring its performance and these have been rigorously applied to ensure that weaknesses are identified and rectified. For example, the headteacher and subject co-ordinators analyse end of Year 6 National Curriculum test data in English and mathematics to identify areas for development for the whole school. However, they are not tracking the progress of individual pupils closely enough as they move through the school. The headteacher’s evaluations of different aspects of the school’s work are realistic and based on a clear understanding of what is successful and what needs to be developed.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

52. The school has an appropriate strategy for appraisal and performance management. Individual and whole school needs are identified and training and support are provided to improve the quality of work. Induction procedures are satisfactory and new teachers are supported appropriately.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

53. There is a satisfactory school development plan where appropriate priorities have been identified with clear information about how resources are to be spent, what action is needed and how success is to be measured. However, there are too many developments included and this puts considerable strain on the time and energy of a small staff.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

54. The school took effective action to ensure that targets set for English and mathematics in National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 6 in 2002 were exceeded. The 2003 National Curriculum test results, for which there are no national comparisons, indicate a continuation of improvement in English and science but a drop in mathematics where a few pupils narrowly missed the predicted levels.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

55. Funding, including specific grants, is used effectively to support educational priorities and the school is successful in bidding for additional funding. The provision for pupils with special educational needs is well managed and funding is spent appropriately.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

56. The day-to-day management of the school is carried out well by the headteacher and members of the administrative staff. Good use is made of information and communication technology to aid the smooth running of the school.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

57. The school makes sound use of the principles of best value by comparing standards with other schools and targeting spending on raising standards. Pupils’ good progress, effective leadership and management and good quality of teaching mean that despite the cost per pupil being high, the school provides sound value for money.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

58. The levels of staffing and the quality of the accommodation are satisfactory overall. Much has been done to provide pupils and members of staff with attractive buildings and grounds. Throughout the school there are attractive displays of pupils’ work. However, the hall is fairly small and cluttered by furniture and this can limit some physical education lessons. There is limited space for storing resources and the library is underused in developing pupils’ independent study skills. There are satisfactory educational resources and these are used effectively by teachers to make learning interesting.

p.19

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

In order to raise attainment and improve the quality of education provided the headteacher, members of staff and governors should, Newstead Primary and Nursery School - 20 (1) Improve pupils’ achievement in mathematics throughout the school and their achievement in English and science by the end of Year 2. (Paragraphs 1,3-6,27,80,86,98-103,105,108,109,112) (2) Make effective use of literacy to support pupils’ learning across the curriculum. (Paragraphs 7,27,116,167) (3) Monitor pupils’ progress more rigorously and use the information provided to help plan work that consistently matches pupils’ differing needs. (Paragraphs 21,24,39,49,51,63,71,91,94,104,115,123,129,140,151,167) (4) Monitor pupils’ attendance more effectively and take greater action to discourage unauthorised absence. (Paragraphs 15,40) Additional issues for the school to consider for inclusion in its action plan. • Improve the quality of reports on pupils’ progress. (Paragraph 48)

p.19

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Develop the role of governors as critical friends. (Paragraph 50) • Increase the use of the library to develop pupils’ study skills. (Paragraph 14) Newstead Primary and Nursery School - 21

p.20

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 27

p.21

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

p.21

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

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

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 17 103

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals NA 34

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 0

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 2 24

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 0

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 26

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 8

p.21

Attendance

School data 4.8 School data 1.8 Newstead Primary and Nursery School - 22 National comparative data 5.4 National comparative data 0.5

p.21

Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Newstead Primary and Nursery 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 2 10 12

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 2 1 1 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 10 9 10

p.23

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

Percentage of pupils School 100 (85) 83 (62) 92 (77) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (84) 86 (86) 90 (91)

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 1 1 1 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 9 10 10

p.23

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

Percentage of pupils School 83 (77) 92 (85) 92 (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 10 7 17

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 7 7 8 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 5 5 5

p.23

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

Percentage of pupils School 71 (35) 71 (59) 76 (82) 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 4 7 7 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 4 3 4

p.23

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

Percentage of pupils School 47 (29) 59 (59) 65 (76) 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. Newstead Primary and Nursery School - 24

p.23

Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.24

Exclusions in the last school year

White – any other White background 0 0 0

p.24

Exclusions in the last school year

Mixed – any other mixed background 0 0 0

p.24

Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British – Pakistani 0 0 0

p.24

Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi 0 0 0

p.24

Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.24

Exclusions in the last school year

Black or Black British – Caribbean 0 0 0

p.24

Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.24

Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 5.5 Financial year 2002

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 19

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 358,549

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 3 Total expenditure 323,026

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 49 Expenditure per pupil 3,714

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery Balance brought forward from previous year 40,000

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 1 Balance carried forward to next year 35,523

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 17

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 2

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 72 Newstead Primary and Nursery School - 25 Number of pupils per FTE adult 8

p.24

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 3

p.25

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 6.4

p.25

Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

p.25

Recruitment of teachers

Number of vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of a term or more (FTE) 1.5

p.25

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.25

Recruitment of teachers

FTE means full-time equivalent. Newstead Primary and Nursery School - 26

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

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

p.26

Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 57 39 0 0 4

p.26

Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 68 32 0 0 0

p.26

Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 29 50 7 3 11

p.26

Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 47 39 14 0 0

p.26

Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 82 14 4 0 0

p.26

Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 71 29 0 0 0

p.26

Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 29 64 7 0 0

p.26

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 71 29 0 0 0

p.26

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 68 32 0 0 0

p.26

Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 43 54 3 0 0 Newstead Primary and Nursery School - 27

p.26

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

59. Children’s attainment when they first start school in the nursery is well below average, with some children hardly speaking, not being able to hold a pencil and being unaccustomed to sitting quietly. All children, including those with special educational needs, make good progress in the nursery and reception classes. By the end of the reception year, children are in line with the expectations of the nationally recognised ‘early learning goals’ in personal, social and emotional development, creative development and physical development. They are below those goals in communication, language and literacy, mathematical development and knowledge and understanding of the world. Children are making better progress than at the time of the last inspection when progress was judged to be satisfactory.

p.27

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

60. The quality of teaching is good overall, with several examples of very good teaching in the nursery class. Teachers and nursery nurses prepare very well for lessons and work hard to make learning interesting and meaningful. They are highly skilled at managing the children’s behaviour and a consistent and fair approach enables children to become very attentive and well behaved. Members of staff use questioning effectively and are careful to promote new vocabulary and to encourage children to talk about what they are doing as they work. The quality of teaching is similar to that found at the time of the last inspection. Some parents expressed concern that members of staff were over-stretched in the afternoons when nursery and reception children work together. Inspection findings are that the school provides appropriate staffing levels at these times.

p.27

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

61. Nursery and reception children are taught separately in the mornings and together in the afternoons. There is a good curriculum with a good balance between relevant teacher-led and child-initiated activity, planned around a shared theme. Topics vary from term to term with the focus for this term being on traditional tales. Effective use is made of the newly developed outdoor area to extend the children’s knowledge and understanding in all areas of learning.

p.27

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

62. Provision is led and managed successfully by the two part-time teachers who share this responsibility. Classrooms and the outdoor area are well resourced and displays of work are attractive and interesting. There is limited space in the afternoons when all children are taught in the same room, particularly when it is too wet to work outside.

p.27

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

63. Appropriate records are kept of children’s progress although this information is not always used sufficiently to plan different work when nursery and reception children are working together in the afternoons.

p.27

Personal, social and emotional development

64. By the end of the reception year, children are in line with the expectations of the nationally recognised ‘early learning goals’ in personal, social and emotional development. All children, including those with special educational needs, make very good progress in developing these skills. Children answer adults politely and understand the class rules well. They find resources for themselves and tidy away and wash up sensibly at the ends of lessons. They form good relationships with each other and are confident about taking part in a wide range of activities. Younger nursery children do not always respond well when they do not get their own way. However, very good support from adults and the good example set by older children helps them to forget any upsets quickly and settle back to the fun activities offered. Older nursery children negotiate with each other sensibly over resources and responsibilities for given tasks. For

p.27

Personal, social and emotional development

example, three children painting a large cardboard box discussed and agreed who would paint each side. Newstead Primary and Nursery School - 28 65. The quality of teaching is very good. Members of staff work very hard at developing children’s self-esteem, confidence and good manners, and appropriate behaviour is thoroughly reinforced throughout the day. Praise is used very effectively to encourage children to make suggestions and to learn to respect each other’s views. The very good relationships between the adults working in the nursery provide very effective role models for the children. Members of staff take a genuine interest in children’s ideas and conversations and this encourages children to talk about matters that interest them. Conventions of considerate behaviour are modelled very well. For example, the nursery teacher removed the price from a ‘greetings’ card for the ‘Three Bears’ so that they would not be embarrassed by how much it cost. Adults support children very

p.27

Personal, social and emotional development

effectively in learning how to take turns in simple games, such as "Hide and hunt the teddy".

p.28

Communication, language and literacy

66. By the end of the reception year, many children are working below the expectations of the nationally recognised ‘early learning goals’ in communication, language and literacy. Nevertheless, all children, including those with special educational needs, make good progress overall with very good progress being made in developing their ability to listen carefully. Nursery children are beginning to recognise their own names with some prompting and make marks on paper to represent writing. Some of the youngest children have very immature speech and talk in short phrases but older nursery children can hold conversations with each other as they work. Reception age children know that pictures and writing are different and can retell a story in their own words. Average attaining children talk about the characters and main events in a story and read simple texts recognising several sounds and common words. They write some words

p.28

Communication, language and literacy

independently but do not all form their letters correctly. Higher attaining children answer simple questions about a book and use their knowledge of the sounds different letters make to help read unfamiliar words. They are starting to spell simple words correctly and put them together into phrases and short sentences. Lower attaining children have little knowledge of the sounds different letters make but they do attempt to make marks to represent words. Many children have limited spoken vocabularies.

p.28

Communication, language and literacy

67. The quality of teaching is good overall with examples of very good teaching in the nursery. In one very good lesson, the teacher demonstrated the need to read and write very effectively, by sharing with the children a fictitious letter from the ‘Three Bears’ asking if they could live in the nursery outdoor playhouse. In the same lesson, children were very enthusiastic about making and writing ‘Welcome to your new house’ cards for the bears. Effective use is made of the voice to make the telling of stories dramatic and exciting, enabling children to listen to members of staff for up to twenty-five minutes without fidgeting. Helpful comments are written in children’s home/school reading records, encouraging parents to support their children at home. All members of staff promote the use of everyday language effectively.

p.28

Communication, language and literacy

68. The curriculum for communication, language and literacy is good overall. However, older and more able children have limited opportunity for using their writing skills to support learning in knowledge and understanding of the world.

p.28

Communication, language and literacy

69. There is an inviting book area decorated as ‘The Three Bears’ Wood’ and a tape recorder is made available for children to retell or listen to stories.

p.28

Mathematical development

70. By the end of the reception year, several children are below the expectations of the nationally recognised ‘early learning goals’ in mathematical development. Nevertheless, all children, including those with special educational needs make good progress overall. In the nursery, children learn to count to ten with some support from an adult and understand that some objects are bigger or smaller than others. They are starting to recognise numerals to 5. Higher attaining nursery children count beyond ten accurately. Reception children use hand-prints to measure their height and can recognise and match different coins. They are starting to add two numbers together with some support. Higher attaining children order numbers to 20 accurately Newstead Primary and Nursery School - 29 and show more confidence when adding numbers together. Lower attaining children write some numerals correctly and sometimes match numerals with the same number of objects.

p.28

Mathematical development

71. The quality of teaching is good overall, with examples of very good teaching in the nursery. Very effective use is made of incidental opportunities to share counting strategies. For example, in the nursery when taking the register, the teacher shows children how many are absent by pointing to each finger to represent a child. When helping a group of children to make beds for the ‘Three Bears’ a nursery nurse asked very good questions such as ‘Will one bed be enough?’ and ‘Should the beds be the same size?’ Care is taken to provide real opportunities for mathematics. For example, reception children helped work out how many blankets and plates would be needed for a teddy bear’s picnic and used real money when ‘buying’ food from a pretend shop. Members of staff promote mathematical vocabulary such as ‘full and empty’ and ‘long and short’ effectively. Sometimes tasks are not matched closely to children’s differing

p.29

Mathematical development

needs and at these times progress is less marked.

p.29

Knowledge and understanding of the world

72. By the end of the reception year, several children are below the expectations of the nationally recognised ‘early learning goals’ in knowledge and understanding of the world. Children in the nursery can think of simple ways of solving problems. For example, they suggested using string or a stick to complete masks, and reception children join card together using split pins and treasury tags. They discuss likes and dislikes sensibly when tasting various foods for the school picnic. Children use equipment such as magnifiers to investigate the world around them, know that plants need water in order to grow and name parts of their bodies. When using the computer, children know how to use the mouse to move objects on the screen and older children can change brush size and colour when using a paint programme. Higher attaining children know that the sun and headlights on a car provide light. However, many children do not

p.29

Knowledge and understanding of the world

have the breadth of knowledge expected of children of this age and do not ask questions about how things happen. Few children talk about what they plan to do or record what they have learnt on paper.

p.29

Knowledge and understanding of the world

73. The quality of teaching is good. Care is taken to encourage children to think of ways of solving problems. For example, the teacher in the nursery asked the children how they could make sure that the masks stayed on. Children are given good opportunities to learn how foods change when heated. For example, a nursery nurse helped children to talk about what might happen when chocolate was heated in the microwave. Effective use is made of visits to learn about the local area.

p.29

Physical development

74. By the end of the reception year, children are in line with the expectations of the nationally recognised ‘early learning goals’ in physical development. They show good control when running and stopping during circle games, and older children balance appropriately when walking along a plank. Most reception children can jump with feet together and take small and large steps. Some children find it difficult to balance when hopping. Nursery children aim and roll a ball at a set of skittles with reasonable accuracy and ride tricycles confidently.

p.29

Physical development

75. Children show good control over scissors when cutting thick card, can shape play dough successfully and can build models using a range of commercially produced construction kits.

p.29

Physical development

76. The quality of teaching is good with an example of a very good lesson in the nursery. Members of staff provide clear guidance and instructions and manage behaviour exceptionally well. However, there are insufficient opportunities for physical activity during wet weather due to limited space in the classrooms and only occasional access to the hall. Newstead Primary and Nursery School - 30

p.29

Creative development

77. By the end of the reception year, children are in line with the expectations of the nationally recognised ‘early learning goals’ in creative development. Children decorate flowerpots colourfully using paint and glitter after wrapping them with modelling material. They paint recognisable pictures of people and use ICT to make colourful pictures. Children sing well- known songs with reasonable tune and timing and enjoy adding actions, applauding the activity spontaneously at the end to show their appreciation.

p.30

Creative development

78. The quality of teaching is good. Very well resourced role-play areas are used effectively to support learning. For example, a post office had areas for children to sort letters, weigh parcels and sell greetings cards. Musical instruments are freely available for children to experiment and reception children chose instruments to make sound effects to accompany a story. Members of staff demonstrate new making skills appropriately and children have the opportunity to make choices about colours and textures.

p.30

ENGLISH

79. There are significant variations in the levels of pupils’ attainment from year to year due to the small size of year groups and the impact of the differing number of pupils with special educational needs in each class.

p.30

ENGLISH

80. Pupils’ attainment is well below average by the end of Year 2. The present Year 2 includes a high number of pupils identified as having special educational needs. They are achieving satisfactorily when account is taken of their low levels of attainment when they started school. The number of pupils achieving the expected Level 2 in reading or writing is lower than it was in 2002, when end of year National Curriculum tests showed that attainment was below average in reading and well below average in writing when compared with all schools. When compared with similar schools, pupils’ attainment was above average in reading and average in writing. Test results for 2003, for which national comparative data is not yet available, are lower than in 2002. Nevertheless, pupils in Year 2 have made good progress in the last year, although progress over time is satisfactory.

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ENGLISH

81. Pupils’ attainment is broadly average by the end of Year 6. This is significantly higher than at the time of the last inspection, and is similar to the results of end of Year 6 National Curriculum tests in 2002. Test results in 2003, for which there is not yet any national comparative data, show a good improvement from 2002, with more pupils achieving the expected Level 4 and the higher Level 5 . However, inspection findings based on a scrutiny of pupils’ work as well as the class teacher’s own assessments show that pupils are not yet working consistently at these levels in class, although they have made very good progress in the last year.

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82. Although test results over the last three years suggest that boys achieve less well than girls, this is not evident in current work. Teachers work hard to ensure that activities inspire both boys and girls.

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83. Throughout the school, there are some important strengths in pupils’ attainment. Pupils have good listening skills. Teachers have very high expectations in this area and they ensure that pupils listen carefully. There are many opportunities for role-play and discussion and, as a result, pupils quickly improve their speaking skills, which are satisfactory overall. A high number of younger pupils have a very limited vocabulary, but they participate well in whole class discussions and are keen to talk to visitors.

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84. In Years 5 and 6, pupils generally present their work very neatly. They write for a range of purposes in literacy lessons. They are particularly good at writing poetry. They enjoy the opportunities to write in a form where punctuation and rules of grammar are less important. This freedom means that they are able to write quickly and freely, producing an interesting range of poems in different styles. For example, pupils in Year 5, where writing skills are generally very Newstead Primary and Nursery School - 31 weak, wrote some good quality ‘raps’ about their school, showing a clear understanding of the form and making good use of rhyming couplets and word-play.

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85. Pupils develop very positive attitudes towards reading. The school works hard to encourage a love of books. The library is well used by pupils to borrow books and younger pupils have access to ‘story-bags’ which encourage parents to work with their children on learning basic reading skills. Throughout the school, pupils talk with obvious pleasure about the books that they have read, with more able pupils explaining clearly why they like a particular author or genre.

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86. There remain some key areas for improvement. Although many pupils in Years 1 and 2 are able to read unknown words using clues from the pictures on the page or by using their knowledge of letter sounds to build the word, they do not read with a good level of understanding. This is reflected in end of Year 2 National Curriculum test scores, with pupils struggling to answer questions that test their comprehension of what they have read.

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87. Throughout the school, pupils generally find it easier to write factually or descriptively rather than writing imaginatively in stories. Many pupils have a limited range of experiences outside school and often they do not have an extensive vocabulary. Taken together, these factors limit the quality of pupils’ story writing. In addition, spelling is a weakness, with even higher attaining pupils in Years 5 and 6 making careless spelling errors in their writing.

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88. The quality of teaching is good overall. Throughout the school, teachers are enthusiastic when teaching the subject, which helps to motivate and inspire pupils. Behaviour is managed very effectively and teachers give clear instructions and explanations so pupils understand what is expected of them. Teachers have good expectations and make learning fun. This means that pupils are well motivated. In a very good lesson in Year 5, pupils performed ‘rap’ poems with great enthusiasm, with even lower attaining pupils fully involved in the activity and writing confidently.

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89. Good use is made of resources to stimulate pupils’ imagination and to help them to improve their vocabulary. In a good lesson in Year 6, the teacher made very good use of a shared text to help pupils to think about how they could write descriptively about a storm. The teacher’s expectations were clearly understood by pupils as they searched for ‘premiership rather than first division’ vocabulary, using a thesaurus or their own ideas to find alternatives.

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90. Sessions where small groups of pupils work with a teacher or teaching assistant on reading skills are well managed. Questioning is used effectively to improve pupils’ levels of understanding and pupils are taught a range of strategies that they can use to help them read unknown words.

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91. In a small number of lessons, the quality of teaching is satisfactory. In these lessons, teachers do not give focused support to one group and too little account is taken of the differing levels of age or ability in the class, with pupils working on broadly similar tasks whatever their previous learning. At these times, there are some pupils who do not make sufficient progress, either because work is not challenging enough or because work is too hard for them. A teaching assistant often supports less able pupils and this helps them to complete tasks. However, where the task was not appropriate in the first place, pupils’ understanding is not secure and they find it difficult when they are expected to work independently on similar tasks. For example, in end of Year 2 National Curriculum tests, many less able pupils found it hard to complete the writing task because there was no support, even though the work that they have

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completed in their books suggests that they could have performed more successfully.

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92. Pupils have a good understanding of what they need to do to improve. Teachers regularly set targets for pupils. These are specific and are clearly understood by pupils. The quality of teachers’ marking of pupils’ work is good, identifying what pupils have done well and how they could improve. This has a good impact on pupils’ learning, as they are beginning to take account of these comments when completing their next piece of work. Teachers make effective Newstead Primary and Nursery School - 32 use of review sessions (the plenary) at the end of lessons to assess what has been learnt and to extend learning further.

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93. Pupils are given an appropriate amount of homework. They take reading books home and are regularly given other activities to do at home. These activities support learning effectively.

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94. Procedures for assessing pupils’ attainment and progress are satisfactory. The school uses a range of testing to measure pupils’ progress from year to year and to identify potential levels of attainment by the end of Year 2 and Year 6. However, the school has not yet developed procedures for tracking and reviewing progress over time. This means that it is difficult to respond to concerns as soon as they arise.

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ENGLISH

95. The subject co-ordinator provides good leadership in the management of the subject. There is a good understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses based on good quality monitoring of work throughout the school. The work of teachers has been monitored, and areas for individual improvement identified as a result. Appropriate priorities for development, such as further improving the quality of pupils’ writing have been set. The National Literacy Strategy is firmly embedded in the school’s provision, and teachers plan work carefully using the literacy framework. This helps to ensure that the curriculum is broad and balanced.

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96. Good use is made of information and communication technology to support the development of pupils’ literacy skills.

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97. The subject makes a good contribution to pupils’ personal development. Regular visits by a theatre group give pupils good opportunities to learn about their own and other cultures. Older pupils work as librarians. They have to apply for this ‘job’ and are then interviewed. They carry out this responsibility very sensibly, keeping the library tidy, giving out books and helping younger pupils to choose a suitable book.

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MATHEMATICS

98. Pupils’ attainment is well below the national averages by the end of Year 2 and below the national averages at the end of Year 6. Whilst most pupils, including those with special educational needs, have made good progress overall this year, they have made insufficient progress over time to reach the expected level for their age. Pupils’ attainment is broadly the same as that found at the time of the last inspection and older pupils continue to suffer from underachievement from provision in the past.

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MATHEMATICS

99. In the National Curriculum tests in 2002, pupils in Year 2 were well below average when compared with all schools and below average when compared with similar schools. Whilst most pupils achieved the expected level (Level 2) no pupils achieved the higher level (Level 3). In the present Year 2 there is a higher percentage of pupils with special educational needs than usually found in the school (over a third) and attainment remains weak.

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MATHEMATICS

100. In the 2002 National Curriculum tests for pupils in Year 6, pupils were well below average when compared with all schools and average when compared with similar schools. Boys have not achieved as well as girls in the past, although this is no longer evident in lessons. Pupils in the present Year 6 show improved knowledge of multiplication tables and there is better challenge for higher attaining pupils. However, lower attaining pupils continue to show a lack of confidence, particularly in applying their knowledge to mathematical problems.

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MATHEMATICS

101. The number of pupils with special educational needs is different in each year group and this means that test results vary. Nevertheless, the overall trend in Year 6 has been upwards over the last three years. Challenging targets are set and these were exceeded in 2002. National Curriculum test data for 2003, for which there are no national comparisons, suggests that targets have not been achieved this year. Nevertheless, the number of pupils attaining the higher level (Level 5) has increased and the number attaining the expected level (Level 4), whilst Newstead Primary and Nursery School - 33 lower than last year, was only narrowly missed by some pupils.

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MATHEMATICS

102. By the end of Year 6, most pupils carry out calculations with numbers over one thousand and measure angles using a protractor to the nearest 5 degrees. They find the perimeter and area of regular shapes and make simple graphs. However, pupils are not good at judging if their answers are approximately right and this means that sometimes they place the decimal point incorrectly when solving a problem. Higher attaining pupils are better at knowing what mathematics to use when working out a problem and are able to explain the strategies they have chosen. Lower attaining pupils have a less secure knowledge of place value when working to two decimal places and some do not understand what they need to do in a given sum. For example, they did not know how to convert £1.25 into euros having been given the value for £1. Pupils in Year 5 have limited knowledge about symmetry and do not all understand the

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MATHEMATICS

difference between regular and irregular shapes. Years 3 and 4 have a good knowledge of units of measure but a very weak understanding of the relationship between fractions.

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MATHEMATICS

103. By the end of Year 2, most pupils understand how to double a number up to a total of ten and can add two numbers together up to 20. Average and higher attaining pupils add money up to fifty pence and recognise two-dimensional shapes and their properties. One in three pupils in this class have special educational needs, and they show weak knowledge of number beyond twelve and some rely on adult support to count reliably. Most pupils rely on objects to help them make calculations. Higher attaining pupils can explain what they are doing although they are slow to notice emerging patterns in numbers or to make predictions about what the next number might be.

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MATHEMATICS

104. The quality of teaching during the inspection was consistently good with an example of very good teaching in Year 6. In the very good lesson, mathematical problems were set in a real life situation of converting pounds to foreign currency and calculating prices of everyday purchases. The mental mathematics activity at the start of the lesson was fun and offered challenging tasks for pupils of differing prior attainment. Throughout the school, teachers prepare well for lessons, are extremely effective at managing behaviour and explain the purpose of work clearly. All pupils are attentive and behave well, although not all are confident when unsupported. Mental mathematics sessions are usually of a quick pace, with challenging questioning and different resources and tasks being used well to maintain pupils’ interest. For example, pupils in Years 1 and 2 used number fans and white boards to answer questions without needing to worry if they

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MATHEMATICS

made any errors. However, a scrutiny of work shows that teachers do not always provide suitable work for the wide range of abilities in each class during group time and this is particularly noticeable in the mixed age classes. When this happens, either the higher attaining pupils are not challenged enough or the lower attaining pupils do not understand the work they are completing, slowing overall progress. Teaching assistants provide effective support for lower attaining pupils and those with special educational needs during group time, particularly when the work set is appropriate and involves practical activities. However, when these pupils are helped to complete the same work as other pupils, they do not always understand what they have done. Teaching assistants are not always used effectively during whole class work. Nevertheless, parents have noticed that teachers have higher expectations of pupils than in the

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past and that teaching in the subject is improving.

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105. The curriculum is satisfactory overall. Whilst the national numeracy strategy is followed appropriately, individual lessons are too long and this means that pupils understandably start to lose concentration towards the end of group time. In addition, when work is not closely matched to pupils’ needs, those with higher attainment are not always challenged enough or lower attaining pupils complete work without understanding the concepts involved. This means that lower attaining pupils often move onto the next topic without a firm understanding of what they have been taught. Limited use is made of numeracy to support learning in other subjects.

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MATHEMATICS

106. There is a new subject co-ordinator and the subject is now being led and managed effectively. The co-ordinator has started to analyse test results to identify aspects of the subject that pupils find difficult and as a result teachers have received appropriate training and allow more time for problem solving than in the past. There is a clear understanding of what still needs to be done Newstead Primary and Nursery School - 34 to improve attainment in the subject. For example, procedures for assessing what pupils already know are not used sufficiently to ensure that teachers consistently provide work that is appropriately challenging for all pupils. However, there are plans to improve the way the school monitors the pupils’ progress throughout the school. Teachers are beginning to use ICT to support learning in the subject.

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SCIENCE

107. Pupils’ attainment varies from year to year due to the small size of year groups and the impact of the differing number of pupils with special educational needs in each class. There is no significant difference in the attainment of boys or girls or pupils from different backgrounds.

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SCIENCE

108. The current Year 2 includes a high percentage of pupils who have special educational needs and, as a result, pupils’ attainment is below average overall. Pupils’ attainment is lower than in 2002, with fewer pupils reaching the level expected for their age (Level 2). As in 2002, there are no pupils working at the higher Level 3.

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SCIENCE

109. Nevertheless, pupils in Year 2 have made good progress over the last year due to the good quality of teaching. Pupils have a limited scientific vocabulary and their weak literacy skills means that their written work does not always reflect accurately their level of understanding. Most pupils explain clearly about the life cycles of different plants and animals. They know what plants need to keep them alive, and on walks around the school site they identify different types of habitats. They correctly name parts of the body and are developing an understanding of what is meant by a healthy diet. Pupils can make simple electrical circuits and they successfully carry out investigations to find which materials conduct electricity. However, in recorded work, there is little evidence of more able pupils working at higher levels than the rest of the class.

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SCIENCE

110. Pupils’ attainment is broadly average overall in the present Year 6. There have been good improvements in attainment over the last year with pupils benefiting enormously from being taught in a small group for most of the year. Pupils’ attainment is much higher than in 2002, when test results were well below average when compared with all schools and broadly average when compared with similar schools. Test results for 2003, for which there is not yet any national comparative data, show a good increase in the number of pupils achieving both the expected level 4 and the higher Level 5.

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SCIENCE

111. In Year 6, pupils have a sound knowledge of basic scientific concepts. They confidently sort food into groups, showing a clear understanding of different food types. They recognise that not all habitats are the same and are beginning to develop an understanding of how a plant or animal is adapted to suit the place where it lives. Pupils know how seeds are dispersed and describe some of the factors that cause food to decay over time.

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SCIENCE

112. Throughout the school, pupils lack confidence in applying their scientific knowledge to practical situations. Older pupils understand what is meant by a fair test and they measure accurately, using equipment such as thermometers. They successfully carry out investigations to find out how the amount of water given to a plant affects its growth. However, in Year 6, more able pupils do not have a clear understanding of the difference between an observation, a conclusion and an explanation. Too often, their explanations merely describe what they can see, rather than using scientific knowledge to explain what has happened. Whilst most pupils are achieving standards that are appropriate to their prior attainment, potentially higher-attaining pupils are not given sufficient encouragement when carrying out investigations to use their scientific knowledge to explain what they have found out. Methods of recording findings are generally the same,

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SCIENCE

whatever the ability of the pupil and, again, this is a missed opportunity to extend the learning of more able pupils.

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SCIENCE

113. The quality of teaching is good overall. Teachers have good subject knowledge and prepare carefully for lessons. They make good use of resources. Behaviour is managed very effectively Newstead Primary and Nursery School - 35 and pupils quickly become engrossed in their work. Pupils are well motivated and work very hard. They show good levels of perseverance when given the opportunity to work independently. In a good lesson in Year 6, pupils worked well together as they carried out research into different habitats, considering how animals are adapted to their location. The teacher gave good individual support, and successfully linked the work to an earlier walk in the woods. This meant that there was good progress to learning, with pupils able to relate their work to real experiences.

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SCIENCE

114. Teachers are very aware of the limited vocabulary and experiences of some pupils and work hard to overcome this by planning an interesting range of activities that make learning fun. Good quality discussions promote the use of scientific vocabulary and help pupils to improve their knowledge and understanding of key concepts. For example, in a good lesson in Years 1 and 2, the teacher very carefully introduced terms such as ‘froglet’, frog spawn’ and ‘tadpole’ to the pupils, drawing on their own experiences to ensure that they understood exactly what was meant by each word.

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SCIENCE

115. Throughout the school, lessons are carefully planned, though planning does not show clearly what pupils of differing age or ability are expected to learn. In pupils’ finished work, it is not clear how the learning of more able pupils has been extended beyond that of other pupils. Teachers give pupils appropriate opportunities to work on practical tasks, although there are occasions when pupils could be given more opportunity to work independently and to show more initiative in their learning, for example by devising their own investigations or thinking of their own ways for recording their findings. This has the greatest impact on the progress of more able pupils. These are important areas for development.

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SCIENCE

116. Teachers make good use of ICT in many lessons. For example, pupils in Year 6 used the computers to complete their work on habitats. Pupils get some opportunities to use literacy and numeracy skills in lessons, although the use of graphs and charts to record findings could be extended.

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SCIENCE

117. The school provides a broad and balanced science curriculum. Pupils study the same topic in two year-groups. This is a sensible solution to the problems caused by having some mixed age classes.

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SCIENCE

118. There are simple but appropriate systems for assessing pupils’ attainment and progress. Teachers regularly mark work and often add written comments that help to identify what the pupil needs to do to improve. Learning is informally assessed at the end of each topic and this information is used to write end of year reports to parents. The co-ordinator has identified the need to formalise record keeping systems so that progression is ensured from year to year.

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SCIENCE

119. Management of the subject is good. The co-ordinator has a good working knowledge of strengths and weaknesses in the subject and realistic expectations about how to further improve provision, including improving pupils’ investigative skills. Although science has not been a recent priority of school improvement, a lot of groundwork has already been put into place to support the development of the subject. For example, the co-ordinator has been working on identifying the key scientific skills that pupils in each year group should be learning. However, this has not yet been implemented.

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ART AND DESIGN

120. Pupils’ attainment is broadly in line with national expectations by the end of Year 2 and Year 6. Throughout the school, all pupils, including those with special educational needs, are making good progress in developing knowledge and skills in the subject. There is limited evidence of three-dimensional work. There were no judgements about art and design made at the time of the last inspection. Newstead Primary and Nursery School - 36 121. By the end of Year 6, pupils make careful observational drawings of flowers and use some perspective in their drawings of containers. They draw good proportions in their portraits of a friend and include good detail in patterning taken from Indian art. Their landscapes in the style of Kirsty Wither show a good match of tone. Pupils in Years 3 and 4 make good portraits of Tudors from paint and collage and some attractive patterns on their fun ‘butterflies’ formed from

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ART AND DESIGN

122. By the end of Year 2, pupils make satisfactory observational drawings of objects collected on a woodland walk and use their ideas to create fabric pictures attractively embellished with careful stitching, braid and sequins.

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ART AND DESIGN

123. The quality of teaching is consistently good throughout the school. Lessons are well prepared and teachers share good information about the artists being studied and their work. Care is taken to use the correct vocabulary such as ‘composition’, ‘form’ and ‘perspective’ when discussing pictures. Tasks are explained clearly and good questioning is used to encourage pupils to observe closely and concentrate. Teachers are highly skilled at managing the behaviour of pupils, helping them to be enthusiastic about the subject and to behave very well in lessons. For example, younger pupils were very appreciative of the beautiful resources made available for their fabric work and older pupils showed great interest and sensitivity when comparing and commenting on works of art such as Hokasui’s ‘Kirifura Falls’ and ‘The Great Wave’. There are no formal methods for recording pupils’ progress and the school has identified

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the need to improve assessment arrangements.

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ART AND DESIGN

124. The subject is led and managed well although it has not been a recent area of focus on the school development plan. The co-ordinator has designed a ‘skills’ ladder’ to support teachers in their lesson planning and has clear plans to improve the subject over the coming year after monitoring teachers’ planning and lessons. There is a good curriculum with effective links being made with other subjects. For example, pupils in Year 6 made patterns in the style of William Morris as part of a history topic on the Victorians.

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ART AND DESIGN

125. There is a good relationship with the local secondary school, with pupils in Year 6 taking part in a project about Japanese art to be continued when they transfer to their new school. The project is making a good contribution to the pupils’ cultural development with a Japanese visitor showing pupils how to do Japanese calligraphy. There are two ‘art’ days each year, giving pupils an opportunity to complete four pieces of artwork, and they are taking part in a project about trees being organised in the village. Appropriate use is made of ICT to make geometric designs. For example, in Years 1 and 2, pupils make pictures in the style of Mondrian and Jackson Pollock.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

126. There were no lessons in design and technology on the timetable during the inspection. Judgements on attainment and progress have been made by scrutinising samples of pupils’ work. Pupils’ attainment is broadly in line with national expectations by the end of Year 2 and Year 6 indicating satisfactory progress overall. There were no judgements made about design and technology at the time of the last inspection.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

127. By the end of Year 6, pupils write clear step-by-step instructions to show how models are to be made. They take care when constructing decorative Indian style vases and boxes from papier- maché, producing good finished products. However, they do not always include dimensions on their plans or list materials needed to complete a task, and their evaluations of their own work are rather superficial. Pupils in Years 5 and 6 make more effective evaluations of commercial products such as bought biscuits or packaging. Pupils in Years 3 and 4 make some inventive designs for a chair, with the function of each part being clearly labelled. Higher attaining pupils sometimes show how design relates to purpose such as a long seat being included to allow a person to stretch out. Newstead Primary and Nursery School - 37 128. By the end of Year 2, pupils cut and join a range of materials successfully. For example, when

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

making model houses out of stiff paper, they cut doors and windows, use sticky tape to join walls together and make door hinges from string, paper fasteners or wire.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

129. The subject is led and managed well and has been a recent area of focus in the school development plan. The subject co-ordinator monitors teachers’ planning and lessons and has a good understanding of areas that require further development. . There are no formal procedures for monitoring pupils’ attainment and progress and this has been identified by the school as an area for development.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

130. Effective use is made of visits to make learning interesting. For example, pupils in Years 1 to 5 visited a local technology centre and spent the day learning how to make various working models. ICT is used appropriately to support learning in the subject. For example, pupils in Year 5 used a graphic modelling package to design a classroom.

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

131. During the inspection only a small number of geography and history lessons were timetabled. Inspection judgements are based on lessons seen, a scrutiny of pupils’ previous work, and discussions with teachers and pupils. 132. In geography, pupils’ attainment is below national expectations by the end of Year 2 but in line with national expectations by the end of Year 6. The current Year 2 has a high percentage of pupils with special educational needs. This means that the number of pupils achieving the standards expected for their age is below average, with pupils having a less secure understanding of place. Pupils in Year 2 have produced little recorded work and, in discussions, have only a very limited recall of the topics that they have studied this year. Nevertheless, these pupils have been well supported this year, making satisfactory gains in knowledge in geography.

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

133. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 make simple comparisons between where they live and a Scottish island. They look at the differences in facilities and landscape and draw simple maps of both where they live and the imaginary Scottish Island of Struay. By the end of Year 6, pupils have a more extensive knowledge of their own and other countries. They make sensible choices about where they would like to go on holiday, based on a clear understanding of climate. Pupils in Years 5 and 6 understand some of the factors that influence the life of someone living in India and can describe the impact of climate on housing, agriculture and clothing. They describe the different sorts of land-use in their own village and compare this with land-use in a village in India. However, there is little evidence of pupils developing a range of mapping skills. This is a weakness in pupils’ attainment.

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

134. In history, pupils’ attainment is in line with national expectations by the end of Year 2 and Year 6. Again there is limited recorded work in Year 2, but pupils are able to talk confidently about some of the work that they have done, showing a reasonable understanding of how life has changed over time. Pupils in Year 2 explain how seaside holidays have changed. They know that in the past most people travelled to the seaside by train, with only the wealthiest families having cars. They successfully compare pictures of the seaside from different eras, identifying what has stayed the same and what has changed.

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

135. In Years 3 to 6, pupils study historical topics such as ‘The Victorians’ and ‘The 1950s’ in more detail. Pupils in Year 6 have a good recollection of recent work on ‘The Victorians’. They can identify key dates in Queen Victoria’s reign and understand how the life of a child has changed since then. A visit to Newstead Abbey, where they dressed up as Victorians, helped them to appreciate how the rich and poor had very different lives. They talk confidently about the sorts of jobs that servants had to do when working for a master. Pupils successfully use census material to find out more about Victorian life, for example identifying that people died at an earlier age in that period. However, older pupils have only a limited knowledge of their local heritage, including the history of the village and the local coal mining industry. Newstead Primary and Nursery School - 38 136. The quality of teaching in history and geography is satisfactory overall, with examples of good

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

teaching throughout the school. Teachers are very good at making learning interesting and fun. Good use is made of a range of strategies such as role-play and discussion to involve and motivate the pupils and to bring the subject alive. For example, in a good history lesson in Years 1 and 2, photographs of people on holiday in the 1900s and 1960s very successfully helped pupils to understand how holidays have changed. The teacher led the discussion well, helping pupils to identify objects such as the parasols and promenade that were different.

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

137. In a good history lesson in Year 6, pupils were given good opportunities to use first hand sources to carry out research about the music of ‘The Beatles’. The teacher had prepared thoroughly for the lesson, providing a good range of resources, including a record album cover and tapes of 'The Beatles’ music. Pupils were very well motivated as they worked on the main task of making their own record cover using the faces of famous people in the style of the album cover of ‘Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Heart-Club Band’.

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

138. The school plans some visits each year to places further afield. These are carefully linked to what is being taught in lessons and successfully extend learning. The history co-ordinator has identified this as an area that could be developed further, especially in the use of the immediate locality.

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

139. The curriculum is broad, balanced and carefully planned, using a nationally recommended scheme of work. However, there are some weaknesses in current provision. In both geography and history, there is very little recorded work and pupils get too few opportunities to use their literacy skills. This has a negative impact on standards of attainment, as well as affecting the development of literacy skills. In addition, pupils generally complete the same piece of work, whatever their age or prior attainment. As a result, there is often insufficient challenge for more able pupils.

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

140. Procedures for assessing pupils’ attainment and progress are satisfactory. Teachers assess learning in lessons and record overall attainment at the end of each year on pupils’ individual reports. However, the information gained from day-to-day assessments of pupils’ work is not used sufficiently to ensure that differing needs are fully met.

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

141. Geography and history are led by two enthusiastic, knowledgeable and keen co-ordinators, who manage the subjects well. Their effective monitoring of subject planning ensures full coverage of the curriculum.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

142. Pupils’ attainment is improving rapidly and is now in line with national expectations by the end of Year 2 and Year 6. There is a well-planned curriculum and the newly resourced ICT suite, coupled with good quality teaching, means that pupils are now learning well.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

143. There is limited evidence on attainment of pupils in Years 1 and 2, as they were not timetabled to use the ICT suite during the inspection. Nevertheless, pupils showed sound basic skills in lessons. They successfully identify the different parts of a computer and they move the mouse accurately when playing language or mathematics games. They write simple text using word- processing programmes and most pupils know how to change the font of their writing, using different styles to make their work interesting. Pupils successfully use an art programme to produce good quality pictures in the style of Mondrian that are attractively displayed in the classroom.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

144. Pupils in Years 3 to 6 make good progress, and areas of comparative weakness are a reflection of previous provision rather than of current teaching and learning. For example, pupils in Year 6 have had limited access to control technology programmes in the past. Nevertheless, pupils display an appropriate range of skills, although their typing skills are slow. They are confident Newstead Primary and Nursery School - 39 about using word-processing skills to edit and improve their work. They successfully change the size, colour and font of text to make it more attractive. Good use is made of clip-art to add colour to pieces of work. This is seen to good effect in Years 3 and 4 where pupils added photographs of the school to an advertisement they had prepared in a literacy lesson.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

145. Older pupils are confident about using the internet to carry out research in different topics. For example, pupils’ work in history in Year 6 on the topic of the 1950s is largely based on information that was found using search features of the internet.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

146. The quality of teaching is good overall, with examples of very good teaching in Years 5 and 6. Teaching is most successful when learning is made purposeful and skills are placed in a practical context. For example, in a very good lesson in Year 6, the teacher very effectively introduced new skills to help pupils prepare a simple presentation using multi-media techniques. The learning was purposeful because pupils knew that they would have an opportunity to show their simple ‘power-point’ presentation at the end of the lesson. As a result, they were well motivated and worked quickly to finish their presentation. Similarly, in a very good Year 5 lesson, pupils were very keen to learn about using formulae in spreadsheets because they were carrying out calculations in preparation for an end of term class party. In both lessons, teachers gave pupils good opportunities to try out ideas for themselves, meaning that less able pupils

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

were able to develop new skills without being worried about falling behind.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

147. There is a broad and balanced curriculum, with all aspects of the curriculum now being taught. Teachers are successfully using ICT to support learning across the curriculum. During the inspection, pupils were observed developing their skills in a range of subjects, including literacy, numeracy, geography and science. This gives pupils good opportunities to practise new skills and helps to reinforce learning and to make their work purposeful.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

148. Resources have been improved over the last three years and are now satisfactory. The school has an adequately resourced ICT suite and this is used effectively to develop skills. Lessons in the ICT suite are well organised. For example, in Years 5 and 6, where class sizes are relatively small, pupils often work in pairs as they are introduced to the key skills. Where teaching is less successful, it is because the size of the class is larger and, as a result, there are insufficient resources for all the pupils to work together successfully.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

149. Developments in the subject have been well managed by the co-ordinator, who provides good leadership. Good support is offered to colleagues, who have also benefited from recent training. Monitoring by the subject co-ordinator is thorough. There is a good awareness of how provision in the subject can be further improved in the future, including developing the use of email and purchasing more resources for the teaching of control technology.

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MUSIC

150. Pupils’ attainment is in line with national expectations by the end of Year 2 and pupils make satisfactory progress. There is insufficient evidence to form an overall judgement about attainment and progress of pupils by the end of Year 6, because there were no lessons on the timetable during the inspection. However, the quality of singing in assemblies is good, with pupils singing sweetly in two parts and keeping time with the music. No judgements about standards in music were made at the time of the last inspection. By the end of Year 2, pupils sing unaccompanied, with some support from an adult, and some maintain a simple rhythm whilst the others sing.

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MUSIC

151. The quality of teaching in the one lesson observed in Years 1 and 2 was satisfactory. The lesson was well prepared, had an interesting mix of activities and the very good relationships between the teacher and the pupils made it an enjoyable experience for all. The teacher took care to use the correct musical terms such as ‘ostinato’ and ‘beat’ and had very high expectations of how pupils should behave. All pupils, including those with special educational Newstead Primary and Nursery School - 40 needs, had the opportunity to take a full part in all activities provided and their attitudes and behaviour were very good. There are no formal arrangements for assessing pupils’ attainment and progress, but the school has identified the need to improve these procedures so that information gained can be used to plan future lessons.

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MUSIC

152. The subject is led and managed appropriately. The subject has not been a recent focus for development. Nevertheless, the knowledgeable co-ordinator has selected a new scheme of work to help support teachers with less secure subject knowledge to plan an appropriate curriculum. There are satisfactory educational resources to support learning. There is a suitable range of pre-recorded music linked to the scheme of work, and it includes music from various cultures. There are clear action plans to develop performance in the school and the use of ICT.

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MUSIC

153. A guitar club is provided free of charge to a group of six older pupils by a teacher from the county council arts support service. This club makes a valuable contribution to the musical knowledge of these pupils and they are able to perform simple songs in assemblies.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

154. Pupils’ attainment is in line with national expectations by the end of Year 2 and Year 6. Pupils with differing needs, including special educational needs, are well integrated into lessons and make sound progress, reaching appropriate levels of attainment for their ability.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

155. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 work enthusiastically in games lessons. They follow instructions carefully, but have varying skills in throwing and catching. Whilst more able pupils throw and catch with accuracy, a number of less able pupils are still at an early stage of developing skills. These pupils do not know how to throw properly using just one hand, and they find it hard to catch a ball even when it has been thrown accurately. Pupils have a good understanding of the effects of exercise on their body, for example explaining that they feel hot and sweaty because their heart is beating faster.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

156. Pupils in Years 5 and 6 learn to swim, using the facilities at a local school, and most pupils meet national expectations. Pupils develop an appropriate range of skills and, by the end of Year 6, about 80 per cent are able to swim at least 25 metres.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

157. By Year 6, pupils are beginning to develop a range of athletics’ skills. They participate well in activities, developing satisfactory jumping techniques, generally showing good control at take- off. They are keen to improve and work hard to develop skills. Teaching supports this well by setting good levels of challenge and encouraging pupils to beat their best performances.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

158. The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall, with an example of good teaching. Teachers work hard to overcome the problems caused by the lack of space in the hall, which is also cluttered with tables and other equipment that can slow the pace of learning especially when pupil numbers are high. Teachers’ planning is detailed, showing clearly what pupils are expected to learn. Throughout the school, praise is used effectively to help the less able, and one-to-one support is provided when needed to ensure that all pupils can participate in a lesson. In the best lesson, pupils in Year 5 were working on a ‘jumping challenge’. There were good numeracy links as pupils counted the number of times they jumped in different ways, and the teacher effectively demonstrated new skills, with good account taken of the needs of pupils of differing ability.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

159. Throughout the school, behaviour is managed very effectively, and pupils are expected to do their best. As a result, behaviour is generally good, although there are occasions when pupils fall out with each other outside school and this can affect the way they work together in lessons. When this happens, the pace of learning drops to being at a satisfactory level only. Newstead Primary and Nursery School - 41 160. The curriculum is broad and balanced, being based around the expectations of a nationally recommended scheme of work. This is adapted to meet the school’s particular needs and includes all aspects of the National Curriculum. Teachers assess learning in lessons and use this information to help them decide what they need to teach next. These arrangements are satisfactory, although the subject co-ordinator has rightly identified the need to introduce a more consistent approach to recording how well pupils are achieving in lessons.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

161. Management of the subject is good. The co-ordinator supports colleagues effectively and has a good understanding of areas for development. There have been limited opportunities for monitoring the quality of teaching, but where it has taken place, it has been helpful in improving the quality of provision.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

162. The school works hard to enrich the curriculum and provides additional activities outside lessons, such as visits by a theatre group which organised music and dance workshops for different classes. There are good opportunities for pupils to take part in competitive sport both against each other and against pupils from other schools. For example, there are successful football and netball teams for older pupils. The football team recently won ‘The Colliery Cup’ and the school organises a very well attended inter-school cross-country competition. Older pupils are able to take part in a range of adventurous outdoor activities such as orienteering on a short residential trip to Derbyshire in the summer term.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

163. The school’s provision for physical development makes a very good contribution to pupils’ personal development. Pupils are proud of their achievements in sport. It is an area of school life that is open to all and, over the last three years, has been a significant factor in raising the pupils’ levels of self-esteem.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

164. Pupils’ attainment is broadly in line with the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus at the end of Year 2 and Year 6. All pupils, including those with special educational needs, have made good progress over the past year. The subject has been a recent focus in the school development plan and actions taken have ensured that attainment is rising. Pupils are making quicker progress in developing knowledge and understanding than at the time of the last inspection when religious education was identified as an area for development.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

165. By the end of Year 6, pupils have a clear understanding of the main features of the Islamic faith and pupils in Year 5 can make comparisons between features of different faiths, such as their places of worship, sacred tests and rituals. They understand that various organisations, including religious ones, have symbols, promises and ceremonies that are significant. Throughout the school, pupils have good opportunities to learn to respect artefacts from other faiths, and pupils in Years 3 and 4 suggest good philosophical questions to ask God, such as ‘Why are some people poor?’ and ‘Why do people look different?’ Older pupils sometimes lack confidence and are hesitant when asked to find information for themselves, even when provided with relevant texts.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

166. By the end of Year 2, pupils retell Bible stories in their own words and gain understanding of various rituals, such as the meaning of the ‘Seder plate’ in Judaism. They are helped to relate to these traditions by thinking about foods that are of significance to them. For example, a pupil said that honey reminded her of a school picnic and an egg of when she was a baby. Pupils have good opportunities for exploring their feelings and they can explain what makes them scared, happy or excited. Following a visit to the local church, pupils in Years 1 and 2 understand how it is used by Christians and can name and mark on a plan the important parts of the church, such as the organ, pews, lectern, pulpit and cross. Pupils are aware that some things are significant to certain groups of people and that these things need to be respected.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

167. The quality of teaching is consistently good. Lessons are thoroughly prepared and teachers explain clearly what pupils are to do and learn. The excellent way that teachers manage the Newstead Primary and Nursery School - 42 pupils’ behaviour and the very good relationships that are evident in the school have a very good impact on the reverence shown for various faiths and the fun way in which information is shared. Teachers ask probing questions to encourage pupils to think more deeply about the significance and importance of what they are learning. Effective use is made of educational resources to engage pupils’ interest and to aid understanding. For example, during a lesson on Buddhism in Years 3 and 4, photographs and artefacts were shared with the pupils, helping them to gain a good insight into why and how Buddhists use a mantra. Pupils then had the opportunity to write their own and construct prayer wheels to hold and ‘send’ their mantras around the world. The

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

interesting way that teachers present lessons means that pupils are very enthusiastic about learning about other faiths and take a great interest in differences and similarities. However, pupils throughout the school are given insufficient opportunity to develop their literacy by writing independently in various styles and this means that higher attaining pupils in particular are not extending these skills enough in some lessons. Teachers keep informal notes on pupils’ attainment and progress and the school is aware of the need to improve the effectiveness of its assessment procedures.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

168. The subject is led and managed effectively. The co-ordinator is knowledgeable about the subject and provides good support for other teachers. Teachers’ planning and lessons are monitored to ensure that the curriculum is being taught well and a good range of resources representing different faiths is used well.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

169. The subject makes an effective contribution towards pupils’ spiritual, moral and cultural development. There are very good links with the local community and people representing various cultures regularly visit to explain their faith and what it means to them. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 walk to the local parish church and produce an attractive book to commemorate their visit. Assemblies make a good contribution to pupils' learning and are thoroughly planned to enhance their knowledge and understanding. Teachers sometimes make effective use of ICT to provide additional resource material. For example, in Years 3 and 4, the teacher found an audio file of a Buddhist mantra for pupils to hear how they are said and, in the same lesson, a group of pupils searched the internet for more mantras.

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