Norwell CofE Primary School

SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 11-14 November 2002

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SCHOOL

Inspection number: 248393 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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SCHOOL

Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the school must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. Norwell C of E Primary School - 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Infant and Junior School

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: School Lane Norwell Newark Nottinghamshire Postcode: NG23 6JP

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mrs Margaret Blore

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 19 January 1998 Norwell C of E Primary School - 5

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities 14809 Kathryn Burdis Registered inspector Maths Science History Physical Education Religious Education Special educational needs Educational inclusion What sort of school is it? The school’s results and pupils’ achievements How well is the school led and managed?

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

9590 Roy Kitson Lay inspector How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents?

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

17557 Sandie Sykes Team inspector Foundation Stage English ICT Art and Design Design and Technology Geography Music English as an additional language Pupils attitudes, values and personal development How well are pupils taught? How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils?

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Norfolk Education Advisory Service Professional Development Centre Woodside Rd Norwich NR7 9QL

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway Norwell C of E Primary School - 6 London WC2B 6SE Norwell C of E Primary 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? 11

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Norwell Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School is a small, rural school. It is situated in the village of Norwell in Nottinghamshire and serves pupils in this and neighbouring villages. There are three mixed age classes, two of which cover two key stages. Reception and Year 1 are taught together in Class 1, Years 2 and 3 are in Class 2, and Years 4, 5 and 6 are in Class 3. Seventy-six pupils attend the school. The proportion of pupils entitled to free school meals is below the national average, as is the number of pupils identified as having special educational needs. No pupils have a statement of special educational needs. Almost all pupils are of white UK heritage and English is the first language of all pupils. When pupils start school their attainment is varied but overall is above the national and Nottinghamshire County average. Most pupils have attended a playgroup or other nursery provision before

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

starting their formal education and are confident in their surroundings.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

The school is a lively learning community. The teaching is good. Interesting and motivating learning opportunities promote good standards in English, mathematics, science and music. However, higher attaining pupils aged 7 to 11 do not attain such high standards in other subjects. The school is well managed on a day-to-day basis and the headteacher is very effective in ensuring that pupils benefit from the school’s involvement with the local and wider community. There are many good features to the school’s provision. However, the approaches to managing change are not fully effective and developments are not consistently embedded into the work of the school. There are some important weaknesses in the way the curriculum is planned and how time is used that have an impact on pupils’ rate of progress and standards achieved in some foundation subjects. The school provides satisfactory value for money.

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What the school does well

• The quality of teaching is good. • Very good relationships and positive attitudes to learning are promoted throughout the school. • Pupils achieve good standards in English, mathematics, science and music. • Pupils achieve very good standards of behaviour and personal development. • Provision for pupils in the Reception Class is good. • Attendance is excellent.

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What could be improved

• The presentation and quality of pupils’ written work in Years 4 to 6 is unsatisfactory. • Higher attaining pupils do not achieve the standards they are capable of in history, geography and design and technology. • Standards in art are unsatisfactory. • Assessment and marking do not support pupils’ understanding of what they have to do next to improve their work. • Developments are not implemented consistently across the school. • The age, range and quality of many library and reading scheme books are unsatisfactory. 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

Norwell C of E Primary School - 9 The school was last inspected in January 1998. At that time the team judged that Norwell was a good school. It was reported that significant improvement was needed to the long and medium term curriculum planning.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

Since the last inspection the school has responded positively to national and local initiatives. Developments in these areas have been largely effective. The literacy and numeracy strategies have been introduced well. Teachers’ planning is thorough covering the ages and abilities of pupils in each class. National requirements for provision for pupils in the Reception Class have been introduced well, as have procedures for the performance management of staff. National funding to extend the range of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) hardware and software has been used to good effect and is being used well to extend pupils' learning. In addition the school is working in partnership with a local federation of small schools (4KANDO) promoting further improvements in a number of key areas, including subject leadership, the development of policies and schemes of work.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

Good improvements have been made to the accommodation and the school has made satisfactory progress in developing pupils’ awareness of the cultural diversity represented in modern society. However, the range of library books and reading schemes continue to reflect stereotypes of a mono-cultural society. Other issues identified in 1998 have not been addressed fully and the rate of progress in ensuring effective curriculum planning and delivery is unsatisfactory. This is having a negative impact on pupils’ achievement over time in some foundation subjects. Some policies have not been updated as recommended in the 1998 report.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

Overall the school’s rate of improvement has been satisfactory and with a strong staff team has the capacity to improve further. However, improvements need to be managed more strategically to ensure that developments are consolidated into the work of the school and teachers have the time to carry out their responsibilities.

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STANDARDS

Over recent years the school has maintained high standards in national tests with many pupils attaining the nationally expected levels by the ages of 7 and 11. This represents good progress for pupils with learning difficulties and no significant difference in performance between boys and girls. Higher attaining pupils achieve the higher Level 5 by the age of 11. Pupils make good progress in the Reception Class and throughout Key Stage 1. In the most recent tests pupils in Year 2 attained standards in the top five per cent of all schools nationally in reading, writing and mathematics. They do equally well in science. Pupils make satisfactory progress overall between the ages of 7 and 11. In recent years the majority of pupils in Year 6 have reached the nationally expected level in English, mathematics and science. In the most recent tests all pupils achieved this level in mathematics and science

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STANDARDS

which put the school in the top five per cent of all schools.

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STANDARDS

Pupils across the age range attain good standards in literacy and numeracy. The exception is in writing, where the quality of presentation and content is well below average. Attainment in science is in line with national expectations. Pupils attain good standards in music and meet the expected level in subjects such as physical education, ICT and religious education. However, standards in art are well below those expected nationally. The quality of written work in pupils’ books indicates that higher attaining pupils underachieve in design and technology, history and geography. The poor quality of presentation and the limited examples in the range of writing in past work does not reflect the standards of which the pupils are capable. Norwell C of E Primary School - 10 The school has good systems for target setting and tracking pupil progress in English, mathematics and science. Challenging targets are set in relation to the abilities of each pupil.

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STANDARDS

Appropriate action is taken when pupils do not make the expected progress in their learning.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Pupils have very good attitudes to learning. Excellent relationships promote pupils’ very good response to learning and to each other. They demonstrate perseverance and enthusiasm from an early age and this is maintained as they go through the school.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Very good. Pupils respond very positively to their teachers’ high expectations of appropriate behaviour. They play well together. Older pupils are thoughtful and caring to younger ones.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Good. Pupils work constructively together in groups, share each other’s successes and show responsible attitudes when asked to undertake routine tasks.

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Aspect Comment

A major strength of the school is the quality of relationships created by the staff team. Every pupil’s contribution is valued. This promotes pupils’ positive attitudes to learning and to each other. Older pupils naturally support and guide younger pupils, promoting a genuine sense of community. Attendance rates are very high with no incidence of unauthorised absence.

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Years 2-3 Years 4 – 6

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

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Years 2-3 Years 4 – 6

Overall the quality of teaching is good and has a very positive impact on pupils’ learning. In class 1 teaching is often very good. Music is taught very well. Teachers are very responsive to pupils’ individual needs. They have very good strategies for helping pupils to rethink their ideas and resolve any misconceptions which extends pupils’ learning and confidence when tackling new problems. Teachers provide interesting and motivating introductions to lessons, often demonstrating methods or approaches and pupils are clear about what they have to do. Lessons are always well structured, with a planned sequence of activities. English and mathematics are often taught well, although there is a weakness in some approaches to teaching basic spelling. Some work is insufficiently matched to the wide range of abilities in each class and higher attaining pupils are not always challenged sufficiently in subjects such

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Years 2-3 Years 4 – 6

as art, history, geography, design and technology. Homework is not used consistently to extend pupils’ learning. Norwell C of E Primary School - 11

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Satisfactory overall. All statutory subjects are taught and a broad range of learning opportunities is provided. National strategies for literacy, numeracy and ICT are implemented well with a positive impact on standards. The curriculum for Reception pupils is taught well. Too much time is allocated to English and mathematics. Weaknesses in curriculum timetabling and planning reduce the time available for foundation subjects.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs The provision for individual pupils is good. Individual needs are identified and teachers ensure appropriate strategies are in place to extend the learning of pupils with learning difficulties. However individual targets are not specific enough to evaluate a pupil’s rate of progress.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Good overall. Social and moral development are very good due to the relationships within the school and opportunities teachers take within lessons and social times to promote these areas. The school is drafting a personal, social, and health education programme (PSHE) to formalise the provision. Cultural and spiritual development are good with improvements to the provision for cultural development since the last inspection.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Good. The school takes good care of pupils’ pastoral needs and pupils feel happy and safe in school. Teachers know their pupils well. However, insufficient use is made of individual pupil assessment to ensure all pupils make good academic progress across the curriculum.

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Aspect Comment

The school works very positively with parents who make an active contribution to the work of the school. Major strengths of the school’s curriculum are the provision for music and the range of interesting opportunities provided for pupils’ beyond the school.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Satisfactory overall. The headteacher manages the school well on a day-to-day basis. There has been improvement in subject leadership but there is still a need to ensure developments are consolidated into the work of the school.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Good overall. Governors are well informed, take an active interest in the work of the school and take their monitoring function seriously. They apply the principles of best value when considering how best to use the school’s financial resources. Norwell C of E Primary School - 12 The school’s evaluation of its performance Satisfactory overall. There are good examples of the school evaluating how well pupils have done in national tests. The headteacher and subject leaders evaluate national test results and identify specific action to address any areas of weakness.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Satisfactory. Physical resources are used well. However, there are some weaknesses in the way teaching and non-teaching staff are used. This sometimes limits their impact on pupils’ learning and places a heavy work load on some individuals.

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Aspect Comment

The school is staffed with experienced, effective teachers who manage and teach mixed age, mixed key stage classes well. Part time specialist teachers for physical education and ICT extend the expertise of the staff. However, there is insufficient classroom support to extend Reception children’s learning. The school’s physical resources are sufficient to support the planned teaching programme but some are out of date and need upgrading.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Their children like school. • The school is well led and managed. • The teaching is good. • Their children are helped to become more mature and responsible. • It is easy to approach the school when they have questions or problems. • Communication about how their children are getting on and what they are doing in school. • More consistency in the amount of work children are expected to do at home. • The number of activities available to pupils outside of school.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

Parents who attended a meeting with the registered inspector highlighted the strengths of the school. They appreciate that teachers make considerable efforts to ensure children’s individual needs are met and to make themselves available to meet with parents. Their concerns about the amount of homework are reinforced by the inspection team as homework is not always given as outlined in the school’s homework policy. In light of the size of the school staff the number of activities available beyond lessons is appropriate although limited in range to music and sporting activities. Many of the issues about school policy and practice raised at the parents meeting are covered fully in informative school documents. Norwell C of E Primary School - 13

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. Year group sizes are small and comparisons with national patterns of results are not statistically valid. However, over time Norwell Primary School has maintained high standards in national tests for English, mathematics and science with the majority of pupils attaining the nationally expected levels by the ages of 7 and 11. The number of pupils attaining the higher Level 3 and Level 5 respectively is more varied. The small numbers of pupils in each year group can account for fluctuations in standards at this higher level. For example, if just two more pupils had attained Level 5 in science in the 2002 tests the school would have achieved results in the top five per cent of all schools. The school’s own analysis of results identifies that a number of pupils were just one or two marks away from achieving these levels. When comparisons are made against how an individual pupil achieved in tests when they were seven to how well they

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

achieved when they were tested at 11 it is clear that most pupils make good progress in mathematics and English. The school has good systems for tracking pupils’ progress in these subjects and takes appropriate action when sufficient progress is not made, promoting good standards.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. There is no trend in differences in attainment between boys and girls and the small numbers of each in any one class can account for any fluctuations. Pupils with learning difficulties make good progress.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. Pupils in Year 2 attained standards in 2002 that were in the top five per cent of all schools nationally in reading, writing and mathematics. In these areas the proportion attaining the higher Level 3 in Year 2 was also in the top five per cent of both schools that have a similar context to Norwell and to all schools nationally. Assessment carried out by the teacher identified that pupils did equally well in science.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. By Year 6 the national tests identify that pupils’ attainment is more variable. In 2002, overall attainment was in line with the national average for English, above average for mathematics but below average for science. The proportion attaining the higher Level 5 in science was below average and did not reflect good progress against pupils’ attainment when they were younger. (That is, a higher proportion of these pupils had attained the higher Level 3 when they were seven than achieved the higher Level 5 at 11). Inspection evidence suggests that this is a fair reflection of standards achieved in science within individual lessons and in work completed over a school year.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. The school’s emphasis on literacy and numeracy has helped to maintain good standards in English and mathematics. Pupils across the school can express themselves well, confidently asking and answering questions. By the age of 11 they read accurately and fluently. However, a major weakness is the underachievement in writing, not only in English work but also in the content, structure and presentation of written work across the curriculum. Whilst writing in Years 1 to 3 is above average that seen in Years 4 to 6 is unsatisfactory. There are very few examples of pupils demonstrating their ability to write to an appropriate standard for a range of purposes and audiences in other subjects. The high proportion of worksheets completed by pupils reduces the opportunity they have to reinforce and apply their writing skills limiting their rate of progress and standards achieved. Norwell C of E Primary School - 14

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. In mathematics pupils make good progress as they move through the school. They develop good mental recall of number facts and use and apply their knowledge to a range of mathematical problems. In science pupils experience the full range of science activity but in Years 4 to 6 planning does not always ensure work is matched to the abilities of the pupils, limiting their progress. There is no evidence of planning to extend the higher attaining pupils in science. Standards in recorded work are unsatisfactory. Marking is limited and does not help to extend pupils’ awareness of their strengths and weaknesses or what they have to do next, reducing the opportunity for them to improve their performance and make good progress to achieve the higher levels.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7. There is underachievement in some foundation subjects and pupils do not attain the nationally expected levels in art and design. Insufficient evidence was available to make secure judgements about standards in history, geography and design and technology but the quality of pupils’ previous work suggests that higher attaining pupils do not achieve the standards of which they are capable. In lessons seen pupils attained appropriate levels in physical education and ICT. However, in music pupils make good progress within lessons attaining good standards by the ages of 7 and 11. Standards achieved in religious education reflect the expectations of the Nottinghamshire Agreed Syllabus.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

8. The limited amount of time allocated to foundation subjects contributes to this underachievement. Another contributory factor is that whilst teachers plan well to meet the age range in each class, ensuring coverage of national schemes of work, there is insufficient planning in some subjects to meet the range of abilities within each class.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

9. There are very few pupils identified as having special educational needs. The school’s inclusive approach ensures that all pupils’ needs are identified and met. Additional support is provided in terms of increased teaching assistant time, alternative work or grouping arrangements or planned work to do at home. This has a positive effect on pupil progress and children with special educational needs make good progress. However the arrangements for individuals are not always the most effective in promoting progress of all pupils, for example where the teaching assistant allocated to the Class 1 for four mornings a week also supports learning for an individual pupil.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

10. The school has introduced an effective system for setting school achievement targets. These targets are challenging, reflecting the assessed potential of individual pupils. A pupil tracking system has been introduced and when individuals or groups of pupils are identified as not making the expected progress appropriate action is taken to help them meet their targets.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

11. Pupils’ attitudes, behaviour and personal development continue to be strengths of the school. Pupils are eager to come to school and to learn. Their attendance is excellent; they arrive punctually at school and are clearly happy to be there. Pupils are very well behaved both in lessons and around the school. They show respect for their surroundings. No bullying was observed during inspection. There are no incidences of pupils’ exclusion from school.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

12. Pupils’ attitudes to learning are very good. Girls and boys have good attitudes to their school, their work, their teachers and to each other. They respond well to their teacher’s high expectations of their behaviour. They play well together and it is clear that pupils feel safe when they play out. They also move around the school calmly and quietly. During wet play times, they find sensible ways to take a break indoors and need Norwell C of E Primary School - 15 minimal supervision.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

13. The relationship teachers have with the pupils promotes their personal development very well. Pupils’ views are respected and listened to. As a consequence pupils develop a very clear sense of right and wrong. Within this context the school is very effective in resolving and discussing issues of bullying, sexism and racism. The school has an appropriate race equality policy. The time allocated during the school day for informal social activities, such as lunch-times and an afternoon playtime for older pupils provides further opportunity for pupils’ personal and social development.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

14. Pupils are good at working together in lessons. Younger pupils share space and equipment readily and take turns. They make helpful comments to each other whilst they are working and show genuine interest in what others are doing. In music in Class 2, for example, pupils genuinely enjoyed each other’s successes and listened attentively to their friends’ efforts.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

15. Older pupils work constructively in different groups and help younger pupils when they can. In discussion with adults, they talk about their friendships, the lessons they enjoy and the special activities provided by their teachers. They show responsible attitudes and help the school run smoothly by completing routine tasks, delivering registers to the office, for example. Pupils show confidence, good care and responsible attitudes when sorting menus out with the very youngest pupils in school. However, older pupils are given insufficient opportunities for taking responsibility for their own learning, for example, in extended pieces of independent work.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

16. Pupils respond very well to opportunities to take initiative and responsibility. Their personal development is very good. For example, they use available technology, such as digital cameras and computers, very sensibly. Teachers actively foster the development of pupils’ personal and social skills, for example, the wide range of activities planned beyond the school involving different social situations and interactions with pupils from other schools. By Year 6 pupils are self assured and demonstrate good levels of maturity.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

17. The quality of teaching is good overall . Teaching across the school is never less than satisfactory. It was good in a half of lessons and very good or excellent in a third of lessons. English, mathematics and music are taught very well and this has a positive impact on pupils’ attainment. All teaching observed had many strengths. However, over a school year the impact of teaching on standards in some foundation subjects is limited by weaknesses in the way the timetable is organised, teachers’ use of assessment to extend learning and the limited opportunities pupils have to consolidate and record their learning through extended pieces of writing. These weaknesses have the greatest impact on pupils’ rate of progress in Years 4 to 6.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

18. Reception age pupils are taught very well. A purposeful atmosphere is established and very good relationships between pupils and adults are evident. Teaching is skilled at sustaining the attention of young children, using a range of approaches. Clear objectives are set and teaching assistants and parents provide valuable support in helping children achieve them. For example, in the preparation of the tea table for Teddy’s party tea where the use of brightly coloured, high quality place settings provided a stimulating and exciting context for pupils to apply their numeracy skills. Teaching is very effective in providing opportunities for pupils to explore, experiment and discuss ideas, for example, when the dried head of a giant sunflower was used as a stimulus for creative work. The wide range of ages, maturity and ability of pupils in Norwell C of E Primary School - 16 Class 1, together with the increasing numbers of Reception age pupils presents a

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

considerable challenge to the class teacher. The teacher is very effective in meeting this challenge, but there is insufficient teaching assistant support, especially during the afternoon to sustain the very high quality.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

19. Numeracy is taught well throughout the school. Teachers’ planning is clear and detailed, showing what pupils of different ages are to learn in a lesson. Pupils are often excited by the challenge in the tasks set and show great delight when they see a pattern in a sequence of numbers, promoting an enthusiasm and interest for the subject.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

20. Teaching of literacy is usually good, providing pupils with good opportunities to develop their speaking, listening and reading skills in many contexts across the curriculum. However there are insufficient opportunities for pupils in Years 4 to 6 to apply their writing skills in sustained pieces of work, limiting the progress they make in the quality of presentation and the content of their writing. Teachers are too accepting of poor presentation of work. Teaching of basic spelling has some weaknesses, which further impacts on the quality of pupils’ writing.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

21. Features of good teaching are seen in all classes and across subjects. Teachers know their pupils well and are very responsive to their individual needs. They have very good strategies for helping pupils to rethink their ideas and resolve any misconceptions. In so doing all pupils learn to respect each others’ views, to listen carefully to each others’ opinions and learn that it is acceptable to make mistakes. Teachers maintain high standards of behaviour and communicate their expectations clearly.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

22. In the most effective lessons teachers explain to the pupils what they are going to learn and provide an interesting and motivating start to the lesson. They often demonstrate a method or approach to be used so that pupils understand what they are to do. Teachers use the vocabulary of the subject well, extending pupils’ vocabulary. Especially effective practice was in the Year 4 to 6 science and mathematics lessons where the teachers skilfully used more technical subject vocabulary for older and higher attaining pupils and adapted their language for the younger pupils in the class.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

23. The strength in the relationships across each class is a significant feature in pupils’ very good responses to learning. All across the school, pupils settle down to their learning quickly, listening diligently and readily carrying out their teachers’ instructions. They concentrate well, and respond with enthusiasm, even when teachers’ explanations are too long. Younger pupils demonstrate perseverance and enthusiasm from an early age and this is maintained as pupils move through the school.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

24. Teachers are experienced and knowledgeable especially in the areas of music, history and ICT. However, evidence of pupils’ previous work in art and design suggests that there is insufficient subject expertise to ensure appropriate opportunities are planned for pupils to develop or apply their creative skills.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

25. Lessons are always well structured, with a planned sequence of activities, building on pupils’ skills and providing opportunities for these skills to be applied. However, the application of skills is often in the completion of some form of work sheet and does not support the development or application of skills in other contexts. Occasionally the planned activities do not challenge higher attaining pupils to do sufficient work within an agreed time. Norwell C of E Primary School - 17 26. Teachers deploy available support staff effectively, although the limited amount of teaching assistant time allocated to Class 1 does limit the range of options open to the teacher. Where they are available teaching assistants work well with pupils, promoting effective teaching and learning.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

27. Insufficient use is made of assessment information to plan appropriate activities and to build on and extend previous learning. There is insufficient use of assessment and marking to identify how well pupils have achieved and what they have to do next to improve. Pupils are unsure of what more they have to do to improve the standard of their work.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

28. Homework in Years 4 to 6 is not consistently given in line with the school policy and is not regularly used to extend pupils’ learning.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

29. A major weakness impacting on the quality of teaching is the limited amount of time allocated to the foundation subjects for pupils aged 7 to 11. There are two contributory factors. Firstly, more time is allocated to taught literacy and numeracy lessons than is recommended reducing the time for other subjects in any one week. Secondly, the amount of taught time each week (22.0 hours rather than the recommended 23.5 hours each week) results in the equivalent of three weeks less teaching at Norwell School than pupils attending schools teaching the recommended number of hours.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

30. The school teaches all the statutory subjects and provides a broad range of learning opportunities for all its pupils. The last inspection report emphasised significant shortcomings in the planning of the curriculum. Whilst many tasks have been undertaken to address this issue the rate of progress and impact on the curriculum has been unsatisfactory overall. Improvements can be seen in several ways:

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

n the implementation of the national strategies for literacy and numeracy promotes high standards and medium term plans for literacy and numeracy provide a good basis for work for the range of ages in each class; n specialist teachers use the national guidelines and apply their specialist skills to provide the basis for the good provision in ICT and music; n the new curriculum for Reception age pupils has been incorporated into a suitable framework for the range of ages in Class 1; n the content of history and geography has been organised into an overview to ensure that work is not repeated over Key Stage 1 and 2; n the scheme of work for religious education has been reviewed to take into account the new local syllabus for religious education; and n careful thought and planning has improved the delivery of the curriculum to meet the wide range of ages in each class.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

31. However, much important work still remains to be tackled in organising science, art and design, design and technology and physical education to take account of the range of abilities and ages in each class. Furthermore, the school has not yet identified the essential knowledge, understanding and skills related to all the subjects of the National Curriculum, nor the steps which pupils should take in order to make progress in each of them across each Key Stage.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

32. There is still no planned programme to support pupils’ personal development and citizenship. Despite pupils’ very positive attitudes, the school allows them too few Norwell C of E Primary School - 18 planned opportunities to develop their personal skills and take responsibility, both in lessons and more generally in contributing to the life of the school. A personal, social and health education scheme of work, to include sex and drugs education, is currently being developed within the local federation of schools. This needs to be implemented to ensure a planned programme for personal development over time.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

33. The provision that the school makes for pupils’ social and moral development is good. Social and moral development are promoted within the positive school ethos and the very good examples set by teachers, who demonstrate consistently their care and thoughtfulness to individual pupils. They encourage pupils to be caring and helpful to each other. Many opportunities are provided for younger and older pupils to work and play together, for example, at lunchtime older children serve and eat with younger children supporting their social development and there is an afternoon playtime for older pupils when they can socialise with younger pupils. However, the work to promote pupils’ social and moral development across the taught curriculum is largely implicit, provided by the good role models of the adults in school and through individual teacher’s expertise in key areas. Consequently, the progress made by

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

pupils in different subjects and aspects is largely left to chance. Many of the written policies are out of date or incomplete and do not provide guidance or reflect the current good practice.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

34. Some positive steps have been made to extend pupils’ cultural awareness and planned activities are incorporated into religious education and physical education, with for example the opportunity to learn about African dance and music as part of the planned physical education programme. Provision for spiritual development is good and promoted through the daily life and work of the school, religious education, assemblies and collective worship. Pupils are well supported in their development and understanding of values and beliefs. The school meets the requirement to provide a daily act of worship.

p.18

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

35. The school provides many worthwhile additional experiences for its pupils in and beyond the school day, for example, through additional musical tuition, museum and other field visits and good community links, as well as a number of after school clubs. The number of additional activities is appropriate, particularly considering the size of the school team. The provision for the small number of pupils with special educational needs is good.

p.18

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

36. As new literacy and numeracy initiatives have been implemented, a significant imbalance in the curriculum has resulted from the allocation of time to literacy and numeracy in excess of recommended limits. This significantly reduces the time available for other subjects, narrowing the range provided within subjects. The time available for teaching and learning for pupils aged 7 to 11 years is also at variance with recommended amounts, causing further imbalance.

p.18

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

37. The school has made some important improvements to the curricular opportunities provided for pupils since the last inspection. However, not all agreed developments are implemented consistently or reflected in school documents. This reduces the impact on pupils’ learning and does not ensure equality of opportunity throughout their time in school. The school should develop its approach to curriculum development so that agreed developments are clearly recorded in policy documents, the consistency of implementation is monitored and the impact on pupils’ learning and attainment are evaluated.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

Norwell C of E Primary School - 19 38. The school takes good care of the pastoral needs of its pupils. This was recognised in the last inspection report and continues to be a strength of the school. Teachers and other adults in the school know their pupils well and are skilful at looking after their personal needs. This ensures pupils feel happy and secure in school. Teachers give good support to all the pupils in school and the provision for pupils with special educational needs is good.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

39. Whilst the provision for pupils is good a number of written policies to inform the work of the school are not in place. For example, there is no formal discipline and anti bullying policy, child protection policy or clear sex education policy. The absence of these policies was mentioned in the last report and as yet they have not been finalised. However, the behaviour of the pupils is very good and there are no reported incidents of bullying. Pupils confirm that when there has been any unpleasantness in the past the situation is dealt with effectively by the adults in the school. The informal methods used are effective and parents report that the behaviour of their children in school is good. The teaching staff has discussed relevant child protection and safety procedures and the headteacher, as the designated person for child protection issues, has received appropriate training.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

40. The school has procedures for tracking and assessing pupils’ academic progress. However, the information is not used effectively to inform pupils of the next step in their learning thereby reducing their rate of progress, especially in the foundation subjects. The school is still developing, in conjunction with the local federation of primary schools, a comprehensive programme of personal and social education. This is needed to extend the informal arrangements that currently support pupils’ development.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

41. The school has policies on health and safety and regular inspection of the premises and equipment takes place. A whole school policy relating to Internet safety is in place and has been distributed to parents. The headteacher, is the responsible person for health and safety, and the governors are involved in the inspection of the buildings and the school site and if hazards are identified appropriate action is taken. During the inspection, some safety issues were identified and these were brought to the attention of the governing body.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

42. The school has very good and productive links with parents and carers. The school effectively welcomes parents from the time when their child is preparing to start in Reception. There is a programme of visits, liaison with the pre-school group and a range of friendly, information booklets. Parents are encouraged to support their children at home and to come in to the school to support learning in classrooms. The school values this support and parents make a significant contribution to pupils’ learning both in school based activities and on educational visits.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

43. Overall parents are very satisfied with the education provided by the school. They report, for example, that their children like coming to school, that they make progress and that standards of behaviour are good. They believe that the teaching is good and feel comfortable about approaching the school with a question or a problem. There is an effective Home/School agreement that helps parents understand their role and commitment to the school. However, parents have indicated that they would like more information about what their children are studying and how they can help them at home. Norwell C of E Primary School - 20 44. The range and quality of information provided to parents, such as the school prospectus, governors’ annual report and newsletters is informative and well presented. However, not all parents appear to be aware of the contents of these documents and some confusion about school organisation and practice occurs as a

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

result. To reduce the demands on teaching staff parents need to be reminded that these helpful documents are a useful source of information about the work of the school. The school is very responsive to requests from parents. It has very recently responded to issues identified at the parents’ meeting run by inspectors by providing information in a newsletter setting out areas of study in the current Autumn term. However, more strategic planning for developments would enable planned meetings with parents to explain developments prior to the implementation of a change in school provision.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

45. Some parents have expressed concern about the limited number of out of class activities. However, bearing in mind the size of the school, those provided, including football, netball and music, are considered appropriate when compared with similar schools.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

46. Teachers are very responsive to parents and communicate sensitively and willingly to requests for information and help. Regular parent consultation evenings are held which are well supported by parents. Some parents have very high expectations of what the school can provide and on occasion this is unreasonable. However, some concerns identified at the parents’ meeting are an accurate reflection of some of the inconsistent practice within the school that causes confusion for parents. For example, there are inconsistencies in the content of pupils’ reports, the setting of homework and targets for pupils’ development. Whilst pupil reports reflect the range of work covered some of the targets set use too much educational jargon to help pupils and parents understand the next steps in learning.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

47. The support parents, carers and the local community give to the school make a positive contribution to pupils’ learning. A strong feature in the life of the school is the Friends of Norwell School. They raise considerable funds for the school and organise social events for children and their parents. The local community uses the school and its grounds for village fetes and gatherings, which helps to cement good relations and places the school at the heart of the community. Parents and residents from the village support all school events.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

48. The school is well supported by the governors and governors have evaluated aspects of the provision by consulting parents through a questionnaire. To date there has been little consultation with parents about the curriculum but consultation about 4KANDO and its impact on the school’s provision has occurred, especially where it impacts on provision for children such as the school residential visit. The pupils benefit from the school’s close collaborative working links with the local federation of primary schools and the local high school. Through these arrangements pupils experience extended curriculum and social opportunities, for example, during the week of the inspection there was a production led by the New Shakespeare Company that involved the four primary schools engaging in an energetic, improvised drama. They also experience good opportunities for extended physical education activities

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

and skills training with their links with the secondary school and good opportunities for making new friends and meeting new teachers in preparation for moving on to the next stage of their education at the age of eleven. Norwell C of E Primary School - 21

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

49. Leadership and management is satisfactory overall. The headteacher effectively manages the school for the benefit of the pupils. Pupils attain good standards in core subjects, experience good teaching and have a good range of learning opportunities within and beyond the school. The headteacher responds positively to local and national initiatives and effectively promotes the school in the wider community extending the opportunities a small village school is able to provide. However, not all developments are embedded consistently to promote equality of opportunity for pupils in mixed age classes.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

50. The teaching team is led and managed well on a day to day basis. All staff share a common purpose and put pupils’ achievements and their needs first. The co- operative and co-ordinated staff team works to individual teacher’s expertise in the development and implementation of the curriculum and this has a positive impact on pupils’ learning experiences and progress.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

51. The school effectively analyses the outcome of national tests taken at the age of seven and eleven and sets relevant targets and priorities for improving standards as a result. The introduction of new performance management arrangements has been done well and each teacher has targets that reflect the improvement needed in core subjects to improve standards in the school further.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

52. The teaching staff works collegiately and regularly discuss ways of improving learning for individual pupils. This is effective in responding to individual pupil’s needs, but the school’s approaches to the management of assessment, curriculum timetabling and planning for learning do not ensure that higher attaining pupils make good enough progress in many of the foundation subjects.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

53. There are some good features to the school’s approach to monitoring and evaluating the quality of provision. The headteacher, subject leaders and governors have all undertaken some monitoring of the school’s provision. This informs their knowledge of the strengths and weaknesses of the school. They are effective in monitoring and evaluating standards in the core subjects and taking appropriate action. For example, an analysis of test results resulted in a teaching assistant being employed to provide booster lessons to an identified group of pupils in Class 3. Monitoring and evaluation were identified as strengths at the last inspection, but the high quality described at the time of the last inspection has not been maintained. For example, the monitoring of the impact of the science provision has not identified the inconsistencies in planning and marking.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

54. Management responsibilities are delegated appropriately. However, where there is a shared responsibility for subject leadership such as art and design, design and technology and physical education, the impact on provision is unsatisfactory. In these subjects the inconsistency in the detail and quality of planning for mixed age classes, reduces the rate of progress and achievement, especially for older pupils. The management of special educational needs is satisfactory and the school has considered the new requirements of the 2001 SEN and Disability Act. A new SEN policy, in draft form, reflects the requirements of the revised SEN Code of Practice.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

55. The school has a three year improvement plan. However, the long term strategy to manage the implementation of agreed priorities is not successful in managing change Norwell C of E Primary School - 22 and implementing consistent practice across the school. Whilst all of the schools priorities are appropriate the timescales for discussion, development and implementation are often too ambitious. Consequently, some teachers have too much to do in any one term to carry out their management functions fully, and are unable to monitor and evaluate the consistency of the implementation of their subject area. Currently the school improvement plan does not incorporate all the initiatives and developments that the school is involved with and some of the items in the plan have significant time implications. For example, a review of the school’s marking policy is scheduled for autumn 2002. This review needs to reflect a comprehensive

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

overhaul of the school’s assessment policy, of which marking is one element. It will need thoughtful, professional debate to develop the school’s approach for using assessment to inform teaching and learning. Sufficient time needs to be allocated to this task as it has implications for teaching across all subjects.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

56. Recent involvement with 4 KANDO provides an effective example for managing change and increasing the capacity for change in a small school setting. The school has been careful to ensure some overlap with the priorities with this group and the school’s own improvement priorities. Governors need to ensure that having set priorities in the school improvement plan adequate time and resources are allocated to ensure they are consolidated into the work of the school. Whilst the school responds positively to many local initiatives, the governors need to ensure that the school’s involvement in additional developments, not included in the school improvement plan, are sustainable given the heavy workload of teachers in a small school.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

57. Governors are actively involved in the work of the school. They are knowledgeable about its strengths and weaknesses but need to develop their role as critical friend. Finances available to the school, including a range of standards fund grants are used appropriately to promote the work of the school. Governors monitor the financial management of the school well, applying the principles of best value, however they could extend their approaches further by comparing how other small schools allocate resources to staffing, for example, in the ratio of adults to pupils in the youngest age group.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

58. The school is staffed with experienced teachers who are effective in meeting the challenge of working in mixed age classes. The deployment of teachers to class teaching responsibility and teaching foundation subjects which are their areas of expertise has the joint advantage of teachers getting to know the pupils across the school and consistency in teaching the subject. Part time specialist teachers for physical education and ICT extend the expertise on the staff. However, there is a need to review the deployment of support staff as there is insufficient classroom support to promote pupils’ learning especially for Reception aged pupils.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

59. Improvements to the accommodation, identified at the time of the last inspection, are having a positive impact on the arrangements for teaching physical education and music. Detailed plans are in place for further improvements to the accommodation for the Reception age pupils and to improve access for pupils with disabilities.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

60. The school provides a satisfactory quality of education overall, achieving good results in core subjects. Resources are managed prudently. The costs per pupil as with many small schools are high and some higher attaining pupils do not achieve high enough standards in the foundation subjects. On balance, overall the school provides satisfactory value for money. Norwell C of E Primary School - 23

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

61. Norwell School has many good features. To ensure the effective staff team are able to further improve the impact on pupils’ learning and progress governors and staff need to:

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

1. Improve the quality and quantity of pupils’ written work by: • planning opportunities for writing for a range of purposes across the curriculum • reducing the number of worksheets where one word and short answers are all that is required • raising teachers’ expectations and agreeing acceptable levels of presentation • monitoring the quality of pupils’ written work across the curriculum Paragraphs: 5,20,82,90,95,101,111,114,115

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

2. Improve standards of higher attaining pupils in science and some foundation subjects by: • identifying the progression in knowledge, understanding and skills in all medium term plans • matching the level of work to the range of abilities in each class • reviewing the length of taught time for pupils in Key Stage 2 • implement the planned PSHE programme Paragraphs: 7,8,17,25,29, 31,32,33,36,52,99,106,109,112,114,136

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

3. Improve the range of assessment and teachers’ marking by: • reviewing, agreeing and monitoring whole school approaches to pupil assessment • agreeing and implementing a marking policy that helps pupils to see what they have achieved and what they have to do next to improve Paragraphs: 27,52,90,92,94,99,100,103,106,118

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

4. Develop approaches to the strategic management of change to ensure developments are embedded into the work of the school by: • identifying realistic timescales for the development and implementation of new initiatives • identifying the resources required, especially the time members of the staff team will have for the development • setting specific success criteria which are measurable and where appropriate related to improvement in pupils’ achievements • agree a programme of monitoring to ensure developments are completed within agreed timescales and to an agreed standard • deploying members of staff to reflect the agreed and current priorities of the school’s work. Paragraphs: 9,18,31,34,39,52,54,55,56,57

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

5. Update library and reading scheme books. Paragraphs:79 Norwell C of E Primary School - 24

p.23

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of lessons observed 20 Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 10

p.24

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfacto ry Unsatisfac tory Poor Very Poor

p.24

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Number 2 4 10 4 0 0 0 Percenta ge 10 20 50 20 0 0 0

p.24

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

The table gives the number and percentage of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about teaching. [When the total number is substantially less than 100, add] Care should be taken when interpreting these percentages as each lesson represents five ]percentage points.

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6 Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 76 Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 3 FTE means full-time equivalent.

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6 Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 2

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

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

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 2 Norwell C of E Primary School - 25

p.24

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

% % School data 2.8 School data 0 National comparative data 5.6 National comparative data 0.5 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year.

p.25

s

Asian or Asian British – any other Asian background

p.25

s

Black or Black British – any other Black background

p.25

s

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. Norwell C of E Primary School - 26

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 3.9 Financial year 2001-2

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 19.5:1

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR– Y6 Total income 202346

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 2 Total expenditure 202524

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 21 Expenditure per pupil 3214

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance brought forward from previous year 15308

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 15130

p.26

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 0.6

p.26

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 1.1

p.26

Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

p.26

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.26

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.26

Recruitment of teachers

FTE means full-time equivalent. Norwell C of E Primary School - 27

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 57 27 13 0 0

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 73 20 3 0 0

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 43 30 17 0 7

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 33 40 17 7 0

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 60 37 0 0 0

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 60 27 3 0 7

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 43 27 7 7 3

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 57 37 0 0 3

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 60 37 0 0 0

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 43 27 13 13 0 Norwell C of E Primary School - 28

p.27

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

62. Pupils are admitted to the school in the term in which they are five. There has been an increase in the number of pupils starting the Reception class since the last inspection. At the time of this inspection there were ten pupils in the Reception year taught in the same class as 11 Year 1 pupils. Attainment on entry to the school is average overall. At this early stage in the Reception year some children are already achieving the expected standard in some aspects of the early learning goals of the Foundation Stage curriculum.

p.28

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

63. Reception children spend some of their time working in their year group with the class teacher or the teaching assistant, particularly for language and mathematical experiences over four mornings each week. In these groups, they are very well supported. The teacher very effectively assesses their needs and acts upon this information in the course of the lesson, ensuring their very good progress. In the main, they work as part of the whole class group without the support of a teaching assistant. Over the week, a number of parents provide support and make a very good contribution to the learning for all pupils in the class. The provision ensures that all the pupils taught within the class form very good friendships and learn how to share and develop very positive attitudes to school.

p.28

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

64. The adults who work with the Reception children form a successful team. They know individual pupils very well and are skilful in developing their understanding and challenge their thinking effectively. The class teacher thoroughly plans a range of interesting activities, incorporates a wealth of exciting approaches to learning and uses ICT as a successful teaching and learning tool. She captures children’s imaginations and is always alert to new ways to stimulate their creativity and wonderment. Very effective links in learning are made. Excellent examples of this were seen in mathematics, where children explored and organised the Bear’s birthday party, developing skills across all areas of learning. These features characterise the quality of teaching which is, in the main, at least very good.

p.28

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

65. However, the lack of trained, professional assistance in the majority of sessions each week reduces the scope of learning opportunities that the class teacher is able to provide; clearly, the number of adults available affects the range of creative and physical development opportunities on offer. This means that sand, water and painting activities are not readily available and time for discussion with small groups and individuals is necessarily reduced.

p.28

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

66. Pupils have access to an outside area on a regular basis, which in turn provides access to the main school playground. There is no established boundary for Reception children in this area, making supervision difficult. There are very many wheeled toys available for the pupils to use but these are limited to ride-on toys, many of which are old and too small for the size of child using them. This means children adapt an alternative riding position to that intended, giving rise to a potential safety risk. Norwell C of E Primary School - 29 67. The class teacher has developed a suitable framework from which to plan work for children in the Reception class and the records of their achievements largely demonstrate good progress over time. Although weekly spelling work in lessons is very productive at the time, tests at the end of each half term do not secure an accurate assessment of pupils’ next steps in learning.

p.28

Personal, social and emotional development

68. Children are enthusiastic and highly motivated in all they do. They concentrate very well and persevere with their work. They form excellent relationships with adults and co-operate well with each other, learning to take turns and share space and equipment. They respond positively to adults’ guidance and show confidence in tackling new things, joining in well with school assembly and setting off on visits out of school. Children enjoy the opportunities they are offered to share and join in with other pupils in school.

p.29

Communication, language and literacy

69. Children start school with good communication skills and have quickly learned to listen well in lessons. They enjoy listening to and joining in with stories, incorporating favourite characters like ‘Peter Puppy’ into their play. As older pupils in the class enjoy books, they provide positive role models and pupils make the most of any opportunity to enjoy books with their teacher and their friends. They make good progress in identifying letters of the alphabet and the sounds associated and are successfully learning to read. With support, they can copy letters in their writing and through imaginative play, show they are learning that writing may be used for a variety of purposes.

p.29

Mathematical Development

70. Children use numbers accurately in their play; willingly and confidently counting and matching. They count reliably to ten, using their mathematical skills to solve practical problems, for example when deciding how many straws, cups, plates, cakes etc were required so that each of the eleven guests coming to the Bear’s birthday party could have one of each item at their place setting. Many demonstrate the ability to count accurately beyond twenty. They can think carefully about their work and try to rectify any errors made. They use computers confidently in their work.

p.29

Knowledge and Understanding of the World

71. Children investigate materials and artefacts from the past to help them learn. They investigate their lives through their toys and compare them with toys used by others in the past very well. They confidently use computers to play educational games and make pictures, saving their work before they finish. They also use computers to discuss previous learning, for example, when reviewing pictures in a Power Point presentation following their visit to the Doll’s House Museum. They find out about other countries through role-play, creating shopping lists and exchanging Euros whilst buying food products. Norwell C of E Primary School - 30

p.29

Physical Development

72. Children use the wheeled toys with confidence, chalk out roadways and establish ‘road rules’ with the help of adults. Pupils use indoor space safely. They recognise the impact of vigorous exercise on their bodies and take account of other pupils’ need to use space. Pupils also show they can use small tools sensibly.

p.30

Creative Development

73. Children make good use of all their senses to create responses to the materials provided. They explore colour, shape and texture through the making of collage pictures, combining natural materials effectively. They sing readily and match movements to songs. In role play areas, pupils take on different imaginary characters.

p.30

ENGLISH

74. The school has successfully implemented the literacy strategy in all classes and national test results show boys and girls achieve above the standards attained nationally. The school’s careful assessment of pupils prior to the tests has enabled effective support to be targeted to groups of pupils throughout Year 6.

p.30

ENGLISH

75. Good quality teaching in literacy lessons occurs across the school. Teaching assistants, and other adults provide effective support. Teachers have good subject knowledge and prepare well for lessons, bringing a range of exciting resources, which motivate pupils to concentrate well. Interesting openers to lessons stimulate thinking and capture pupils’ imaginations. In Class 3, for example, in preparation for exploring the meaning intended by tabloid newspapers, a headline, ‘police sheepish’ provided an enjoyable, thought-provoking start to the lesson. Teachers also provide very clear explanations of any new learning and what pupils are expected to do. They maintain a brisk pace and expect that pupils will work hard in lessons. The very good relationships observed between staff and pupils enables lively exchanges, which adds to everyone’s enjoyment in lessons.

p.30

ENGLISH

76. Staff have been very diligent in organising the literacy framework objectives for each year group. Teachers respond well to individual pupils in lessons, helping them to be successful. They respond effectively when they assess that a child has mastered a topic and increase the challenge by careful questioning or extension work. However, the weekly written plans do not sufficiently take into account the ability range within each class.

p.30

ENGLISH

77. Standards of speaking and listening are high throughout the school. Pupils listen carefully to their teachers and to each other. They express themselves clearly and confidently, demonstrating that they understand their work or seeking clarification or advice. Pupils across the school answer their teachers’ questions eagerly. They are not afraid to give their opinion and when older pupils are challenged to support their views, they confidently provide sensible reasons. Pupils sometimes have planned opportunities for discussion with their ‘talk partners’ or group. This was particularly effective in music in Classes 2 and 3 and in religious education in Class 1. There is scope to extend these opportunities still further. Norwell C of E Primary School - 31 78. Standards of reading for seven year-olds at the time of inspection are about average. Pupils recognise many words and use their knowledge of the alphabet to get started

p.30

ENGLISH

on unfamiliar words. More able pupils use a wider range of strategies to help them read but others are less sure about using their knowledge of letter combinations to build words.

p.31

ENGLISH

79. Standards of reading for eleven year-olds are above average. Pupils read accurately and discuss characters and plots confidently. They refer to text to support their views and can infer meaning, make astute predictions about what might happen next and identify significant themes. Pupils demonstrate well established reading habits, regularly reading at home and in their spare time at school. Many talk knowledgeably about favourite authors and their own book preferences.

p.31

ENGLISH

80. A number of improvements have been made in the range and choice of reading material for use in lessons. This means that pupils enjoy good quality books in guided reading groups across the school. Choices of texts for whole class work have also been extended. This has had the desired effect, improving the level of interest which boys bring to lessons. Other reading materials have not been upgraded and many are poor in quality and range. Reading books are dog-eared and old-fashioned; they do not sufficiently reflect society in the twenty-first century, quality authors for all age groups or pupils’ reading interests. Home/School reading diaries are often well worn, discouraging effective use. The school library is stocked with old, often out of date reference materials, many of which date back to the early seventies and eighties. The pressure on space in the school hall also creates access difficulties through the daily

p.31

ENGLISH

dismantling of a significant part of the library to make room for lunches and physical education activities.

p.31

ENGLISH

81. Writing standards for seven-year olds are above average. Even at this early stage of the year, the majority of pupils are working well within the levels expected by the end of the year. Pupils are able to write at length. Their writing is interesting because they plan their work carefully, selecting words to create a particular effect. Pupils write in joined, legible writing, using largely accurate punctuation. Some use more complex forms accurately, for example, the punctuation associated with speech. Pupils tackle spelling independently. Although some write plausible versions of words unknown to them, they also make repeated errors when writing commonly used words.

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ENGLISH

82. The school’s approach to teaching spelling encourages pupils to learn groups of related words each week and to use them in their writing. However, pupils are tested each half term on their ability to spell all, or most of the words covered. The test is unsuitably long for many pupils and little use is made of the results to help pupils improve in the future. Records show the slow or uneven progress made by some pupils in these tests. Some pupils’ lack of knowledge about the sounds letters make when reading highlights the school’s need to review the teaching of phonics.

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ENGLISH

83. Although pupils in Year 6 achieve high standards in writing in the national tests, the standards shown in their work produced in lessons is too variable in content, structure and presentation. The quality often falls below the required standard. Insufficient improvement in pupils’ presentation of work has been made since the last inspection. Although the school gives over a significant amount of time to literacy each week, the quantity and quality of pupils’ written work over time does not reflect the additional time spent at Years 4 to 6. Moreover, the additional time spent reduces the time available for learning in other subjects and the opportunity to write in other lessons, confirmed Norwell C of E Primary School - 32 by the very few examples of pupils’ writing in other subjects. The loose-leaf collection of work over time does not provide an effective means of monitoring the progress being made by the oldest pupils and breaks between one year’s work and the next are

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ENGLISH

difficult to establish. Many items are undated, complicating matters still further when one folder is used for three years work. Teachers’ marking is not consistent and does not always make it clear to pupils how well they have done and what they need to do to improve their writing.

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ENGLISH

84. The subject leader for English has been effective within the significant constraints of her role. Key improvements have resulted from the analysis of standards achieved in national tests including well-targeted support to groups of pupils at the end of each Key Stage and through the purchase of sets of books for guided reading. However, the subject leader has little time or opportunity to develop the provision made or to improve standards further. Although discrete tasks are written into the school improvement plan, the absence of a coherent development plan for English reduces the scope still further.

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MATHEMATICS

85. Pupils in Year 2 and Year 6 attain high standards for their age in numeracy and all areas of mathematics, (that is number, algebra, shape and measures and data handling). High standards have been maintained over time and in the 2002 national tests the standards achieved were in the top five per cent of all schools nationally for both pupils in Year 2 and Year 6. The proportion attaining the higher Level 3 in Year 2 was also in the top five per cent of schools nationally. The number of pupils attaining the higher Level 5 in Year 6 was below the national average. However, with such a small number of pupils in the year the results of just one or two pupils will affect the schools placement on national tables.

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MATHEMATICS

86. By the age of seven pupils have a good knowledge of number facts. They know by heart multiplication facts of the 2, 10 and 5 times tables and understand multiplication as repeated addition. They recognise number sequences and apply addition or subtraction facts up to twenty to complete a number sequence. They know some of the properties of two-dimensional and three-dimensional shapes and use appropriate mathematical vocabulary.

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MATHEMATICS

87. By the age of eleven pupils work out calculations in their heads with numbers up to and beyond one thousand. They make sensible estimations and teachers effectively promote pupils’ understanding and importance of estimation when carrying out their calculations. Pupils are encouraged to relate the use of mathematics to everyday situations in a rural community, for example, by estimating how much wire a local farmer would need to enclose a field. They can measure and calculate the perimeter of simple and compound shapes competently and describe the properties of irregular shapes such as polygons and polyhedrons, using appropriate subject vocabulary when talking about their work.

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MATHEMATICS

88. Mathematics is taught well throughout the school with some excellent teaching in Year 1. The quality of relationships, brisk pace and clear teaching of mathematical concepts is a major strength in Years 4 to 6. The national numeracy strategy has been introduced since the last inspection and teachers’ detailed medium term planning ensures that the work covered is matched to the ages of pupils in mixed age classes. Teachers usually group pupils by age, which ensures that the appropriate content is taught for pupils of different ages. There is appropriate planned use of ICT to extend learning in mathematics and from the very youngest pupils across the Norwell C of E Primary School - 33 school are confident in using available software. The school’s arrangements for teaching mathematics ensure that pupils build on their mathematical knowledge and understanding and they make good progress consolidating and extending their skills

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MATHEMATICS

89. Teachers skilfully ask questions of various levels of difficulty to pupils of different ages. Teachers are very effective in identifying where pupils have misunderstood a concept and skilfully help them to re-think their approach, developing their understanding and confidence by so doing. Teachers sequence lessons to ensure pupils build on their skills throughout a lesson and over a sequence of lessons. The end of each lesson is often used well to recap and revise what has been achieved, but there is little evidence of pupils being encouraged to demonstrate their methods for solving a problem or describing what they had learnt.

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MATHEMATICS

90. Teachers create a climate where pupils respect each other’s contributions and they listen thoughtfully. Activities are presented in such a way as to motivate and engage the pupils, for example, younger pupils had to solve the problem of how Big Teddy could store his six books on two shelves. The availability of a two shelf bookcase and six books provided pupils with a practical way of exploring the number facts. They then applied this understanding when working out and recording their answers on worksheets. Teachers have high expectations that pupils will work co-operatively or independently when they are not the focus of the teacher’s direct teaching, and this pupils do very well sustaining high levels of concentration.

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MATHEMATICS

91. There is a heavy reliance on published worksheets. This reduces the opportunity for pupils to explain and write down their mathematical thinking. Since the last inspection the mathematics curriculum and scheme of work have been updated in line with the national strategy. The school has valued the support from the LEA numeracy team in the development and implementation of the strategy for mixed-age classes. The role of the subject co-ordinator has been developed well. The mathematics policy has been revised and provides a good, comprehensive document for promoting the work of mathematics in the school, although its guidance in relation to assessment is not consistently implemented as yet.

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MATHEMATICS

92. The previous subject co-ordinator monitored some teaching and attainment data has been evaluated well to identify areas of weakness in relation to gender differences and success in answering different types of mathematical questions and to identify higher attaining pupils. This analysis informs actions to improve performance and ambitious targets have been set for the proportion of pupils to attain the higher Level 5 in 2003. Links with subject leaders through the federation of schools promotes effective professional dialogue, supporting further developments to the school’s provision.

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MATHEMATICS

93. However, marking, assessment and individual target setting continue to be areas for further improvement. The quality of marking is not consistent throughout the school. There are some examples of teachers marking in pupils’ work and annotation on the medium term plans that reflect a good record of what pupils have achieved, their response to learning or what they need more help with. Whilst this form of marking forms a good record it does not inform the pupil of what they have to do next to improve their work. Norwell C of E Primary School - 34 SCIENCE

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MATHEMATICS

94. Pupils at the end of Year 2 in 2002 attained very high standards for their age as identified by teacher assessments. They achieved results in the top five per cent of all schools. In the same year the proportion of pupils at the end of Year 6 attaining Level 4 (the national expectation) was also in the top five per cent of all schools. These results demonstrate good progress for this group of pupils. Pupils with special educational needs also make good progress.

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MATHEMATICS

95. The slight downward trend in performance at the higher levels at the end of Year 6 is reflected in pupils’ written work. This is because planning does not always enable pupils to engage in activities that extend and challenge their ability to apply their scientific knowledge to investigate independently. In addition, teachers’ marking does not identify what pupils have to do next to improve on their performance.

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MATHEMATICS

96. Evidence in the lesson observed suggests that pupils attain levels that are broadly appropriate for the different ages of pupils in the class and they make progress within the planned units of work at a satisfactory rate. However, the quality of pupils’ recorded work in Years 4 to 6 does not reflect the standards attained in national tests. There is limited evidence in pupils’ books of any independent writing and research to show the application of their scientific knowledge.

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MATHEMATICS

97. Pupils in Years 2 and 3 can describe forces and are beginning to explain in simple terms the effect of forces. They also describe differences between materials and group them according to their properties. They build effectively on their prior learning and develop their scientific enquiry skills at an appropriate rate, for example, through investigating changes in themselves before and after exercise as part of a topic on health and growth. In this topic they also develop their understanding of the importance of healthy eating and describe changes as they grow.

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MATHEMATICS

98. Most recent work in Years 4 to 6 has been planned and taught by a student under supervision. Planning, marking and assessment are of a good quality. The lesson observed was taught well and pupils extended their science vocabulary applying it to their descriptions of organisms. They demonstrated their ability to predict in planning for their own investigation of habitats within the school grounds.

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MATHEMATICS

99. Planning documents and pupils’ previous work show that the school is preparing to teach a broad and balanced curriculum linked to nationally published schemes of work. In Classes 1 and 2 the medium term planning is thorough with a sequence of weekly plans identifying what pupils are to learn, the resources that are available and how the work is to be assessed. Teachers assess pupils’ achievements effectively, writing on plans and recording pupils’ response to learning and which pupils did particularly well and identifying those that will need further help in a particular area.

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MATHEMATICS

100. In Class 3 the teacher’s planning relies on the national guidance, supplemented by other published schemes. Whilst the outline of an individual lesson is shown there is not the detail to inform how the work is to be taught to meet the wide range of ages and abilities in the class or how pupils’ progress is to be assessed. Evidence in pupils’ books indicates that they experience a broad range of content and have opportunities for some scientific investigations. However, in the work seen there was little evidence of individual study and independent enquiry that was identified as a strength at the time of the last inspection. Norwell C of E Primary School - 35 101. The work planner for pupils of all abilities in a year group is often the same, with any differences in performance reflected in the maturity of the pupils rather than their increased knowledge or skills in science. The work is poorly marked and the

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MATHEMATICS

presentation is poor with untidy writing, poor quality diagrams and some unfinished work. Work is not always dated and it is difficult to track what progress in scientific knowledge and skills pupils have made over a term or a year. Assessments are carried out at the end of each unit but are marked by the pupils with no evidence of adult moderation.

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MATHEMATICS

102. Some aspects of subject leadership are good. Detailed analysis is made of pupils’ test questions and areas where pupils have achieved less well are identified and alternative teaching strategies are planned. The curriculum opportunities are extended by the school’s involvement in local projects on drugs awareness and a Life Education initiative run by the Nottinghamshire LEA. A good policy, informing the work of the school was adopted in February 2001 and updated in May 2002. However, the agreed policy is not consistently carried out, for example, there is a wide variation in the quality of medium term planning across the school. The subject co-ordinator’s monitoring and evaluation of science is unsatisfactory as the poor quality of pupils’ written work and limited marking has not been identified or acted upon.

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MATHEMATICS

103. Science is a major focus of development through the 4KANDO consortium improvement plan programmed for the spring term. This is timely and a good opportunity for the school to review its delivery of the planned curriculum to ensure pupils of all abilities make good progress and higher attaining pupils achieve the levels they are capable of.

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MATHEMATICS

104. Progress since the last inspection is unsatisfactory largely because the planned developments do not enable all pupils’ needs to be met. As a result the rate of progress of more able pupils reaching the higher levels has not kept pace with national trends. Planning is inconsistent and marking does not effectively inform pupils of the next steps in their learning.

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ART AND DESIGN

105. No art lessons were seen in the week of the inspection. Pupils’ work was examined and discussions with older pupils took place. Displays in and out of classrooms were analysed and samples of the school’s teaching plans carefully examined.

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ART AND DESIGN

106. Insufficient evidence is available to make a judgement about standards by the end of Key Stage 1. However, work produced by pupils in Year 1 show that they use a range of materials to design and make a range of images. Work is planned based on the national guidelines and suitable adaptations have been made to account for the range of ages in the class.

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ART AND DESIGN

107. By the end of Year 6, the evidence in pupils’ art books and in displays, shows standards are well below those expected for the age group and that the provision made for this subject is poor. Although work is based on the national guidelines, each pupil in Year 4 to 6 has repeated very similar work for the last two years, showing an inadequate curriculum structure. This presents a similar picture to that found at the last inspection. The analysis of work presented shows the range is limited to drawing with some application of watercolour and pastels. The approach taken in the assessment of older pupils’ work is inappropriate and contravenes the school’s current policy. Norwell C of E Primary School - 36 108. The school takes a collegiate approach to leading developments in art and no subject leader was available for discussion. Progress since the last inspection has been unsatisfactory.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

109. There is insufficient evidence to make secure judgements about standards which pupils at the end of Year 2 and Year 6 attain in design and technology or about the provision which the school makes. In the one lesson seen, taken by a student under supervision and in discussion with older pupils, pupils show they have positive attitudes to this subject.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

110. Work produced by pupils in Year 2 and Year 3 demonstrates a clear design purpose. The work is well presented and feedback to pupils presents some points about how the work can be improved. However, plans produced by older pupils do not show a clear design brief. No examples of older pupils’ work showing the full design and making process were presented for inspection. There is no subject leader for design and technology. A current policy is in place but the appendix detailing the curricular framework is absent.

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GEOGRAPHY

111. Insufficient evidence was available to make a judgement about the standards achieved overall by pupils. In the only lesson seen, standards achieved at Year 2 in geography were broadly similar to those expected nationally.

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GEOGRAPHY

112. Work presented for analysis by the school for older pupils in Class 3 showed a sample of poor work produced by these pupils over the last three years. Examples included a few simple maps of the British Isles and Europe and a study of Baricho, Kenya, which comprised the same collection of worksheets for each pupil in each year group, regardless of age or ability. Discussion with pupils at Key Stage 2 shows they have retained little knowledge or understanding of their work. English plays an inconsequential role in geography and no extended writing samples were seen. This picture mirrors the findings of the school’s last inspection findings when little evidence of learning was provided.

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GEOGRAPHY

113. A suitable curriculum overview has now been organised for geography, which will ensure that pupils do not repeat work. However, no framework has yet been developed which establishes the knowledge, understanding and skills required to enable pupils to make progress from Years 4 to 6. This was a key issue for action from the last inspection. The policy guiding teaching and learning for geography is very out of date despite priority development plans in place at the time of the last inspection. Work with 4KANDO is planned to develop a policy and scheme of work for geography. This work will provide the basis of planned progress in pupils’ learning and provide the framework to promote higher standards in the subject. The school grounds development is scheduled to improve the pond environment and extend pupils’ geographical experiences beyond the classroom. Norwell C of E Primary School - 37

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HISTORY

114. No history lessons were observed during this inspection. Pupils in Reception and Year 1 were involved in educational visits to a local toy museum and those in Years 2 and 3 visited a local memorial church, bringing history alive and forming the basis of their future work. There was no taught history for pupils in Years 4 to 6.

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HISTORY

115. There is insufficient evidence to make secure judgements about pupils’ attainments overall, but for pupils in Year 6 the quality and quantity of their previous work is below the standard expected for their age. Whilst pupils’ previous written work identifies a broad range of historical topics it does not reflect the depth of study that some higher attaining pupils in Years 5 and 6 are capable of nor does it demonstrate their ability to organise and communicate historical information in a variety of ways.

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HISTORY

116. Much of the work is worksheet based, with pupils having to complete only one or two word answers, or cutting out statements to put them in the correct chronological order. Whilst this may re-inforce pupils’ subject knowledge it does not provide sufficient opportunities to extend their historical interpretation and enquiry skills. There were no examples seen of pupils writing at length or carrying out independent historical research.

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HISTORY

117. Talking to the subject leader and to the pupils about their work it is clear that the school plans to cover the requirements of the national curriculum and that long term planning ensures pupils receive a breadth of study. There are planned opportunities to revisit skills and knowledge as they move through the school. Considerable thought has been given to the ways in which the curriculum can be taught appropriately to pupils of different abilities in mixed-age classes and this forms an effective basis for future improvements to standards in the subject.

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HISTORY

118. There is a good emphasis in teachers’ planning on achieving a balance between imparting information and involving pupils in active enquiry. This approach is supported through planned educational visits which provide opportunities for pupils to develop their social and moral skills and promote their cultural awareness. Use of ICT is identified in teachers’ planning to support pupils’ historical enquiry. Parents make a positive contribution to pupils’ experiences in history, both in class and on educational visits.

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HISTORY

119. The subject leader effectively plans and teaches the history curriculum to pupils from Years 2 to 6. In this way the school ensures consistency of practice and good teacher subject knowledge. The improvements to the scheme of work and medium term plans since the last inspection ensure pupils receive a broad curriculum. However, strategies for assessment and marking pupils’ work are under developed and do not give a clear view of pupils’ achievements or identify to pupils what they need to do next to improve their work.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

120. Insufficient evidence was available to make a secure judgement about the standards achieved overall by pupils. In the only lesson seen, standards in ICT were similar to those expected for their age and pupils had good attitudes to learning.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

121. Teachers’ confidence to use ICT is strong and they plan many appropriate opportunities to extend pupils’ learning across the curriculum. Good use is made of ICT as a teaching resource. For example, spellings for the week are scrolled across computers in Class 1 as a reminder to pupils and for the information of any parent Norwell C of E Primary School - 38 coming in. Digital photographs of visits are recorded in Power Point presentations in order to discuss experiences and plan next steps with the younger pupils. In Class 3, journalistic differences between tabloid and the broad sheet press were developed further using ICT with Year 4, after a literacy lesson on newspapers. Recordings of compositions performed by pupils in Years 4 to 6 were made to help inform their next steps in learning. Good links have been established with 4KANDO and the Newark and Sherwood Community Partnership College extending the range of resources and

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

122. Good progress has been made since the last inspection in developing the provision for ICT. The range of equipment is comprehensive. This includes a SMART BOARD and access to a number of laptops, as well as a number of desktop computers. Staff training and the deployment of a specialist ICT teacher securely underpins the provision and the whole focus of development is steered by a comprehensive development plan to improve provision and standards across the school. This enables staff to check the progress being made against the identified priorities.

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MUSIC

123. Two substantial lessons were seen in music over the week. In addition, activities in Class 1 and an exam recorder group were observed. School assembly was attended and a discussion was undertaken with the specialist teacher who leads the subject’s developments.

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MUSIC

124. Pupils attain high standards in music by Year 2 and Year 6. The school makes very good provision for music and it is a strength of the school. The high quality has been sustained since the last inspection. By Year 6 many pupils who have followed an additional programme of tuition are skilled musicians with specialist knowledge.

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MUSIC

125. Pupils in Key Stage 1 sing expressively and in tune. They sing in parts and know when it is their turn to sing. They keep a steady beat and are adept at repeating a short pattern of phrases sung, hand claps or beats using percussion instruments. This builds on the good work on name rhythms begun with younger pupils in school. Pupils’ listening skills are successfully developed through a range of well-chosen songs and games. Lessons are well structured so that early skills are brought together for a small performance by the end of the session.

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MUSIC

126. At Key Stage 2, pupils read complex musical notation at speed accurately. They demonstrate their knowledge and skills by discussing the features of a pentatonic scale and applying their knowledge very effectively to group compositions. Pupils in Years 4 and 5 improvise with repeating patterns, combine several layers of sound from different instruments and appraise the overall effect. By the end of the Key Stage, pupils compose well-structured pieces, which include variations in the different type of sounds, apply gradations of pitch and volume and use a combination of groups of beats and rhythm to complement the whole piece.

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MUSIC

127. The teaching of music is very good. Work is based around the national guidelines. The specialist skills of the teacher mean that work is provided which is well matched to the age and abilities of the pupils. Feedback to groups and individuals is pertinent and well- managed, enabling individuals to reflect upon and improve their work in lessons. This provides a very effective cycle of teaching and learning across each key stage. Pupils’ confidence to tackle new work is high and they bring very positive attitudes to their work. Behaviour is very good and pupils maintain concentration despite regular interruptions caused by the movement of pupils and adults through the hall. Norwell C of E Primary School - 39 128. Improvements since the last inspection ensure good attention is given to listening to music in assembly. The careful explanation provided about the composer and the piece of music provides a secure basis on which to build pupils’ knowledge over time.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

129. Pupils in Year 2 and Year 6 attain nationally expected standards. There is no difference in standards between boys and girls. Pupils who are less well co-ordinated are given good guidance and support to allow them to make progress and attain appropriate standards. However, the high standards that many pupils are capable of are not achieved as limited time is allocated to the subject in Years 4 to 6. Pupils make good progress within each lesson and build on their physical skills and understanding but have insufficient time to consolidate and extend these skills in regular physical education sessions.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

130. Since the last inspection the school has revised its scheme of work in line with national guidance and an appropriate range of physical activities are provided to promote pupils’ physical and creative development. The long term planning outlines a good balance of games skills, dance, gymnastics, athletics and outdoor activities. The planned opportunities for dance extend pupils’ awareness of other cultures including African dance. However, medium-term plans are still not consistently in place across the school and the policy document has not been updated since before the last inspection. The extension to the school hall has provided a larger space for indoor physical education activities. There continue to be some health and safety issues related to this use of the hall, but teachers are very diligent in reminding pupils about this.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

131. During the inspection week dance was the focus of the physical education. Pupils in Years 2 and 3 demonstrated their developing awareness of space and their ability to work to music well, changing the direction of their movements and reflecting thoughtfully on what they are doing. They respond well to their teacher’s comments and demonstrations of how they might improve their work. They make good progress and perform dances using simple sequences and patterns well. They develop their listening skills as they listen carefully and respond to instructions on the music tape.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

132. Pupils in Class 3 were motivated and enthused by the student teacher’s demonstration and applied what they saw as they worked co-operatively in pairs. They can use space well and demonstrate their understanding that parts of the body can be moved and controlled in different ways. They apply creatively their learning from other areas of the curriculum to inform their movements, for example, moving in response to music as an ‘organism’ that they had identified in pond life as part of a topic on the environment.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

133. Physical education is taught well and across the classes pupils respond enthusiastically and with interest to the topic. Lessons are planned with different expectations for the ages in the group with appropriate extension built in for the oldest pupils in each class. Relationships are very good promoting pupils’ social and moral development. Teachers very effectively assess pupils’ performance and demonstrate

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

how they could improve their work. Pupils respond very positively to these comments and apply them to improve the quality of their work. However, a common weakness in the teaching is the lack of opportunities for pupils to reflect and offer views on others’ performance and evaluate each others’ work. Norwell C of E Primary School - 40 134. As with many other areas of the curriculum the school looks beyond its own resources to extend the opportunities and expertise available to the pupils. A physical education instructor is employed to extend the skills of pupils in Years 5 and 6 and there is a comprehensive swimming programme that ensures all pupils can swim well by the time they leave school. The school is involved with Tuxford Sports initiative involving a link with a local secondary school. This initiative provides resources and good additional training for staff and pupils, extending their skills and planned opportunities for

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

older pupils to meet and work with other primary schools and pupils in the secondary school.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

135. The teaching staff share responsibility for the management and development of physical education. The staff group are aware of the requirements of the curriculum and ensure pupils receive a range of activities throughout the year. The school has adopted TOPS to support planning - a scheme of work agreed locally which provides curriculum guidelines for physical education. However, strategic planning, leadership and management of the subject is unsatisfactory as no one person oversees the provision to ensure sufficient time is allocated to the subject or to monitor the quality of teaching or the consistency of teachers’ planning. The policy was revised in 1996 and whilst the school has revised the curriculum in line with national guidance provided in 2000 the written policy does not reflect these changes.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

136. The standards pupils achieve are in line with the Nottinghamshire Agreed Syllabus. Since the last inspection the co-ordinator has revised the school policy. This policy, still in draft form, is of good quality and informs the school’s aims, objectives and teaching approaches. The co-ordinator has led the development and implementation of schemes of work well, and has audited the curriculum, ensuring all statutory requirements are met. The major World faiths are now incorporated into the learning experiences of the pupils, extending their awareness of different faiths and cultures in our multi-faith society. The planned religious education curriculum now contributes to the social, moral and cultural development of pupils. The range of resources has improved and includes such things as religious artefacts, poster packs and taped music to support the delivery of the curriculum.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

137. Good advice and support is provided for teachers to support their teaching of religious education. Schemes of work have been adopted that ensure pupils in mixed-age classes cover the full range of knowledge, understanding and skills identified in the Agreed Syllabus. It is less clear how well the lessons are matched to the individual learning needs of pupils to ensure lower attaining pupils understand the content and higher attaining pupils are sufficiently challenged.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

138. The quality of teaching is always satisfactory and sometimes good. Very good relationships and organisation of pupils in Class 1 provide opportunities for pupils to develop their speaking and listening skills in discussions about ‘special people’. This topic links with the Christian belief that everyone is special. Pupils reflect on why they are a special person and discuss their ideas in pairs. Appropriate challenge is built into the activities with pupils being expected to write independently as well as drawing when recording their ideas. The teacher uses a good range of teaching strategies, including the use of ICT, and ensures all pupils have special attention. However, the overall impact of the teaching is reduced as there are no additional adults available and the teacher is only able to spend limited amount of time with each individual or pair of pupils. Norwell C of E Primary School - 41

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

139. In Class 3 a good range of teaching strategies, including direct whole class teaching, are used to promote pupils’ awareness and extend their knowledge. Teaching is well prepared and the content challenging to the younger pupils in the group. The organisation of pupils into groups containing a mix of Years 4 to 6 together provides opportunities for co-operative group working. The older pupils’ ideas about the qualities of special people, and different qualities required for different roles helped to extend the younger pupils’ awareness of the concept of ‘quality’. This group discussion helped to develop the younger pupils’ vocabulary and understanding enabling them to make a positive contribution to the group challenge. Pupils are confident to ask questions to gain clarification of the task and their questions are respected and answered thoughtfully, ensuring they have a clear understanding of what is expected of them.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

140. Themes covered in religious education and collective worship are linked, providing coherence for the pupils and starting points for staff. A good range of visits is organised to extend pupils’ awareness and understanding but the school has been disappointed that it has been unable to attract representatives from other faiths to come and speak to the pupils in school.

p.41