Longfields Primary and Nursery School

SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 10 - 13 February 2003

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SCHOOL

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

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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. Longfields Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Longfields Bicester Oxfordshire

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

E-mail address: office@longfields.oxen.sch.uk

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mr K. Peverill

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: January 1998 Longfields Primary School - 4

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responsibilities

21038 Mr G. D. Timms Registered inspector Mathematics Art and design Physical education Educational inclusion What sort of school is it? How high are standards? a) The school’s results and pupils’ standards. How well are pupils taught? How well is the school led and managed? What should the school do to improve? 9744 Mr P. Brown Lay inspector How high are standards? b) Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development How well does the school care for pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? Staffing, accommodation and resources 23009 Mrs A. Hogbin Team inspector Geography History Music Foundation stage Special educational needs 8056 Mr H. Probert Team inspector English Design and technology Religious education Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Efficiency 20063 Mr G. Slamon Team inspector Science Information and communication technology English as an additional language How good are the curricular and other

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responsibilities

opportunities offered to pupils? Assessment Longfields Primary School - 5 The inspection contractor was:

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responsibilities

Demeter House Station Road Cambridge CB1 2RS

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responsibilities

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

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responsibilities

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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responsibilities

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

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 7

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 12

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Longfields Primary School is about the same size as most primary schools with 271 pupils on roll. 52 are part time in the nursery and reception classes. The catchment area has changed significantly over recent years, and the school increased in numbers to well over 400 before falling again to the present number. Attainment on entry has been below average for some years although the present attainment on entry of the youngest children is rising and this reflects further changes to the catchment area. The school takes pupils into the nursery class at the start of the term when they are four. Those children who have birthdays in the summer term move straight to Year 1 at the start of the year in which they are five. The rest join a reception class for either one or two terms. This arrangement will alter from September 2004, when children will join the reception class in the September of the year in which they

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

are five. The proportion of pupils who have a mother tongue other than English is slightly higher than in most schools and there is a range of European and non-European backgrounds. Sixteen per cent of the pupils are on the special educational needs register and this is below the national average; however, the proportion in some classes is much higher than this. Two pupils have statements of special educational need and this is below average. The main needs identified are for emotional, behavioural and learning difficulties and moderate learning difficulties. The number of pupils who join or leave the school at times other than is usual is broadly typical. A broadly average proportion of the pupils is entitled to free school meals but children’s overall socio-economic circumstances are below average.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is an improving school that offers its pupils a satisfactory standard of education. Teaching has continued to improve since the last inspection and is of good quality. Standards of attainment, however, remain below average in English and science. Nevertheless, the pupils’ achievement is good overall, taking into account standards in the creative subjects, and they make good progress given their attainment on entry to the school. The leadership and management of the school are good and appropriately focused on raising standards. When all factors are taken into account, the school provides satisfactory value for money.

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What the school does well

• The teaching is good, with a significant amount that is very good. • The provision for the children in the Foundation Stage is good and the teaching is very good and they achieve well. • Standards are good in art and design, and design and technology. • The pupils’ attitudes are good and their personal development is good, including the provision for their social, moral and cultural development. The absence of bullying and oppressive behaviour is very good. • The provision for pupils with special educational needs is good and they make good progress.

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What could be improved

• Standards are not high enough in writing, speaking and listening in the infants, and in English by the end of the juniors. • The pupils’ investigative, interpretative, problem solving, thinking and planning skills are undeveloped, especially in mathematics and science. • Teachers’ planning does not always provide more able pupils with sufficiently challenging activities; the marking of pupils’ work is of inconsistent quality; some teachers do not always have sufficiently effective strategies for dealing with difficult pupils. • The planning for pupils with English as an additional language does not identify their needs sufficiently and the school does not have sufficient resources. • The governing body are not involved sufficiently in the school development planning process; they do not have appropriate procedures for carrying out risk assessments. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school was last inspected in January 1998. Since then the levels of attainment have risen in reading and mathematics at the end of Year 2 and, although inconsistently, in mathematics and science at the end of Year 6. The setting of targets has been introduced very recently and is yet to have a significant impact on standards. Assessment procedures have improved. The school development plan is now more practical and the use of computers, as well as the resources and training for the teachers, has improved. In addition, the quality of teaching has improved. The school has taken on the nursery and introduced the Foundation Stage curriculum for children under five, introduced the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies with some success and made significant changes to the curriculum planned in most subjects in line with national guidelines. The overall level of improvement since the last inspection has been good and the school is well-placed to improve further in the future.

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STANDARDS

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

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Key

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

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Key

Overall, children make good progress in the nursery and reception classes. The majority of the present cohort are likely to achieve the expected early learning goals by the start of Year 1. However, older pupils entered the school with much lower levels of attainment on entry and so, although standards are often below those expected, there has been good achievement in most year groups. The national tests for the end of Year 2 in 2002 showed that standards were in line with the national average in reading and mathematics but well below average in writing. This was also true when results were compared with those of pupils in similar schools. The reason for the well below average result in writing was that too few pupils reached the higher levels than is the case nationally. The national test results in Year 6 in 2002 rose in all three subjects when compared with 2001, due partly to the extra focus on raising

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Key

standards the school has had, alongside the input of expertise from the local authority, especially in mathematics. The statutory targets were almost met in full. The results have improved over time at a rate similar to that found nationally, although the pupils’ writing skills have weakened results in English since 1999. When compared with similar schools results in English are below average while in mathematics and science they are well below average. The school has recognised this and is working hard to raise standards to a more acceptable level.

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Key

The current standards in the school , as judged from the inspection evidence, reflect the test results in English and science, where they are below average in Year 2 and Year 6, but standards in mathematics have risen and are now broadly in line with those expected by the end of Year 2 and Year 6. Standards in ICT are below average by the end of Year 2 but in line with those expected by the end of Year 6. Standards in religious education are broadly in line with those expected by the end of both key stages. Standards in art and design and design and technology are above those expected at the end of both key stages, while those in singing are well above average. In geography, history and physical education, standards are broadly in line with those expected by the end of both key stages. Longfields Primary School - 9

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Good. Most pupils are enthusiastic and interested and play a full part in school life.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Satisfactory, overall, although a small minority of the pupils display challenging behaviour and this has a negative impact on some lessons.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Good. When pupils are given responsibility, they carry it out well. They get on well together and with the adults in the school.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Good. The attendance is above average and there are few latecomers.

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Aspect Comment

The high attendance and positive attitudes result from the good relationships created by teachers with the majority of the pupils. The school has worked with outside agencies on improving pupils’ behaviour but more remains to be done to ensure classroom strategies, rewards and sanctions are consistent and effective.

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Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

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

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Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

The quality of teaching in English and mathematics is good, with a significant proportion that is very good. Numeracy skills are well taught and this has had a positive impact on standards in mathematics, compared to the lower standards still evident in English and science. Literacy skills are taught satisfactorily but weaknesses remain in the teaching of writing. The learning of the lower and average attainers is good but the more able pupils learn less effectively when the work provided for them is insufficiently challenging.

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Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

The teaching in the nursery and reception classes is consistently very good. The teachers and support staff work and plan well together, making very effective use of the very good accommodation and resources. Their expertise has a very positive impact on the progress made by the youngest children. In the infant and junior classes the teaching is largely good. The strengths lie in the good relationships created, the effective planning to ensure the full coverage of the curriculum and the improved methods, especially in mathematics and ICT following recent training. Where the teaching has weaknesses, these relate to the ways teachers deal with the more challenging pupils and the lack of marking that consistently helps pupils know what they need to do to improve. Pupils with special educational needs are taught well and this supports their good progress. Those with English as an additional language are

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Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

less well provided for in the planning and resourcing of lessons.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Good. The curriculum is broad, balanced and covers all aspects of the National Curriculum and religious education.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Provision is good; pupils have good support from teaching assistants and make progress in line with their peers. Longfields Primary School - 10 Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Unsatisfactory. Insufficient is done to identify these pupils in the lesson planning and resources are inadequate.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Good. The provision for pupils’ moral, social and cultural development is good. For their spiritual development, it is satisfactory.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Satisfactory, overall. Procedures for ensuring there is little bullying and for assessing pupils’ progress are good. The health and safety policy and practice is out-of-date and in need of review.

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Aspect Comment

Where they are involved through home-school link books, parents play an important part in their children’s learning. The amount of extra–curricular activities provided for pupils is below that normally found in primary schools. A good residential visit has a positive impact on the pupils’ physical and social development. The school does not always provide a daily act of collective worship.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Good. The headteacher has a quiet and effective leadership style and the school has improved the role of co-ordinators in the core subjects.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Satisfactory. The governors are very supportive but need to be more involved in the development planning process.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Good. The school has developed good systems for analysing data and tracking pupils’ progress. These are now used satisfactorily to compare performance against other schools.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Satisfactory. Grants are used appropriately and following the changes in its size, the school has managed the reduction in its budget successfully.

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Aspect Comment

The school accommodation does not include an appropriate hall for physical education. Other accommodation is satisfactory. Resources are good in ICT but the school needs more resources for those pupils who have a mother tongue other than English, and there are insufficient books suitable for older reluctant readers. The staffing levels are sound but more teaching assistant time is needed when finances permit. The school applies the principles of best value to a satisfactory extent.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• The teaching is good. • They feel comfortable approaching the school with questions or concerns. • Their children like school • The school expects their children to work hard and achieve their best. • The opportunities for taking part in extra curricular activities. • The amount of homework pupils are given. • The school does not work closely enough with parents. • They are not well enough informed about their pupils’ progress.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspection findings support the parents’ positive views. The teaching is good overall, and very good in the nursery and reception classes. Children are expected to do their best and work hard, although the provision for the more able pupils does not always extend their knowledge and understanding Longfields Primary School - 11 sufficiently. The school is open and approachable and most children enjoy being there. There are fewer opportunities for taking part in extra-curricular activities than is normally the case in similar schools. The homework policy is broadly appropriate, although not all parents support the system by ensuring pupils complete what is given. The school works with parents to a satisfactory degree. Longfields Primary School - 12

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. In the Foundation Stage, it is clear that due to very good teaching and provision, especially in the nursery, children meet the early learning goals by the time they leave reception for all areas except communication, language and literacy, and mathematical development, where a number of pupils are unlikely to reach the goals. The standards attained by individual children vary depending how long they spend in reception before starting Year 1, and this depends on when they were born and how many children there are born in the same term. However, the overall picture is positive and the children make good progress.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. The national test results for Year 6 pupils in 2002 improved when compared to the results in 2001. However, they were still below average and not high enough in English, mathematics and science. The reason for the below average results is that, although a satisfactory proportion reach the expected level, too few pupils reach the higher levels. When the scores are compared with schools that have pupils from similar backgrounds, standards are still well below average, again due to the small proportion of more able pupils reaching the higher levels. The statutory targets were almost met in full.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. In Year 2, test results for 2002 show that standards have risen in reading and mathematics, but remain low in writing. This is true when results are compared to the national average and also when they are compared with those schools that have pupils from similar backgrounds. Again, the school has recognised this weakness and the development plan contains actions to improve writing and spelling.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. The school has recognised the need to raise standards and a lot of work, including good support from local authority consultants, has been done, especially in mathematics, where standards are now broadly in line with those expected. Although the test results appear to show that standards are not as good as they were at the time of the last inspection, the school has undergone significant changes to its status since then. The school grew in size dramatically when new housing was built locally, and then fell equally quickly when a new school was built. This resulted in a lot of changes to staffing, which also affected the consistency of provision. Overall, the school has done well to maintain the standards it has for the majority of the pupils through this turbulence. The test results show that girls have done less well than boys by the end of Year 6 in all three core subjects, and this is different to the national picture. However, the inspection

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

provided no evidence of any reasons for this.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. The inspection evidence indicates that the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies are having a positive impact on standards. The structure and improvements to the planning brought about are helping create more effective teaching and learning, and are thus raising standards. This is most evident in mathematics, where the current standards in both key stages are broadly in line with those expected, especially in number, data handling and shape, space and measure. However, in science and mathematics it is clear that weaknesses remain in the investigative and problem solving aspects of the curriculum and pupils’ thinking skills are still undeveloped. In both English and science, standards remain below average by the end of both key stages.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. Throughout the school, the standard of singing is very good. This reflects the expertise and good deployment of the music co-ordinator. There was little evidence of other aspects of the music curriculum however. By the age of seven, pupils have standards that are broadly in line with those expected in religious education, geography, history and physical education. There are good standards in art and design, and design and technology. Standards are still below average for Year 2 pupils in information and communication technology (ICT) due to a lack of regular opportunities to apply and consolidate their skills in other subjects. By the age of eleven, standards are broadly in line with those expected in ICT, religious education, geography, history and physical education. Standards are above those expected in art and design, and design and technology. Longfields Primary School - 13 7. A high proportion of pupils that have special educational needs also have some form of emotional,

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

social or behavioural difficulty. In two classes, a quarter of the pupils are on the school’s special needs register and in another two, a third of pupils are on it, which presents particular challenges to the teachers in these classes. However, the good provision, often through the good support of teaching assistants, ensures that the majority make good progress against their targets. More able pupils do not always attain the high standards they are capable of due to the lack of clear planning identifying their specific needs.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

8. The standards of pupils with English as an additional language and those from ethnic minority backgrounds are not routinely monitored, and this leads to some uncertainty about how well they are achieving. Few pupils require much support with their English but where this is the case the planning does not identify specific work for them and this, together with a lack of appropriate resources, makes it difficult for support staff and teachers to know exactly what they should be doing. This results in their being given worksheets they cannot read and thus making unsatisfactory progress in some lessons. However, over time, these pupils make progress in line with their peers.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

9. The attitude of pupils towards their school work is good. They are generally enthusiastic, keen to learn, and enjoy the social experiences that school is able to offer. In lessons, they are willing to both ask and answer questions and respond positively when requested to undertake tasks and responsibilities.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

10. Overall, behaviour is satisfactory. Most pupils, particularly in the Foundation Stage and infant classes, are attentive, well mannered and co-operative. In and around the school they show respect to both people and property. Consequently, vandalism and other forms of destructive behaviour are extremely rare. The relationships between pupils, and those they have with adults, are good and make a very positive contribution to the quality of learning. Pupils collaborate very well with each other in the classroom and effectively work together in pairs, or in larger groups, to solve problems on a joint basis. They have established constructive and friendly relationships with their teachers who are held in very high regard. Out of lessons, pupils have formed very positive relationships with each other and these make a significant contribution to their personal development. In a personal, social and health education lesson pupils repeatedly emphasised the

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

very high value they placed on the friendships they had formed within school.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

11. Pupils with special educational needs have positive attitudes overall. However, some pupils with identified needs for emotional, social, and behavioural aspects of their learning frequently have unsatisfactory attitudes which lead to them disrupting lessons and consequently not learning well enough themselves and preventing others making as much progress as they could.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12. No instances of oppressive behaviour were observed and no evidence was discovered of any previous history. During group discussions with both infant and junior pupils, a common view was expressed that instances of bullying were extremely rare and that pupils learnt and played in an atmosphere virtually free of oppressive behaviour. Pupils of all ages had a clear understanding of how their own actions impacted upon the well being of other people.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13. Pupils, in all age groups, demonstrate a strong respect for the feelings, values and beliefs of others. They clearly appreciate that differences do exist between people but do not allow these to create barriers. School assemblies, religious education, and the use of class discussion time, are effective in helping pupils to appreciate and value personal diversity.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. Pupils are provided satisfactory opportunities to display initiative and accept responsibility. They assist with the moving and assembling of physical education equipment, the clearing of the dining hall and, in the case of older pupils, help their younger counterparts with shared reading. Charitable fundraising events provide appropriate opportunities for pupils to display personal initiative.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

15. Levels of attendance are good and exceed national averages. The level of unauthorised absence is very low and is significantly less than the average nationally. Pupils’ punctuality is good and registrations are conducted efficiently and in accordance with statutory requirements. Longfields Primary School - 14 Longfields Primary School - 15

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

16. The overall quality of teaching, taking into account the scrutiny of pupils’ work as well as the lessons observed, is good with a significant amount of very good teaching, especially in the Foundation Stage. The messages about the quality of teaching in the last inspection report were inconsistent but the quality has clearly improved since then. At this inspection, only three per cent of the teaching was unsatisfactory and 83 per cent was good or better, with 34 per cent very good or better and 5 per cent that was excellent, most of which was in music.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

17. The teachers are a hard working team who build good relationships with their pupils and try hard to meet the needs of all pupils in their classes. Pupils are very positive when talking about the teachers and they appreciate the support offered for them. Where there are mixed age classes, the teachers plan together to ensure that most pupils are provided with appropriate work. They are supported by good quality teaching assistants who often work with the less able or pupils with special educational needs. Their work has a positive impact on the progress made by these pupils.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

18. The teaching of children in the nursery and reception is very good overall. Of the eleven observations made in the Foundation Stage, teaching in eight was very good and in the remaining three, it was good. All nursery teaching is consistently of a very high standard, which enables children to learn very well and develop very good attitudes towards school. The experienced teacher and nursery nurse have excellent relationships with the children, plan a very stimulating curriculum both indoors and out, and are often aided by students on work experience and parental helpers, who are well deployed to manage small groups for specific activities. Teaching in the reception class is often very good because, with just ten children, and a classroom assistant for half each day, the teacher is able to focus very well indeed on meeting the needs of individual children and enabling them to make the best possible progress. In both classes, teachers plan

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

their lessons in detail and write very good lesson plans for adults working with them. A student training in the nursery was able to make a very good contribution both to children’s and to her own development due to the detailed planning showing how the activity of mixing dough could encompass several areas of learning. Both teachers keep very good ongoing assessments as well as the more formal assessments required by the local authority that enable them to meet the needs of all children very well.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

19. The teaching in the infant and junior classes is mostly good, especially in the core subjects, ICT and art and design. Although basic literacy and numeracy skills are well taught in English and mathematics lessons, the contribution that other subjects can make to the development of these skills has yet to be fully explored. There is an increasing emphasis on investigative and experimental science, but the skills of independent thinking and research in mathematics and science have not been progressively developed in the past. These skills are essential if all pupils, particularly the higher attaining pupils, are to reach their full potential The teaching of singing is often excellent due to the knowledge and expertise of the teacher, as well as the very good support offered by a musical governor. No teaching was observed in other aspects of the subject such as composition. Very good and efficient use of their expertise is made by using them to

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

teach a range of classes across the school. There was insufficient teaching available for observation to make a secure judgement about the quality of teaching in history and design and technology. In religious education, geography and physical education, the teaching is satisfactory.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

20. The best teaching is characterised by a very secure subject knowledge and expertise, and this gives teachers the confidence to plan and teach effective lessons. For example, in ICT, the new resources, the training teachers have had and the effective work of the technician ensure that the teaching is much improved since the last inspection and is resulting in a steady rise in standards. In mathematics, the school has benefited from some good input by the local authority in improved ways of teaching the National Numeracy Strategy, and this has had a positive impact on the quality of the teaching, the focus on learning objectives and the individual and group targets. Targets are also set in English and this has had a benefit on the progress made by the lower and average attaining pupils, although the more able are still not challenged sufficiently by the tasks provided for them. The teachers’ planning does not identify their needs sufficiently and this

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

means that too many lessons do not have activities targeted specifically at extending or enriching their learning. Discipline is good in most classrooms and for most lessons. Longfields Primary School - 16 21. Teachers evaluate their lessons well so as to identify any areas that need to be considered in the next lesson. Although teachers regularly mark pupils’ work, the quality is inconsistent across the school. In some instances, there are helpful comments with information for areas of possible improvement, in others work is marked with a single tick or word of praise. Where the lessons have unsatisfactory elements, these are sometimes related to less appropriate ways of dealing with challenging pupils, such as having unrealistic expectations of how long they can sit and listen. At times, the methods used by teachers are inappropriate. For example, in one lesson the teacher tried to coach pupils in ball skills while they were spread too far away and so were not

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

very attentive. Parents have said that they would like to see a more consistent approach to homework throughout the school. The inspection team agrees that the school needs to look at its present homework arrangements as another way to develop pupils as independent learners and prepare them for the next stage of education.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

22. The teaching of pupils with special educational needs is good. Teachers write detailed Individual Educational Plans, with achievable targets, for pupils with special educational needs and generally adjust their teaching methods effectively for their special needs pupils, which enables them to learn well. Teachers use learning support assistants well, when available, to support special needs pupils during independent group work. Pupils with the greatest need and those with statemented provision, have well trained assistants working with them who ensure that they are able follow the teaching at a suitable level to make good progress towards their targets. Teaching and learning are less effective for special needs pupils where teachers have insufficiently adapted their methods or are working without another adult in the room. Where there are several pupils with identified special needs connected with behaviour and concentration in one class, it is

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

often difficult for teachers to engage their interest and prevent them disrupting others.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

23. Insufficient is done to specify in sufficient detail the teaching of pupils with English as an additional language. Good examples were observed of such children being included well in class discussions but this tends to be haphazard and the lesson planning does not focus on their individual needs sufficiently. Resources provided for these pupils are not always appropriate in type or reading level.

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TO PUPILS?

24. The planned curriculum meets statutory requirements for all subjects of the National Curriculum and religious education. The school’s provision for children under the age of five and for music are strengths of the curriculum. The main weaknesses in provision are that there are too few regularly planned opportunities for extended speaking, listening and writing of English through the curriculum and the school day, and for the development of pupils’ independent learning and problem solving skills. This lack of speaking opportunities also impinges on standards in mathematics and science, where pupils have too few regular opportunities to explain their thinking and to discuss their work using the appropriate vocabulary.

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TO PUPILS?

25. There is a good Foundation Stage curriculum. In the nursery, it is very good and the recently set up reception curriculum is evolving very well in close consultation with the nursery and Year 1 teachers. The school follows the guidance for three to six year olds and provides a rich variety of first hand experiences enhanced by visitors and visits to places of interest. The curriculum meaningfully links the six areas of learning into topics. Reception age pupils cover the appropriate sections of the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies, although for those children who do not have full time schooling before Year 1 there is insufficient time to cover their content in sufficient detail to meet the early learning goals. There are a few curriculum areas where the integration of the two schools has not yet been smoothed out. For example, reception class children take home books from the school reading scheme whereas those of reception age in the nursery class

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TO PUPILS?

do not. Reception class children miss some of the outdoor experiences outlined in the curriculum guidance due to lack of resources. For example, their classroom does not have access to its own outdoor area nor the wealth of indoor attractive resources that are evident in the nursery, although they usually use the nursery facilities for part of each day. Longfields Primary School - 17 26. Time spent in lessons meets that recommended nationally. The official frameworks of the national strategies are helping to strengthen provision for English and mathematics. The computer club is well used to develop independence in learning and pupils’ sense of achievement. However, the range of regular extra-curricular activities in other areas is too narrow to support independent skills and to develop individual talents.

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TO PUPILS?

27. Provision for information and communication technology has significantly improved since the last inspection, with the development of the suite where pupils learn and apply the basic skills. Training for teachers has helped them to teach the curriculum more effectively. The much- improved facilities now need to be used more regularly so that pupils can apply these basic skills to support learning in other subjects of the curriculum. The programme of work for religious education is firmly based on the local agreed syllabus. An effective curriculum has been built around the nationally recommended schemes. The school has worked hard to adopt the schemes of work and to adapt them to the needs of the school. Teachers’ planning shows effective links between the school’s teaching programme and the National Curriculum attainment targets.

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TO PUPILS?

28. The school is committed to the principles of educational inclusion. It successfully meets the needs of pupils with special educational needs by providing a good level of well-trained support. Teachers use this support well in ensuring that pupils with special educational needs are able to participate fully in lessons and make progress similar to that of their peers. The Individual Education Plans and statements of educational need are carefully drawn up and accurately identify new targets for pupils’ development. The needs of pupils with behavioural problems are generally well met, but in some lessons during the inspection, it was noted that the behaviour of a significant minority disrupted the learning of other pupils. The curriculum is adapted well for pupils with special educational needs, following the guidance of outside specialists where appropriate to ensure equality of access. The co-ordinator has identified two areas where the curriculum needs

p.17

TO PUPILS?

strengthening, when finance is available, to enable pupils to meet their needs more readily. This is in the provision of computer programs, and increasing the quantity and variety of simply written fiction and non-fiction books that hold the interest of older pupils.

p.17

TO PUPILS?

29. Provision for pupils at an early stage of learning English is less well supported, due to a lack of specific planning and resources for them. There is a detailed programme of personal, social and health education, which provides well for sex education and teaching awareness of the misuse of drugs. Issues relating to these important issues occur in science and other areas of the curriculum as well as in specific health education lessons. The involvement of the local health service and community police in the programme ensures that pupils are made aware of health issues and given accurate facts as part of their preparation for adult life.

p.17

TO PUPILS?

30. The school has developed sound links with the local community and makes use of a good range of trips, visits and visitors to support the curriculum. Day visits to a farm museum, art exhibitions and zoos as well as a residential visit to an outdoor centre, support the curriculum well and enrich pupils’ experiences. Visitors from the Japanese and Indian communities are well used to broaden their understanding of other cultures. The science week, police week, the junior citizen and tree planting schemes, and visits from a recycling project and a health education caravan, are other fine examples of the school’s concern for pupils’ personal development and safety. In this respect, the school uses its curriculum well to develop pupils’ sense of citizenship and prepare them well for the next stage of their education. The school has forged close, constructive working relationships with primary and secondary schools in its cluster group. This allows for the sharing

p.17

TO PUPILS?

of expertise in music, special educational needs, and ICT, for example. However, there are few opportunities for pupils to take part in after school activities that would enrich or extend the skills and interests they develop in school.

p.17

TO PUPILS?

31. The provision for pupils’ personal development, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, is good overall. Within this area, there are strengths in the provision for the moral, social and cultural development of the pupils. The provision for spiritual development is satisfactory.

p.17

TO PUPILS?

32. Spiritual development is embedded in the ethos of the school. Religious education lessons, assemblies and studies in a range of subjects contribute to the spiritual dimension of pupils’ lives in school. For example, in a singing assembly about Zaccheus, there was a spiritual quality Longfields Primary School - 18 about the need to be kind to friends. On another occasion, awe and wonder were generated related to the story of the ‘burning bush’ and Moses’ receiving the message from God

p.17

TO PUPILS?

to ‘Let my people go’. Assemblies also regularly include moments for reflection on topics such as persistence and fairness. However, planned opportunities for developing pupils’ spiritual development across the curriculum do not have a high profile.

p.18

TO PUPILS?

33. The school makes good provision for pupils’ moral development. All adults provide good role models and pupils are taught to understand the difference between right and wrong and the impact of their actions on others. For example, in Year 6, all the pupils are aware of the classroom code of behaviour, which includes being alert, avoid distractions and listen carefully. The school places emphasis on positive expectations of pupils’ behaviour and celebrates achievement during school assemblies.

p.18

TO PUPILS?

34. The provision for pupils’ social development is good. The school encourages pupils of different ages and abilities, including those with special educational needs and English as an additional language, to mix and work together. For example, pupils in Years 4 and 5 have shared reading weekly with pupils in Year 1. Both groups of pupils take this work seriously and each pupil works conscientiously with his or her partner. At lunch times, pupils of different age groups sit together in small groups, with good opportunities to mix and develop their social skills. Work in art and design, design and technology, music and literacy provides good opportunities for pupils to work jointly on their tasks. School visits also provide opportunities for team building skills, and school performances in music provide valuable opportunities for pupils from across the school to work together.

p.18

TO PUPILS?

35. The school makes good provision for cultural development. There are many opportunities for pupils to learn about their own culture and the culture of others. In religious education lessons they become knowledgeable about Judaism, Hinduism and the Muslim cultures, as well as Christianity. In history, they study the ancient Greeks and in art and design they learn about Indian art and design. In music, they listen and learn about music from other cultures as well as living cultures in the Caribbean. A particularly good example of multicultural celebration is demonstrated by the provision for a new Japanese pupil who had no English when starting school. The school arranged for a visitor to teach the class some Japanese words and to explain to the class some features of the Japanese culture. This strategy has done much to help the pupil to settle into school successfully.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

36. The school provides a satisfactory level of care for its pupils. Appropriate procedures are in place for child protection with the headteacher having designated responsibility. He has received suitable training, and the range of his responsibilities is clearly understood and formally documented. Teaching staff and classroom assistants are fully conversant with child protection procedures, particularly with respect to their own roles.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

37. Arrangements for ensuring that the school provides a safe and healthy environment are satisfactory. A health and safety policy is in place and this details both responsibilities and procedures. There is a need, however, for the governing body to update this document. Governors monitor procedures through the buildings committee, one member of which carries out periodic inspections of the premises. A hazard reporting system is in operation, and arrangements for first aid are satisfactory. Accidents are properly reported and investigated. Teachers are fully aware of health and safety considerations and these are appropriately incorporated into the curriculum. A particular example was in a Year 1 personal, social and health education lesson where pupils were graphically reminded of the inherent dangers of stuffing beads into ears or noses. There does exist, however, a lack of formalised risk assessments,

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

particularly for external visits. This matter requires urgent attention to ensure the school complies with statutory requirements.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

38. Procedures for monitoring and improving attendance are effective and contribute significantly to the good levels of attendance achieved by the school. Good quality computer generated statistical data is available and this is carefully analysed to identify trends and potential problem Longfields Primary School - 19 areas. The school rigorously follows up unexplained absence and makes clear to parents the academic importance of regular attendance. The education welfare officer, who is available to make home visits, effectively supports the efforts made by the school. Longfields Primary School - 20 39. Effective measures exist to promote good behaviour. A detailed behaviour policy has been prepared which not only describes available rewards and sanctions but also contains useful advice concerning good classroom management and the contribution it makes to positive standards of behaviour. The school operates a rigorous and effective anti-bullying strategy, which

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

involves both teaching and non-teaching staff. Pupils are made fully aware of the negative effects of bullying through class discussion time. Any reported cases of oppressive behaviour are thoroughly investigated and appropriate action is taken.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

40. The last inspection report identified assessment as a key issue for improvement. The school has since worked hard to improve assessment procedures and these are now good, particularly in English, mathematics and science. Assessment in other subjects is linked to guidance from the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority. The deputy headteacher and the co-ordinator have a good understanding of the importance of rigorous assessment procedures and give a good lead to staff in this. Teachers meet together to moderate pupils’ work in order to gain consistency across the school. They set group and individual targets for pupils in English, mathematics and science. This is a recent initiative and teachers are taking increasing account of these in their planning. However, teachers do not always set targets that are realistically challenging for more able pupils - for example, in mathematics and science.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

41. Teachers in the nursery and reception classes monitor, assess, and record individual pupils’ welfare, personal, and academic achievement very well in a variety of formal and informal ways. The home/school reading diary, which is started in Reception, gives a very good record of the progress children are making in learning to read. Assessments made at the end of Year 2 and Year 6 conform to statutory requirements. The school carries out additional testing at regular intervals to identify pupils’ strengths and weaknesses in English and mathematics. For example, analysis showed that writing is an area for development, so the school is considering ways of allowing more time for writing, both in daily literacy lessons and across the curriculum. The results of statutory and non statutory tests are thoroughly analysed in respect of different groups of pupils including those with special educational needs, pupils from different ethnic groups and

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

those of different gender. There is a good system in place to computerise assessment data which enables the school to collect and analyse its data more easily.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

42. There are very good assessment procedures and records for pupils with special educational needs, which fully comply with the new Code of Practice. The local authority provides very good guidance and training in this area. These assessments are very well used to determine future targets for short-term Individual Educational Plans and to monitor progress over the longer term.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

43. Procedures for monitoring and supporting pupils’ personal development are good. The very good relationship that exists between staff and pupils provides a sound basis for effective counselling and guidance. Pupils view teachers as approachable, friendly, and helpful. Within school, they are the first “port of call” in times of difficulty.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

44. On the basis of questionnaire returns and the meeting with inspectors, it is possible to say that parents believe that the school provides their children with a satisfactory standard of education. Most parents are happy with the school. Behaviour is believed to be very good and the school is thought to provide a safe and secure environment in which pupils can develop both academically and in terms of their personal development. Communication from the school is believed effective, with parents happy with the information they are given about their children’s progress. The inspection evidence supports the views expressed by parents.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

45. Links established by the school with parents are satisfactory. Teachers are readily accessible, particularly at the end of the school day, to discuss any concerns felt by parents. Similarly, when the school has concerns about particular pupils, quick and effective contact will be made with parents or carers. There is a good relationship with parents of children in the Foundation Stage. There is a very close relationship with parents and carers of nursery children, which is one of the reasons children settle so happily. The entrance to nursery is very welcoming with its notice boards and photographic display showing each child excited and absorbed by new learning. Parents are given a very clear and detailed booklet telling them about the nursery as well as a Longfields Primary School - 21 home visit and day in school with their children when they start. They also receive a very detailed written report at the end of the nursery. Parents support their children’s learning well, for example

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

by sending items in for the special interest tables. Reception parents are well informed through another welcoming and informative booklet. They support their children well by helping them develop early reading skills, as is evident from their comments in home/school reading diaries.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

46. School-parent links are further consolidated through the Parent-Teacher Association, which provides not only valuable financial help but also an opportunity for parents and staff to meet on a social basis. The importance of effective links between the school, parents, and pupils is recognised formally through the home-school agreements, which detail the responsibilities of the parties involved. The impact of parents on the work of the school is satisfactory overall but good in the Foundation Stage. Help is provided in the classroom, a notable and recent example being a parent who played the role, in a history class, of a Victorian School Inspector. Assistance is also given with school visits and with the provision of artefacts to support classroom learning.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

47. The quality of information provided to parents is satisfactory. Regular newsletters are issued which effectively update parents as to current and future developments. The annual report of the governors is comprehensive, reader-friendly and meets statutory requirements in terms of the information provided. The school brochure introduces the life of the school and is effectively complemented by a short brochure “Starting School at Longfields” which provides valuable information to parents as to how they can support their children’s learning at home. Parent meetings are held twice yearly and these provide an appropriate opportunity for parents to discuss their children’s progress with the class teacher. Additional meetings are held with parents in order to explain the national tests and homework policy.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

48. Written reports to parents detailing pupils’ progress are satisfactory. Detailed information is provided concerning progress in English, mathematics and science, and appropriate reference is made to future targets. However, information on other subjects is often sparse and fails to provide adequate information as to pupils’ achievements. The reports do, nevertheless, provide useful information as to the personal development of particular pupils. The quality of written reports given to parents of pupils with special educational needs is good, providing detailed and relevant information concerning progress and achievement. The use of home-link books provides an effective and regular opportunity for two-way communication between the school and parents. Parents of pupils with identified special needs are kept fully informed, both formally and informally, of their children’s progress and invited to take part in reviewing their future needs. The majority of

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

parents respond well to this and take an active part.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

49. Parents make a sound contribution to their children’s learning, particularly at home. Assistance is given with both reading, spellings and, in the case of junior pupils particularly, help is provided with use of the Internet and other research tasks. The school encourages such support and provides effective assistance both through brochures and meetings at school.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

50. The headteacher provides quiet and effective leadership and is well supported by a good senior management team. There is a good set of aims and these are clearly reflected in the supportive and caring ethos that exists in the school, and which helps provide a good learning environment even for the more challenging pupils. This good level of leadership has been maintained since the last inspection, even through significant changes to the senior staff. However, the influence that the work of senior staff has is limited by the small amount of non-contact time available. In particular, the deputy headteacher has a heavy word load, including responsibility for a core subject.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

51. The management of the school is good and has improved since the last inspection. The monitoring and improvement role of subject leaders was in its infancy five years ago but this has now become an accepted part of the systems in the school, especially in the core subjects. Teachers work together well when planning, although subject leaders need more time to carry out their role when finances permit. All are aware of how they can monitor standards and work in their subjects, and most are regular attenders at training sessions to keep themselves and the rest of the staff up to date with the latest developments. Longfields Primary School - 22 Longfields Primary School - 23 52. The targets set for the tests in Year 6 were almost met in 2002. Those set for 2003 are sufficiently challenging and appropriately based on the pupils’ prior attainment. In English and mathematics the school is aiming to get more pupils to the higher levels; this has been

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

recognised as a priority in order to raise standards further. The school has benefited from the expertise provided through the local authority in addressing weaknesses and raising standards.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

53. The policy for performance management is appropriate and is having a satisfactory impact on standards. The governors take the lead on the headteacher’s performance towards his objectives. Team leaders in the school observe lessons and hold professional development meetings with staff. Staff new to the school receive appropriate levels of induction.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

54. The school development plan was criticised at the last inspection for containing too many detailed priorities. This has been addressed through the production of an overview of development needed over a period, with more detailed action plans for subject areas, prepared by the subject co- ordinators. The development planning contains appropriate priorities with a focus on raising standards. However, the governing body are insufficiently involved in its production, although they discuss the finished document and monitor it at meetings over the year. They do not have a section of the plan for the work of the governing body, to support their own professional development and help make their work effective and efficient.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

55. The headteacher’s reports for governors provide a sufficient level of information and raise questions about future provision and priorities, as well as reporting on past events. The governing body is supportive of the school and the present chair is aware of areas of their work needing improvement. They work hard to help improve resources for the school and to ensure the pupils are able to work in secure and comfortable surroundings. There is an appropriate structure of committees to try and deal with the work of the governors more efficiently. The minutes of meetings are kept at a very basic level and do not contain detail about decisions made or who is responsible for taking action. Most governors have some responsibility for a subject or other aspect of the school. The special educational needs link is well established but others are often at an early stage of development. Governors are aware of most of the school’s strengths and

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

weaknesses, including the need to raise standards. Those governors who manage to visit the school during the day have a sound understanding of how the school is organised and how smoothly it runs. For example, the numeracy governor meets regularly with the subject co- ordinator and has visited a number of lessons to observe the National Numeracy Strategy in action. This has given him a much clearer understanding of the practicalities for when governors discuss provision in their meetings. A statutory act of collective worship is not carried out every day.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

56. The management of the Foundation Stage is good despite the lack of an overall manager. The Year 1 teacher and reception teacher meet regularly to share expertise and develop curriculum and assessment procedures. It is due to the very high calibre practices and informal but effective leadership of the nursery teacher that this works so smoothly. However, the Foundation Stage lacks a person responsible for evaluating systems and procedures across both year groups, and to monitor the standards attained by the start of Year 1 in order to ascertain and take effective action about strengths and areas that need improving.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

57. The leadership and management of special needs provision is good. Governors monitor this well, receiving detailed reports from the governor who works very closely with the special needs co- ordinator and by putting it as an agenda item at each meeting. The co-ordinator works very hard in limited time, is very knowledgeable and cares deeply about the pupils on the register. All procedures and connected paperwork are very good. She supports class teachers very well in making detailed individual and behavioural plans for pupils. There is very good liaison with outside specialists who use their expertise to help the school improve their provision. . For example, a recent innovation has been to work closely with an outreach worker on raising the self-esteem of pupils with social, emotional, and behavioural needs, because teachers reailised they needed greater expertise in this area, especially where such pupils form a high percentage of the class.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

This has been done by introducing times when classes could discuss social matters of concern to them.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

58. School developments are costed carefully and the school’s budget is managed efficiently by the headteacher, finance administrator and governing body. The present large carry forward is Longfields Primary School - 24 earmarked to help pay for building improvements. Educational priorities are agreed and supported by thorough, appropriate financial planning. The majority of the budget is spent on staffing costs. Other priorities, like spending on special educational needs, ICT and the general maintenance of stock, are managed thoughtfully. For example, the school obtains a large discount on art books purchased from one publishing firm. Specific grants are used for their designated purposes to support pupils’ learning. The school has spent a considerable amount on the provision of the ICT suite, which currently is not fully utilised on a daily basis, although it has had a positive impact on standards. Good use is made of the local education authority’s administrative package, which

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

provides easy access to spending. The governors and the headteacher work hard to try to ensure that they obtain best value for the school, but they do not currently compare spending with that of similar schools as a means of further monitoring. Expenditure per pupil is broadly in line with that for similar schools. The school provides satisfactory value for money.

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

59. Resources and the physical environment of the nursery both inside and out are exceptional and this is the result of its previous existence as a separate nursery school. The large outside area has stimulating equipment for physical and creative development as well as a covered area for shade and shelter. Particular features are a swamp with stones and logs where mini beasts live; a living igloo and archway made from willow trees, a hill, and pathways winding around obstacles such as a sunken sandpit. Inside, the upper floor of the classroom, has a wealth of equipment for creative and imaginative role-play. These resources have a very good impact on curriculum provision and standards attained in the nursery. The reception environment suffers by comparison, although it does make use of the nursery’s outside area and borrow resources as needed.

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

60. The match of teachers and support staff to the needs of the curriculum is satisfactory. There is an appropriate range of experience and subject specialisms and all teaching staff are appropriately qualified. Teaching assistants are adequate in number and make a positive contribution to the quality of learning. School accommodation is satisfactory, both indoors and out, although the plans to rectify leaking windows have yet to be finalised and this creates significant problems during wet weather. The shape of the hall is unsuitable for physical education, particularly for the older pupils. Learning resources are satisfactory overall, but good for the nursery and ICT However, resources for pupils with English as an additional language are not satisfactory and there is insufficient material available for reluctant readers in the higher age groups.

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

61. In order to build on the present effective education provided by the school, the governing body, headteacher and staff should:

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

§ increasing the proportion of pupils who reach the higher levels in the national tests; § improving pupils’ speaking and listening skills; § providing more opportunities for pupils to use writing skills across the curriculum; § improving reading resources for the older, lower attaining pupils. (Paragraphs 2, 3, 24, 71 - 77)

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(2) Seek for ways to improve pupils’ investigative, problem solving and thinking skills. ** (Paragraphs 5, 19, 80, 85)

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(3) Improve the quality of teaching further by:

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Ensuring that the planning provides more able pupils with sufficiently challenging work; • Ensuring that the marking of pupils’ work consistently helps pupils know what they have done well and what they need to do to improve; • Providing more advice on strategies for dealing with difficult pupils. (Paragraphs 7, 11, 20, 21, 28) Longfields Primary School - 25 Longfields Primary School - 26 (4) Ensure pupils at an early stage of learning English have their needs sufficiently identified in the planning and improve the resources available. (Paragraphs 8, 23, 29, 60)

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(5) Involve the governing body more in the school development planning process and ensure they have appropriate procedures for carrying out risk assessments. (Paragraphs 37, 54 )

p.26

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

** These issues have been recognised by the school and they have started to address them.

p.26

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

In addition to the above key issues, the governing body should consider the including the following minor issues in their action plan:

p.26

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Ensure there is a statutory act of collective worship every day; (Paragraph 55) Longfields Primary School - 27

p.26

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 32

p.27

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

p.27

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

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

p.27

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6

p.27

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 6 230

p.27

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 0 33

p.27

Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6

p.27

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 2

p.27

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 0 42

p.27

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.27

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 8

p.27

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.27

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 15

p.27

Information about the school’s pupils

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

p.27

Attendance

National comparative data 5.4 National comparative data 0.5

p.27

Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Longfields Primary School - 28

p.27

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2002 19 10 29

p.28

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.28

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

Boys Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls

p.28

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

Percentage of pupils School 93 (75) 86 (69) 90 (81) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (84) 86 (86) 90 (91)

p.28

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.28

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

Boys Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls

p.28

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

Percentage of pupils School 93 (75) 90 (81) 93 (75) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (85) 89 (89) 89 (89)

p.28

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

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

p.28

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

Individual totals for boys and girls have been omitted because the total number of girls is less than 11 and therefore pupils could be identified.

p.28

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2002 17 22 39

p.28

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.28

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

Boys 12 12 13 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 17 15 17

p.28

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

Percentage of pupils School 74 (70) 69 (60) 77 (78) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 73 (71) 86 (87)

p.28

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.28

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

Boys 11 11 14 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 15 14 17

p.28

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

Percentage of pupils School 67 (60) 66 (60) 82 (73) at NC level 4 or above National 73 (72) 74 (74) 82 (82)

p.28

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

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Longfields Primary School - 29

p.28

Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.29

Exclusions in the last school year

White – any other White background 8 0 0

p.29

Exclusions in the last school year

Mixed – any other mixed background 2 0 0

p.29

Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British - Pakistani 0 0 0

p.29

Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi 0 0 0

p.29

Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British – any other Asian background 1 0 0

p.29

Exclusions in the last school year

Black or Black British – Caribbean 0 0 0

p.29

Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.29

Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.29

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 9 Financial year 2001/2002

p.29

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 22:1

p.29

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 495 341

p.29

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 5 Total expenditure 456 728

p.29

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 127 Expenditure per pupil 2 144

p.29

Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery Balance brought forward from previous year 22 265

p.29

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 1 Balance carried forward to next year 38 613

p.29

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 13

p.29

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 2

p.29

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 55.5

p.29

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per FTE adult 5.2 Longfields Primary School - 30 FTE means full-time equivalent.

p.29

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.30

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 1

p.30

Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

p.30

Recruitment of teachers

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

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Recruitment of teachers

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

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Recruitment of teachers

FTE means full-time equivalent. Longfields Primary School - 31

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Percentage of responses in each category

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

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 44 45 9 0 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 32 54 7 2 5

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 21 50 12 6 11

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Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 39 45 9 6 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 54 37 7 1 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 49 43 5 1 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 35 43 12 6 4

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 37 48 4 7 5

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 34 55 5 2 4

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 12 32 16 16 24 Longfields Primary School - 32

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

62. At the time of the previous inspection, there was no Nursery provision. From the start of this academic year the Nursery, which shares the same site as the school, combined with it under the leadership of the headmaster, cementing the very good relationships that had previously existed between them. This makes comparison with the findings of the previous report difficult, although the under fives at the time made good progress and this has been at least maintained and the introduction of the Foundation Stage has been very successful. At the time of the inspection, in early February, the reception class containing ten children had started only a month previously.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

63. There have been changes in the catchment area over the last few years and attainment on entry has differed significantly. The present picture is that attainment on entry to the nursery is broadly in line with that expected for children of their age. The teaching is very good and the majority of children achieve well and meet the early learning goals for personal and social development, creative development, physical development, and knowledge, and understanding of the world by the start of Year 1. However those who move to straight to Year 1 from Nursery do not have sufficient time in school to cover the National Numeracy and Literacy Strategies for reception age children and so do not meet all of the early learning goals in communication, language and literacy or in mathematical development. There are currently no pupils identified as having special educational needs. Two children have an additional language and they make as good progress as

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

other children because the active methods and high ratio of adults to children ensure their needs are met very well.

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Personal, social and emotional development

64. The teaching is very good. Children make good progress and are likely to meet the expected level by the age of five. Teachers and other adults in the nursery and reception focus strongly on this area, and children develop a good level of independence, conform well to school routines, dress themselves with minimum help, are very polite, helpful, and willing to do as they are told and listen carefully to instructions. Children learn to be responsible because they are given responsibility as soon as they start nursery. For example, at the start of each day, children help to prepare resources rather than the adults preparing them for them. They mix up dough for the making table and fill jugs from the tap to fill the water tray. Children are keen to learn, confident to try new activities and have good relationships with their teachers and other adults who work with them. This enables them to achieve well and face the challenge of learning. Nursery

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Personal, social and emotional development

children quickly become secure in routines and play independently while the adults are working with other children. Reception children improve on this and concentrate for much longer, such as when they sort coins into different purses depending on their value. They co-operate well together such as when mixing the ingredients for cakes or sharing a computer to make a map of an imaginary town. All adults have the same high expectations of behaviour and as a result, children behave very well because they know what is expected of them. One instance of very good attitudes and behaviour was seen in a lesson in the ICT suite, which resulted in very good learning. This was because the teacher’s praise and encouragement enabled children to feel secure and confident in trying new ideas. Very good teaching about road safety was seen in nursery where during an outside session several children came around the teacher’s table on their

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Personal, social and emotional development

vehicles to play a matching game to promote an understanding of road safety rules such as holding an adult hand by a main road or not playing with balls on the pavement.

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Communication, language and literacy

65. Overall, the teaching is good but most children are unlikely to achieve all of the expected levels by the age of five. When they start school most children’s speaking and listening skills are average. Good teaching provides many opportunities for children to develop their vocabulary and different speaking styles. Teachers find good opportunities for children to talk to the whole class and encourage children to talk to each other about what they are doing. Very good questioning skills and the provision of sufficient time for children to respond is a notable feature of the nursery Longfields Primary School - 33 teaching. There are many opportunities for role-play, which extend pupils’ communications skills well. The intervention of a classroom assistant with good questioning skills extends imaginary conversation skills very well. Children understand they should listen while someone is talking as

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Communication, language and literacy

part of good conversational skills and they listen carefully to instructions.

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Communication, language and literacy

66. Good emphasis is placed on the development of early reading skills. Nursery children handle books carefully, know that text carries meaning, and look at pictures for clues about the story. One example of good teaching to practise this skill was seen where having read a story to the class, the teacher put speech bubbles from the mouths of the characters and encouraged children to think what they might be saying. Reception class children say they love books and have very positive attitudes towards learning to read, which is the stated aim of the teachers. They have favourite books, talk in detail about the characters and plot, and are starting to use their knowledge of letter sounds to work out what words say. The home-school diary is a valuable dialogue of strengths and areas needing more practice. The school gives parents good guidelines in how to support reading at home, so their children can make the maximum progress. Pupils are

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Communication, language and literacy

taught to write from the very beginning and parents receive very clear information showing how to support their children at home. Teachers focus well on developing a good handwriting style. Where children have weak hand control or are having difficulty with letter formation, teachers ask parents to help their child practise these skills. In class, there are regular handwriting practice sessions. The programme for teaching the sounds letters make and recognising whole words in reading is well linked to writing. By the end of reception, most children have a go at spelling by using their knowledge of sounds, which they put together to form words they do not know how to spell. Children with higher prior attainment are able to write in sentences, which show an understanding of the use of full stops and capital letters. The content of children’s writing progresses well. By the end of the reception year, children write their own stories and information

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Mathematical development

67. Teaching is good but a significant number of pupils are unlikely to attain the full level expected by the age of five. The reception teacher follows the National Numeracy Strategy and the nursery teacher gives a very good grounding of skills that prepare children for this work. Teaching develops mathematical understanding well through a variety of practical activities including number songs, rhymes, and stories such as ‘Goldilocks and the Three Bears’. Very good teaching is seen in nursery where mathematics is an integral part of the start of each session and consequently very meaningful to the children. At the start of sessions, children move a bead across on the abacus to show their arrival. The beads are counted and tallied with the register entries and the number found on a number line. Children recognise the number in the date and the hours on the classroom clock before starting their daily activities. The small number of pupils

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Mathematical development

in reception enables the teacher to know exactly what each child can do and address any difficulties that arise. Often the class has two groups of five children each working with an adult and so children make very good progress. During the inspection, reception children were sorting coins of different value and learning how five pennies are the same as a five pence piece. The teacher quickly recognised that this was difficult for most children and changed her planned lesson to practise in different ways. Although most could understand the principle by the end of the session, only the few highest attaining pupils were completely comfortable with the principle of ‘sameness’ with the majority still preferring five separate pence to a five-penny piece. By the end of reception most children know the name of two-dimensional shapes, can add and subtract and write down their calculations, use money for shopping and compare the properties of thicker and

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Mathematical development

thinner and measure different items in the classroom.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

68. Planning documents show all elements of this area are covered in interesting ways although there was not the opportunity during the inspection to observe them all being taught. Teaching is very good as it is based on first-hand experiences and most children will achieve the expected level by the age of five. During the year, children watch ducklings hatching, tadpoles growing to frogs, and look through magnifiers at mini-beasts that live under logs. Teaching is particularly good in nursery because of the proximity of the outdoor area and the talents of the teacher in making the most of every opportunity. For example, in the recent snow, pupils wrapped up warm and played in the igloo made from a living willow that was covered in snow, in order to experience what living Longfields Primary School - 34 in an igloo is really like. In another session, children watched in fascination as the teacher

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

demonstrated how to make an electrical circuit with batteries, bulbs, wires, and switches and enthusiastically explained what they had learnt whilst playing with toys dependent on batteries. Pupils’ knowledge and understanding of how computer programs work is very good. Very good teaching was seen in the ICT suite where reception pupils dragged and dropped different buildings on screen to create a town. The class teacher had very good skills herself, shown when she demonstrated using a projected image, and her teaching has been effective over time, as is shown by the ability of most pupils to enter the room and log on for themselves. In this lesson, the small numbers and assistance from a classroom assistant, well deployed to help those with lower prior attainment, enabled all children to make very good progress. This session also promoted pupils’ geographical and social skills well as pairs of children sharing computers

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

discussed what buildings are needed in a town and where the roads should lead. Children have a good, developing understanding of other cultures. For example at Chinese New Year, they had the opportunity to eat Chinese food in the class Chinese restaurant.

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Physical development

69. No direct teaching was seen in this area during the inspection although some nursery children were busily pedalling vehicles, which had become imaginary fire engines, and being physically active. All children handle scissors, small toys, and dough regularly and develop their manipulative skills appropriately. Planning documents show that all elements of this area are covered in interesting ways. Both classes have a developmental programme to ensure that skills increase well that includes timetabled hall sessions and opportunities for outside development. Although reception does not have its own outside area, children have opportunities to use the nursery area several times a week, following a planned programme.

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Creative development

70. Overall, the teaching is very good and the majority of the children are likely to achieve the expected level by the age of five. All classes have areas, such as the shop or fire station, for creative role-play and this benefits children’s language development and social skills. As part of daily classroom routines children have opportunities to play with small world toys that increase their imaginative play. Children use paint well to express their ideas and for adult led activities that need precision. Very good teaching, which led to very good learning, was observed in the nursery, led by a parent helper, who was able to provide it because the class teacher had briefed her very well in what the objective of the activity should be and the type of questions she might ask. Pupils displayed very good concentration skills and behaved very well indeed as they were so interested in what they were doing. This led to very good social and language development as

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Creative development

children animatedly talked to each other about what they were finding out. It promoted very good personal development, as the parent took the opportunity to reinforce the week’s theme of road safety and the need for hands to be held whilst close to the road and to emphasise children’s cleaning themselves up without making too much mess in the cloakroom. Children have a variety of opportunities to print with different templates and know how to apply paint for different effects such as by blowing it to make bubbles. They know a variety of action songs and traditional nursery rhymes. Reception pupils develop very good singing skills because they have weekly singing lessons with the music specialist teacher in the main school. They use their bodies as percussion instruments and make up their own music with the instruments. Planning documents show all elements of this area are covered in interesting ways although there was not the

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Creative development

opportunity during the inspection to observe them all being taught.

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ENGLISH

71. The 2002 national tests for seven-year-olds show that, by the end of Year2, pupils achieved average standards in reading but were well below average in writing. This is an improvement in reading standards over the last two years but there has not been a similar improvement in writing. By the end of Year 6, standards in English were below average when compared with all schools and schools that take pupils from similar backgrounds. The test results for eleven-year-olds show the numbers of pupils achieving Level 4 were in line with national standards although the number of pupils achieving Level 5 is below the national average. This means that insufficient of the more Longfields Primary School - 35 able pupils are achieving the higher levels. There are no significant differences in the performance of boys and girls. At the time of the last inspection, the overall standards were average. Since

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ENGLISH

that time, there have been significant changes in the numbers of pupils, and to the catchment area. Inspection evidence confirms the school’s findings that

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ENGLISH

there is a wide range of attainment within year groups. The introduction of the literacy strategy is having a positive impact on lower and average attainers but there remains the need to raise the standard of the higher attainers.

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ENGLISH

72. In speaking and listening, standards are below average. Pupils are encouraged to develop their skills from Year 1 through teachers’ careful questioning and expectations. There is much in the school environment and teachers’ good relationships with pupils, which supplies and supports the confidence needed. This is particularly true for those with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language. However, while pupils are well motivated, they do not always listen carefully. Responses in Years 1 and 2 are often hesitant. While pupils frequently speak spontaneously, this tends to lack much structure or consideration. Teachers are aware of this fact. For example, in one lesson in Year 1, the teacher emphasised to the pupils the need to give their answers in sentences and not one or two words. While pupils’ confidence increases in the junior classes, there is still a lack of recognition of the range of requirements that each

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ENGLISH

speaking situation demands. There are some pupils who speak confidently; for example during school assemblies pupils answered questions clearly and audibly.

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ENGLISH

73. In reading, by the end of Year 2 and Year 6, standards are average. However, because most pupils enter school with underdeveloped skills, they make some good progress in developing their skills. In an attempt to improve standards, the school has developed several strategies to improve reading standards. In Years 1 and 2, the home-school link book has a good effect on pupils’ attitudes and progress in reading. Similarly, the shared reading activity involving pupils from Year 1 and Years 4 and 5 motivates pupils in both groups as they work enthusiastically towards meeting their reading targets. However, middle and below average attainers are still defeated by some common words in texts. Research skills are still very limited although the majority of pupils in Year 6 do make effective use of dictionaries and thesauruses.

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ENGLISH

74. Pupils’ attainment in writing, by the end of Year 2, is well below average and, by the end of Year 6, it is still below average although the evidence shows some progress as they move through the school. At the end of Year 2, average and above average pupils are beginning to communicate meaning in writing. They can write a poem about autumn in joined writing and understand the use of describing words, like ‘long’, ‘blue’ and ‘deep’. They are learning to use capital letters and full stops. The majority of pupils do not use joined up writing but they do write neatly and space their letters. By Year 6, the average and high attainers write with clear, well-formed writing. They are able to write descriptions of ‘My First Day at School’. They develop phrases for discussion in writing. For example, ‘Is it right to….?’ when discussing topics like smoking and hunting. Writing is also used to describe the water cycle in science and when writing about the ancient Greeks.

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ENGLISH

Lower attaining pupils continue to struggle with their punctuation and sentence structure. Pupils with special educational needs make progress broadly parallel with other pupils, as do those at an early stage of learning English.

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ENGLISH

75. The quality of teaching and learning is generally good and is improving the standards of the below average and average attainers. There is still a need to improve further the standards attained by the more able and to provide them with more opportunities for working with a range of texts, using inference and deduction. A system of target setting for individual pupils has been introduced and is well developed in Years 1 and 2. These targets are reviewed half-termly. This good system needs refinement and further developments in the junior classes. Assessment procedures are good and progress is tracked well in reading and writing. Marking of work is clear and the teacher explains what needs to be done to improve. More work needs to be done on assessing speaking and listening. Pupils for whom English is not their mother tongue make progress in parallel with their peers, except where they are at an early stage of learning the language, when the provision

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ENGLISH

for them is less effective or appropriate. The attitudes of pupils in classes are good overall and pupils work well. There is a homework policy but it is not specific for English. Reading and spelling homework is set but this seems to be used inconsistently across the school. Longfields Primary School - 36 76. Pupils have insufficient opportunities to use their literacy skills in other subjects, such as history, geography and religious education. There is little evidence of the appropriate use of other subjects as the source for the texts of literacy. The teachers are beginning to use information technology as a tool for written work, but this aspect needs further development. English makes a good contribution to pupils’ moral and social development. Lessons in the subject involve

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ENGLISH

class group and paired work, which not only helps to develop their speaking and listening skills, but it also helps them to improve their social skills by collaborating to achieve common goals and understandings.

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ENGLISH

77. English is managed jointly by the head and deputy headteachers and the Year 2 teacher. The management is good. The National Literacy Strategy has been adopted effectively and this has enhanced the range of learning opportunities in the subject. The headteacher regularly monitors the work of below average, average and high attainers. He also monitors the teaching and provides teachers with comment on their strengths and weaknesses. The resources for literacy are good generally but there is a need to improve the number of books available with a high interest level for the low attainers. There is an ample supply of graded readers and other books for loan from classroom libraries and the main library.

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MATHEMATICS

78. Since the last inspection, national test results show that standards have risen sharply at the end of Year 2 to a level broadly in line with that found nationally. At the end of Year 6, standards have also risen but at a rate below that found nationally; they are now average. The fluctuations in standards have largely resulted from the significant changes to the school roll and the backgrounds of pupils in the school. The test results show that girls in the junior classes attain standards below those of the boys, but the inspection found no differences in provision or any reason why this should be happening. Those pupils at an early stage of learning English are fully involved in lessons and often, as happened in one lesson in Year 3, are chosen to contribute orally to the work. Those pupils with special educational needs often receive good support from teaching assistants, in with the groups of less able pupils, and this supports their good progress.

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MATHEMATICS

79. By the end of Year 2, standards in the 2002 tests were broadly average in all attainment targets except shape, space and measure where they were above average. However, no pupils were deemed capable of attaining the higher levels and this is well below average. By the end of Year 6, it is clear that the major weakness in the subject is in investigative work and the use and application of mathematics. Many pupils have underdeveloped problem solving skills. They are not able to infer and interpret what is meant in many questions, and they have undeveloped thinking skills and this hinders their ability to organise their thoughts and their work in a logical and practical way. The school is aware of this and has begun to consider ways of improving the curriculum to provide more opportunities for this type of work.

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MATHEMATICS

80. In Year 1, pupils begin the year by being able to count to ten and sequence the numbers. Due to the good progress they make, after a term they are working on early place value using cubes to support their learning. More able pupils can estimate mass and their skills clearly develop over the length of the project. All pupils are beginning to recognise a simple line of reflective symmetry. In lessons observed, further good progress in number means that most pupils can now count to 100 and recognise odd and even numbers. Pupils predict outcomes in their work on mass. In Year 2, the pupils are working at a broadly average level. They are able to draw lines to a given length and have a sound understanding of right angles. Although occasionally given problem solving activities they are not always taught the skills to support these sufficiently. Thus, for example, when asked to investigate the numbers they can make out of four, three, eight and

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MATHEMATICS

one, the pupils have no clear strategies for approaching this task methodically. They have a good understanding of sequences of numbers and number squares. More able pupils can work out missing numbers between 100 and 200, while the rest are able to do so up to 100. Pupils have also used computer software to explore the idea of symmetry very effectively.

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MATHEMATICS

81. In Year 3, early poor skills in simple addition are quickly corrected. Pupils have a sound understanding of the three, two and ten times tables. However, a lot of work is repeated and the Longfields Primary School - 37 addition performed in September is repeated in January with little progress evident. The middle attaining pupils can recognise and colour half of a shape but not a quarter or three-quarters. The more able pupils know all of these simple fractions. In a lesson about position, most pupils know the compass points and after a slow start are able to follow a route using grid references. A number still put the grid references in the wrong order. In Year 4, pupils have a basic knowledge of bar charts but these are often not labelled correctly. They can give the names of a range of quadrilaterals and are able to read the negative numbers on a thermometer. Year 5 pupils are able to tally accurately and then to turn the information into bar charts in a lesson on data

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MATHEMATICS

handling. Others can relate fractions to division calculations and this enables them to find fractions of numbers such as two-thirds of 12 or three-fifths of 30. In Year 6, pupils use large numbers confidently. They can halve and double to three figures. They know the names of different triangles and in one good lesson they learned to work out the sum of the angles of a triangle. They use degrees confidently as when, for example, they divide circles into fractions, and they have a good understanding of how to use a protractor. Good use of numeracy skills in other subjects is often evident, as, for example, in science when they measured the length of their shadows at different times of the day, and used this information to produce a line graph to illustrate the data collected, and enable conclusions to be drawn.

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MATHEMATICS

82. The quality of the teaching is good, overall. It is good in both key stages and in most classes. In over 40 per cent of lessons the teaching is very good while only in a very few lessons is the teaching unsatisfactory. Marking is good in some classes, such as Year 1, where it gives pupils a clear idea of what they have done right and what they need to do to improve. In other classes it is used less effectively and consists of ticks and praise with little to support pupils’ learning. Good links to literacy are made when pupils are encouraged to use and read technical vocabulary such as ‘heavy’, ‘heavier’ and ‘heaviest’. Teachers often share the objectives for the lesson with pupils, and in the best lessons these form the basis for a plenary session to assess how much has been learned. Occasionally, too long is spent by teachers in direct teaching and pupils become restless and bored. This happened in a lesson on area in Year 4 where the difficult and

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MATHEMATICS

challenging nature of a number of the pupils required a more flexible and pacey approach. This also happens in classes where the time available for lessons is too long and the pace slackens.

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MATHEMATICS

83. Target setting has been a recent focus for improvement. The targets are often placed in the front of exercise books, especially in the infant classes and this makes them easily accessible for pupils and teachers alike. In the junior classes, the targets are displayed on classroom walls. This now provides pupils throughout the school with group and individual targets for their improvement, and helps them understand exactly what it is they need to do to improve. The school has recently purchased materials for extending the activities available for more able pupils, but this aspect of the subject is not sufficiently identified in the lesson planning, and on a number of occasions these pupils are given the same activities to do as the average children.

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MATHEMATICS

84. Although computers, and other ICT, are used in the subject, the planning does not often identify how classroom computers can be used effectively during numeracy lessons. The co-ordinator is knowledgeable and enthusiastic, and is having a positive impact on standards. However, he does not have sufficient time to complete all of his duties sufficiently. Even so, there has been a good level of monitoring of teaching and learning and of training for teachers, and very good use has been made of local authority expertise to raise teachers’ awareness of issues and to improve their practice, and this is also having a positive impact on standards.

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SCIENCE

85. Standards attained by pupils currently in Year 2 are below those expected for their age. A significant number of pupils enter the school with below average levels of attainment in communication skills and, by the end of Year 2 they still have trouble when describing their work or in making task related observation. Pupils currently in Year 6 attain standards that are below those found nationally for pupils of their age. Although standards in materials and their properties, physical processes, life processes and living things are in line with those expected, inspection evidence shows that the weakness lies in the skills of scientific enquiry. The skills required in this area of pupils’ learning have not been progressively developed year by year to ensure that, by the end of Year 6, pupils can independently plan experiments and carry them out to their Longfields Primary School - 38 conclusions. This is in part due to recent disruption caused to pupils’ learning because of some

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SCIENCE

classes being taught by a succession of temporary teachers during teacher absence. Another factor to be taken into consideration is the significant number of pupils with behavioural needs who find it hard to concentrate or to behave in a mature manner when faced with practical tasks and insufficient has been done to support these pupils’ needs. Despite this, there has been good improvement since the last inspection.

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SCIENCE

86. Inspection evidence shows that the lack of rigorous assessment procedures in the past has meant that too little emphasis was placed on developing the important skills of scientific enquiry at a rate appropriate to the abilities of different groups of pupils, particularly the more able. The school has recognised the need to develop the skills necessary for pupils to conduct experiments independently, and there is an increased emphasis on this area in teaching, which is central to learning in the subject. A good example of this was seen in a Year 2 lesson where pupils were challenged to apply their knowledge of fair testing when comparing speed or direction of moving objects on different surfaces. Pupils worked with interest and concentration because of the exciting nature of the tasks.

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SCIENCE

87. The school’s data shows that pupils are attaining better standards than at the time of the last inspection. This is because of the increased emphasis on scientific enquiry and good opportunities for pupils to revise what they have been taught in lessons. The co-ordinator now needs to monitor teaching throughout the school more regularly to ensure consistency of practice and the use of assessment so that pupils’ skills, knowledge and understanding are developed systematically.

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SCIENCE

88. There was no significant evidence during the inspection of a difference in the attainment of boys and girls, or those at an early stage of learning English, although the behaviour of a significant number of boys, in particular, in some lessons is disruptive to their own learning and that of some other pupils. In most lessons, teachers ensure that groups are mixed, with girls and boys working together at all levels of attainment. In very good lessons, teachers are careful to encourage all pupils to answer questions. However, this is not common practice, and teachers need to expect more in this respect, as a significant number of pupils do not readily volunteer to answer. All teachers need to give pupils time to consider their answers, rather than just accepting answers from those who are first to raise their hands.

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SCIENCE

89. Analysis of pupils’ work shows that all aspects of the subject are now given due attention. Pupils generally have a good understanding of life processes and living things because this aspect is well taught. By the end of Year 6, most pupils appreciate the feeding relationships between plants and animals in a habitat, describing them in scientific terms such as food chains, predator and prey. In their work on materials and their properties, pupils are taught to identify various situations in which changes such as evaporation and condensation will occur. In work on physical processes, pupils are taught to build circuits using batteries and other power supply and switches to make electrical devices function. By the end of Year 6, pupils have been taught to use abstract ideas in describing known phenomena, for example, stationary objects revealing a balance of forces.

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SCIENCE

90. The quality of teaching and learning seen in lessons was good overall, with little significant difference between the teaching in Years 1 and 2 and Years 3 to 6. Teachers plan their lessons carefully in year group teams and prepare resources well. They have a secure knowledge of the subject and, as a result, are able to motivate pupils through interesting tasks. Learning objectives are generally clear and these are shared with pupils so that they are aware of their own learning. Pupils are taught to use correct scientific vocabulary and are given an understanding of the need for fair tests. They are taught the importance of making predictions before carrying out experiments in groups. Teachers have good relationships with their pupils and most motivate them to work carefully and to offer to answer questions. Pupils in a very good Year 5 and 6 lesson, for example, were highly motivated to answer questions about physical phenomena such

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SCIENCE

as the apparent motion of the sun and shadow formation. The depth of pupils’ understanding was made apparent through the teacher’s probing questions indicating high quality teaching and learning over time. As a result, the class teacher was able to build effectively on what pupils had already learned and understood. Longfields Primary School - 39 91. Teaching assistants are well used to support the learning of pupils with special educational needs, so that they make similar progress to that of other pupils in lessons. Test results show that these pupils achieve well. More able pupils are not consistently provided for in teachers’ planning, so that they are not yet challenged to conduct a series of observations independently, to choose apparatus for a range of purposes and plan its effective use, and to draw conclusions consistent with evidence. However, there is an increasing understanding among teachers of the

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SCIENCE

importance of getting a good balance between direct teaching and independent learning in lessons. A very good example of this was seen in a Year 6 lesson where, after a brisk introduction, pupils went on to record graphically what they had discovered, through direct observation, about the changing length and direction of shadows during the course of a day. Teaching was very focused during the whole of the lesson, and, as a result, pupils were challenged to interpret and explain their findings. In lessons where pupils are challenged appropriately by the teaching, most pupils behave well, concentrate on what they are doing and work hard to overcome difficulties. These good attitudes make a significant contribution to

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SCIENCE

pupils’ learning. In one lesson, which was otherwise satisfactory, pupils spent too much time listening to the teacher and watching her demonstrate, with little time for finding things out for themselves.

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SCIENCE

92. Teachers expect work to be neatly presented, but the quality of their marking is inconsistent and does not always challenge pupils to think about how their work can be improved. Good opportunities for pupils to record their work, and the teaching of correct scientific vocabulary, mean that the subject makes an effective contribution to pupils’ literacy skills. The development of pupils’ numeracy skills is also well supported, as pupils measure temperature, mass and capacity, and record their findings graphically. There is an increasing use of information and communication technology to support pupils’ learning in this aspect of the subject.

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SCIENCE

93. The co-ordinator provides good leadership and has been effective in raising standards in the subject. She has a clear vision for development and has a clear action plan for future improvement. Pupils’ understanding and knowledge is regularly tested, and this information is increasingly well used by teachers to plan work for individual groups of pupils. Resources are adequate for present needs but will need to be improved as standards continue to rise. The subject makes a good contribution to pupils’ personal, social and health education as they consider the effects of healthy eating and the importance of healthy exercise. The curriculum and pupils’ social development are enhanced through visits to a wildlife park, a science centre, a healthy living exhibition caravan and a visit to school from a local authority project on re-cycling.

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ART AND DESIGN

94. Standards are above average. Pupils in Year 2 and Year 6 are on course to achieve standards that are above national expectations for their age by the end of the school year. The good standards achieved at the time of the last inspection have been maintained.

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ART AND DESIGN

95. By the end of Year 2, pupils have worked with a range of materials, including paint, crayons and exploring textures. Artwork is frequently linked to work in other subjects. For example, in geography they make water colour maps of an imaginary island and map outlines using a graphics computer program. In history, they make good paper cut-outs to illustrate their work on the Great Fire of London. During the inspection, there was evidence of work to show the studies they have made of the work of Van Gogh and Michael Brennard Wood. They talked about the work of these artists before making their own paintings of ‘A Starry Night’ in Van Gogh style. All the work demonstrated that they are making good progress with understanding of colour, tone, texture and shape, form and space.

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ART AND DESIGN

96. By the end of Year 6, pupils are able to use colour and tone purposefully in a range of media. They are also able to create and represent texture with increasing accuracy. In one lesson during the inspection, Year 5 pupils were recording first-hand observations of a range of ceramic and other pots. They were learning to observe closely as well as representing shape, line and size with their pencils. In discussion, pupils were able to identify the important features of size and colour and to represent light and dark by shading with their pencils. In another lesson, Year 6 pupils were investigating how to combine the visual and tactile qualities of a range of materials Longfields Primary School - 40 very effectively. They were learning to tell a story in a series of pictures to illustrate Greek myths about Icarus, the Cyclops and Persephone. They worked successfully in small groups and all

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ART AND DESIGN

pupils, including those with special educational needs and with English as an additional language, made good progress. The pupils enjoy their work and enthusiastically complete their tasks.

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ART AND DESIGN

97. The quality of teaching is consistently good across the school. Pupils’ work reflects good teaching of the basic skills and artistic techniques, knowledge and understanding and the teachers’ high expectations. Teachers use a wide range of resources. The planning of lessons is good and, because of these factors, pupils have good attitudes towards the subject. Art and design makes an important contribution to pupils’ moral, social and cultural development through, for example, their work on Egyptian line drawing and printing, and their studies of Indian art forms. Longfields Primary School - 41 98. The use of sketchbooks has been introduced, partly as a tool for assessment, as pupils progress through the school. This feature is at an early stage of development. The school also maintains a portfolio of pupils’ work that illustrates the range and variety of work but, at this stage, there is no systematic levelling of work against curriculum levels.

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ART AND DESIGN

99. The co-ordinator has been in post for two years and has recently returned to the school after a substantial absence. She has a clear plan for the future that includes reviewing and updating the school policy. In particular, the school needs more resources to develop three-dimensional work. There is also an intention to develop the use of ICT as a tool for learning in art and design as this is inconsistent at present.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

100. It was not possible to see any lessons during the inspection due to the way the subject is planned over the year. However, the evidence from displays of pupils’ work and photographs indicates that standards are often above average and this has improved since the last inspection. Pupils of all abilities and both genders take a full part in activities and the work clearly encourages group activities to help develop pupils’ collaborative and cooperative skills. There is little evidence of food technology. Cross-curricular links are evident. On World Book Day, pupils designed and made good quality, imaginative bookmarks using a range of materials. In a religious education topic, pupils made card Mezuzah prayer holders, which they and decorated appropriately.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

101. The Year 1 pupils regularly visit a local park and as part of this trip they study the play apparatus and how it is made. This year the weather affected the visit and parents were asked to take on this role at home. Following this, pupils have designed and made good playground swings, some using a range of construction apparatus while others used card, glue and paint. They evaluated their models and are able to describe how they improved them and made them stronger. The project was finished with some good evaluation of the final model. Year 2 pupils draw designs for glove puppets and after evaluations say what they would change. They draw designs for moving vehicles that include labels for materials.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

102. Year 3 and 4 pupils make good quality models of Tudor buildings during a history topic. They use wood, card and paint and during the project learn to join and strengthen the joints to make a rigid model. In Year 4, pupils have worked on designing and building bridges to carry a model vehicle. They had to complete the task with a limited range of materials, such as modelling straws and card. During another topic, they designed and made purses. This very good work involved an understanding of a range of techniques, including a gusset to enable the purse to hold sufficient, and how to attach a lining. The purses were them made from felt, involving sewing techniques, and some had very well made button fastenings. The older junior pupils have used computers to design imaginative luxury or fantasy gardens, using drawing software. In Year 5, pupils have designed and made musical instruments using a range of found materials. These have been

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

covered in papier-mâché, well decorated and finished with paint. In Year 6, pupils have used construction apparatus to devise complex systems for lifting a weight from the floor on to a table. In another project, pupils made very good carrier bags to carry a given weight. These were very well finished.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

103. As no lessons were observed it is not possible to assess pupils’ attitudes or the quality of teaching. However, from talking to pupils it is clear that they enjoy the challenge offered by the tasks and the problem-solving element of the subject. The evidence of the work covered and completed indicates that the teaching is ensuring good progress and development of skills. A particular strength evident in the work is the good quality finishing of models. A pottery club has taken place at different times and this has resulted in some well designed and made pots and jugs. A whole day project in Year 5 and 6 recently enthused pupils and offered opportunities to use different construction materials. The reports to parents on pupils’ progress are descriptive about the work covered but offer little guidance about the standard achieved.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

104. The co-ordinator has overseen the introduction of a new, nationally accepted scheme of work. This has been supported by a good new policy that offers advice to staff when implementing the scheme. The curriculum ensures that pupils meet the appropriate range of tasks, using a good Longfields Primary School - 42 range of materials and tools. The assessment of pupils’ work is at an early stage and not enough is done to keep a record of work on a systematic and regular basis.

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GEOGRAPHY

105. Average standards have been maintained in both Year 2 and Year 6 since the last inspection. Pupils, including those with special educational needs, achieve satisfactorily. There is evidence that pupils whose first language is not English do not achieve as well as they might as teachers do not plan with sufficient regard to their needs or have appropriate resources to support them.

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GEOGRAPHY

106. Pupils in Year 2 have a satisfactory knowledge of their own locality and compare this well with an imaginary island, noting human and physical differences. They know there are different forms of transport and how the physical environment affects the needs of the population. They can find Bicester on a map of the United Kingdom and draw their own maps, sometimes using the computer.

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GEOGRAPHY

107. Year 6 pupils know they can improve the environment and save natural resources by recycling and reusing material. For example, they recognise that an item of clothing is made from recycled plastic lemonade bottles, which originally were made from oil. They understand about river formation and use correct terminology such as ‘meander’ and ‘estuary’. Pupils use the Internet occasionally to find information about the topic they are studying, such as the climate or the River Severn. They know the physical reasons for different settlements to have started and that place names provide clues to this. For example, they know that the ‘cester’ at the end of Bicester indicates a Roman settlement. Pupils have a satisfactory knowledge of map work and can compare the contrasting environments and everyday life in St Lucia and Great Britain.

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GEOGRAPHY

108. Teaching and learning are satisfactory. Teachers used classroom assistants well to help special needs pupils to make a full contribution. They enhance pupils’ speaking and listening skills well by providing opportunities in most lessons for whole class discussions. There is little evidence in exercise books that teachers assess pupils’ work in order to help them improve. Good teaching and learning were seen in just over half the lessons and it was satisfactory in the rest. Good teaching in Year 2 results from the use of a story as a stimulating starting point. The Katy Morag series is well used to give children an impression of the physical and social geography of an imaginary island and this leads to a wide-ranging discussion about how this differs from Bicester. The enthusiasm with which the pupils talk about their wall display of paintings, writing, computer images and maps showed they have learnt well over the course of the term and teaching has

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GEOGRAPHY

109. In the junior classes, teachers promote independent research skills resulting in pupils’ developing good geographical enquiry skills and an ability to use secondary resource material effectively. Year 4 pupils use photographs to find out about Provence and have a good discussion at the end of the lesson to combine their ideas. Where teaching is good, teachers manage their pupils well. In one class the teacher established very clear expectations for good behaviour and gave ground rules on to how to work effectively as a team in finding out about St Lucia, using books and worksheets. The pace of the lesson was brisk and all pupils worked hard and made good contributions to the final discussion. Pupils with special educational needs made good progress towards their targets for developing better concentration. Teaching is not as effective where behaviour management strategies are less effective and methods insufficiently challenge pupils

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GEOGRAPHY

who do not behave well and who consequently prevent themselves and others from learning enough. Teaching is also less effective when instructions and expectations are unclear to pupils and the activity is pitched at the wrong level. For example, where information sources are insufficiently suited to the reading and comprehension level to allow special needs pupils and those with English as an additional language to work independently.

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GEOGRAPHY

110. Pupils’ attitudes are good in the infants and satisfactory in the juniors. Older pupils complain that the subject is too desk based and that they would prefer a greater chance for first-hand learning and field trips, whereas younger pupils are enthusiastic about the subject, responding well to its cross-curricular nature.

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GEOGRAPHY

111. The curriculum is satisfactory, meets National Curriculum requirements, and has a good impact on pupils’ cultural and literacy development. It is based on units of work from the new national Longfields Primary School - 43 guidance, which are arranged into a two-year rolling programme to allow for the mixed year group classes. The subject is taught every second term in rotation with history. Whilst allowing geography to be taught in greater depth during certain terms, pupils’ response to questions shows that they have difficulty carrying their knowledge and understanding in any detail across the terms where it is not taught. Pupils use ICT for research in some classes, but this is not a regular practice. There is a lack of a planned programme for the development of skills to ensure that there is sufficient progression within the rolling programme. There is also no formal assessment of standards attained and consequently no view as to how well pupils are achieving.

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GEOGRAPHY

Consequently, there is little help for teachers to know at what level to pitch their teaching.

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GEOGRAPHY

112. The computer club operating during the inspection enabled those attending to enhance their geographical knowledge of climates and environmental change around the world by accessing the Internet. A visiting speaker who talked about preserving the environment by recycling material also added to pupils’ environmental awareness well. The role of co-ordinator is under developed and the teacher with responsibility for the subject has little involvement beyond having an overview about what topics are taught in each class and managing the topic boxes. There is a good variety of appropriate non-fiction books in the topic boxes, but in some topic boxes there are insufficient books of a simple enough reading level for those pupils who have lower prior attainment and this prevents those pupils developing their independent research skills.

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HISTORY

113. Standards attained by pupils at the end of Year 6 and Year 2 are comparable to that generally found and pupils’ achievement is satisfactory. This has largely been maintained since the last inspection. Year 6 pupils understand how archaeologists use their discoveries to determine what life was like in ancient Greece. They discuss what they want to know about Greek soldiers and work with partners using library books to answer their questions and use the Internet to find out about Greek gods. Pupils know that Athens and Sparta were enemies and are familiar with day- to-day life as well as some myths and legends of the period. Year 2 pupils know basic details about Queen Elizabeth I, for example that her Father was Henry VIII. They know how the Great Fire of London spread, how Louis Braille invented a system of writing for blind people to read and the story of Guy Fakes.

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HISTORY

114. There is no indication of the higher levels of attainment found at the time of the previous report. For example, Year 6 pupils, when asked about the differences between rich and poor people in any periods they studied replied, ‘The rich people had nice windows made of glass but we cannot remember whether this was the Tudors or the Victorians’. Year 2 pupils know Guy Fawkes wanted to kill the King, but not why, hazarding a guess that it was because he wanted to be king himself.

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HISTORY

115. No overall judgement is made about teaching and learning. In the one lesson observed, teaching was good. The teacher valued pupils’ contributions about what they wanted to know about the Greek army and gave good guidance on how to organise their lines of enquiry by focusing clearly on a few areas. Pupils’ interest was engaged by the initial class discussion and they set to work enthusiastically with their partners to find out what they could from a plentiful supply of books. Consequently, the activity promoted good personal development through working in pairs and good literacy development through developing skills of finding specific information from non-fiction books.

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HISTORY

116. Teachers often use videos well to give children an idea of what life was like in the past. This happened in Year 2 to enable pupils to understand how the fire spread from Pudding Lane through the closely-packed, timbered houses of London. When teachers give pupils first-hand experiences, such as a visit to a Roman museum or put on Victorian or Tudor days at school where pupils become immersed in the life of the period, learning is good. Teachers also link history well with other subjects, which gives pupils a greater insight into life in the periods they are studying. For example, junior pupils download portraits of Tudor monarchs from the National Portrait Gallery website in ICT, make Tudor houses in design technology and find out about their local history during their study of how settlements developed in geography. There is little evidence in exercise books that teachers assess pupils’ work in order to help them improve.

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HISTORY

Longfields Primary School - 44 117. Pupils’ attitudes to history are satisfactory. Younger pupils enjoy watching historical videos and making wall displays about what they have found out. Older pupils talk enthusiastically about Tudor and Victorian days they have taken part in at school and their visit to a museum and an amphitheatre but are not so enthusiastic about ordinary lessons.

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HISTORY

118. The curriculum meets National Curriculum requirements, and has a good impact on pupils’ cultural and literacy development. It is arranged into a two-year rolling programme to allow for the mixed year group classes. Pupils’ response to questions shows that they have difficulty carrying their knowledge and understanding in any detail across the terms where it is not taught. There is a lack of a planned programme for the development of skills to ensure that there is sufficient progression within the rolling programme and no formal assessment of standards attained and consequently no view as to how well pupils are achieving. Consequently, there is little help for teachers to know at what level to pitch their teaching. The role of co-ordinator is under-developed and the teacher with responsibility for the subject has little involvement beyond having an overview about what topics are taught in each class and managing the topic boxes. There are a good

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HISTORY

variety of appropriate non-fiction books although in some topics there are insufficient books of a simple enough reading level for those pupils who have lower prior attainment and this prevents those pupils developing their independent research skills.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

119. The development of ICT has been a major focus for the school since the last inspection. At that time, skills were not progressively taught and much of the equipment was out-of-date and, as a result, much of pupils’ learning was unsatisfactory. The school has addressed these weaknesses through well-planned action involving governors, staff and the local education authority. Standards have improved and now meet the national expectation by the end of Year 6. Although pupils in Year 2 are making good progress in their learning of basic skills, their attainment is still below that expected, as they need more regular opportunities to apply and consolidate these skills across the curriculum.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

120. The improvements have been achieved through a combination of factors. The school has installed a well-designed computer suite and provided training so that teachers are confident in its use. All classes use it regularly and there is a good scheme of work, linked to national guidance, which shows how pupils’ skills are intended to increase from the Foundation Stage to Year 6. The curriculum is planned well to give both coverage of topics each year and careful development of skills year by year. The improvements have been guided by the enthusiastic leadership and management of the subject and the very good support provided by the knowledgeable technician, who is also a member of the office staff. The school is developing its use of computers to support learning in other subjects such as history and art. Management has correctly identified the need to make greater use of the facilities now available throughout the school, so that ICT can be used

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

more fully as a tool for learning in all subjects of the curriculum.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

121. As a result of the training received, and the good advice provided for teachers, the quality of teaching and learning is now good overall. It was very good in one of the lessons observed, and good in three. Teachers plan effectively and evaluate their lessons well so as to identify any areas that need to be considered in the next lesson. In most lessons, pupils’ enthusiasm, their good behaviour and willingness to discuss their work, make a very positive contribution to their learning. Teachers and support staff are patient with those who find it hard to concentrate and allow others to learn in a calm environment. The technician sets up the computers before lessons so that no learning time is wasted, and that time spent in the suite is used constructively. The one very good lesson observed was the direct result of the high level of subject knowledge of the co-ordinator and the technician who continued to teach as pupils sought information on mountains

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

and rivers of the world, and the impact of land clearance, mining and feral animals on the environment. In this respect, the subject makes a good contribution to pupils’ moral and social development.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

122. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 make good progress in learning to save, retrieve and print their work and they readily describe what they have being doing in lessons. During the inspection, pupils in a Year 1 lesson were being effectively taught that computers use icons to provide information and instructions and how to use the mouse with control to draw a recognisable picture. By the end of Longfields Primary School - 45 the lesson, all pupils had produced a good picture of themselves. The class teacher was effective in motivating pupils to learn, to help each other and in ensuring that boys and girls of all abilities and backgrounds were fully included in the lesson. Support staff were effectively used in ensuring that help was available when required so that the pace of learning was maintained. This ensured a good balance between direct teaching and independent learning. Planning shows that, by the

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

end of Year 2, pupils will have been taught to use data in a graphic package

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

to find answers to questions and to search CD-ROMs purposefully following direct lines of enquiry. Pupils are also taught to produce an accurate set of instructions to control a floor turtle and to predict the outcome.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

123. By the end of Year 6, pupils have been taught how to enter text and manipulate it by changing font, size, style and colour. An example of the developing links being made between ICT and other subjects was seen in a good Year 6 lesson where pupils were using a database to support their work on ancient Greek gods. By the end of the lesson, guided by good teaching, almost all pupils could add a picture from a prepared file and some could devise questions linked to the database, for another group of pupils. Planning shows that all aspects of the subject are given due consideration. By the time pupils leave the school, they will have been taught to organise, define and present a set of multimedia pages incorporating image, sound and text. They have good opportunities to present data in a spreadsheet. Teachers understand the importance of the computer as a resource to develop pupils’ data handling skills in meaningful ways in other

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

subjects. Good examples of this were seen in the analysis of their work in science. Pupils in Year 6, for example, produce graphs to show how the times of sunset and sunrise change over the year, and to show that when water boils the temperature remains constant at 100 degrees centigrade. In control technology, pupils are taught to use ICT to control events in a predetermined manner, creating a set of instructions to turn lights on and off, for example. The Internet is increasingly used by pupils to search for information on a variety of topics.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

124. The school ensures that boys and girls of all abilities and backgrounds are fully included in lessons. Teachers and teaching assistants have good relationships with their pupils and, as a result, pupils readily ask for help and advice and this helps maintain the pace of their learning. Pupils with special educational need are given good support, but some pupils with English as an additional language find it difficult to understand instructions despite clear explanations given by teachers.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

125. Assessment procedures, linked to the recently adopted national guidelines for the subject, have been introduced. The co-ordinator has set realistic targets for pupils to achieve at the end of Years 2, 4 and 6. As standards continue to rise, teachers’ planning will need to take account of pupils’ different stages of development so that all make the progress of which they are capable. A computer club very effectively supports the curriculum and pupils’ learning of ICT in interesting ways. The co-ordinator, who keeps up-to-date by attending training courses, has recognised the need to continue to provide training for teachers to maintain the rate of progress pupils are now making. The school is well placed to continue to raise standards and to make increasing use of ICT to support the other subjects of the curriculum.

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MUSIC

126. The singing and performance skills of pupils are well above average at the end of Year 2 and Year 6, due to a rich curriculum, the very good specialist teaching, and the supportive piano accompaniment provided by a talented governor. There is no evidence of pupils’ composition or appraising skills. Therefore, it is not possible to quantify the improvement since the previous inspection when standards were good, although indications are that the high standard has been maintained and singing has improved further.

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MUSIC

127. Year 2 pupils sing action songs such as ‘Everybody do this just like me’. They have a very good sense of rhythm and use their bodies as percussion instruments to keep in time with taped music and the songs they sing. Pupils sing tunefully, enthusiastically and have very good pitch and expression, which they demonstrate when performing songs such as ‘Alleluia, Praise the Lord’ and in the rap poem ‘Goldilocks’. Pupils are very good at maintaining a brisk, steady pulse to their singing by clapping the main beats. They respond with excellent concentration to a Longfields Primary School - 46 conductor, such as when following a picture score representing weather sounds with their fingertips drumming on their knees, and very importantly know the sign for when to stop.

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MUSIC

128. Year 6 pupils perform poems, such as ‘We are the Human Drum Kit’ maintaining a brisk beat by using body percussion, working both in unison and in parts. They practise and improve their performance very well over time. During the inspection, pupils came to the end of their half term’s work on learning songs about the Passover story. They demonstrated a wide range of singing genres and absorption of many complicated words to provide a performance of the highest calibre. They sing with a dramatic sensitivity to suit the subject material which is very moving, providing a spiritual experience both for themselves and for the audience. 129. The quality of teaching by the specialist teacher who takes singing throughout the school is extremely high and represents effective and efficient use of her expertise. She has an effortless rapport with pupils who respond to her extremely well. The very high expectations and

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MUSIC

challenging lessons she provides are conducted at a very brisk pace with plenty of variety within them. She keeps pupils active, both singing and using their hands so there is no time for them to lose concentration or misbehave. During the weekly sessions where the juniors sing together and again when the infants do so, a governor very ably accompanies them on the piano. This enables the music teacher to act as conductor and gives pupils a depth and support to their performance. Lessons are professionally carried out; for example, the teacher always has her music on a music stand and takes the lesson as if she were preparing a professional choir for a performance, picking out bits that need extra practice in pitch, tempo or volume to get them just right, and not being satisfied until they are. The specialist teacher also takes some of the junior classes for their weekly class music lessons in the music room. With the smaller numbers she can

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MUSIC

concentrate on teaching the technicalities of making music, such as finding out the variety of sounds that can be made by different instruments and how to read a four part score and interpret it with instruments. Her expert ear and knowledge of music enable very good teaching of these skills. Good use is made of video and audio recording to give pupils a reason for performance and to give them a focus for developing critical appraisal of their own work.

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MUSIC

130. The co-ordinator for music has written a very detailed and comprehensive programme of study based firmly on the expectations of the National Curriculum, which allows a high quality of musical development to take place through its breadth and depth. The curriculum promotes very good spiritual, social, and cultural, including multicultural, development. It links very well with the different topics pupils study to give them extra depth. For example, pupils compose in the style of the Tudors and sing Caribbean songs when studying St Lucia. It promotes inclusion very well by demonstrating to pupils that disabilities are no bar to performing music. For example, pupils gain inspiration from the recordings of the blind harpist Turlough o’Carolan and the deaf percussionist Evelyn Glennie. The co-ordinator has identified the lack of computer resources linked with the music curriculum and this features as a priority in the subject development plan.

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MUSIC

The school provides the opportunity for pupils to have individual instrumental lessons and about 20 pupils do so. There are limited opportunities for pupils to listen to live music although occasionally the instrumental teachers put on a performance or the oldest pupils visit the secondary school to listen to their jazz band.

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MUSIC

131. There is a lack of formal assessment procedures and written recording apart from the annual report to parents. Consequently, there is no check as to how well pupils are progressing, or how effectively they are being taught across all strands of the National Curriculum. As the co- ordinator’s role is not yet developed to monitor teachers taking lessons she has no check on how well the curriculum is being taught outside her own lessons. Where video and audio recordings are made at the end of units of work these provide a good picture of pupils’ attainment.

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MUSIC

132. The teacher with responsibility for music leads by her very good example of how music should be taught and performed and inspires other teachers with her enthusiasm. She supports them well, for example by writing the programme of study to give teachers who are not music specialists total confidence and maximum support in their weekly music lessons. The large music room, plentiful good quality resources, and the availability of a musically talented governor also make a good impact on the high standards attained.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Longfields Primary School - 47 133. Standards are broadly in line with those expected by the end of both key stages. In some lessons it is clear that the more able pupils do not have sufficiently challenging tasks given to them and they do not always make sufficient progress. Overall, however, given the lack of indoor facilities, most pupils make satisfactory progress, including those with special educational needs or who have English as an additional language. The provision for swimming is good and all junior classes go regularly. The majority are able to swim to the level required by the National Curriculum programme of study by the time they leave the school. Those who are less able have extra opportunities in Year 6 to develop their skills.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

134. In Year 1, pupils have opportunities to develop their bat and ball skills. In one good lesson, effective teaching of skills resulted in some improvement in their skill levels. They could balance the ball satisfactorily on their hands and on bats and they were beginning to develop their hitting skills. However, in one unsatisfactory lesson, the lack of clear explanation and demonstration of skills resulted in most pupils making little progress with the bats and tennis balls. In gymnastics, children move confidently and are able to put together a satisfactory sequence of balances. In Year 2, pupils’ skills are extended further through travelling in a variety of good and imaginative ways. The pupils are good at evaluating each other and the teachers’ very good emphasis on performance means that they know the need to start and finish in a good position.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

135. In a Year 4 gymnastics lesson, pupils demonstrated some ability to mirror and match their partner’s movements, but their skills are at a low level, partly due to the poor accommodation. They move confidently but their skills in balancing, especially on small parts of their bodies, are below those expected for their ages. However, a small number are able to balance well and to create an appropriate sequence of movements.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

136. The pupils’ attitudes vary, depending on their emotional and behavioural needs. Those identified as having special needs find it difficult to pay attention for sufficient lengths of time to the teacher, and this slows the pace of the lesson and makes direct teaching difficult. In some lessons in both key stages, listening skills were poor and teachers would have benefited from teaching assistant support. However, most pupils’ attitudes are satisfactory; they show pride in their achievements and work hard to be successful.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

137. Overall, the quality of the teaching is satisfactory, although it varies from unsatisfactory to very good depending on the teacher’s subject expertise and knowledge. The teachers’ planning is sound, and reflects the scheme of work used and the various resources available for staff. These include cards giving pupils appropriate activities and teachers’ guidance on coaching specific skills. Most teachers are aware of the need for a warm-up session but the reasons for this are not very often discussed with pupils. Teachers emphasize safety issues to pupils, whether about the wet surface on the playground, use of resources or the small size of the hall. Where the teaching has unsatisfactory aspects, it is due to a lack of clear direct teaching of skills and insufficient time for pupils to practise skills resulting in pupils making little progress. The reports to parents on pupils’ progress are descriptive of the work covered but do not make clear the standard

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

138. There are few opportunities for pupils to represent the school in sport. A recent coaching scheme led to a girls’ football team taking part in a tournament in which they did well but there are no teams in other sports. The school holds its own swimming gala and sports day to provide some opportunities for competition. Year 6 pupils have an opportunity most years to make a residential visit to an outdoor activity centre and this provides good opportunities for developing their skills in outdoor and adventurous activities such as climbing and canoeing, as well as being of benefit for their social development.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

139. The outdoor facilities are good and the school has access to a large field and good hard play areas. However, the hall is completely unsuitable for physical education in both size and shape, and this has a negative impact on learning, especially in gymnastics. Although the subject has not been a focus for development recently, the co-ordinator has kept up good links with people and organisations offering outside expertise to provide professional coaching for the pupils where appropriate. Coaching sessions have involved tennis, girls’ and boys’ football, rugby and hockey. All pupils in the junior classes have the opportunity for at least one of these activities. The school has adapted a nationally accepted scheme of work, alongside some commercial resources, which offer good advice to non-specialist teachers. Longfields Primary School - 48

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

140. Overall, the provision for religious education is satisfactory. In the work by Years 2 and 6 seen during the inspection, pupils are attaining standards that are in line with those expected by the local agreed syllabus. Standards achieved at the time of the last inspection have been maintained.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

141. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 make a sound start to their understanding of Christianity and other religions. They learn why people celebrate special occasions, like harvest, Diwali and Christmas. They learn about special books, like the Bible and the Torah and the importance of special places, such as churches, a Hindu shrine and a synagogue. They also understand about special people, for example the story of Ganesh. In one lesson with Year 1 pupils observed during the inspection, pupils were learning about the story of the lost sheep. The teacher emphasised the importance of everyone to their family and the school. Effective links were made with the teaching of Jesus and the lives of the pupils. For example, they were asked to consider how they would feel if they lost something valuable to them. Pupils responded well to these questions.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

142. Pupils in Years 3 to 6 learn about faiths through a series of topics, which include the Caribbean, Egyptians, Victorians and ancient Greeks. For example, in Year 6, through the topic of ancient Greeks, they learn why sacred texts are important, where the Christian Bible comes from and how and why Jews celebrate the Passover. During the inspection, Years 5 and 6 pupils were finding out about the celebration of the Passover by Jews. The teacher had prepared the table, setting out the symbolic food. The tasks included working out what each item of food represented. In this lesson the learning was good.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

143. In another lesson involving pupils from Years 4 and 5, they were learning that festivals often have a religious significance and, in particular, that Lent is related to Jesus’ temptation in the desert. During the lesson they read through the text from the Bible and discussed the temptation of Jesus in relation to temptations in their own lives. Many of the pupils in the class with special educational needs found the text difficult to read and understand, which made the idea of the lesson obscure thus limiting the learning.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

144. The teaching is satisfactory. The planning is linked to the local agreed syllabus and teachers have sound subject knowledge. In a good lesson involving Years 5 and 6 pupils, the work had a practical element and used artefacts effectively to help pupils with special educational needs and English as an additional language to relate to the ideas. When lessons rely only on text, pupils’ progress is limited.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

145. The subject co-ordinator has been in post for ten years and provides clear guidance and support materials for lesson planning. A good range of artefacts and resources is available but, apart from in the co-ordinator’s lesson, no artefacts were used during the inspection. The co-ordinator has not had an opportunity to monitor the quality of teaching through direct observation. At present there is no formal assessment of work. The co-ordinator is aware of this need and is exploring ways of organising this process. School assemblies make an important contribution to religious education. The school involves speakers from local churches on a regular basis. During the inspection one visiting speaker addressed Year 1 and 2 pupils in an assembly. He told the story of the Rainbow Fish, which included a prayer, dedicated to children in hospital and friends in the school.

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