Ickworth Park Primary School

SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: March 17 th -20 th , 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. Ickworth Park Primary - 3 - April 2003

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Meadow Drive, Horringer, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk,

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Dr. R. Fletcher

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 29 th September, 1997 Ickworth Park Primary - 4 - April 2003

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities 2700 Peter Sudworth Registered inspector English; Science; Music; Physical education; Special educational needs; English as an additional language. What sort of school is it? The school’s results and pupils’ achievements; How well are pupils taught? What should the school do to improve further?

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

11437 Anthony Anderson Lay inspector Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development; How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with its parents? 14806 John Stevens Team inspector Mathematics; Information and communication technology; Geography; Religious education; Educational inclusion. How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils?

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

1193 Gillian Wiles Team inspector Foundation stage; Art and design; Design and technology; History. How well is the school led and managed? Ickworth Park Primary - 5 - April 2003 The inspection contractor was:

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Nord Anglia School Inspection Services Limited Strathblane House Ashfield Rd Cheadle

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Ickworth Park Primary - 6 - April 2003 REPORT CONTENTS

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 7

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 11

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Ickworth Park Primary School, situated about three miles from Bury St Edmunds, educates pupils aged 4 to 9 years in seven classes, some of mixed ages, and serves the village of Horringer, where it is situated and several other nearby villages. Pupils begin school in the term in which they will be five. Most have been to pre-school provision. There are 173 boys and girls on roll and few pupils leave or join the school during the year. Almost all pupils are of white British origin but there is a very small number of pupils from other ethnic groups. Three pupils have English as an additional language. One is at an early stage of learning English. Four pupils are entitled to free school meals, a proportion well below the national average. Twenty-two pupils have special educational needs, including two pupils with statements. The attainment of the pupils on entry ranges from year to year but generally it is slightly above average.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Ickworth Park Primary is a school with some good features, such as the provision for pupils who have special educational needs, parental links, relationships in the school and the friendly atmosphere. Pupils behave well. The leadership and management of the school are good. Pupils make better progress in Years 3 and 4 than in the reception class and Years 1 and 2. Much of the teaching is good and a little is better. Standards are at the expected level by the end of Year 2 and above average in the basic subjects by Year 4. Pupils’ attainment in art and design is a strength. The school has made sound progress since the last inspection and it provides satisfactory value for money.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What the school does well • Pupils’ attainments in English, mathematics and science by age nine and in art and design throughout the school; • The very good provision for pupils with special educational needs; • The good leadership of the headteacher and the good support of the governing body; • The dedication and commitment of the staff and the way they work together to manage their several subject responsibilities in small teams; • Pupils’ enjoyment of school, their behaviour and the relationships in the school; • The links with the pre-school organisations, the middle school, and the community; • The relationships between the school and its parents, the support the parents give the school and their involvement in their children’s learning; • The good provision for spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What could be improved • The attainment of the more academically able pupils by age seven; • The provision and pupils’ attainment in information and communication technology; • The organisation of the school’s book provision and pupils’ general library skills; • A greater sense of urgency to improve the work ethos in some classes and to save time. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school has made sound progress since it was last inspected in 1997. Pupils’ writing skills are of a higher standard at age nine. Their attainment in art and design is better throughout the school but it is not as high in music at age seven. The current reception children are not as able on average as those in the cohort previously inspected and not making such good progress, though this is Ickworth Park Primary - 8 - April 2003 satisfactory. Girls make more progress in reading than they did. There are better arrangements for the withdrawal of pupils for special group work so that they do not miss key elements in other parts of their learning. There is now an agreed homework policy and more consistency in approach. School administrative arrangements are better. Given the current staff, there is good potential for further improvement.

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STANDARDS

The table shows the standards achieved by pupils at the end of Year 2 based on average point scores in National Curriculum tests.

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STANDARDS

Performance in: all schools Similar schools Key

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STANDARDS

Reading B C C D well above average above average A B Writing B D B C average below average C D Mathematics B B C E well below average E

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STANDARDS

The trend of attainment on entry is slightly above average. The current cohort of reception children is average and making satisfactory progress in all aspects of their learning, though several find sharing difficult. Most are likely to reach, and a few to exceed, the expectations for the end of the reception year. They make good progress in their reading. Year 2 boys have been doing better than the school’s girls in mathematics. In past years, Year 2 boys and girls have been doing better than Year 2 boys and girls nationally. Teacher assessed results in science were below average in 2002 at both the expected and higher levels. The school did as well as schools in similar catchment areas in writing in 2002 but less well in reading and mathematics. Inspection evidence indicates that currently pupils’ attainment in English, mathematics and science at the end of Year 2 is average. Years 1 and

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STANDARDS

2 pupils make satisfactory progress and achieve soundly in these subjects. Years 3 and 4 pupils make good progress and achieve well. Pupils’ speaking skills are above average throughout Years 1 to 4. Pupils’ reading, spelling and handwriting skills are average by the end of Year 2 and above average by Year 4. Pupils do not have well developed library skills. Pupils’ attainment in art and design is above expectations and progress is good. In other subjects, attainment is in line with expectations. Overall, satisfactory progress and sound achievements are made, although in some subjects, higher attaining pupils could make better progress, particularly in Years 1 and 2. Pupils with English as an additional language and special educational needs make good progress. The school met its own targets in 2002 and exceeded them in reading.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Good. Pupils are very enthusiastic about school and enjoy their activities but they can sometimes be too leisurely in their approach to work.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Good. Pupils behave well in class, around the school and when outside. Occasionally, a few pupils can behave immaturely in Years 1 and 2 but in Years 3 and 4 they behave responsibly and conduct themselves well.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Pupils’ personal development is good overall. Their relationships with one another are very good and they relate very well to adults. They undertake several responsibilities in school. Ickworth Park Primary - 9 - April 2003 Attendance Good. Above average. Pupils are punctual for school. There are very few instances of unauthorised absence.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Considerable amounts of good teaching were observed throughout the school during the inspection and some very good teaching in Years 3 and 4. There is little difference in the overall quality of teaching in different subjects. Teachers have very good relationships with the pupils and manage them well. Pupils are interested in their work. Teachers listen to what the pupils have to say with due respect and create an atmosphere that gives pupils the confidence to contribute in lessons. English and literacy work and mathematics, including numeracy skills are taught effectively and lessons are well sequenced so that pupils can build up their knowledge and skills with a good understanding. Teachers’ questioning is generally good but sometimes they tell the pupils too much and do not draw the information sufficiently from the pupils. The atmosphere is sometimes too relaxed and this affects the pace of lessons. Pupils then do not work hard enough. More able pupils could be challenged

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

more in Years 1 and 2. Teachers make good use of learning resources which help pupils’ understanding. Pupils who have special educational needs are taught well and they make good progress.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum This is sound in the foundation stage and in Years 1 and 2 and good in Years 3 and 4. Pupils have satisfactory opportunities for extra- curricular activities. There is good provision for personal, social and health education.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Very good. Pupils with special educational needs have very good extra support in small groups and the teaching is brisk and purposeful with well prepared resources. The individual education plans are very good.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Good. The school provides extra help and the pupils are making good progress.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Good in all respects. Assemblies are of a good quality. Religious education is taught effectively and pupils learn to respect different beliefs. Pupils learn to care for one another. Pupils undertake several responsibilities well. They do not have enough understanding of Britain as a multi-cultural society.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils There are good arrangements for child protection and for the pupils’ general welfare. Pupils’ behaviour and attendance are well monitored. The school checks pupils’ progress regularly and sets targets but this knowledge could be used to better effect in planning lessons and in the work of pupils who are more able.

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Aspect Comment

Parents have very positive views of the school. They are very supportive of their children’s education and of the school. Ickworth Park Primary - 10 - April 2003

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Good. The school is well led by the headteacher who relates well to the parents, staff and children. Teachers share together several curricular responsibilities and they undertake these joint responsibilities successfully.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities The governing body fulfils its statutory responsibilities and has a good view about the school’s strengths and its areas for development.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance The school analyses its test results carefully and sets individual pupil targets for improvement. Progress towards the targets on the school development plan is monitored regularly.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources The school uses its finances well. It makes good use of its staff and learning resources. Specific grants are used for their intended purposes.

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Aspect Comment

The school is suitably staffed and has good accommodation. There are satisfactory amounts of learning resources, although there are insufficient computers. It applies the principles of best value when making purchases.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

• Their children like school and are making good progress; • Behaviour is good and the school is helping their children to become mature and responsible; • The teaching is good; • Parents find it easy to approach the school with any queries; • The school is well led and managed; • The school expects the children to work hard and do their best. A significant minority of parents state that: • Their children do not get the right amount of homework; • They are not kept well informed about their children’s progress; • The school does not provide an interesting range of activities outside lessons.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

The inspection team agrees with most of the positive views expressed by parents. Currently pupils in the foundation stage and in Years 1 and 2 make expected rates of progress. In Years 3 and 4 and they make good progress. Amounts of homework are appropriate given the pupils’ ages. The quality of reports is good. Whilst the school offers a limited range of activities after lessons, the community offers a good range. Ickworth Park Primary - 11 - April 2003

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. There is a wide range of ability on entry and the overall attainment varies from year to year. Overall, it is slightly above average but the current cohort of reception pupils is average. Nevertheless there is a wide range of ability within it. Overall, current reception children are making satisfactory progress in all aspects of their learning and achieving soundly. Most are likely to reach the expectations for the end of the reception year in communication, language and literacy, in their mathematical understanding, their knowledge of the world, their personal, social and emotional development and their creative and physical development. A small number will do better than this and exceed expectations. Several of the youngest children have still not completely settled. This is partly due to enforced changes in staff. Some children do not concentrate very well and some experience difficulty in sharing. They make

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

good progress in their reading, and satisfactory progress in their speaking, listening and writing skills. They recall stories well and recount the main events. Most older reception children copy correctly from a sentence. The higher attaining pupils write their own simple sentences, their letter formations are reasonably accurate and they use phonics well to try and spell words.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. The reception children make satisfactory progress in their mathematical development. They are acquiring suitable positional language, such as ‘behind’ and ‘next to’, and order and compare by length and height. In their knowledge and understanding of the world, they notice changes when they carry out simple experiments such as when they put sweets into cold and hot water and observe the effect. They operate a moving toy by programming simple forwards and backwards movements for it. In their physical development they handle equipment safely and control scissors satisfactorily when they cut out. They make good use of space in their physical activities and outside use bikes with agility. The children learn to mix colours and make patterned designs in their creative work. Overall the attainment of the current cohort of children is not as high as at the last inspection.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. In national tests at the end of Year 2, the past two years’ results have not been as high as the previous two years. However, over the past three years, Year 2 boys and girls have been doing better than Year 2 boys and girls nationally. On average in the past three years by the end of Year 2, the boys have been doing comparatively better against boys nationally in reading than the school’s girls have been doing against girls nationally. The difference between the performance of the school’s boys and girls against boys and girls nationally is quite similar in writing. Boys have been performing better than the school’s girls in mathematics, despite a poorer result in 2002 when they significantly under-performed compared with boys nationally. No specific reason could be found for the variance between boys and girls in mathematics. Teacher assessed results in science were below average in 2002 at both the expected and

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

higher levels. Whilst their knowledge of content can be good at age seven, the pupils ability in investigation requires further development. Results against similar schools in 2002 were average in writing, below average in reading and well below average in mathematics. Pupils’ attainment in writing in the national tests in 2002 improved over the previous year because of a school focus on this aspect of work. The school met its own targets in mathematics and reading in 2002 and exceeded them in writing.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. Pupils’ attainment in English at the end of Year 2 is currently average but there is a wide range of ability from some pupils who demonstrate above average skills in all Ickworth Park Primary - 12 - April 2003 aspects to those who find reading and writing difficult. By the end of Year 4, pupils’ attainment is above average. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 make satisfactory progress and achieve soundly. More able pupils could be challenged more effectively in Years 1 and 2. Years 3 and 4 pupils make good progress and achieve well. Pupils’ speaking skills are above average throughout Years 1 to 4. They discuss with each other confidently and take part effectively in class discussions and explain their views well. Pupils’ reading skills are average by the end of Year 2 and above average by Year 4. They have a good comprehension of what they have read. Higher-attaining pupils use skimming techniques to good effect to find information on a page. There is a

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

good match of text to pupils’ capabilities. Many Year 4 pupils enjoy reading books by particular authors and have definite views about the type of books that they enjoy best. Most Year 4 pupils read with a good level of fluency and able pupils read expressively. Most pupils use an index with good skill and know about a glossary. However, they have more limited skills when using a library to select information books for a particular subject. The inspection team could find no evidence that girls are under-achieving in reading as previously reported.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. Pupils’ spelling is at an expected standard in Year 2 and above at the end of Year 4. Handwriting is well formed in all age groups and the correctly taught formation of letters in Years 1 and 2 enables the pupils to develop a good joined up writing in Years 3 and 4. By the end of Year 4, many pupils are developing their own flowing style of handwriting. Pupils write imaginatively and at length in Years 3 and 4 but pupils’ work is too limited in Years 1 and 2 by worksheets and routine exercises. In some of these, they merely copy out words or fill in gaps. Pupils’ punctuation is satisfactory by the end of Year 2 and often good by the end of Year 4. In this year group, pupils often use commas and speech marks correctly and a significant number of pupils use paragraphs well. They make better progress in writing by the end of Year 4 than at the last inspection. They make good use of thesauruses and have

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

good dictionary skills by age nine. Satisfactory use is made of literacy in Years 1 and 2 in other subjects. It is more developed in Years 3 and 4 but the pupils do not use reference books enough in the school library to research their work further.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. Pupils’ skills in mathematics are in line with expectations by the end of Year 2. Pupils make satisfactory progress and achieve soundly. They make good progress in Years 3 and 4, achieve well and their skills are above average. Year 2 pupils know the difference between odd and even numbers and count to 100 in these. They create block graphs from information they obtain. They measure accurately in metres and centimetres. Year 4 pupils order fractions and multiply two figure numbers in different ways showing good knowledge of their multiplication tables. They are acquiring a good knowledge of equivalent fractions. They make satisfactory use of mathematics across the curriculum.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7. Pupils’ attainment in science is at an expected level by age seven. It is above by age nine. Pupils’ progress is satisfactory and achievement sound by the age of seven, and good by the age of nine. Year 2 pupils delight in carrying out simple experiments, such as creating a circuit in order to light a bulb and they draw a labelled diagram of this. However, they are often over directed in these experiments. They understand that some changes to materials are reversible but others irreversible. By Year 4 pupils have developed a good appreciation of fair testing and show much enthusiasm in discussing matters of scientific interest.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

8. Pupils’ attainment in art and design is above expectations throughout the school and improved since the last inspection. They make good progress and achieve well. They have a good appreciation of different artists. They use a range of techniques as Ickworth Park Primary - 13 - April 2003 a result of these studies and adapt them to their own work. The recording of ideas from direct observation is a strength in the subject.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

9. In most other work, pupils’ attainment and progress are similar to that at the time of the last inspection. Pupils make satisfactory progress and achieve soundly in information and communication technology, design and technology, history and music and also in physical education in those aspects that could be observed. No dance or gymnastics could be observed in Years 1 and 2 and no games activities in Years 3 and 4. Pupils’ attainment is not as high as it was in the previous inspection at age seven in music. Pupils have an above average factual knowledge of events and people in history but their skills in historical enquiry are sound overall. Higher attaining pupils could do better in this aspect of history. There was not enough evidence to judge attainment and progress in geography in Years 1 and 2 but it is in line with expectations by the end of Year 4. Pupils make satisfactory progress and

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

achieve soundly in Years 3 and 4 in this subject. Insufficient use is made of information and communication technology in other subjects.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

10. There is very good provision for pupils who have special educational needs and English as an additional language and these pupils make good progress. They have extra support and this very well directed provision supports their learning very well, enabling them to make good progress. More capable pupils are sometimes not challenged enough in Years 1 and 2 in some lessons across the curriculum and this affects their overall progress. The combined efforts of the staff and community provides well for pupils who have specific interests and talents through extra- curricular activities, such as gymnastics, singing and some other sports. A gymnast represents the County in her age group.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

11. Pupils’ attitudes, behaviour and personal development are good and similar to the judgement made previously. Pupils’ attitudes are good overall. On many occasions, in the classroom and around the school, pupils displayed very good attitudes to their fellow pupils and teachers. Where the teaching was good or very good, pupils were usually quick to respond to the challenges set and they demonstrated a positive attitude to their work. In some lessons, however, pupils were too leisurely in their approach to the activities set. They did not begin their work quickly enough and sometimes chatted during activities, which reduced the amount of work that they did.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12. During the inspection there were many examples of pupils behaving in a positive manner. They behaved well and chatted sensibly in the dining hall where there are orderly procedures for taking lunch. In a religious education lesson about angels, the very good teaching was matched by very good attitudes and behaviour. Every pupil in the class was given the opportunity to draw an angel and to discuss the concept of a guardian angel. Very good behaviour was observed in assemblies in which pupils listened carefully to various themes about the life of Christ, such as his healing of the blind. Pupils took part enthusiastically in being blindfolded and trying to guess an object they were given and imagining what it must be like to be blind. There is a small amount of written evidence, representing a few pupils, which is linked to the occasional challenging attitudes and behaviour being displayed in the playground.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

The school was observed to be proactive in employing a range of strategies to manage such incidents. There have been no recent exclusions from the school.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13. The day-to-day relationships between pupils and teachers and pupils and amongst pupils are very good. Pupils undertake various responsibilities around the school, such as setting out the seating for assembly, helping to tidy up classrooms, and taking Ickworth Park Primary - 14 - April 2003 attendance registers to the office. The school has also introduced a buddy system in which a boy and girl from each class wear a 'buddy' badge. They are encouraged to look out for any children in their class who appear to be unhappy or distressed. Pupils are also able to work in collaboration with others as when involved in science experiments. Pupils play well together and take turns without fuss, although the foundation stage children still have some progress to make in this aspect. The school develops pupils’ confidence effectively through the many opportunities for pupils to speak in front of others in class discussions. In one English lesson, pupils were able

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

to offer many powerful words to describe the day-to-day life of a cat.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. Attendance and punctuality are good. The overall attendance at the school is above the national average. Recorded incidences of unauthorised absence are very low in comparison to the national average. Although some pupils are occasionally late, the majority of pupils arrive at school on time and this is very much linked to the well organised bus service which brings the majority of pupils to this school. School registers are correctly marked.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

15. Forty-six lessons were observed during the inspection. Forty-four of these were graded. Of these, four were very good, 22 good and 18 satisfactory. No unsatisfactory teaching was observed during the course of the inspection. The presentation of lessons in the foundation stage is satisfactory and good overall in the rest of the school. Over time and taking all factors into consideration, such as the challenge for the most able pupils, the quality of teaching is sound in Years 1 and 2 and good in Years 3 and 4. This represents a similar picture to that at the time of the last inspection, discounting the current temporary arrangements in the reception class. Considerable amounts of good teaching were observed throughout the school during the inspection. Some very good teaching was observed in Years 3 and 4. There is little difference in the overall quality of teaching in different subjects, although

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

no observations could be made in art and design during the inspection period.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

16. The quality of teaching is satisfactory in the foundation stage. However, the lack of large toys and outdoor equipment hinders the children’s physical development and does not help them to improve their personal and social skills, such as sharing. Insufficient use is made of resources in the reception class and the lack of accurate assessment data means that all pupils do the same work for much of the time and the higher attaining pupils are not stretched enough. Play opportunities are not used well enough to develop pupils’ learning further. There is insufficient extra teaching assistance in the reception class to cater for the different needs.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

17. Teachers are calm and have very good relationships with the pupils. Most pupils respond by behaving well and doing their best. Teachers manage the pupils well. They listen to what the pupils have to say with much respect and create an atmosphere that gives pupils the confidence to contribute in lessons knowing that their contributions will be valued. Pupils respond by taking a full part in lessons, especially in class discussions. Older pupils demonstrate better concentration levels and interest overall than the younger pupils and a greater sense of responsibility towards their work.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

18. Teachers share the learning intentions with the pupils in words that they can understand and this helps the pupils to know the scope of the lesson before it begins. This approach engages the pupils’ interest from the outset. Teachers revise well on previous learning before beginning new work. At times they make some good analogies to help the pupils understand their work better. In a physical education Ickworth Park Primary - 15 - April 2003 lesson, sequences of movements were likened to ‘a sentence with a beginning, a middle and an end’. Pupils latched on to this idea and one pupil said, “It’s like joined up handwriting”. Pupils tried hard to link up their movements in a flowing sequence as a result.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

19. Routines are well established in some classes and lessons. In Years 3 and 4, pupils automatically sit in well arranged places for the start of literacy and numeracy lessons and this helps to provide a prompt start. Pupils stop quickly in physical education when the whistle is blown, though routines for getting out equipment in these lessons are not well established.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

20. The teaching of literacy and numeracy is good in the main. Good techniques are used in Years 1 and 2 to teach letter sounds and the pupils enjoy these. They effectively support pupils’ developing writing and reading skills. Lessons are well sequenced so that pupils can build up their knowledge and skills with a good understanding. Teachers make good use of the big books in English lessons and use pointers well so pupils can follow the text. They question pupils effectively about the texts and provide other large print extracts so all pupils can follow the text. The planning and preparation of literacy and numeracy lessons are thorough and well structured enabling the pupils to build up their reading and numeracy skills in sequence. Teachers use technical vocabulary well such as ‘non-literal texts’, ‘rhyming couplets’ and ‘phonemes’ and the pupils then use these words in their own language. This good use also extends to other subjects such as science as they refer

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

21. Teachers’ questioning is generally good but sometimes they tell the pupils too much and do not draw the information sufficiently from the pupils. After questioning, some teachers are particularly skilled in following up pupils’ answers and do not accept what they say at face value. They make them explain further. One pupil commented in a literacy lesson about rhyme; “Despair and there sort of rhyme”. The teacher asked the pupil what he meant. He then articulated more clearly and clarified his meaning. In a very good religious education lesson about angels, pupils’ thinking was challenged well. The teacher’s approach and questioning stimulated the pupils’ own thinking and caused them to ask such thought provoking questions as “Can boys be angels?” and “Are angels real?” In this same lesson, there was excellent reference to an African shield as an analogy to protection and to objects, such as a cycle helmet

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

and shin pads, to get pupils to think about the concept of guardian angels and protection.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

22. The very good and relaxed relationships, however, also bring an air of casualness in some circumstances and sometimes affect the vigour of activities, the pace of learning and the rigour in time keeping. Some lessons began late and there was a slow start to afternoon activities in some cases. The bus register routine at afternoon registration is sometimes prolonged. Teachers sometimes do not hurry pupils up to get changed quickly enough before and after physical education lessons. On occasions, pupils move to their activities in lessons rather slowly and take time to settle down. When they settle down they sometimes chat to one another and this chat is not always work related. Teachers occasionally talk for too long with the whole class seated on the floor and there is not enough time for activities to be completed thoroughly. There are not suitably refined routines in physical education so the pupils

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

get out the equipment quickly. Some of the arrangements in Years 1 and 2 one morning weekly that involve class assembly and phonics work and swaps of classes, unsettle the pupils and unnecessarily interrupt the flow of the morning activities. Ickworth Park Primary - 16 - April 2003 23. There is often a brisk pace and very good teaching of pupils who have special educational needs. They are well supported and make good progress as a result. They enjoy the sessions when they are withdrawn from class for special group work, which is well matched to their needs. Teachers provide good resources in these sessions often providing home-made laminated word and picture cards that enable them to achieve success. The teaching assistants are included in the work for pupils who have special educational needs and English as an additional language and they cope well with their responsibilities and add to the overall very good quality of

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

provision. The pupils enjoy these group sessions, concentrate well on their work and work with interest, gaining in confidence because they achieve success.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

24. Teachers often monitor activities well when pupils are engaged in them. Commentary in physical education lessons constantly reminds pupils of what they should be doing and what they should be thinking about. Pupils are encouraged, for example, to think of different ways of jumping, rolling and working at different levels and this helps to improve the quality of their movements. In general class activities, teachers usually work with a specific group of pupils or rotate around the groups and ensure the pupils understand the work, or probe their thinking by good quality questioning to make them reflect further. Teachers make good use of their time during activities in these ways. However, in design and technology there is not enough evaluative comment from teachers at these times to push up standards nor enough encouragement for pupils to discuss and evaluate their work. Information and communication technology is not

p.16

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

25. Resources contribute effectively to the school’s work and they are usually well set out and prepared beforehand. In addition to the good use of texts and other prepared materials in English, artefacts are studied in history to enable pupils to reflect on how people used to live. Teachers make good use of video clips in some lessons, such as science, which help to cement pupils’ understanding of their work. Teachers make good use of individual whiteboards in literacy and numeracy lessons and this ensures that all pupils are thinking of their own answers. Effective use is made of equipment in mathematics lessons so pupils develop a better understanding.

p.16

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

26. Teachers are well aware of health and safety considerations. They take care in science, for example, that pupils know the potatoes they are insulating are hot. They check the equipment is safe before pupils go on it in physical education, although the furniture around the hall is a safety hazard.

p.16

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

27. Teachers mark pupils’ work well and comment appreciatively on their efforts and also write statements that help the pupils to improve their work. The pupils use these comments to make further improvements, particularly in their written work, and the result is an above average level of grammatical knowledge and use of punctuation by age nine. Very good use is made of the individual education plans to plan work for pupils with special educational needs. In general, however, not enough use is made of the data about pupils’ progress to plot their future learning and the able pupils are sometimes under challenged particularly in Years 1 and 2. There is some over-use of worksheets and undemanding exercises that involve copying out and filling gaps and limit pupils’ own attempts at writing. Homework is used effectively to support the work in school and particularly good use is made of it for reading practice and the learning

p.16

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

of spellings and multiplication tables. The community and staff together provide activities after school that provide extra opportunities for the talented in gymnastics, sport and music. Ickworth Park Primary - 17 - April 2003

p.16

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

28. Planning documents show that all subjects are taught and the school meets the statutory requirements for teaching the National Curriculum and religious education through the locally agreed syllabus. The experiences provided for pupils are satisfactory in Years 1 and 2 and good in Years 3 and 4. Not enough challenge is given to the higher attaining pupils in Years 1 and 2. The use of information and communication technology in other subjects across the curriculum is not yet well developed. The schemes of work in place for all curriculum subjects guide the school’s work effectively and provide secure progression in learning and specific guidance for teachers. The curriculum is enriched in particular, by art and history and through visits and visitors. Recently a local artist visited for a period of six weeks. A ‘Roman soldier’ has visited to support work in Years 3 and 4 on Roman history.

p.17

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

29. The length of the school day is satisfactory for pupils in Reception and Years 1 and 2 but in Years 3 and 4, taught time is below the recommended length for this age group. The headteacher and governors have studied the problem. A large percentage of pupils come from outlying villages and travel to school by contract buses which govern the time that the school starts and finishes. Regular homework arrangements for Years 3 and 4 pupils compensate in some way for this teaching time shortage.

p.17

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

30. The school has implemented well the government’s recommended National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies. All elements of the literacy hour are included regularly in the English lessons. Time is given for extended writing once a fortnight. In the main, satisfactory use is made of numeracy and literacy in other subjects.

p.17

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

31. The provision for extra-curricular activities is satisfactory. Two football teams are coached by parents on Saturday and play matches against other schools. Last year members of Ipswich Town Football Club helped with coaching. In addition, an ex- parent runs a gymnastics club and there is a privately organised singing club that is very popular with the pupils. Maypole dancing takes place in the summer term and the school operates cycling proficiency awards.

p.17

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

32. The school caters well for pupils who have particular difficulties in learning. The few pupils who speak English as an additional language are well provided for and are making good progress. Pupils with special educational needs are given special attention in literacy and numeracy lessons and sometimes take part in well organised group sessions that are often briskly paced enabling the pupils to make good progress.

p.17

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

33. Good and regular provision is made for personal, social and health education. In one lesson observed, pupils in Years 3 and 4 were asked to explore the idea of friendship and being friendly. There is a health policy, and sex education is taught in Years 3 and 4. Parents are informed about these arrangements.

p.17

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

34. The community contributes well to the pupils’ learning. There are good links with Ickworth Park which gives a Christmas tree every year to the school. Personnel from the park have helped to restore the pond. A potter and two local artists have visited the school. A Muslim was able to tell the pupils about his religion. There have been talks to the pupils by people from Help the Aged.

p.17

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

35. There is a very good relationship with partner institutions. The school liaises well with the pre-school centre located in the grounds. There are similarly good links with other pre-school providers in two local villages and a private nursery. There is a very strong Ickworth Park Primary - 18 - April 2003 liaison with the local middle school. A Year 5 tutor visits the school on a regular basis to talk to Year 4 pupils. These pupils also visit the middle school each term, in addition to attending the middle school Christmas production and having a sports lesson. There are strong links with other local schools. The school meets with two other primary schools and the middle school on a regular basis to discuss matters of mutual interest.

p.17

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

36. The provision for the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils at the school is good in all respects. Daily acts of collective worship are of a good, and sometimes very good quality, are well planned, follow specific themes and contribute significantly to pupils’ spiritual development. Religious education lessons are thought provoking, as in the work on the concept of an angel in Years 3 and 4. Work in science in Years 1 and 2, when pupils show much delight when they make a bulb light up, in art through the study of different artists, and the handling of artefacts in history all contribute significantly to pupils’ wonder in learning.

p.18

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

37. Provision for pupils’ moral development is good. Teachers and classroom assistants act as good role models for pupils in the way they interact with pupils in the classroom and around the school. The caring ethos of the school promotes the difference between right and wrong and in the foundation stage, pupils are being encouraged from an early age to take turns and to share toys and games with their fellow pupils, though some still find this difficult. The school’s behaviour code is quietly but efficiently promoted. Pupils make their own class rules, which help them to be thoughtful of others. Team reward systems and individual praise are used effectively to underpin and enhance pupils' moral development.

p.18

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

38. The provision for pupils’ social development is good. Pupils practise their social skills in the dining room and chat sensibly and quietly to one another. They interact well in the playground. They learn to listen to and respect other pupils’ points of view in discussion as when the youngest children had to predict which of three jars of runner beans would grow the quickest under different conditions. External visits into the local environment are also used occasionally to enhance the social development of pupils at the school. Year 4 pupils have an effective input into behaviour management and they help to negotiate the school rules with senior staff and then visit other classrooms to explain their proposals.

p.18

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

39. Pupils have good opportunities to study local and national culture through curricular subjects such as English, history, geography and religious education and result in the overall quality of provision for their cultural development being good. A weaker element is pupils’ appreciation of Britain as a multi-cultural society. Occasional visits are made into the local environment and external visitors are used to support the cultural development of pupils at the school. The work in religious education is well developed and pupils understand that there are different belief systems in the world.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

40. As they were at the time of the last inspection, procedures for child protection and welfare and the monitoring of pupils’ academic performance and personal development are good. Child protection procedures are in place and are effective. The school staff, well supported by a range of external agencies, provide a high degree of welfare support to individual pupils. In the classroom, teachers and classroom support assistants are quick to observe any personal difficulties exhibited by pupils and take appropriate and remedial action. The school operates a good first- aid system for minor accidents and appropriate records are maintained. The school Ickworth Park Primary - 19 - April 2003 carries out occasional health and safety audits of the site and appropriate records are kept. A fire drill is carried out every term and a log is maintained.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

41. The school, together with the occasional assistance of external agencies, takes the initiative in monitoring individual levels of pupil absence. It promotes good attendance. Parents are regularly reminded to consider the effect of taking their children on holiday during term time. The bus system used by many children at the school works efficiently and supports punctuality. The school has developed a range of effective strategies for the monitoring and control of behaviour which are promoted well in lessons, such as personal, social and health education. Discussions with a group of Year 4 pupils and the headteacher established that there is no oppressive behaviour or bullying. Pupils’ academic performance and personal development are monitored both formally and informally by the school and steps are taken to identify individual problems with a range of strategies which may include the preparation of

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

individual education plans for some pupils.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

42. The school provides a good level of educational and personal support to pupils that is aimed at raising their individual achievement and in increasing their self-esteem. The school acknowledges pupils’ individual achievement through the praise given to them in the classroom and, more formally, in regular sharing and presentation assemblies.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

43. The high level of child protection and welfare support to pupils at the school, together with the good procedures for promoting pupils’ personal development have a positive effect on their learning and are a significant strength of the school.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

44. There are good arrangements for keeping track of pupils’ progress. Teachers mark pupils’ work regularly and show good interest in what they have written and write in points for development. There is a yearly routine of tests and these are used effectively to track pupils’ academic development. Good records are maintained of pupils’ knowledge of letter sounds and their ability to recognise key words. Individual education plans for pupils who have special educational needs are of very good quality and contribute to the good progress that these pupils make. The school analyses previous test results in detail to inform the school’s future work. However, on-going record keeping, including that in the foundation stage, is not used enough to plan effectively for the future steps in learning for those who are more able.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

45. Parents have very positive views of the school in most respects. The school has very good links with parents, similar to the last inspection. They are well involved in the life of the school and in their children’s education. They listen to their children read and assist them with occasional project work and other homework. Significantly a majority of parents are very supportive of the school and of its aims and objectives. Justifiably parents state that their children like school. They state that their children are making good progress. The inspection team feels there is room for improvement in the rate of progress with room for greater rigour. The inspection team agrees with the majority of parents who state that the school is well managed. It is in partial agreement with parents about the quality of teaching being good. The presentation of lessons is often good. Teaching is good over time in Years 3 and 4 and satisfactory elsewhere in the

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

46. A significant minority of parents feel that: the school does not inform them well enough about their children’s progress, that there is not an interesting range of activities after school and that pupils do not get the right amount of homework. The inspection team does not agree with these minority views. The information provided Ickworth Park Primary - 20 - April 2003 by the school through the prospectus and the annual governors' reports to parents is of a high standard, although the school is aware of two statutory elements that are currently missing from this documentation. Newsletters to parents are regular and informative. Annual academic reports are of a good standard and include areas for pupils' further development. In addition, a well designed summary provides parents with more detail of their child's progress in the main subjects, in their personal development and attendance. There is a limited range of extra-curricular activities at

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

the school but this is to some extent linked to the school bus service that provides most pupils with transport to a number of local villages at the end of the school day. Some good opportunities are provided by the community for pupils who are able to stay after school and also at weekends.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

47. Some parents are frequent visitors to the school both in providing very welcome classroom support and in helping to organise some of the extra-curricular activities and other events. All parents have been invited to enter into a home/school agreement that is designed to promote improved relationships between the school, parents and children and most have agreed by signing up to this. There are good opportunities to talk to the members of staff informally as well as formally and good links with parents of pupils who have special educational needs.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

48. The Parent Teacher Association is very supportive of the school and provides a very effective link between home and the school. Parental attendance at school concerts, celebrations and sports days is very good. The school’s very positive links with parents provides a very strong contribution to pupils’ learning and personal development. It is a very significant strength of the school.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

49. The head teacher has successfully maintained the good leadership identified during the previous inspection and continues to provide clear direction for the development of the school. She still has the strong support and confidence of the staff, governors, parents and pupils and has successfully maintained a shared sense of purpose and commitment. She uses her powers of delegation wisely so that the deputy head and all other staff make an important contribution to the smooth and effective management of the school. The supportive governing body fulfils its statutory duties appropriately and makes a significant contribution to the school’s improvement.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

50. The school has responded positively to the key issues identified in the last inspection. Parents are well informed in advance of the work to be covered by their children. Reports about their children’s achievements are very good, with a strong focus on achievement and what needs to be done to improve it. The implementation of day-to- day administrative routines has been improved. The school’s commitment to raising standards remains good in all subjects in Years 3 and 4 but the achievement of higher attaining pupils has not received the emphasis required for them to reach their full potential in Years 1 and 2. The teachers do not have high enough expectations for what such pupils know, understand and can do. The head and staff retain a focussed approach to the raising of standards but in some lessons there could be more urgency in the vigour of activities and the pace of learning.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

51. The aims of the school are clearly identified and they underpin the whole of the school’s work and life. Within the school, all pupils are valued and cared for and are encouraged to develop into well motivated and disciplined young people with a highly positive enthusiasm for school. Ickworth Park Primary - 21 - April 2003 52. The school’s development plan identifies appropriate and achievable educational priorities for development within a realistic and well-identified timescale for action. Consultative procedures between the head teacher, governors and staff are based on a systematically designed evaluative process of the current position to determine what needs to be done next. A well established programme of classroom observations is undertaken by the head teacher and by curriculum co-ordinators. The programme involves exploring current practices in teaching and learning, and a regular scrutiny of

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

pupils’ work, planning and resources in each subject as the programme unfolds.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

53. The school has an effective system for financial management to forecast income and expenditure and this is linked to a good system of financial monitoring in which the governors play a full part. The school has made a good response to the last auditor’s report. The financial systems make sound use of information and communication technology to help the school respond to changing demands and for administrative purposes. Grants for specific purposes are used accordingly.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

54. The governing body is increasingly involved in managing the school. Members are kept fully informed by reports from the head teacher and staff, which encourage discussion on school development, curriculum and financial issues. Governors’ committees are used efficiently to discuss and plan improvements and direct funds appropriately but individually, governors do not make regular, planned visits to the school to see for themselves how well the school functions in order to increase their influence in shaping the direction of the school.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

55. To assist its aim to maintain impetus in school improvement, the school uses a good range of data to enable it to monitor and target each pupil’s progress. The analysis is well managed by the head teacher and provides useful information on every year group and pupil at the school. Predictions about how well pupils are likely to perform in national testing are made and those who need additional support in order to meet their targets are identified early so that they receive appropriate support in literacy and numeracy. However, the analysis does not sufficiently take into account the needs of the higher attaining pupils in Years 1 and 2. The school does not measure the attainment of reception age pupils by the end of their reception year in order to make accurate predictions about the rate of their likely progress by the time national testing occurs. Not enough is done to analyse why predictions are sometimes not high

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

56. The school runs smoothly and the head teacher and administrative assistant work in an efficient, calm and professional manner and support the school’s work well. The school has implemented good procedures for the induction of new staff and the head teacher and deputy head effectively undertake the policy for performance management. Priorities identified within performance management are carefully linked to the school’s development plan. The longer term financial planning is clearly linked to educational priorities detailed in the school’s development plan. The governing body is well versed in the principles of best value. Additional funding for pupils with special educational needs are used wisely and effectively and contribute to the good progress they make.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

57. The school has a sufficient number of staff and teaching assistants, except in the foundation stage, where there is limited extra support. The lack of extra support in the reception year does not ensure that the teacher is enabled to develop all children’s personal, social and emotional development effectively. The allocation of hours for the use of teaching assistants is sound in that the school does its best to ensure support for pupils with special educational needs. Ickworth Park Primary - 22 - April 2003 58. Teachers have good opportunities for in-service training. All staff are properly trained for the primary phase of education. There are good induction procedures for new staff and newly qualified staff are given good support. The school has good links with further education establishments in the area and provides placements for observational visits. Occasionally intending teacher trainees visit for observation

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

purposes. Teaching assistants are deployed effectively in Years 1 to 4 and make a significant contribution to the teaching programme and to the work with pupils who have special educational needs.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

59. The school accommodation provides good facilities for learning. It is well maintained and clean. Classrooms are in good decorative order and most are of reasonable size with useful shared resource areas for practical activities. The main hall is of reasonable size and is utilised effectively for whole school assemblies, physical education and as a dining room. Computers are located in the shared areas. Classes are cramped on the occasions when year groups meet together for specific purposes and not conducive to pupils' well-being. This can sometimes result in 40 children being squeezed into a classroom at one time and is not conducive to pupils’ well-being. The external facilities are good with the exception of the secure outside play area for reception children. This is very narrow and restricts the number of outdoor activities that can be carried out at any one time.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

60. Resources are generally adequate to support teaching and learning with the exception of computers. There are not enough computers for the number of pupils in the school. Those available are not used enough in work across the curriculum.

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

61. The school has made sound progress since it was last inspected in 1997. In seeking to continue the progress made so far, the school should take action on the following issues:

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Improve the levels of attainment of the more academically able pupils by age seven; (Paras 4, 5, 10, 28, 44, 55, 77, 86, 88, 118)

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Increase the level of provision for information and communication technology and ensure pupils use information and communication technology more frequently across the curriculum; (Paras 9, 24, 28, 60, 78, 84, 96, 120, 121, 125)

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Take steps to improve the organisation of the school’s book provision and pupils’ general library skills; (Para 85)

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Inject a better sense of urgency in order to economise on time and improve the work ethos in some classes. (Paras 11, 22, 50, 88, 131, 132) Ickworth Park Primary - 23 - April 2003

p.22

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 29

p.23

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

p.23

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Percentage 0 9 50 41 0 0 0 The table gives the number and percentage of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about teaching. Care should be taken when interpreting these percentages as each lesson represents more than two percentage points.

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y4

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) N/A 173

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals N/A 4 FTE means full-time equivalent.

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y4

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs N/A 2

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register N/A 22 E English as an additional language No of pupils

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 3

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 10

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 2

p.23

Attendance

National comparative data 5.4 National comparative data 0.5 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Ickworth Park Primary - 24 - April 2003

p.23

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

Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 02 [01] 17 19 36

p.24

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.24

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

Boys 16 16 15 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 17 17 17

p.24

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

Percentage of pupils School 92 (83) 92 (89) 89 (94) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (84) 86 (86) 90 (91)

p.24

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.24

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

Boys 16 15 15 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 17 18 16

p.24

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

Percentage of pupils School 92 (77) 92 (83) 86 (83) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (85) 89 (89) 89 (89)

p.24

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

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Ickworth Park Primary - 25 - April 2003

p.24

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.25

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

White – any other White background 4 0 0

p.25

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Mixed – any other mixed background 1 0 0

p.25

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British - Pakistani 0 0 0

p.25

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi 0 0 0

p.25

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.25

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black or Black British – Caribbean 0 0 0

p.25

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.25

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

The table refers to pupils of compulsory school age only. It gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded. Ickworth Park Primary - 26 - April 2003

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 8 Financial year 01/02

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 21.6

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y4 Total income 368,340

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 4 Total expenditure 340,697

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 60 Expenditure per pupil 2,362

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery Balance brought forward from previous year 5,200

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) N/A Balance carried forward to next year 9,380

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher N/A

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff N/A

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week N/A

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per FTE adult N/A FTE means full-time equivalent.

p.26

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 1.5

p.26

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 2.5

p.26

Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

p.26

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.26

Recruitment of teachers

Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) 0 FTE means full-time equivalent. Ickworth Park Primary - 27 - April 2003 Results of the survey of parents and carers

p.26

Recruitment of teachers

Percentage of responses in each category

p.27

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.27

Recruitment of teachers

My child is making good progress in school. 44 51 2 0 2

p.27

Recruitment of teachers

Behaviour in the school is good. 41 56 0 0 3

p.27

Recruitment of teachers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 32 51 11 2 3

p.27

Recruitment of teachers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 37 50 11 0 2

p.27

Recruitment of teachers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 72 22 3 1 1

p.27

Recruitment of teachers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 51 46 1 0 2

p.27

Recruitment of teachers

The school works closely with parents. 48 41 10 0 1

p.27

Recruitment of teachers

The school is well led and managed. 60 37 2 0 1

p.27

Recruitment of teachers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 44 48 2 0 6

p.27

Recruitment of teachers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 19 50 16 4 11 Ickworth Park Primary - 28 - April 2003

p.27

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

62. The school admits children the term in which they are five and during the time of the inspection, the class contained a mixture of children admitted in September last year and those admitted in January of this year. Induction processes are well organised and the school maintains a good liaison with pre-school groups.

p.28

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

63. Over the last three years, children have generally entered school with slightly above average attainment. This year, children’s attainment upon entry has not been measured because national changes to this system are just being introduced. During the time of the inspection, children’s attainment in lessons was deemed to be average in all the areas of learning with some weaknesses in aspects of the otherwise satisfactory personal, social and emotional development. Children make a good start in reading. Most are likely to reach the expectations for the end of the reception year in communication, language and literacy, mathematics, in their personal, social and emotional development, in their creative and physical development and in their understanding of the world. A very small number of the children are likely to exceed them. The children achieve soundly overall.

p.28

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

64. Since the previous inspection, the school has made satisfactory progress in implementing the foundation stage curriculum and the quality and range of learning opportunities are sound. The children’s attainment in the current cohort is not as high as that reported previously and their progress is not as rapid. There are some shortcomings in children’s personal, social and emotional development and in the provision of play opportunities both indoors and out. Shortcomings in personal development aspects, such as learning to share and take turns and to concentrate and listen more carefully arise mainly because the teacher does not receive the full- time support of another adult in the classroom. Activities that encourage purposeful play are not always well planned and at times children are involved in activities that do not match their level of attainment. There is limited provision for outdoor

p.28

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

activities. There is little equipment, such as large toys and climbing equipment, to enable children to practise their previously learned movement skills in specific physical education work.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

65. The quality of teaching is sound in all areas of learning, a decline since the last inspection where it was good. Strengths in the teaching arise from clear explanations and well focused questions. There are some shortcomings in the planning and teaching because activities do not always take into sufficient account the individual needs of all the children, including children who are attaining more highly and those who are slower to learn. The use of assessment to record progress in communication, language and literacy and mathematics is good but planning objectives are not always informed by accurate assessments of all children’s attainment and progress, because day-to-day observations of what children know, understand and can do are limited in scope. There is too strong a concentration on the end of the early learning goals, the national expectations for young children’s learning by the end of the reception year, and not enough on the steps in learning

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

that lead up to them. This is sometimes because the teacher does not have the full- time support of a teaching assistant that would allow her to observe and teach smaller groups consistently and more often, rather than the whole class at once. Ickworth Park Primary - 29 - April 2003

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Personal, social and emotional development

66. Children make sound progress in this area of development. A number of the youngest children are not yet fully settled into class routines. They find it difficult to concentrate for long and have difficulties in sharing and taking turns. Consequently, when the teacher alone is attempting to teach the whole group, children who have not yet learned to listen carefully and who need the extra support of an additional adult, frequently interrupt her efforts. Significantly, where a teaching assistant is present, there is an improvement in children’s concentration, listening and co- operation and progress as a whole is better.

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Communication, language and literacy

67. Children make good progress in reading and satisfactory progress in speaking, listening and writing. Several children can read simple texts with some understanding and can point out words with a given initial letter. In lessons, they follow the text of big books with close attention and several are eager to comment on what they see in pictures and recall what they understand from the story. Most older children can write their names. Some copy correctly the teacher’s transcription of the sentences the children have composed. A good feature is the opportunity to write purposefully. For example, they are encouraged to write labels to illustrate displays. Higher attaining children write their own simple sentences, some with help. The highest attaining children can spell simple words correctly and use phonetic spelling effectively when tackling more difficult words. Children’s letter formation is

p.29

Communication, language and literacy

reasonably legible, although some have difficulty in spacing words correctly. The younger children have begun to write simple words and others make marks appropriately to denote a story or word. Children are becoming confident speakers but many find listening difficult, particularly when not supported by an adult other than the teacher.

p.29

Mathematics

68. Children make satisfactory progress but at times teaching is not focussed well enough to meet the individual needs of all children because activities are not always well planned to take the children’s needs into account. Whole class teaching is sound and children make satisfactory progress in their skills of counting. From a scrutiny of written work, most children can match numerals up to 10. They know their basic shapes. Higher attaining pupils can add two groups of numbers and can say the number that is one more than a given number. Basic positioning language is used correctly and children can order two objects by length and height.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

69. Sound progress is made. Children are currently learning about space. They are well motivated by this topic, which enables them to write stories about space in their literacy lessons. Photographic evidence demonstrates their study of the natural world, such as their interest in a wasp’s nest. They use the school’s outdoor environment to find signs that indicate the different seasons. Their understanding of different cultures and beliefs is developed through their celebrations of different festivals, for example, the Hindu and Sikh festival of Diwali. They have developed an awareness of change when they investigate what happens when small coloured sweets are put in hot and cold water. Their designing and making skills are enhanced through their work with simple hinges, such as making flaps to reveal a picture inside. Children, with help program a robot to move it backwards and forwards. Ickworth Park Primary - 30 - April 2003

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Physical development

70. Progress in this area of learning is sound. Children move with agility using a series of different movements and use space well in their movement lessons. They can hop backwards and forwards over a rope confidently. They handle equipment safely and are aware of changes in their body after strenuous exercise. They maintain good control over a bat and ball when pushing a ball along the floor or bouncing it. In the absence of additional support, a small number find it difficult to sustain good listening and their responses to instructions are limited as a result and their levels of persistence are short. Where they demonstrate to the rest of the class, they concentrate carefully. Their control over equipment and resources, such as scissors and mouldable materials, is average for their age. Outdoors, they use bikes with agility and use space well.

p.30

Creative development

71. Children are given satisfactory opportunities to explore a range of media and materials. Some pencil and crayon portraits on display indicate a good level of detail and demonstrate the care with which children observe characteristics. They mix colours and make imaginative patterned designs using two colour mixes. Some patchwork drawings using wax crayons that are ironed onto the fabric indicate a lively awareness of design. In music, children enjoy singing with the younger children from the on-site pre-school group. They can adjust the pitch of their voices to the voices of the staff. The majority listen carefully to musical extracts and enjoy making movements that correspond to what they hear. They make sound progress in this aspect of their work.

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ENGLISH

72. Pupils’ attainment in English is broadly similar to that at the time of the last inspection. It is average overall by the end of Year 2 but there is a wide range of ability, from pupils with well above average skills in all aspects of English to those who find both reading and writing difficult. Pupils’ attainment overall by the end of Year 4 is above average. Pupils make satisfactory progress in Years 1 and 2 and they achieve soundly. Pupils make good progress in Years 3 and 4 and achieve well.

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ENGLISH

73. Pupils’ attainment in speaking is above average throughout the school. Most speak confidently with one another informally and also in class discussion. They speak confidently to adults. Most listen well but some pupils easily get distracted and do not concentrate as well as others, particularly in Years 1 and 2.

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ENGLISH

74. The overall reading performance of pupils is average by the end of Year 2. More capable pupils have above average skills. Whilst they do not yet have favourite authors or preferences for types of book, these more able pupils have very good comprehension of what they have read. They read expressively and fluently with a high degree of accuracy. They are already using techniques to find information on a page quickly and one pupil knew the term sub-heading and used it when searching for specific information. Able Year 2 pupils are not very familiar with the school’s library system or the Year 3 and 4 fiction system, which they use when choosing books. They do not know what the school’s library codes stand for. The majority of Year 2 pupils read less accurately and some hesitantly but in line with expectations and they remember what they have read. They are becoming familiar with terms such as glossary and index but are not as sure in this knowledge as the more able

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ENGLISH

pupils. There is a good match of the difficulty of text to pupils’ reading skills. Ickworth Park Primary - 31 - April 2003 75. Attainment in reading by the end of Year 4 is above average. Year 4 pupils have preferred authors and explain why they have chosen particular books. They have definite views about the kind of stories they like, such as animal stories or those related to their preferred subjects in school. Able readers read aloud with good emphasis and intonation. They know how to use the blurb when selecting books. They are familiar with terms, such as glossary, know that it is near the back next to the index and can explain its function. They use the index with good skill and skim the page quickly to retrieve specific information. Many other pupils read accurately and fluently with good comprehension and have developed regular reading habits. Pupils do not have well tuned library skills and are unsure where, and how, to find

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ENGLISH

76. Pupils’ spelling is satisfactory in Years 1 and 2 and good at Year 4. Pupils form letters correctly and begin to join letters by the end of Year 2. Their work is neatly set out and words well spaced. Their letter formation is helped by the manuscript exercise books they use for this activity that help them to remember the correct size of letters.

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ENGLISH

77. Pupils’ written work is average at the end of Year 2. At times, Year 2 pupils undertake interesting poetry work, such as changing and replacing the words of traditional nursery rhymes and they manage this well. Their instructional writing is good, such as that for planting a bulb, washing hair or catching a tadpole. However, too much of the written work consists of supplying the correct word for gaps in sentences from supplied lists of words and other exercise type work, such as changing tenses and word searches. They sort words into families by their beginning letters and copy these words down but this work is overdone. For many, it is not sufficiently developmental. This work does not motivate nor challenge the able pupils enough. Generally pupils’ punctuation is suitable for their age and some use speech marks correctly. More able Year 2 pupils have good dictionary skills and can already

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ENGLISH

find words quickly when they begin with the same letter sound by looking at the second letter.

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ENGLISH

78. Written work by the end of Year 4 is above average. Pupils’ handwriting is neat and well formed. Many are already use commas and speech marks correctly and significant numbers of pupils understand and use paragraphing. They improve their work by picking better adjectives. They write for a variety of purposes, such as to create a newspaper column, to create a character and to work imaginatively. They do not do a great deal in the form of making notes for specific factual work. They write their own extended stories and think of powerful verbs. They use a thesaurus and dictionary effectively. They recognise rhyme readily. Pupils use their literacy skills satisfactorily in Years 1 and 2 in other subjects but at times there is too much use of worksheets. Years 3 and 4 pupils use their writing skills to greater effect across the curriculum. Pupils throughout the school do not use computers enough

p.31

ENGLISH

for writing purposes generally across the school.

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ENGLISH

79. Good teaching was observed in both key stages and it is good overall throughout the school but it is more consistently good in Years 3 and 4. It is satisfactory in Years 1 and 2 overall ranging from good to satisfactory and good and sometimes very good in Years 3 and 4. Over time teaching in Years 1 and 2 has not challenged the higher attaining pupils sufficiently. Teachers mark pupils’ work well in English in both key stages. They show good appreciation of what the pupils write and are supportive in their written comments to support the pupils’ future learning such as ‘Good use of speech marks, remember-new speaker, new line.’ ‘If I closed my eyes I could imagine that I was really there because your descriptions were so amazing.’ Ickworth Park Primary - 32 - April 2003 80. Teachers prepare individual lessons thoroughly and manage the pupils well. They enlarge text so all pupils can see it. Texts are often challenging such as T. S. Eliot’s

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ENGLISH

‘Macavity’ with Years 3 and 4 pupils but the pupils rise to the challenge. In a very good lesson, the teacher had displayed photographs of cats all round the whiteboard. The pupil tried to find out what sort of cat the culprit was. The teacher pointed to them on occasions ‘I wonder whether it is like this one?’ adding interest and enjoyment to the lesson before moving on to hunt for further clues in the poem. The second verse for the poem was carefully concealed and turned over to face the whiteboard. As a result, the pupils were not distracted as they focused on the first verse and this was turned round quickly when the time came to study the second verse. The teacher modeled good note making and neat handwriting as pupils recorded their discoveries about the type of cat in discussion.

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ENGLISH

81. Teachers preserve a good atmosphere in lessons but sometimes do not create a sufficiently rigorous working atmosphere and pupils work too leisurely as a result. The pupils sometimes take too much time to settle down, particularly in Years 1 and 2 and can be chatty when working and the pupils do not get enough done. Teachers question pupils well about previous work when lessons begin. They use the shared text well to teach about books and poetry and to bring out features of books. With older pupils, for example, they help the pupils to recognise and understand imagery and deeper meanings. There is usually a suitable balance of discussion and activity but on occasions teachers take too long explaining and there is not enough time for pupils to undertake the activity sessions in depth and with a meaningful conclusion. Teachers make good use of technical language in English lessons such as ‘non-

p.32

ENGLISH

literal texts’ and ‘phonemes’ that pupils use in turn in discussion. All teachers make good use of a range of resources, including word cards and text with extra large print, often prepared by the teachers themselves.

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ENGLISH

82. Pupils’ attitudes are good on the whole in English lessons. A small number of pupils can be immature in Years 1 and 2 but they are more mature in Years 3 and 4 where they listen politely to each other’s’ contributions in class and in paired discussions and adopt the procedures for the start of literacy lessons quite independently. Pupils can be slow to settle to tasks in Years 1 and 2 and be noisy when moving to their activity.

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ENGLISH

83. Pupils with special educational needs are supported very effectively and they make good progress. They are withdrawn from lessons appropriately for special work that helps their reading and writing skills. These particular group lessons are very well prepared and thoroughly undertaken and involve a range of staff, including the headteacher and teaching assistants. The pupils are encouraged and they want to succeed. These particular lessons often proceed at a brisk pace. Teachers use good strategies to help the pupils work out what words say when they are reading, for example by getting the pupils to read on if they do not know a word or to think of another word like it that they know. These strategies are often successful. A pupil could not read ‘gristle’ but then thought of ‘castle’ when prompted to think of word like it that he knew and this enabled him to read ‘gristle’ on his own.

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ENGLISH

84. The curriculum fulfils national requirements. Drama is used effectively across the curriculum in personal, social and health education and in role play in history. In this subject, pupils enjoy the procedure known as hot seating when they take on the role of a particular historical character and answer questions from the rest of the class. Sometimes they act out plays written by themselves. Teachers do not, however, make sufficient use of information and communication technology in English lessons. Ickworth Park Primary - 33 - April 2003 85. The joint co-ordinators work together effectively in sharing the role and the system works effectively. There are well established procedures to track pupils’ progress through yearly tests and on-going reading records and each pupil has clearly defined targets which they are working on. There is large bank of literacy resources and guided reading books. The resources for pupils with special educational needs are

p.32

ENGLISH

plentiful and the teachers and teaching assistants often make their own. There is a satisfactory range of reading books for pupils to select from but they are not arranged to best advantage to attract pupils to books. The current library arrangements are not satisfactory and do not enable the pupils to develop their library skills and their interest in books to the full.

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ENGLISH

86. Pupils’ attainment is broadly in line with National Curriculum expectations by the end of Year 2. Pupils make satisfactory progress overall and most achieve soundly. Pupils make good progress in Years 3 and 4 so that by the end of Year 4 pupils’ attainment is above the national average. They achieve well. These findings are similar to those in the last report. Pupils enter the school with slightly above average standards but higher attaining pupils do not make enough progress in Years 1 and 2. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress, as do those pupils with English as an additional language. Both sets of pupils are well supported.

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ENGLISH

87. The school has successfully implemented the National Numeracy Strategy. The mental starter at the beginning of the lesson normally sets a good pace before the main part of the lesson is introduced. Towards the end of each lesson an effective review session takes place in which the teachers find out how much pupils have learnt and understood. Teaching and learning vary throughout the school from satisfactory to very good. In Years 1 and 2 they are mainly satisfactory and in Years 3 and 4 they are mainly good. Most teachers have undertaken a five-day mathematics course in the last two years which has enabled them to become more secure and competent in the subject. In the good lessons, the teachers set a good pace. They know their pupils well and, although two separate year groups are taught simultaneously in most classes, questions are set both orally and in writing to suit their needs. Teachers share effectively the lesson objectives with pupils when the

p.33

ENGLISH

lessons begin. Where the teaching and learning are only satisfactory, particularly in Years 1 and 2, not enough attention is given to the higher attainers so that they can progress at a sharper pace. The attitude and behaviour of the pupils are good and the teachers manage the pupils well.

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ENGLISH

88. The overall quality of teaching is good. The preparation and execution of lessons are mainly good in Years 1 and 2 but the teaching is only satisfactory overall in these year groups because teachers do not stretch the able pupils enough and give them sufficient challenge. Teaching is good in Years 3 and 4. A strength in the teaching of mathematics is the way teachers start each lesson with mental arithmetic, occasionally briskly. They often link this mental activity with what follows so pupils can use the strategies to tackle calculations. For example, some mental starters began with tables or doubling or halving which led into the main lesson on ways of multiplying using two digit numbers. However, in mental sessions, some Year I and 2 pupils found it difficult to use their number fans to place tens and unit numbers in the correct order and their difficulty slowed the pace of work. Some other lessons in

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ENGLISH

Years 1 and 2 needed a brisker pace. The pace of lessons can be good, particularly in Years 3 and 4 and occasionally in Years 1 and 2 enabling the lesson to proceed well. Teachers are competent and secure in their knowledge. The teaching assistants are well used, often with the less able. The challenge of work is often good in Years 3 and 4. In some lessons in both key stages, the pupils sit for too long Ickworth Park Primary - 34 - April 2003 on the carpet before settling down to written work. Teachers make satisfactory use of numeracy skills across the curriculum, for example in science when they draw graphs of their results.

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ENGLISH

89. Most Year 1 recognise odd and even numbers with a good level of accuracy. Their commitment to memory of number bonds helps them to add single- and two-digit numbers and this knowledge helps them to complete number sentences with reasonable speed. The higher attainers solve problems with money with developing confidence, although a number of other pupils are a little uncertain in giving the correct change. Most pupils in Year 2 are developing appropriate skill in solving simple number problems. Most Year 2 pupils add three single numbers together and subtract two-digit numbers from three-digit numbers accurately. More able pupils tell the time at quarter of an hour intervals with ease whilst the less able put pictures of daily routines into the correct order. Many are beginning to understand how to convert information from tables and charts into block graphs with a suitable level of precision. They count on and back in two’s and ten’s with ease and many know their

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ENGLISH

2 and 10 times tables. They use a tape to measure carefully in metres and centimetres. More able pupils understand place value up to nine hundred.

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ENGLISH

90. Pupils in Years 3 and 4 make better progress. The majority of pupils understand fractions of shapes and order simplified fractions correctly. They know the properties of three-dimensional solids and investigate shapes and tackle word problems with good analysis of the processes involved. In one very good lesson observed, pupils practised different methods of multiplication. The less able, working with the teaching assistant, could multiply basic numbers by splitting up a number into tens and units first, whilst higher attaining pupils could do long multiplication of two digits by two digits using the traditional method. Most Year 4 pupils count on and back in steps of ten and one hundred with ease. They show good skill in doubling and halving numbers. The more able have a good understanding of equivalent fractions.

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ENGLISH

91. The subject co-ordination consists of a team of two, led by the headteacher. The subject is well led. Lessons are observed and monitored and teachers receive feed back. As a result, teachers know their strengths and the weaknesses on which they must work. The policy has been renewed in light of the National Numeracy Strategy. Pupils have individual targets and the system used enables them to know when they have reached them. In addition to the statutory tests at the end of Year 2, the teachers use other tests and these enable the teachers to assess the progress made.

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ENGLISH

92. Pupils with special educational needs in Years 3 and 4 receive extra help with mathematics. As a result, good progress is made and by the end of Year 4 most pupils’ attainment is above the national average. Resources for the subject are adequate and easily accessible. There is a good range of resources.

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SCIENCE

93. Pupils’ attainment in science is at the expected level by the end of Year 2 with a few pupils reaching a higher level. By the end of Year 4, pupils’ attainment is above expectations. Pupils make satisfactory progress and achieve soundly in Years 1 and 2. They make good progress in Years 3 and 4 and achieve well. The work meets National Curriculum requirements.

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SCIENCE

94. By the age of seven, pupils have a good knowledge about a healthy diet. They name the major parts of the body and can sequence pictures of the stages of human development from birth to old age. They appreciate that some materials have an Ickworth Park Primary - 35 - April 2003 irreversible state such as a rotting apple, whilst others change their state under certain conditions, such as chocolate melting. They test toy cars on different surfaces as they run off a ramp and note that some surfaces slow down the car more than others and can give reasons for this. They name some home appliances that work by mains electricity and apply this principle to the outside world, such as traffic lights. They know other items, such as some toys, work by battery and recognise this as a another source of electricity. They make simple circuits to light a bulb. They can separate those items that are manufactured, such as a lemon squeezer

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SCIENCE

and those products that are made directly from natural resources, such as wooden chop sticks. They know that some medicines are safe and others are harmful. They appreciate the sources of light, such as the sun and a candle. Their investigations are largely teacher directed and pupils do not think enough for themselves at this stage, for example in making suggestions about how to proceed.

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SCIENCE

95. By the age of nine, they appreciate the difference between a conductor and an insulator and carry out experiments to find the best insulator. They cover heated up potatoes with different materials to find the best insulator. They have a good appreciation of keeping tests fair. They know that the same amount of time is required when heating up potatoes in the microwave and can reason why one potato in an experiment undertaken had a lower temperature than the others. They know the same type of thermometer must be used for recording temperature and that they must be kept at the same depth in all the potatoes when making comparisons. They also suggest that the same type and size of potato must be used. However, they are rather more liberal when wrapping up their potatoes with the material for the actual test and do not ensure they are of the same size and dimensions. They carry out other experiments to find the best toothpaste by trying them out on tiles and predict

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SCIENCE

the results. Some evaluation of the experiment shows a good perception. ‘I think none of them were better because it wasn’t really a fair test. There are loads of other toothpastes and the results would be different if you tried it on real teeth . ’ They undertake investigations, such as finding out whether children with large head circumference have more teeth than those with small head circumference. They remember facts well and many have a good general knowledge. They know about types of teeth and their functions and about different kinds of animals and their habitats.

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SCIENCE

96. Pupils use their writing and numeracy skills satisfactorily in their work as when they take measurements, graph their results and record their investigations but they do not follow up their work sufficiently well by researching their studies in the school library. They do not always reason their predictions and conclusions enough. Use of information and communication technology in the subject is limited.

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SCIENCE

97. Pupils enjoy the practical nature of their science lessons. They willingly take part in discussions and use their good general knowledge to reason what they say in class discussion. They show good levels of interest. They cooperate well with others in small groups when undertaking their investigations.

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SCIENCE

98. The quality of teaching is good overall. It is satisfactory in Years 1 and 2 with a range from satisfactory to good and it is good in Years 3 and 4. Lessons are very well prepared and resourced. Teachers research the content well and show good subject knowledge so they can answer the pupils’ questions. They revise effectively on previous work and share the lesson intentions effectively so the pupils know what they are going to study. Discussions are well focussed and they listen and value pupils’ contributions to lessons. Occasionally they tell the pupils too much instead of drawing the information from them, as when they were told why a control is necessary in investigations. They also on occasions do too much of the pupils’ Ickworth Park Primary - 36 - April 2003 thinking for them as when a graph was prepared for older pupils. The teacher plotted the results herself and had designed the colour system for plotting the results from

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SCIENCE

different groups on the same graph. Sometimes teachers do not use enough ‘how?’ questions to challenge the pupils’ thinking. They cater well for pupils who have special educational needs and support them well in lessons but the work is not sufficiently matched to the wide range of abilities in Years 1 and 2 and frequently all pupils do the same recording.

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SCIENCE

99. The subject is managed well by a small group of teachers who work together well. They are well informed about the National Curriculum and show much enthusiasm for their work. They have provided in-service training for the rest of the staff and have made presentations to the governors to keep them informed. They have good links with the middle school science department. Resources are satisfactory in range, amounts and quality. Pupils’ attainment and progress are similar to that at the time of the last inspection and but the work includes a greater emphasis on investigation that the pupils enjoy so much.

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ART AND DESIGN

100. Standards of attainment have improved since the last inspection and are now above average across the school and pupils make good progress, including those with special educational needs. They achieve well. A particular strength, observed mainly from past and displayed work, is the pupils’ thorough knowledge of the work of other artists and how this can be of inspiration in increasing their understanding of a range of techniques and styles and adapting them accordingly in their own work. Exploring and developing ideas through recording from direct observation are also strengths. The use of design elements to underpin the finished products in pattern and sculpture is much in evidence.

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ART AND DESIGN

101. In Year 1, batik paintings of designs inspired from closely observed oranges, lemon and limes are good examples of how closely pupils have observed the structure and colour of these fruits and have put them together in patterns that indicate an above average awareness of effective design. Year 2 pupils, through their exploration of Matisse’ use of shapes can describe and use the effect, for example, of ‘exploding stars’ in their individual pieces of work. Their paintings of trees in winter, inspired by Monet’s painting ‘The Magpie’, indicate a good understanding about mixing and using colours to create the texture of snow and the bark of the trees.

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ART AND DESIGN

102. In their art gallery, older pupils demonstrate the sureness of their design and art techniques to create effective geometric patterns. Past work, photographs contained in the school’s art portfolio, demonstrate an easy familiarity with the work of Andrew Goldsworthy in beach sculptures using natural materials of stones and shells in designs that reflect a good level of development by individuals.

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ART AND DESIGN

103. Teaching and learning observed in one lesson and inferred in the quality of past and displayed work, are never less than satisfactory and frequently good. A particular feature is the combination of high expectations supported by good subject knowledge. A thorough, systematic approach to the investigation and exploration of visual and tactile elements related to colour, line, texture, shape and tone is supported by the provision of a wide range of materials. Concentration on pupils evaluating and developing their skills as they proceed with their work is in need of further development. Very few displays reflected pupils’ own comments about their work. Ickworth Park Primary - 37 - April 2003 104. The leadership of the subject is good. The team of art co-ordinator and interested staff, including a teaching assistant, is an effective device for the fruitful exchange of ideas. Through the art evaluation undertaken two years ago, the co-ordinator has

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ART AND DESIGN

worked hard to build up effective support for other teachers. There is a long-term plan in place based upon nationally produced guidelines, which incorporates the progression of necessary skills at each year group level. Art packs and resources are carefully related to the key aspects of study. There are no formal methods of assessing pupils’ work, although samples of pupils’ work are kept.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

105. Standards of attainment achieved by the pupils at the end of Year 2 and when they leave school at the end of Year 4 are average. The school has maintained these standards since the last inspection. Pupils make sound progress. Much of the evidence has been gathered from displays, models and photographs and from one observed lesson. Pupils make good connections between their designs and the finished product but their capacity to evaluate processes and products and identify possible improvements as they go along is less in evidence. The quality of recorded work is sound. It is difficult to see how well higher achieving and older pupils are challenged, as there is very little difference in the quality of their written communication from those of other pupils.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

106. Pupils in Year 1 develop a sound understanding of how levers work in their chicken and egg project. Some pupils demonstrate a good understanding of design elements in their observational drawings of models made with construction toys. Years 1and 2 have investigated buildings in their ‘Can Building Speak?’ topic. They have looked perceptively at the material used and designed and made their own buildings, adding decoration in the style of Gaudi. They have designed and made to good effect ‘wind- up’ toys, for example, of flowers emerging from a grass verge. They have experimented successfully with their wind-up boats in the water to see if their devices for going forward and backward propel the boats successfully. Design is a strong element in their achievements. Diagrams are clearly drawn and labelled; suitable resources are recorded, what the model will look like and how it is to be made are

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

107. In Years 3 and 4, pupils have designed and made attractive money purses decorated with simple sewing stitches and they have successfully identified the key features for inclusion in their designs. Pupils’ planning and design of torches indicates well developed consideration for the important elements needed for success. The purpose, function and safety features are appropriately emphasised. Poster designs indicate pupils’ knowledge and understanding about key features that need to be highlighted for maximum effect.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

108. From the available evidence, the quality of teaching and learning is never less than sound. Teachers plan carefully according to the nationally produced scheme of work adapted to suit the needs of the school. Their use of resources is good and they are careful to ensure an appropriate breadth of study, but the use of information and communication technology in the subject is not well developed. Investigation and well defined practical tasks extend pupils’ grasp of a range of skills and techniques across the school but the pupils’ capacity to evaluate their work and suggest improvements is a weaker element.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

109. The leadership of the subject is good. The team is keen and has a good overview of strengths and areas for further development in the subject. An evaluation of teaching and learning, pupils’ achievements, resources and planning was undertaken in Ickworth Park Primary - 38 - April 2003 November 2002 which has provided the team with a good basis for action, clearly linked to priorities identified within the school’s development plan. There are no formal methods of assessment.

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GEOGRAPHY

110. No teaching was observed in Years 1 and 2 and there was not enough evidence to give a judgement on attainment by the end of Year 2. Very little work has been done since September 2002 because of the arrangements to teach history and geography at different times of the year. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 study the local area around the village. They contrast their village with Felixstowe and Southwold and explain differences . They name the four countries of the United Kingdom on a map. Only two lessons were seen in Years 3 and 4. Judgements based on these lessons, analysis of work and discussion with staff indicate that standards at the end of Year 4 are in line with national expectations. This is similar to the judgement in the last report.

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GEOGRAPHY

111. By the end of Year 4, pupils attain average standards of work in a project on weather. Pupils explain the climate in the various areas individual pupils study – France, North Africa and North Russia. They know the climate in north-west Scotland can be different from south-west England and that it may not rain for many years in the Australian Desert. In one lesson pupils wrote postcards to friends as if they were in the parts of the world that they were studying and were able to describe some weather conditions. In a different class of Year 3 and 4 pupils, such research skills and knowledge were at an earlier stage of development. Map reading skills are developing soundly. Most can pick out climatic conditions using a key in a map.

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GEOGRAPHY

112. The quality of teaching varies from satisfactory to good. In the good lesson, the pupils were keen and interested. They developed their understanding and worked at a good pace to describe the weather in different parts of the world. When teaching is only satisfactory, it is because better use could be made of resources to further pupils’ understanding. In the lessons observed, the pupils had good attitudes, behaved well and worked well together. Pupils made good progress in the lessons. Satisfactory use is made of literacy in the subject.

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GEOGRAPHY

113. Joint subject co-ordination has not been as strong as in other subjects since a member of the team left the school recently. The headteacher has recently joined the team in order to show continuity. The policy, which was written in 1997, will soon be renewed in conjunction with the middle school. Some topics from a national scheme of work are used but the school now feels that it is in a position to adopt more of these schemes. Resources are satisfactory. No formal assessment takes place, although staff note those pupils who are above or below the national level. The school readily seizes other opportunities to further the pupils’ knowledge of the world. It supports UNICEF and pupils learn about other countries, particularly the children’s way of life, through the countries being supported, currently Tanzania, and this adds to their geographical knowledge. During the Queen’s visit to the town

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GEOGRAPHY

during the Golden Jubilee year, the pupils released hundreds of balloons. Many went across the Channel and letters were received from Holland, Belgium and Germany which enabled the pupils to learn about the location of those countries.

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HISTORY

114. Pupils’ attainment by the end of Years 2 and Year 4 are broadly in line with National Curriculum expectations for the pupils’ ages. Across the school, pupils demonstrate an above average factual knowledge of events and people in the topics they have Ickworth Park Primary - 39 - April 2003 studied but are they are less secure in their recognition about why people did things and why events occurred and the result. The skills of historical enquiry are sound overall, but are better developed in Years 3 and 4. The programme of work, which is organised over a two year period, is well organised but there is not enough difference in the quality of work produced by higher attaining and older pupils to ensure that they are well challenged to improve their historical skills of enquiry and interpretation. Chronological understanding is mainly sound and further reinforced through planned historical experiences, such as visits to local historical sites, visitors in the guise of,

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HISTORY

for example, a Roman soldier, simulated historical events such as a well-researched, well resourced Elizabethan banquet.

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HISTORY

115. Pupils in Year 1 and 2 demonstrate considerable interest in their topic about Early Man and are keen to talk about what they know, some having additionally researched the topic from reference books and from family visits to the local museum. Their booklets about the subject in Year 2 contain detailed accounts about their studies. Pupils handle or look carefully at artefacts and can describe simple features when asked but are not fully encouraged to explore their own findings, ask why things are as they are, pose their own hypotheses and test these out during discussion or further research.

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HISTORY

116. No lessons were observed in Years 3 and 4 but there is enough photographic and written evidence available from which to make informed judgements about what pupils know and understand. They are encouraged to research their topics on, for example, famous explorers and they can organise their findings and communicate what they know through the use of captions, diagrams, maps, drawings and photographs. They ask and can provide answers but do not provide their own explanations about the consequences of main events. They do not do enough to identify some of the differences in the way the past is interpreted depending on point of view.

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HISTORY

117. Teaching, where it was observed in Years 1 and 2 and, by inference from the past work and current displays of pupils’ work in Years 3 and 4, is mostly good but with some weaknesses. Topics are thoroughly planned, researched and resourced. Full use is made of the local museum’s stock of artefacts and the locality and beyond through well planned visits, such as Years 3 and 4’s visit to Colchester Castle. Pupils are encouraged to record their work in a number of different ways and are encouraged to work in pairs and groups to do research. Not enough emphasis, however, is put on the development of historical skills and raising the level of challenge for the most able pupils. Satisfactory use is made of literacy skills in the subject.

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HISTORY

118. The co-ordination of the subject is sound. The team is relatively new but both members have good subject knowledge and demonstrate much enthusiasm for the subject. They have studied the evaluation of the subject completed last year and now have an overview of strengths and aspects that require further development. Good links have been made with the middle school. History is taught as a separate subject within planned topics based on, but adapted from a nationally produced scheme. The policy, written in June 1998 needs to be updated to reflect the National Curriculum changes made in 2000.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

119. Only two lessons were observed during the inspection. Judgements are based on these lessons, together with scrutiny of work and discussions with staff and pupils. Pupils’ attainment by the end of Years 2 and 4 is at expected levels and has been Ickworth Park Primary - 40 - April 2003 maintained since the last inspection. There has been some improvement in provision but there are still not enough computers to enable pupils in any one class to be taught together. The ratio of pupils to computers is still below the national recommendations.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

120. By Year 2, pupils show good mouse control. They use word-processing techniques with satisfactory skill to write sentences, which they can edit, save and print. They use a program’s tool bar effectively to select different colours and types of brushes and paint pictures, for example in the style of Mondrian. In one satisfactory lesson observed, pupils were taught informatively how to use the shift and return keys. However, progress in this lesson across the class was unsatisfactory as less than half the class were able to use the three computers available. These pupils used the computers satisfactorily and were able to make a vertical shopping list from a horizontal one.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

121. By the end of Year 4, pupils generate and amend texts with increasing skill and to a satisfactory level for their age. They can add colour to create pictures and do this well. They use CD ROMs effectively to research work about the Romans in history. They use control techniques to good effect in mathematics to draw geometrical shapes. Pupils can rotate a rectangle about a point to create a pattern of shapes.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

122. The quality of teaching is satisfactory in Years 1 and 2, and good in Years 3 and 4. Teachers are competent in teaching the subject. Sometimes the organisation is not sharp enough and too many pupils wait their turn. Where teaching is good, the pace is quicker and the stimulating questions from the teacher show that the pupils know and understand what they have been asked. For example, they were able to inform the teacher how to give correct commands for drawing and repeating shapes.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

123. Pupils have good attitudes to the subject. Pupils with special education needs and with English as an additional language make satisfactory progress. The policy has recently been updated. The schemes of work are based on a nationally known one with the effect that the teachers, who have all had training, have improved their subject knowledge. Co-ordination of the subject is good. Some monitoring of lessons of Years 3 and 4 takes place. As a result, teachers know their strengths and weaknesses and any improvements that need to be made. All staff and teaching assistants have participated in the national training. This has enabled the staff to become more confident. There is no formal assessment, although there is a pupil record sheet to ascertain the pupils’ progression.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

124. More computers are required to meet the needs of the curriculum so that at least two pupils can share one computer during a lesson. There was little evidence of information and communication technology being used in other subjects across the curriculum. This is an area for further development.

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MUSIC

125. Pupils’ attainment in music is not as high in Key Stage 1 as previously reported but nevertheless meets expectations for the end of Year 2. Pupils know and recognise the difference between low and high sounds and position their hands to show the difference between the two, as when they listened to the sounds made by two chime bars played in turn. They place coloured stickers on two lines drawn on an acetate sheet to represent the difference between high and low sounds and compose a ‘tune’ which they play back using chime bars or other percussion instruments to do this. They enjoy singing and do so with suitable harmony and rhythm and have a good sense of pitch. By the end of Year 4, pupils have good skills in clapping back a Ickworth Park Primary - 41 - April 2003 rhythm. They concentrate well as they clap the teacher’s rhythm and at the same time observe the teacher clapping a different rhythm which they repeat whilst

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MUSIC

watching for another change of rhythm to repeat. They sing in tune and effectively keep the rhythm as when they accompany a nursery rhyme with their own style of accompaniment, such as humming. They have a good sense of beat and quickly pick up the pulse of a West Indian melody. They think of another beat that matches the same tune. They maintain a repeated phrase of notes or words (an ostinato) and can maintain this whilst another and different ostinato is played and the rest of the pupils sing.

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MUSIC

126. Only two lessons could be observed, one in each key stage. Both were of sound quality. Both lessons were prepared well and resources were ready for use. In the Year 1 and 2 lesson, the teacher demonstrated effectively how to play a chime bar correctly and how to stop it vibrating. She used an effective strategy to get pupils to demonstrate they understood high and low sound and involved the pupils successfully in the demonstration of this. The pace was satisfactory. Some sections of the lesson were over prolonged. In the Year 3 and 4 lesson, the teacher began the lesson at a very brisk pace and undertook some exciting rhythm work that really stretched the pupils’ and made them concentrate very hard to which the pupils responded very well. They showed very good levels of concentration and interest. The pace fell off when more reference was made to the published scheme but some interesting ostinato was undertaken with good use of music from another culture.

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MUSIC

Pupils enjoyed the work and they worked well together. They show good levels of interest in music.

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MUSIC

127. The co-ordinator and assistant co-ordinator for music have a good theoretical background in the subject. Resources for the subject are adequate. There is an extra-curricular private venture that a good number of the pupils attend after school showing their interest in music. Pupils currently have no opportunity in school to learn an instrument, though several pupils learn privately. One pupil gave a creditable performance on the violin during an assembly. On occasion a group of students from the upper school performs for the pupils to help with studies in history and plays Elizabethan music. Music is played regularly in assembly and changed daily. Whilst the name of the composer is written up at the side of the hall for pupils to refer to, the music is not referred to enough during the assembly to talk about its meaning or mood or the composer.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

128. Pupils’ attainment is broadly similar to that at the time of the last inspection, given the limited range of activities that could be observed in each key stage. No observations could be made of dance or of gymnastics in Years 1 and 2 nor games in Years 3 and 4. Pupils’ attainment is in line with expectations throughout the school in those activities observed which were principally games in Years 1 and 2 and gymnastics in Years 3 and 4. Pupils make sound progress and their achievements are satisfactory.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

129. By the end of Year 2 pupils throw accurately and have appropriate catching skills for their age. They show satisfactory dribbling skills with their feet and keep a large ball under reasonable control. They stop a rolling ball by placing their foot over the top. They play fairly and co-operate well with one another in activities. By the end of Year 4, pupils slide along benches and show some invention as when they support the weight of their body with their hands as they travel across a bench. Some pupils show good balancing skills as they hold a balance with one foot and one hand and others balance on two hands placed on the floor in a crouched position. They demonstrate a growing awareness of the need to change smoothly from one Ickworth Park Primary - 42 - April 2003 movement to another. This is shown as they change from supporting their body with four points, such as two hands and two feet and then to three and on to two in a

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

pattern of movement (sequence). The teacher effectively describes these sequences as ‘a sentence with a starting position and a finishing position’ and by a pupil; ‘it’s like doing joined up handwriting’. Some pupils perform good quality and inventive rolling movements. They jump from a trestle making twisted and star jumps. They try hard with a finishing position but rarely sufficiently extend themselves when jumping off equipment. A very small number of Year 4 girls show work of a very good quality in gymnastics.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

130. The quality of teaching is satisfactory and ranges from satisfactory to good in each key stage. Teachers set a good example for the pupils in their style of dress for physical education lessons. Pupils change into appropriate clothing for activity though frequently they get changed at too leisurely pace, which then bites into the time available for activity. The bare-footed approach works well, shown in some of the sensitivity of their footwork.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

131. Teachers set out the ground rules suitably before activity begins so they are reminded of health and safety issues and ensuring the lesson runs smoothly. Resources are used effectively in lessons but they are not always ready for the start of the lesson. Sometimes the teachers talk too much and this affects the pace of the lesson, the amount of activity and the rigour of pupils’ work. Teachers generally ensure that pupils handle the equipment correctly, though sometimes do not insist that the pupils look in the direction they are going when carrying large equipment. Routines for getting out the equipment are not well established, are over prolonged and further affect the pace of the lesson and the amount of time available for activity. Teachers encourage pupils to have good starting and finishing position in their movements but rarely get the pupils to really extend themselves. The pace and

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

challenge in the work are sometimes too leisurely. Teachers intervene effectively when pupils are working and question and comment well to get the pupils to think more about what they are doing. ‘How are you going to begin?’ ‘Can you combine a movement on the floor and the apparatus?’ Demonstration is sometimes used effectively to teach technique in gymnastics but this is not always done at the best part of the lesson so that pupils can benefit from what they have seen and try other ideas out for themselves. Teachers usually demonstrate skills in game technique effectively. Whilst good use is made of a whistle outside they are used inappropriately indoors.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

132. Pupils enjoy their work but often work too leisurely. Generally they work quietly. They listen attentively to their teachers and stop quickly when requested. They cooperate well together in getting out and putting away equipment. Occasionally they go off task and do their own thing as when Years 1/ 2 boys decided to pass their ball in pairs instead of practising their dribbling skills in. They usually control their equipment well when the teacher is explaining something.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

133. The accommodation for physical education is good overall. There is adequate external hard surface area for games activities and a suitably sized field but its use is restricted during wet weather because of drainage difficulties. The hall is well surfaced with only a small amount of storage space, so that some equipment has to be kept on the perimeter. Other items of furniture are also kept on the perimeter, reducing the overall working space and presenting a health and safety issue. Resources are satisfactory.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

134. The principal co-ordinator is knowledgeable and keen and provides a good example in her own teaching of the subject. She, together with colleagues, has produced the Ickworth Park Primary - 43 - April 2003 school’s own dance scheme and the resources for this aspect of the work are very well organised. The school takes part in some inter-school football competitions in which it achieves considerable success. There is an effective curriculum that includes swimming.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

135. Pupils are making satisfactory progress and generally attaining the standards expected in the locally agreed syllabus by the end of Years 2 and 4. These findings are similar to the last report and show that satisfactory progress is being made. The policy and schemes of work are based on the County policy. The school follows the syllabus effectively with much support from the Local Education Authority. The syllabus for the school includes Christianity and Judaism. In addition Islam is taught in Years 1 and 2, and Hinduism is taught in Years 3 and 4. Satisfactory use is made of literacy skills in the subject.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

136. By the end of Year 2, pupils reach the expected standard in their knowledge and understanding of the subject. They know that the Muslim’s special book is the Qu’ran and they understand what happens in a Muslim family when a baby is born. They know that Muslims fast at Ramadan. In Christianity, pupils are familiar with special celebrations such as harvest, Christmas and Easter. Pupils make satisfactory progress by the end of Years 2 and 4. Their knowledge and understanding are in line with the expectation of the locally agreed syllabus.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

137. By the end of Year 4, the pupils have increased their understanding of the Jewish faith by becoming familiar with the significance to Jews of the festival of Sukkoth. Pupils know how colour is used to express feelings and they become more familiar with specific times of the church calendar such as the events that surround Easter.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

138. The quality of teaching in the school is predominantly good. Three of the four lessons were good and the fourth lesson very good. Teachers in the year groups plan together over a two-year cycle of themes which facilitates continuity and overcomes the difficulty of mixed ages. The teachers research the content well and have good subject knowledge. Lessons are well constructed. Teachers inspire the pupils in discussion by their choice of themes, for example Years 3 and 4 pupils were discussing angels.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

139. Some good teaching was observed. In a lesson for pupils in Years 1 and 2, the teacher emphasised the Islamic faith as a way of life. There was a brisk pace to the lesson and good use of resources, including a tape of a Muslim wedding which helped the pupils’ understanding. Pupils’ progress in religious education is at least good and sometimes very good.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

140. The co-ordination of the subject is good. Monitoring of books enables the co- ordinators to check on progress. It also ensures that all aspects are being taught. Resources are satisfactory. The Local Education Authority’s borrowing service for religious artefacts enables pupils to see at first hand the sort of vestments and objects used in the religion being studied. Assessment takes place at the end of a topic or theme so that the teachers can establish how much the pupils know and understand. Visits have taken place to the Jewish synagogue in Cambridge. This gives the pupils first hand knowledge of the interior of a synagogue and how the Jews worship. Pupils also study the church in Horringer, although the church is too small to hold all pupils and parents for Carol and Harvest Festival services. Pupils in Year 3 partake in a Carol Service in Bury St Edmund’s Cathedral. For many, this will

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

be the only occasion of singing together in a cathedral with other choirs. Ickworth Park Primary - 44 - April 2003 141. Religious education lessons make a good contribution, together with acts of worship, to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and to their literacy skills. The emphasis that teachers place on the need to show care and concern for others supports the teaching of religious education and contributes well to pupils’ personal development.

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