St Nicholas CofE Primary School

ST NICHOLAS C E PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 23 rd – 26 th June 2003

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ST NICHOLAS C E PRIMARY 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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ST NICHOLAS C E PRIMARY SCHOOL

Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the school must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. St Nicholas C E Primary School - 1

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Manor Farm Avenue Shepperton Middlesex

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mrs N Searle

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: February 1998 St Nicholas C E Primary School - 2

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Aspect responsibilities

23101 Mr B Tyrer Registered inspector Art and Design Music Inclusion The school’s results and pupils’ achievements How well are pupils taught? 9079 Mrs A Moss Lay inspector Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents?

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Aspect responsibilities

22778 Mrs A Shannon Team inspector English History Special educational needs 23054 Mr G Johnson Team inspector French 2756 Mr M Barron Team inspector Science Information and communication technology Physical education 15011 Mrs M Wallace Team inspector Design and technology Foundation Stage How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils? 32021 Mr A McClean Team inspector Mathematics Geography How well is the school led and managed? The inspection contractor was:

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Aspect responsibilities

Tribal PPI Barley House Oakfield Grove Bristol BS8 2BN

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Aspect responsibilities

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

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Aspect responsibilities

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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Aspect responsibilities

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE St Nicholas C E Primary School - 3

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 4 - 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? 8 - 10

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

The school is situated in the Shepperton Town ward. There are 560 pupils on roll of whom 60 are in the Reception Year. The school is much bigger than the average primary school. Numbers of boys and girls are almost identical and the great majority of pupils are white and have English as their first language. Eleven pupils from a wide range of minority ethnic groups have English as an additional language and two are at the early stages of English language acquisition. As a proportion of the school roll this is higher than average. The school has 42 pupils who are identified as being eligible for free school meals and as a proportion of the school roll this is below the national average. The proportion of pupils identified as having special educational needs is above average and of those having a statement, broadly average. Pupils’ special needs are mainly attributable to dyslexia and moderate learning difficulties. The

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

attainment of children on entry to the Reception classes is above what might be expected nationally.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a very effective school and one that gives very good value for money. Pupils of all ages are making good progress and are achieving well. Children in the Foundation Stage make good progress and their achievement is good. Inspection shows that teaching is very good in the Foundation Stage and good throughout the rest of the school. Standards for pupils in Year 6 are well above average in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science. The leadership and management of the headteacher and key staff are excellent. This is at the heart of the school’s success. The governing body is making a very good contribution to the effective running of the school. The school is careful to see that, in the main, pupils of all abilities are catered for and opportunities are also provided for pupils, particularly through extra-curricular activities to display skills and talents which are well above average.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Those pupils who have special educational needs are very well provided for. The school has very effective policies to promote equal opportunity and racial equality. Pupils achieve equally well regardless of gender or ethnicity.

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What the school does well

• The attainment of pupils in Year 6 is well above average in English, mathematics and science and pupils are achieving well. • Teaching is good overall. • Pupils’ personal development, relationships and behaviour are excellent, attitudes to school are very good and attendance is above average. • The school provides an excellent curriculum as well as making excellent provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. • The school takes very good care of its pupils. • The leadership of the headteacher and key staff are excellent and the governing body has an excellent understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school and is very good at fulfilling its responsibilities and shaping the direction of the school.

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What could be improved

• The consistency with which higher attaining pupils throughout the school, but particularly in Years 1-5, are challenged in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science. 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 a very good improvement since the time it was last inspected in 1998. The key issues from the previous inspection report have been well addressed although attention still needs to be given to the level of challenge provided to higher attaining pupils. There have been improvements to St Nicholas C E Primary School - 5 teaching, the curriculum and the leadership and management of the school. The school’s capacity for continued improvement is excellent.

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STANDARDS

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

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Key

English A A C D well above average above average A B

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Key

mathematics B A C D average below average C D

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Key

Children in the Reception classes enter school with levels of attainment that are higher than average and they make good progress and achieve well so that by the end of the year they are attaining standards that are well above expectations for their age. Pupils throughout the rest of the school make good progress and achieve well. The attainment of pupils in Year 6 in National Curriculum tests in 2002 was average in English and mathematics and above average in science. In comparison with similar schools these results were below average in English and mathematics and in line for science. Previous years’ results were clearly higher and the 2002 results are accounted for by the high proportion of pupils in the cohort who had special educational needs. Inspection shows that standards have returned to previous levels and attainment is now well above the national expectations in English, mathematics and science

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Key

for pupils in the current Year 6. Pupils in Year 2 achieved standards in National Curriculum tests in 2002 that were above the national average for reading and mathematics and which were well above in writing. Their science attainment was in the top five per cent of all schools for pupils reaching the expected level. The pupils’ performance was average in reading and mathematics and above average in writing when judged against similar schools. Improvement, over time which is at least in line with that seen nationally, is being made in attainment for pupils in Year 6. Inspection now shows that the attainment of pupils in Year 2 is above national expectations in English, mathematics and science. Pupils’ attainment is above national expectation in Year 2 and Year 6 in almost all other subjects. The exceptions are music and art in both age groups and history in Year 2 where they are in line with

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Key

expectations. It is anticipated that pupils in the current Year 6 will meet the challenging targets set for them. The school has set reasonable targets for pupils taking tests in 2004.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Very good. Pupils have very positive attitudes to school. They take advantage of what it has to offer and work hard.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Excellent throughout the day both in and around school.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Excellent. They show very high levels of responsibility and initiative. St Nicholas C E Primary School - 6 Attendance Good. It is above average.

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

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

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

Teaching is good overall. The skills of literacy and numeracy are well taught. The provision for the development of communication, language and literacy skills and mathematics for children in the Reception Year is very good. The teaching of basic skills is good, as is the teaching of English, mathematics and science. All pupils are effectively included because of good lesson planning but this does not always extend to higher attaining pupils in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science. The quality of planning ensures that pupils build systematically on their skills, knowledge and understanding. Those pupils who have special educational needs are very well provided for and they also make good progress and achieve well. Teachers manage their pupils well and relationships are excellent. They give generously of their time thus enabling pupils to enjoy a wide range of extra- curricular activities. Pupils respond very well, enjoy their lessons and work hard.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Excellent. This has improved since the time of the last inspection. A notable feature is the excellent number of extra-curricular opportunities offered to pupils.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Very good. Those with different levels of need and those with statements make good progress and achieve well as a result.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Good. The small number of pupils in this category is well provided for and their progress is effectively monitored.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Excellent overall . An improvement since the time of the last inspection. This has a major impact on the very positive attitudes and behaviour of pupils.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Very good. Assessment procedures are much improved since the time of the last inspection. Use of assessment is good.

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Aspect Comment

The parents have very positive views of the school and the school works very well with them. St Nicholas C E Primary School - 7

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and manage- ment by the headteacher and other key staff Excellent. An improvement since the time of the last inspection. The headteacher’s vision and commitment are most effectively supported and put into place by those staff with key roles. There is an excellent commitment from and capacity to succeed by, all members of staff. How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Very good. The governing body has an excellent understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses and is very effective in shaping the direction of the school. The school’s evaluation of its performance Very good. The school has effective systems in place and this contributes greatly to the quality of teaching and learning and hence standards. The strategic use of resources Very good. The school is using and managing its finances very effectively.

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Aspect Comment

Staffing, accommodation and learning resources are good and are well used. The school is careful to ensure it obtains best value from all of its spending.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Teaching is good. • The school is well led and managed. • That their children make good progress. • That the school has high expectations. • The closeness with which the school works with parents. • Information about how their child is getting on. • The range of extra-curricular activities. • The amount of homework.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspection team agrees with the very positive views expressed by the parents both through the questionnaire and at the meeting. It finds that the school does work well with parents and that they are well informed about their children’s progress. The inspection team judge that provision for extra- curricular activities is excellent and that homework is generally used well in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science. St Nicholas C E Primary School - 8

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. The attainment of children on entry to the Foundation Stage in the Reception classes is generally above what might be expected nationally and is particularly marked in the pupils in the current Reception class. Because of this and the very good teaching they receive in the Reception Year they make very good progress and achieve and often exceed the targets set for children of their age. This is the case in all areas of their curriculum.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. National Curriculum test results for pupils in Year 2 in 2002 were:

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

• Above average for reading and mathematics and well above average for writing when compared with all schools. • Average in comparison with similar schools in reading and mathematics and above average in writing. • Very high (in the top five per cent) for pupils attaining the expected level in teacher assessed science.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. The results over time for pupils at the end of Year 2 show some fluctuations but improvement in attainment is generally at a better rate than that seen nationally. Attainment at present is above expectations in these areas of the curriculum with differences being due to the nature of the two different year groups for whom data is given. There is very little difference, either in the test results and the findings of the inspection, in the way that boys and girls are performing from the way they do nationally.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. National Curriculum tests for pupils in Year 6 in 2002 were untypical when viewed against performance over the previous years in that they were lower principally due to the high proportion of special needs pupils in that particular cohort. They showed:

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

• Attainment in English and mathematics was average and in science was above average in comparison with all schools. • Based on free school meals, the attainment against similar schools was below average in English and mathematics and average in science. • That the cohort achieved as expected, against targets set for them.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. Because of the 2002 results, which took a significant dip, the improvement in the attainment of pupils over time is broadly in line with the national picture. Prior to 2002 the average National Curriculum test points for the performance of pupils in English has been consistently above average since 1999. This disguises a drop in points scored in 2001 at a time when improvement in attainment nationally slowed down. The performance of pupils in mathematics dropped to above average in 2000 before returning to its previously well above average position of 1999 in 2001. Performance in science improved from above average in 1999 to well above average in 2000. Despite a slight points drop in 2001 this performance remained well above average. There is nothing to suggest from inspection findings that the relative performance of boys and girls differs from that seen nationally.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. Attainment in English is above expectations for pupils in Year 2 and well above expectations for pupils in Year 6. Pupils are achieving well. Pupils in Year 2 listen carefully and are thus able to follow instructions well. As confident speakers they are keen to contribute to discussions. When St Nicholas C E Primary School - 9 they do this many use clear and extended sentences. At Year 6 pupils regularly work in pairs to formulate an opinion. They have good technical and subject specific vocabulary, which they use effectively. They are confident and clear when speaking before larger audiences such as in assembly. Younger pupils in Year 2 are generally fluent readers with good attitudes towards books. They detail the plot of their book and offer some suggestions as to how they think it will end. They read aloud with good expression. Lower attaining readers are given good support as they acquire the

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

phonic skills necessary for the decoding of difficult or unusual words. By the end of Year 6 pupils are very good readers. They read a wide range of material, some of which is very demanding, for a range of purposes including for pleasure. They also use the library very well and have good skills in locating and interpreting information. By the end of Year 2 most pupils write accurate sentences using full stops and capital letters. They use their writing skills well in support of other areas of the curriculum. In Year 6 pupils write effectively for a wide range of purposes. They produce notes, reports, diary entries and various pieces of creative writing, including poetry, some of which shows very high levels of empathy and attainment. They also edit their work to good effect. Handwriting by the end of Year 6 is joined and fluent and levels of presentation are good.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7. Attainment in mathematics is above expectation for pupils in Year 2 and well above expectation for pupils in Year 6. Pupils are achieving well. Pupils in Year 2 are able to work effectively with hundreds, tens and units and use addition, subtraction, multiplication and division effectively. They can explain their thinking clearly and give carefully considered reasons for what they have done. They tell the time to half and quarter hours and find half or quarter of simple amounts. In Year 6, the higher attainers look at a problem and begin to hypothesise about relationships or patterns and follow their thinking through to a logical conclusion. Pupils work effectively with fractions, decimals and percentages and can readily convert them. They use information and communication technology well in producing a graph for the conversion of currencies – particularly helpful as they have visited France recently.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

8. Attainment in science is above expectations for pupils in Year 2 and well above expectations for pupils in Year 6. All pupils achieve well. Year 2 pupils enjoy investigative work and experiment with melting ice. They can also say why a simple circuit works. Pupils in Year 6 understand fair testing and are able to introduce variables into their experiments. This is shown to good effect when they investigate forces and how parachutes work.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

9. Inspection shows that pupils are achieving well. Standards in other subjects are above expectations for pupils in Years 2 and 6 in all but music and art where they meet expectations and for pupils in Year 2 in history where they also meet expectations. All pupils achieve well in the foundation subjects because the school expects them to and they share this expectation.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

10. All children with special educational needs make good progress in relation to the targets set for them in their individual education plans and some make very good progress and achieve their targets and are taken off the register. They have good attitudes to the school and work hard during lessons. Pupils with English as an additional language make good progress and achieve well as do pupils from minority ethnic groups. There is no up-to-date register for gifted and talented pupils. Higher attaining pupils in Year 6 are given challenging extension work in English and mathematics and science but they are generally not so well provided for in these subjects in other years. The school has set challenging targets for the current Year 6 and it is anticipated that the targets will be met. Targets for 2004 also appear to be realistically based.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

11. Pupils now have very good attitudes to school and to learning and this is an improvement since the last inspection. Parents report that pupils enjoy coming to school and this ensures that most arrive on time each morning. When they arrive, they are happy and looking forward to their day. Pupils are polite, cheerful and eager to learn. They have a very positive approach to school and try hard to meet their teachers’ expectations. For example, this was evident in a Year 4 literacy lesson when pupils worked very hard reading poems with expression. All pupils listened well and took part eagerly in the lesson. Pupils’ very positive attitudes to learning were seen in most lessons, including in the classes for the Foundation Stage. The safe, welcoming and calm atmosphere St Nicholas C E Primary School - 10 provides an environment that encourages pupils to do their best and pupils respond very well. They

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

develop very good work habits and settle quickly to tasks. Sustained levels of concentration were observed in most lessons, as seen, for example, in a Reception class free choice activities lesson. The children worked very well independently at their different tasks and remained focused, even when not directly supervised. An example of this was also seen in a Year 3 literacy lesson when pupils showed sustained concentration when engaged in different activities, also working independently. 12. Behaviour in and around school is excellent. When pupils are moving around the school and in lessons, they do so with a minimum of fuss without wasting time. There is no evidence of oppressive behaviour, bullying or racism. The school’s very caring and supportive climate for learning encourages pupils to get on very well together and there is excellent racial harmony. Examples of excellent behaviour were seen in assemblies, at lunchtimes and in many lessons such

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

as in a Year 6 literacy lesson when pupils were describing the style of a writer. They were very attentive and involved in the lesson.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13. There are excellent relationships amongst pupils and between pupils and adults. Excellent levels of co-operation and collaboration were noted in many lessons, as, for example, in a Year 2 Information and Communication Technology lesson when pupils were looking for information. They worked together very well sharing computers and books. Higher and lower attaining pupils work very well together, readily sharing their knowledge and skills and this helps them learn better. On occasions, pupils showed their appreciation of each other by giving spontaneous applause when one of them achieved well. They understand and follow school rules very well and treat each other and adults with the utmost courtesy and respect. Examples of this were seen in a Year 1 science lesson when pupils were looking at forces and in a Year 5 lesson when pupils were putting decimals in order. Teachers use personal, social and health education lessons very well to help pupils

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

recognise their worth as individuals and to see themselves as others see them. Through these lessons, pupils develop an understanding of the impact of their actions on others and learn to respect each other’s feelings, values and beliefs.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. Pupils’ personal development is also excellent. They readily accept responsibility for performing tasks around the school, for example, in setting up the hall for assemblies and looking after younger children. They act as playground ‘Buddies’, as ‘Study Buddies’ in the classrooms and as school monitors. Older pupils are given responsibility to coach the younger ones in the gymnastics club. The school council meets regularly and the pupils are encouraged to think for themselves, to act sensibly and to take responsibility.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

15. Attendance levels are good, as they were at the time of the last inspection. The rates dropped a little last year but are now just above the national average. There have been no exclusions during the past year.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

16. The quality of teaching is good. It was very good or better in about a third of lessons and good in just over half. The remainder was satisfactory. No unsatisfactory teaching was observed. Teaching was very good for children in the Foundation Stage, where there was a much higher proportion of very good teaching than in the rest of the school. The proportion of good and better teaching was higher for pupils in Years 3 to 6 than in Years 1 and 2. Very good teaching was observed in all key stages and in most subjects of the curriculum. This constitutes a very good improvement since the time of the last inspection. There are several reasons for the improvement but this is chiefly due to the high quality of leadership and management now found in the school. National initiatives for literacy and numeracy and national guidelines for other subjects have also made a good contribution. The school’s excellent commitment to appraisal and continuing professional development has also

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

ensured that teachers have received the most appropriate and effective training.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

17. Teaching has many strengths and little that needs to be improved across the board. Where lessons had weaknesses these tended to relate to the circumstances in which the particular lesson was taught and were specific to that lesson. Two of the very best lessons in literacy and numeracy were St Nicholas C E Primary School - 11 taught to higher attaining pupils in Year 6 and amongst the factors that contributed to their excellence was the high level of challenge that was presented. The main criticism of teaching is that this level of challenge is not always present for higher attainers in other year groups – particularly in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

18. Teachers have very good subject knowledge and competence so that in areas like art, music and physical education, for example, they display high levels of skill themselves and so make exacting demands of their pupils. They look critically and constructively at what pupils are doing, make their evaluations clear and help the pupils to raise the standard of what they are doing. Because the management of pupils is very good and relationships are excellent, pupils confidently evaluate their own work and suggest how they might improve it. Pupils show the greatest respect when they participate in the evaluation of each other’s work. They do this with an empathy that typifies the excellent relationships that are seen throughout the school.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

19. The teachers’ very good skills and knowledge are mirrored in the way that literacy and numeracy skills are taught. They have very effectively utilised the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies and the teaching of basic skills is very good. Allied to this is the very good way in which they integrate areas of the curriculum so that, for example a Year 6 visit to France impacts on history, geography art, French and music. This gives the subject matter a real sense of relevance to the pupils.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

20. Pupils with special educational needs are given very good support by the special educational needs coordinator, special needs teacher and the learning support assistants (LSAs). The LSAs play a vital role in managing the children and guiding them in their activities. All have very good relationships with the children and they offer unobtrusive but effective support. As a result, children make good progress. Lower attaining children receive support in lessons from classroom assistants who help them develop their spelling and reading skills.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

21. Lesson planning, which is generally good and excellent in the Foundation Stage, shows the care and level of expectation that teachers have for their pupils. Because it was of such a good standard, the temporary teachers who were seen during the inspection functioned well. Teachers make good use of resources and in many lessons the use of technology such as overhead projectors is commonplace and contributes well to pupils’ learning.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

22. It is clear that teachers enjoy what they are doing. Their enthusiasm is picked up by the pupils who were, for example, thrilled by their trip to Normandy. As part of a very strong commitment to providing a wide and exciting curriculum for their pupils, teachers are prepared to give generous amounts of time to extra-curricular activities. This extends the curriculum further and presents pupils with the opportunity to perform at very high levels and thus display exceptional levels of achievement.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

23. The ethos that drives the teaching and which stems from the school’s vision statement has a major effect on the pupils who respond very well. Classrooms are places where objectives are understood and commitment to high achievement is apparent. They are also places where pupils can grow securely as people. Knowing this the pupils are confident and happy to be involved. The learning process is one that they find enjoyable. As a result they learn well and make good progress.

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

24. The quality and range of the curriculum are excellent and constitute a significant improvement since the time of the last inspection. All pupils have access to a rich and stimulating variety of learning experiences. All statutory requirements are met. The curriculum is based on the school’s vision statement which has been created in consultation with all members of the school community and local church.

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

25. The school provides an excellent broad and balanced curriculum that caters for a wide range of interests and abilities. The strengths of the curriculum are rooted in exciting and enjoyable first hand experiences with quality learning across a broad range of subject areas, including French. St Nicholas C E Primary School - 12 Progression in all subject areas is clearly evident because planning is excellent. Progress is further enriched by an excellent programme of cross-curricular work and topics that add to this provision. The school has effectively introduced the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies and these are having a very good impact on learning in English and mathematics. The school enriches the curriculum further by ensuring pupils explore a range of texts from different cultures. Since the last inspection there has been very good improvement overall in the curriculum because the school has

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

created the vision statement and considered very carefully how to implement it.

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

26. There is very good provision for pupils with special educational needs. Procedures are very well organised. The requirements of the new Code of Practice for special needs are fully met. The coordinator and the support work very effectively with all members of staff. The special educational needs coordinator (SENCO) is responsible for organising the support pupils with special needs receive and she, with the support of the staff, ensures that they have full access to the curriculum. Eleven pupils have a statement of special need and the school has ensured that their needs, as specified in the statement, are fully met. Individual targets for pupils with special needs are reviewed regularly to monitor each pupil’s progress towards the learning targets and to set new ones. The school also ensures that provision matches the individual pupil’s education plan. Pupils’ progress is very carefully tracked and if targets are not met the SENCO investigates the reason. There are

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

many initiatives used to support pupils, for example, the additional literacy strategy, ‘Reading Recovery’ and an initiative new to the school, called ‘Tracks’. The school ensures that there is full inclusion for pupils on the special needs register.

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

27. The school has improved the curriculum for children in the Foundation Stage, especially the outdoor provision and this is now a strong aspect. The provision in Reception classes is excellent and enables children to make good progress in all of the areas of learning. All areas of learning are effectively promoted and this contributes to children developing a very positive attitude to school and an enjoyment in all they do. Most children start school with above average attainment, particularly so in the case of the current Reception Year and the school still manages to add significant gains to their learning through a wealth of learning activities and experiences.

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

28. The provision for ICT has been improved through the creation of the computer suite that allows for whole-class teaching of basic skills in the subject. The outstanding strength of the curriculum is evident in the cross-curricular use of all subject areas to enrich and enhance learning and the use of cross-curricular themes, most radiating from first hand learning experiences. The school continually evaluates its curriculum to check that it meets the needs of all pupils.

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

29. The curriculum is enriched by the excellent range and quality of extra-curricular clubs which provide rich opportunities for pupils to extend their talents in music, sporting activities, drama, French and gardening. Many of these cater for pupils in Years 3 to 6. A high percentage of pupils take part in extra-curricular clubs and activities and benefit from the very good quality learning experiences. In gymnastics club, pupils develop a wide range of quality gymnastic skills which helps them to achieve well in local and national competitions. These sessions are often led by skilled pupils from Year 6 who gain confidence and responsibility in their coaching role and exemplify the way the school utilises every learning opportunity. The younger pupils gain from the experience and knowledge of the older pupils. The afternoon playtime is used well to promote physical skills. Younger pupils develop their skills of throwing, striking, receiving and aiming balls. A significant

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

number of pupils attend French club, which is offered to all pupils from the Reception to Year 6. The residential trips and visits out of school further enrich the curriculum for older pupils. During the trip to Scargill, for example, pupils extend their history, geography and physical skills. Pupils walk the area, learning for example, how limestone pavements are created.

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

30. There are very good opportunities for personal, social and health education and the school has recently received a ‘Healthy Schools’ award. A carefully planned progressive scheme of work for personal, social and health education, (PSHE) and citizenship steers the provision. The sensitive provision for sex education is supported with the help of the school nurse. The Life Education Bus helps pupils learn about the dangers of drugs. Pupils learn to know about the effect of alcohol and are given good strategies for dealing with peer pressure. St Nicholas C E Primary School - 13 31. There are very strong links with the local community. The school and local church work in partnership on many initiatives. The local police and fire services all work with the school to improve awareness of danger. There are strong sporting links with the local cricket and athletics club.

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

32. There are very good links with local school and partner institutions. Staff visit local nurseries and play groups and there is regular communication and involvement with the local secondary schools. Regular visits are made to the local infant school. As a result, the transition of new pupils into the school curriculum is carried out smoothly. There are regular exchange visits with the local school for pupils with severe learning difficulties and this in turn makes a very good contribution to pupils’ personal development.

p.15

HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

33. Spiritual development throughout the school is excellent. All provision for spiritual, moral, social and cultural education stems from the vision statement which was produced after careful consultation with all members of the school and the church. Opportunities for reflection and appreciation of others permeate the school and contribute to the very strong ethos. During the inspection, a buzz of excitement was observed in many lessons and the joy of learning was evident. The school is very successful in fostering a sense of belonging and community within the school. It has developed a shared appreciation of values through the vision statement and the strong impact of religious education within the school. There is a strong ethos that permeates the school and this has a positive impact on attitudes and behaviour throughout the whole school. Assemblies are well planned and fulfil the statutory requirements for Christian worship. Pupils have excellent

p.15

HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

opportunities to develop empathy and consideration for the needs of others. For example, in English, pupils were encouraged to consider the feelings of people involved in the recent war in Iraq. Year 6 pupils wrote their own powerful poems in the style of the author Brian Patten after considering different views and perspectives. One Year 6 pupil wrote in her version of the ‘New- comer’ poem.

p.15

HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

‘There’s something new in the papers’ I heard an old man say ‘Its headlines are harsh and depressing And they’re right in your face every day.’

p.15

HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

34. The provision for pupils’ moral development is excellent. Very clear codes of behaviour and values are embedded in the life of the school and ensure all pupils develop a mature understanding of their responsibilities. All classes contribute to the school rules. Behaviour is excellent inside the school and outside in informal play situations. Pupils are very polite and courteous to visiting adults at all times. Teachers have established a supportive atmosphere in which pupils’ moral development is successfully cultivated. From the time they enter the school, pupils are expected to behave sensibly, take care of resources and tidy up at the end of lessons. The excellent behaviour in the school leads to an excellent level of moral awareness.

p.15

HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

35. The provision for pupils’ social development is excellent. Relationships and provision for social and cultural development contribute to the strong awareness of the wider world and an appreciation of the school as a family community. From the time children enter the school in the Reception, excellent relationships between parents, children and all adults in the school are well established. Teachers provide excellent role models for their pupils and respect for individual people is nurtured throughout the school. This has a positive impact on pupils’ social development. During the inspection, many instances were observed of pupils supporting and helping each other. The school places a very strong emphasis on caring for and considering others and respecting their views and values. Midday supervisors and support staff feel valued and their work within the school is greatly appreciated. Older pupils develop responsibility through the ‘Buddy’ system taking care of younger

p.15

HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

pupils in the playground and a very effective partnership exists between pupils in the Reception and a Year 4 class. All members of the school have contributed to projects such as designing the stained glass windows, which symbolises the vision statement. Pupils are encouraged to become involved in decision making, for example, in suggesting a name for the nature reserve. Older pupils develop responsibility, selecting, planting and deciding rules for the wild life area. The school council provides opportunities for all pupils to understand the democratic process in, for example, discussing ideas for helping others and in issues concerned with improving the life of the school. St Nicholas C E Primary School - 14 Appropriate opportunities are given during lessons for pupils to work individually, with a partner and in small groups and the school encourages pupils to develop the personal qualities that are valued

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

in a civilised society. The school has a very good range of appropriate resources for use during the lunchtime. This has a significant impact on the quality of play during the informal break times and on pupils’ social development.

p.16

HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

36. Provision for pupils’ cultural development is very good. Awareness and appreciation of the wider world is evident throughout the school. For example, in the entrance hall, greetings hang in a variety of languages from around the world such as Gujerati, Filipino, Arabic and Greek. Pupils are encouraged to develop an awareness of the needs of others and the school supports a range of local, national and international charities. For example, a considerable sum of money was raised for an orphanage in St Petersburg. The school has recently embarked on a project to raise enough money to build a school in Mozambique. The strong links with Mozambique contribute to pupils’ awareness of other cultures. Pupils are encouraged to think of fund raising events and organise them themselves. During the inspection, older pupils organised a dance workshop during the lunchtime, which was well attended and all the proceeds given to the Mozambique fund raising.

p.16

HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

Cultural development is strong within the curriculum. For example, pupils develop an awareness and appreciation of well-known artists such as Constable. In Year 5, pupils study an Ethiopian story text and discuss feelings and emotions from the text. The many trips and visits contribute to pupils’ awareness of other cultures. In Year 6 pupils have a very good understanding of differences between English and French cultures because of their French club and the extremely well organised visit to France.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

37. Pupils continue to be very well cared for by the staff, as they were at the last inspection. Parents and pupils appreciate this very good provision. All pupils are valued and the school’s very good ethos promotes good racial harmony. There are very good procedures for monitoring and promoting good behaviour and those for monitoring and eliminating oppressive behaviour are excellent. The senior management team ensures that there is a shared understanding by all members of staff of the necessity to promote consistently the guidance given in the school’s clear behaviour policy. Teachers and LSAs make a very significant contribution to providing a caring atmosphere and a safe and calm environment for all pupils, both in and out of lessons. Good behaviour is encouraged in ways that make sense to the pupils. Play times and lunchtimes are well supervised. The small number of pupils whose behaviour sometimes presents a challenge, are very well managed.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

38. Pupils with special educational needs are given very good support. The school identifies pupils with special needs at a very early stage and makes very good provision for them. Individual education plans contain appropriate targets, which are informed by detailed assessment of the pupils’ difficulties. This information is used effectively to plan appropriate work and has a positive effect on the children’s progress. Individual education plans are reviewed at least termly and where needed more frequently. The SENCO regularly looks to see whether targets have been met and if not, looks for the reason. The school works closely with the local education authority’s support services, for example, the speech and language therapist and the educational psychologist.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

39. Procedures for monitoring and supporting pupils’ personal development are also very good. Although there are no formal profiles for the personal development of each pupil, pupils’ personal development is monitored very effectively. Staff know pupils very well and respond sympathetically to them individually, taking good account of any personal circumstances that may affect their learning and general well-being. Staff give good praise and encouragement during lessons and achievements, large and small, are all celebrated. Personal, social and health education lessons are being used very well to help pupils express their thoughts and feelings and to learn to understand about themselves and others. The school provides very good opportunities for pupils to take responsibility by, for example, acting as monitors and buddies and through acting as representatives on the school council.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

40. Procedures for monitoring and improving attendance are very good. Attendance rates have improved recently, having dropped slightly last year. They are now just above the national average. The St Nicholas C E Primary School - 15 school follows stringent and appropriate procedures for registering pupils each day and works closely with the education welfare officer. There are clear procedures for following up any unexplained absences and staff make sure that parents fill in the appropriate application forms for holidays in term time. Such holidays are actively discouraged whenever possible.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

41. There are very good procedures in place for child protection. The headteacher is named as the designated person in charge. The personal and academic progress of pupils who are in the care of the local authority is carefully monitored. First aiders continue to receive training to enable them to keep up to date with aspects of first aid. There is a comprehensive health and safety policy and regular risk assessments are carried out.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

42. Procedures for making regular checks on pupils’ progress have improved since the last inspection and are now very good. They are excellent for the youngest children where all staff make excellent use of daily observations of children’s academic and personal achievement to help them to plan work and activities that match their needs. Very good systems are in place to check pupils’ attainment and progress in all subjects and their progress is tracked very well as they pass through the school. 43. The school carries out the statutory and optional National Curriculum tests in English, mathematics and science in Year 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6. The information gained from formal testing and teachers’ own checks is used effectively to highlight pupils who are not achieving age appropriate levels or those pupils who are not making sufficient progress. Because of the school’s very good use of technology, detailed analysis of progress by gender, age or ethnicity is available and is effectively used. This

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

enables very prompt action to be taken to provide extra support through, for example, booster classes. Whilst this use of assessment information constitutes an improvement since the time of the last inspection, this information is not being used consistently throughout the school to guide the planning of the curriculum for the higher attaining pupils.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

44. Parents have very positive views of the school and this is an improvement since the time of the last inspection. They warmly praise what the school achieves. They value its caring attitudes and are satisfied that their children make good progress. They believe teachers know their children well and that such secure personal relationships help pupils want to succeed. They say their children like school and are eager to come. The school, they believe, expects their children to work hard and achieve their best and is helping them to become mature and responsible.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

45. The school works closely with parents when their child is put on the register for special educational needs. The parents’ views and opinions are sought and are considered when drawing up targets for the child to achieve. Parents are able to discuss their child’s progress with the SENCO without difficulty. The SENCO meets with parents to explain and discuss the targets, which have been set for their child.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

46. A small number of parents were not happy about the range of activities outside lessons, but the inspection team found them to be excellent. They are very popular and well supported. A very small minority of parents said that they do not think that the school works closely with them or that they were kept well informed about the progress their children were making. The inspection team agreed with the remainder of parents who said that that they feel very comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. The majority find the staff very approachable and say they can approach the staff at any appropriate time in order to discuss their child. They speak very highly of the good, informal links with the headteacher and staff. They see the links as a two-way process ensuring pupils’ interests are to the fore. The inspection team again agrees with the majority of parents who feel that they are well informed about progress. This is confirmed by the

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

almost unanimously favourable response to the question concerning their knowledge of the good progress their children are making. The quality of information provided to parents is good. They are given regular information on their children’s targets, topics and curriculum areas to be studied. End of year reports to parents are satisfactory. They do not, however, consistently give particulars of pupils’ progress in all subjects. The regular parents’ evenings are well attended. The governors’ annual report to parents, the prospectus and weekly newsletters are informative and friendly. Some St Nicholas C E Primary School - 16 parents were dissatisfied with the homework that was provided but the great majority were not. Inspection finds that whilst there is some variation in the setting of homework in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science it is generally used well.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

47. The inspection team agrees with the very positive views of the parents. It judges that the school is trying very hard to work closely with them and is actively trying to involve as many parents as possible in the life of the school. Parents contribute very well to their children’s learning at home and at school and this has a very positive impact on standards. Many parents come into school to help with, for example, sewing and reading. The parent-teachers’ association is a very dedicated, hard working group of people who arrange social and fund-raising events. They have raised large amounts of money to fund, for example, playground equipment and computers. Parents are keen to be represented on the governing body and their perspective contributes well to the governors’ excellent understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

48. Induction procedures for new children entering the Reception class and Year 3 are good. Parents are pleased at how their children settle in and enjoy school. They also like the care taken when the oldest pupils transfer to their next schools. Transition between phases and classes within the school is very smooth.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

49. The leadership and management of both the headteacher and key staff are excellent and have improved significantly since the time of the last inspection. The headteacher and senior staff have a clear vision of what the school is and should be in the future. School development planning, arrived at by all staff and with strong governor support, is robust and sets out the future course of action for the whole school to follow.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

50. Senior staff are readily available to and well known by, governors, all school staff and, above all, pupils. Excellent systems of communication are in place which, linked to a highly visible presence from the headteacher, enable pupils to realise their individual potential. A strong team spirit exists not only in the delivery of the formal curriculum, but is also evident in the range of extra-curricular activities that occur in school, varying from gymnastics to trips to France. This example of shared commitment to common goals and improvement is matched by the excellent capacity to succeed.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

51. The management of special educational needs is very good. The SENCO is very experienced and, with the help of the support teacher, is committed to seeing that pupils with special educational needs fulfil their potential. She is committed to introducing strategies that will further improve the provision for special needs in the school, for example, Reading Recovery. The school’s approach is very well organised and designated funds are used appropriately. The special needs teacher also plays an important role in providing very good support for special needs pupils. Most of the support staff are experienced and some have had training. All staff work closely with the coordinator who ensures that they are all aware of the procedures. Parents are kept well informed and are invited to all reviews. Very good records are kept and there is good liaison with the secondary schools when pupils transfer at the age of 11. There is a governor designated as a person responsible for

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

overseeing special needs. She is very well informed and plays an active role through discussion with the SENCO. She meets regularly with the SENCO and reports back to the governing body.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

52. The governing body is very effective in fulfilling its responsibilities. Meeting regularly on a formal basis, the appropriate committees report to the full governing body. The governors have an excellent knowledge of the school’s strengths and weaknesses and try their utmost to ensure that all pupils receive the best education possible. Governors ensure that all statutory requirements are met and make a significant contribution to the shaping of the school’s future direction, through their very good links with the headteacher and senior staff.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

53. Financial management and the use of resources are very good, with the principles of best value being effectively applied. Governors make regular visits to school and are available to both parents and staff. They have a clear idea of how their planning contributes to raising attainment for all pupils. St Nicholas C E Primary School - 17 Systems of evaluation are in place to review whether specific courses of action have been most effective. A good example of this is the ongoing evaluation of monies spent on the Foundation Stage outdoor play area.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

54. The monitoring, evaluation and development of teaching and the curriculum have all improved since the last inspection. The curriculum is now excellent and although the issue of challenge for some higher attainers remains to be addressed, monitoring and evaluation of teaching are now very good. The headteacher, senior managers, subject co-ordinators and governors have all participated in lesson observations. This has resulted in the overall quality of teaching improving since the last inspection and is now good overall. Subject audits, together with audits of other areas such as assessment and finance, are regularly carried out. From these actions, plans for future development are updated and modified. The delegation of responsibility to staff is excellent and has improved since the last inspection. Senior managers and subject co-ordinators are given substantial time to review subjects and aspects of school life. They consult regularly with colleagues, obtain in-service

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

training and evaluate actions to modify plans as necessary. As a result of these developments, the school now has in place an excellent balance of striving for academic attainment whilst at the same time ensuring the pupils’ excellent personal development within the school’s Christian ethos.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

55. The school’s strategy for performance management is well established with individual targets linked to the school development plan and the overall targets for the school. Teachers new to the school are welcomed and supported by more experienced colleagues. Learning support staff are valued and given opportunities to attend training to increase their effectiveness. The good level of effectiveness of this strategy can be seen in the support that pupils receive as a result. The school has good links with a nearby university, taking in student teachers on a regular basis.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

56. Governors have successfully addressed the key issues from the last inspection. Procedures for setting and monitoring budgets are excellent, with the school’s educational priorities clearly identified, costed and evaluated at the end of the financial year by governors with the financial expertise to do so.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

57. The school’s administration is very efficient and supports the smooth running of the school. Information and communication technology is used very effectively by both office and teaching staff to carry out a range of tasks. An impressive example of this is the use of finger print recognition software for pupils wanting to borrow books from the library.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

58. There are sufficient, suitably qualified and experienced teaching and support staff to meet curriculum demands. All support staff are well deployed and are seen as an integral part of the team which strives to produce the best possible education for all pupils.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

59. The accommodation is good. The problems of ventilation and background noise in the Foundation Stage and the Year 1 and 2 classrooms are to be addressed in the near future. Very good use is made of the halls and the library, as well as of a wildlife garden and the extensive conservation area within school grounds. The computer suite works very efficiently and is well used. Overall there are good learning resources, which are well used, to meet the curricular demands of all age groups.

p.19

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

60. In order to raise standards the headteacher, governors and all staff should:

p.19

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) In line with some of the excellent practice seen in the school, ensure that lessons in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science, consistently challenge the higher attaining pupils.

p.19

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(See paragraphs 10, 17, 84, 99, 104, 130 and 133) St Nicholas C E Primary School - 18

p.19

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 37

p.20

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

p.20

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

The table gives the number and percentage of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about teaching.

p.20

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 560

p.20

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 42

p.20

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 11

p.20

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 93

p.20

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.20

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 11

p.20

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.20

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 29

p.20

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 15

p.20

Attendance

School data 5.5 School data 0.0 St Nicholas C E Primary School - 19 National comparative data 5.4 National comparative data 0.5

p.20

Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. St Nicholas C E Primary School - 20

p.21

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2002 31 29 60

p.22

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.22

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

Boys 28 31 28 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 29 29 28

p.22

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

Percentage of pupils School 95 (95) 100 (98) 93 (98) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (84) 86 (86) 90 (91)

p.22

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.22

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

Boys 28 28 31 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 29 28 29

p.22

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

Percentage of pupils School 95 (95) 93 (90) 100 (100) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (85) 89 (89) 89 (89)

p.22

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

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

p.22

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2002 48 48 96

p.22

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.22

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

Boys 41 39 46 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 35 37 44

p.22

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

Percentage of pupils School 79 (92) 79 (85) 94 (100) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 73 (71) 86 (87)

p.22

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.22

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

Boys 41 42 44 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 40 36 44

p.22

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

Percentage of pupils School 84 (92) 81 92 (92) at NC level 4 or above National 73 (72) (86) 82 (82) St Nicholas C E Primary School - 21

p.22

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.23

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

White – any other White background 18 0 0

p.23

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Mixed – any other mixed background 3 0 0

p.23

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British - Pakistani 2 0 0

p.23

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi 2 0 0

p.23

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.23

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black or Black British – Caribbean 0 0 0

p.23

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.23

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 m0ay be different from the number of pupils excluded.

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 22 Financial year 2001/02

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 25.5

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 1,227,145

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 20 Total expenditure 1,185,820

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 351 Expenditure per pupil 2,117

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance brought forward from previous year -6,823

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 34,501 St Nicholas C E Primary School - 22

p.23

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 2

p.24

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 2

p.24

Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

p.24

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.24

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.24

Recruitment of teachers

FTE means full-time equivalent. St Nicholas C E Primary School - 23

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

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

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 44 53 1 1 1

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 38 57 2 1 1

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 18 66 12 1 3

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 34 49 14 1 1

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 55 33 7 3 2

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 54 41 3 1 0

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 34 47 12 4 3

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 48 46 2 1 2

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 47 45 5 1 2

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 33 50 9 1 7 St Nicholas C E Primary School - 24

p.25

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

64. The school’s provision for children in the Foundation Stage, in two Reception classes catering for 60 children, is excellent. Children are admitted to Reception in the September following their fourth birthday. All children have attended local nursery schools before they transfer to the school. Four children have been identified with special educational needs, one child for school action support and three have statements of special educational needs. Support for these children is very good and they have appropriate individual education plans. They are making very good progress in their learning. Very good liaison with the six feeder nursery schools complements the very thorough preparation parents and children receive before they enter the school. This all ensures children make a smooth transition into full-time education. All children have a staggered start in September, summer born children attending for half a day until

p.26

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Christmas and then full time after that. The quality of planning is excellent. It is all based on children receiving first-hand experiences and is effectively linked to the curricular guidance for the Foundation Stage. The quality of assessment and use of assessment information are excellent. Detailed notes and ongoing observations contribute to the quality of the planning. Tasks are planned to suit individual children’s needs and support and intervention is targeted and adapted to children’s needs . The ‘child portfolios’ contain excellent records of children’s work and progress. The school uses its own initial observations and assessments when children first start school and the information is carefully collated. Attainment on entry to the school is generally above expectation and for this cohort is higher than usual for the school. Children make good progress and achieve standards that are well above national expectations by the time they enter Year 1.

p.26

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Each class has a full-time teacher and a teaching assistant plus additional support for children with special educational needs. Children with special educational needs make the same progress as their classmates. The coordinator makes a very good contribution to the development of the Foundation Stage. At the time of the inspection two supply teachers were covering the long-term absence of the coordinator. However, because of the quality of the planning, lessons were of a very good quality, supported by the excellent work of the support staff.

p.26

Personal, social and emotional development

65. Standards are high and all children are likely to exceed the goals in this area of learning. All staff work hard to create a stimulating learning environment where children enjoy coming to school and develop an excellent attitude to learning and school life. The children form excellent relationships with adults and each other because staff create an exciting environment and children are skilfully guided to respect each other. The school vision statement is encapsulated in the activities and ethos of the Foundation Stage. Teachers are very organised and activities reinforce all areas of learning. Expectations of behaviour are identified clearly and reinforced throughout the day by all adults. There is a very good balance between independent play and adult directed activities. Children play with each other and negotiate rules and activities. Equipment is shared and children develop their consideration for others through the role-play activities. They visit the ‘florist

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Personal, social and emotional development

shop’ and learn about looking after flowers and how flowers can brighten up the lives of others. In a role play session two children selected flowers for a child who had broken her leg. Two boys showed consideration of others beyond their years. They were asked to prepare a bouquet of flowers for the teacher’s Grandma. They took great care selecting the flowers, wrapping them and selecting a blue bow. They spent time discussing which colour bow the lady would like. Levels of co-operation are very good. A group of children building a zoo negotiated with each other and they played out story situations. For example a child says gleefully, ‘Daddy I am dancing on the roof’. They negotiate who will be the zookeeper and who will be visiting the zoo with their mummy and daddy. There are excellent opportunities for them to develop a sense of responsibility. For example, children are encouraged to plan the adventure course during outdoor play.

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Personal, social and emotional development

Concentration levels are excellent. The children listen to complex instructions and play with high St Nicholas C E Primary School - 25 levels of concentration, focusing on the activity and others. Children have a mature understanding of other cultures and beliefs. They say ‘hello’ in different languages and mark the celebrations of Diwali, Chinese New Year and Christmas.

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Personal, social and emotional development

66. Teaching and learning are excellent in this area of learning. All adults have an excellent relationship with the children. They intervene appropriately to extend, challenge and reinforce learning. Teachers plan interesting activities that motivate children and develop their personal, emotional and social development. This helps children develop their confidence and a positive attitude to school. Staff use questions skilfully to develop children’s awareness and knowledge. There are clear guidelines for rules and these are reinforced by all adults.

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Communication, language and literacy

67. Inspection shows that standards are well above the national expectation for the end of the Reception Year and children make good progress in their learning. Children are confident listeners and speakers in a range of different situations. For example they listened with rapt concentration when their teacher read the story of Jack and the Beanstalk at the end of the day. When playing independently or in a role-play situation, they talk readily to each other, for example, negotiating what each has to do and who takes a particular role. They follow instructions well and they look at the person speaking to them. Children respond to questions with clear sentences. They use descriptive language and give reasons for their answers. For example in the computer suite one boy clearly described when and why his family had a barbecue. The children use a very good range of vocabulary; for example, one child used the word ‘stem’ to describe parts of a plant.

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Communication, language and literacy

68. Children make very good progress in their reading, and by the time they reach the end of the Reception Year most children are reading above the expected level. They all have a positive attitude to books and can all name their favourite books. They read widely at home and school. All children know and recognise the author and illustrator. Most children talk about a range of favourite books and give reasons why they like the book. They take books home regularly. More able children read confidently and competently with some expression. They know and explain how to tackle difficult words. They talk with a wide range of vocabulary for their age about the events and characters in the story and describe how the story might develop. They explain what they like about the book, for example ‘it tells you information’. One average child managed to read the word ‘Vintage’ and explained the meaning referring to the vintage cars in the book: ‘They

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Communication, language and literacy

are very old, they were cars before my Mummy and Daddy were born’. A lower attaining child describes his favourite book as ‘Winnie the Pooh’ and is making a good start with reading.

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Communication, language and literacy

69. Children make very good progress in their writing. They make seed packets and write the instructions for planting the seeds in four steps. Independent writing is very well developed. The majority of children are already working at the first stages of the National Curriculum. They know a sentence has a capital letter and a full stop. The more able children write in sentences in, for example, their plant diary. They describe the order of the story writing sentences such as, ‘He’s got a seed and he is going to plant it’. Lower attaining children need adult guidance to leave a gap between the words. More able children write independently with full stops and capital letters. Handwriting is clear and letters are well formed; spelling is good. Lower attaining children write independently but with less accuracy. Children are invited to write about their first-hand experiences and they give reasons for their statements. For example, one child wrote after a visit

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Communication, language and literacy

to the zoo, ‘I like the cheetahs because they run very fast and have lots of spots’.

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Communication, language and literacy

70. Teaching and learning are very good. The teacher constantly challenges the children to give reasons for events in stories and to explain feelings, for example, ‘How will the mother feel when she sees the seeds grow?’ Adults intervene sensitively to challenge and reinforce and extend learning. Children with special educational needs are guided by learning support staff, who intervene appropriately to ensure that good progress is maintained.

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Mathematical development

71. By the time children leave Reception class the majority have exceeded the expected goals and St Nicholas C E Primary School - 26 are working on National Curriculum levels. Adults constantly reinforce mathematical understanding and skills in all activities. This contributes well to the very good standards and good progress the children make. The children have a very good understanding of number. The majority count in tens up and down from 100. They count accurately in twos to ten and back. Children have a very good understanding of money and they all recognise the value of coins. They talk about the difference in the shape of the 20p and 50p coin with the 2p and 1p.They use real money and a purse when they buy sweets from the class sweets shop. More able children know the correct change they should receive when giving 10p in a transaction. Average children know £2 is worth more than £1 and is one pound more than two pounds. An average child knows that

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Mathematical development

with 4p she can buy four sweets costing 1p each or two sweets costing 2p each or one sweet costing 4p. The children learn to use their mathematical skills well when they measure and compare the growth of their runner bean plants.

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Mathematical development

72. Teaching is very good. The teacher makes the session fun. Tasks are presented in a challenging and enjoyable way, for example, when children count to 100. This involves different movements for each ten, for example, they jump forwards and backwards when counting from 90 to 100 and pat their heads when counting from 60 to 70. There are excellent opportunities to learn from observation and first hand experience. For example, when learning about shape, children suggest the bubble emerging from the square bubble blower would be a cube, but on further investigation they discovered it is a sphere. Teachers use excellent methods to guide learning. During the registration session, the teacher constantly encourages children to develop strategies such as using the number line. This helps children identify, for example, that there are 26 children present if four are away from a total of 30.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

73. Children make good progress overall and most are working above the nationally expected standard for the end of the Reception Year. Standards are well above average in their knowledge and skills when they use the computers. All children can log on and off and they enter their own number and the class colour ‘pink’. Mouse control and typing skills are very good for their age. Children know their way round the keyboard and remember ‘file’, ‘exit’ and ‘save’. All children know how to print their work. Children enjoy using the computers because there are excellent opportunities for them to access them in the classrooms and in the computer suite. Sessions are well planned and organised. Using appropriate computer programs children use their imagination well to create garden scenes with trees, flowers, people, birds, leaves trunks and roots. They combine text with pictures when typing information about plants. ‘A flower needs some water,

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

food and sunshine to grow.’ All children have very good knowledge of living things. They all plant and look after their own sunflower seeds. Most children have a good understanding of healthy living and they write sentences identifying how to keep healthy, for example, ‘I brush my teeth’. The children’s sense of place and time is very well developed. They all know the date and month and talk accurately about things in the past. Children have a good understanding of different cultures. They learn about other cultures and celebrate Diwali and Chinese New Year; they make diva pots and eat Chinese food and Indian food. There are excellent opportunities for children to learn to investigate and solve problems. They know, for example, that Postman Pat has a problem delivering his parcel because it is raining and they investigate the most waterproof material to keep the parcels dry.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

74. Teaching and learning are very good. There are excellent opportunities for children to develop their curiosity and knowledge of the world, as all planning is based around interesting first-hand experiences.

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Physical development

75. By the time children leave the Reception Year, standards are well above those expected for their age. Provision for physical development is excellent. The school has worked hard to develop the outdoor provision and this is a significant improvement since the last inspection. Bicycles and scooters help children develop their strength and co-ordination skills. They ride the bikes with control. Some bikes have stabilisers and other two wheel bikes have no stabilisers, thereby St Nicholas C E Primary School - 27 offering appropriate challenge through the resources. Children develop a good range of physical skills. They throw, catch and bounce a small ball with control. All children show mature development and ability to throw the foam javelin. Skipping with ropes is very well developed and many children skip continuously with the ropes. The adventure trail provides an excellent opportunity for children to develop their climbing and agility skills. Children enjoy climbing,

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Physical development

sliding, crawling through tunnels and jumping onto, off and over the milk crates. They are encouraged to move the milk crates to make the trail more challenging. During the afternoon informal play session, children develop their skills further using the excellent range of play equipment. They aim quoits, toss balls and develop their skills with bats and balls. They develop their co-operative skills working with others. Children are encouraged to improve their manipulative skills with a wide range of appropriate activities. They develop their ability to grip and manipulate pencils, crayons and paintbrushes with mature confidence and competence.

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Physical development

76. Teaching and learning are very good with some instances of excellent teaching. Lessons are extremely well planned with opportunities for children to experience a range of physical skills. Teachers have very good knowledge of how children develop their physical skills and this contributes to the high standards in teaching and learning.

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Creative development

77. By the time children leave the Reception classes all children including those with special educational needs will have achieved the expected goals. Standards are well above those expected for their age. Children have excellent opportunities to work with a range of materials and experience different methods. They explore colour and texture when creating a scene after their zoo visit. Children use paint well, creating a picture and enhancing their work with collage, for example, pink flamingos and stripy tigers. They know how to mix colours to make brown and purple and they select appropriate colours for an autumn collage. Clay and dough are used well and children produce high quality models of people. They decorate their dough people and shape hair in different styles and add features such as buttons, socks and shoes. They use paint in imaginative ways blowing through straws and using marbles. All children like to explore and

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Creative development

handle a range of musical instruments identifying, for example, which makes the loudest noise. They learn songs and accompany them with simple actions. There are excellent opportunities for children to develop their imagination in the role play areas.

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Creative development

78. Teaching and learning are very good. Teachers plan interesting activities and use excellent methods to ensure children develop their creative ability. Work is appreciated and displayed in an attractive and informative way.

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ENGLISH

79. Inspection evidence shows that pupils are still attaining above average levels for pupils in Key Stage 1 and well above average for pupils in Key Stage 2. In writing pupils attain well above national expectations. Pupils with special educational needs progress well because of the very good provision that is made for them. Pupils with English as an additional language also make good progress. There was no noticeable difference seen in the attainment of girls and boys during the inspection.

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ENGLISH

80. Standards in speaking and listening are above average for pupils in Year 2 and Year 6. Pupils make good progress in acquiring speaking and listening skills. By the end of Year 2, pupils listen carefully and follow instructions. The younger pupils are very good listeners and are keen to make a contribution to oral activities. They very confidently express their ideas and opinions in clear, extended sentences. Teachers provide regular opportunities for pupils to talk and offer their ideas during English lessons and also in other subjects. This was observed in a history lesson where Year 1 pupils talked about the differences in holidays their grandparents took in the fifties and sixties with present day holidays. They answered the teacher’s questions in clear, well- formed sentences. More able pupils discuss their reading books and retell the story in an interesting way. They offer reasonable opinions about the story. Teachers ensure that all pupils

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ENGLISH

make a full contribution to lessons and pupils with special educational needs have very good St Nicholas C E Primary School - 28 support from the classroom assistants. Pupils in Years 3 to 6 make good progress in their speaking and listening skills as they move through the school. They regularly work in pairs sharing their ideas and opinions in all subjects of the curriculum and coming to a consensus opinion. They learn the technical vocabulary of subjects and use it appropriately. They also have the opportunity to take part in drama productions during the school year.

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ENGLISH

81. Standards in reading are above the national expectation in Year 2 and Year 6. The school uses a number of structured reading schemes well to develop skills and group and guided reading activities outside the literacy hour are used to promote pupils’ reading for understanding. Pupils with identified reading difficulties receive very good additional support from teachers and classroom assistants. Pupils, including those with special educational needs, make good progress in their reading and standards are above the national expectation by the end of Year 2. Some lower attainers lack the phonic skills to enable them to read unfamiliar words. Higher attainers read fluently and expressively and enjoy talking about the story they are reading and explain what is happening. In Years 3 to 6 teachers provide a good range of reading opportunities in addition to the literacy hour. The reading journal that pupils keep encourages regular reading at

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ENGLISH

home as well as in school. Year 6 pupils are independent readers and most have preferences for different authors. They enjoy books as far ranging as The Twits to The Hobbit. Pupils’ progress in reading is consistently and effectively monitored by teachers and satisfactory records of their achievement are kept. Pupils develop good skills in using information books and know how to use an index and contents page and how to locate books in the library. They also make good use of the Internet for research.

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ENGLISH

82. Handwriting is taught satisfactorily, although the letter size and shape and overall presentation vary considerably by the end of Year 2. By the end of Year 6 pupils write satisfactorily in joined script and the presentation of work is good. Pupils have weekly spelling tests and spelling throughout the school is satisfactory.

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ENGLISH

83. Basic English skills are taught very well and pupils throughout the school use this knowledge in their own writing. By the end of Year 2 most pupils use capital letters and full stops correctly, although some pupils still use a mixture of upper and lower case letters in words. By the end of Year 6 pupils achieve well. This is because the teaching is good and sometimes very good. Teachers model writing on the board well when they show pupils how to develop their ideas and improve. Pupils write in a number of styles, for different purposes and with a specific audience in mind. They produce a good range of creative writing. They write character studies, diary entries and reports. They also write good factual accounts and write letters of complaint and persuasive scripts. Year 6 pupils have learned good editing skills and understand the importance of editing their writing. They often work with a partner commenting sensibly on each other’s work. Word

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ENGLISH

processing skills are effectively used and incorporated into such work. They learn to write descriptively, for example Year 4 pupils were observed preparing to write their own poems about an animal and were using a variety of figurative language. One pupil wrote:

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ENGLISH

Having looked at ‘The Newcomer’ by Brian Patten, Year 6 pupils wrote about current events.

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ENGLISH

“ There’s something new in Britain,” Blair said to his men. “ It’s a deadly tension, a frightening thought, A worry surrounding all men.”

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ENGLISH

84. The quality of teaching and learning is good. The teaching of writing skills is good and as a result standards are high. Teachers have responded well to the introduction of the National Literacy St Nicholas C E Primary School - 29 Strategy and implement the literacy hour well. This has given a consistency to teaching, which has improved learning. Teachers use skilful questioning successfully encouraging pupils to think and assess their understanding. They take great care to ensure that all pupils, including those with special educational needs, are included in the whole-class discussions. Group activities are generally well adapted to meet the needs of groups of pupils of differing abilities and extra literacy support is also provided. An excellent lesson successfully challenged higher attainers in Year 6 to extend their skills in a weekly writing session. However, in other year groups, although work is

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ENGLISH

well matched to the needs of the majority of pupils, the higher ability pupils are often not given sufficient challenge. The final session of the lesson is used effectively to see if the lesson objectives have been achieved and to correct any misconceptions. This is organised better in some classes than others. Teachers display an enthusiasm for the subject and adopt a lively approach to the work, which produces an active and animated environment where pupils achieve well and develop very good attitudes to this subject.

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ENGLISH

85. In one excellent lesson in Year 4, the teacher used photographic resources very well to encourage pupils’ imaginations. She also modelled a plan for the writing on the board showing the pupils the thinking process involved in improving ideas. As a result the standard of attainment by all ability groups during this lesson was high.

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ENGLISH

86. The leadership and management of the subject are very good. The co-ordinators hold regular meetings of the year groups and the data from these meetings is used to set individual pupil targets. Monitoring and evaluation of teaching are very good. Assessment books based on the National Curriculum attainment levels have been introduced and are currently being evaluated. The co-ordinators lead the staff very well. The staff in turn are highly committed to raising standards.

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ENGLISH

87. A strength of the English curriculum is the emphasis on cross-curricular links. History, geography, science and religious education are all used to further pupils’ skills in speaking and listening, reading and writing. Homework is used well and further strengthens pupils’ understanding of their work in school.

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ENGLISH

88. Resources for English are very good. The pupils benefit from a well-stocked and very attractive library that houses both non-fiction and fiction books. Year 6 pupils are very keen to be library monitors and they perform their duties reliably.

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ENGLISH

89. English makes a very good contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development through the study of appropriate texts, which allow the pupils to explore their own feelings and values and to empathise with characters in difficult situations.

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MATHEMATICS

90. Pupils’ attainment in Year 2 is above the national expectations and well above by the end of Year 6. Pupils of high ability in Year 2 draw Venn diagrams and use the information in their work on shapes. Pupils use block graphs and tally charts to show their knowledge of particular facts. Such pupils are successfully encouraged to solve word problems; to look for patterns and explain their answers, as when they recognise that if five ladybirds have 30 spots altogether, then 20 will have 120 spots. They work confidently in identifying right angles as square corners and draw simple two-dimensional shapes using reflective symmetry.

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MATHEMATICS

91. Pupils of average ability are competent in working with hundreds, tens and units in addition and subtraction problems, accurately list the multiples of two and five, identify odd and even numbers and search for patterns in number sequences. They use correct mathematical vocabulary and are confident in talking about their work. They use metric measures comparing grams and kilograms and use litres and millilitres accurately in practical situations. They also accurately measure the passage of time using whole, half and quarter hours to describe their school day. Such pupils use number lines to add and subtract, order, number according to size and identify simple two- dimensional shapes from their properties. St Nicholas C E Primary School - 30 92. Less able pupils work steadily upon their number bonds, first to 20 and then to greater numbers up to 100. They too draw Venn diagrams and recognise the features of two-dimensional shapes.

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MATHEMATICS

They carry out simple fraction problems with halves and quarters and use money in real life situations. The school makes every effort to put mathematics for the younger pupils into practical, relevant situations, as when pupils carry out work in finding out the number of legs/wings certain mini-beasts have.

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MATHEMATICS

93. Higher attaining pupils in Year 6 carry out problem solving and investigational tasks to a complex degree very well. In one Year 6 class, pupils explore series of numbers in groups and hypothesised why certain answers were obtained. One pupil confidently declared that a group of numbers constituted the ‘Fibonacci Series’. They plot points on line graphs to explore convergent and divergent numbers and carry out problems that involve ratio and proportion. Pupils displayed their very good knowledge of equivalence in one lesson by demonstration on an overhead calculator how to convert fractions to decimals and then to percentages. They experience a wide variety of mathematics which ranges from conversions from pounds to euros to explorations of mean and medians of sets of data.

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MATHEMATICS

94. Pupils of average ability work accurately with a range of situations to use addition, subtraction and multiplication up to and beyond 1,000; they are less secure with division problems. They explore common multiples and move on to explain why some fractions are bigger than others when converted to the same common denominator. Pupils have good skills for explaining their mathematical reasoning and are confident in expressing their ideas in front of others.

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MATHEMATICS

95. Pupils of lower ability order simple fractions in terms of size by using common denominators. They link practical demonstrations of what simple fractions look like to their equivalents in halves and quarters; this enables them to visualise problems and come to correct reasoning in working out their answers.

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MATHEMATICS

96. All pupils have a good knowledge of the vocabulary necessary to explain their mathematics. Teachers place particular emphasis upon this in every lesson, for example, from a Year 6 top set discussing the term “infinity” and its meaning, to pupils in Year 3 explaining how “column” addition differs from horizontal addition.

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MATHEMATICS

97. All pupils are given opportunities to solve problems which are relevant to their daily lives, as when Year 6 pupils produce accurate computer-generated graphs to work out pound/Euro exchange rates for a school trip to Normandy. High levels of speaking and listening are evident in the majority of lessons, as well as deductive reasoning.

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MATHEMATICS

98. The quality of teaching in both key stages is good, with some very good and excellent teaching being seen. Where teaching is good or better, the daily three-part lesson has been successfully implemented. Mental mathematics is taught with brisk pace at the start of lessons; teachers use very good subject knowledge to approach new topics. Very good planning and a diversity of teaching styles ensures that lessons are interesting and informative. Teachers’ questioning is to all abilities and is particularly supportive of those pupils having special educational needs. Boys as well as girls are given equal opportunity to participate in lessons, with classroom assistants working effectively in tandem with teachers to ensure that pupils are included in all aspects of their mathematical education. As a result, during their time in school all pupils make good progress. Pupils’ enthusiasm for the subject and their very good attitude towards it, linked with

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MATHEMATICS

the teachers’ very good pupil management and high expectations, result in the majority of mathematics lessons being very enjoyable.

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MATHEMATICS

99. Where teaching is weaker, more able pupils repeat work that they already understand and which presents no challenge to them, assessment opportunities at the end of lessons are not fully exploited and there is little use of ICT to support pupil learning. This contrasts sharply with the excellent lesson that provided a high level of challenge to high attainers in Year 6.

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MATHEMATICS

100. The use of assessment information is good. All tests taken throughout the school are analysed by co-ordinators and senior staff, and strengths and weaknesses are clearly identified. These are St Nicholas C E Primary School - 31 then effectively fed back to all teachers to enable them to adjust planning and pupils’ individual targets as necessary. Whilst work is regularly marked, it lacks suggestions for pupils to move forward and there is limited consistency of marking across the whole school. Homework is well used overall and contributes effectively to consolidation of knowledge gained in school.

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MATHEMATICS

101. Leadership and management of the subject are very good. The two co-ordinators have a clear idea of the current status of mathematics in the school because of their very effective monitoring of the subject. They have written a very detailed and appropriate action plan indicating clearly what to do in the future to raise standards. Regular consultation with all staff ensures that all teachers know what their roles are in raising those standards. All staff are encouraged to experience and share the work of colleagues and any guidance gained from in-service training is disseminated as a matter of policy. Resources are good and are used effectively.

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MATHEMATICS

102. Improvement since the last inspection is good with issues of planning and the co-ordination of assessment having been successfully addressed. Numeracy across the curriculum is well established from Year 1 pupils measuring the growth of plants in science lessons, Year 3 pupils measuring forces and repeating patterns in art lessons, to Year 6 pupils using graphs to change their pocket money from pounds to euros for their French trip.

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SCIENCE

103. The standards attained in science by pupils at the age of seven are above the national expectation in Year 2 and well above it in Year 6. Standards are therefore better than those observed during the previous inspection.

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SCIENCE

104. All pupils, including those with special educational needs and the small number for whom English is not the first language at home, now make good progress and achieve well and the school has very good assessment procedures in place which check the progress of individual pupils on a regular basis. Both these measures have helped the school maintain high standards in the subject. Homework makes a satisfactory contribution to consolidating and extending pupils’ knowledge. There is still some lack of challenge in the class work given to higher attaining pupils which stops them from achieving their full potential in this subject. Examples of a lack of challenge for this group were seen in lessons observed in both Year 2 and Year 6 during the inspection.

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SCIENCE

105. However, the quality and range of learning opportunities for pupils are good overall in Year 1 and Year 2 and very good from Year 3 onwards. As pupils move through the school they are given regular opportunities to increase their understanding and knowledge of investigative skills including prediction, fair testing, observing, measuring, recording and interpreting data. Pupils make good progress in learning about materials and their properties, physical processes and life and living things in some depth in all year groups and this is evident in their written work. However, opportunities for pupils to develop their understanding of the use of hypothesis in scientific investigations, that is, basically predicting an outcome and also giving a reason, are more limited.

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SCIENCE

106. The work of pupils in all year groups contains evidence of good coverage of all National Curriculum programmes of study. Pupils in Year 2 effectively investigate what happens when ice melts and carry out experiments on simple electrical circuits. Year 5 pupils make similar good progress when they investigate the human body and further develop their understanding of, for example, electricity, light and sound. Pupils in Year 6 apply their understanding of the importance of conducting fair tests when experimenting the effects of air resistance on parachutes. Work is usually well presented and contains evidence of a very good level of overall attainment. Overall, pupils in all year groups are given regular opportunities to increase their knowledge and understanding of all areas of science linked to the National Curriculum.

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SCIENCE

107. The quality of teaching of science is good. It ranged from satisfactory to very good in this inspection. Planning is effective, resources well used, pupils very well managed and learning objectives openly stated. When teaching was good or better lessons were briskly paced and St Nicholas C E Primary School - 32 classroom assistants were well used to enhance learning opportunities for pupils, especially for those of lower ability. In one very well taught lesson on introducing Year 1 pupils to forces, the teacher’s lesson planning was very detailed and linked to previous work, pupils were encouraged to join in the very well structured plenary at the end of the lesson and resources were used to very good effect. Pupils’ attitudes and behaviour were excellent and they were keen to talk about what they had learned. By the end of the session there was evidence to suggest that nearly all pupils had made good progress in their understanding and knowledge of ’pushing and pulling’ .

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SCIENCE

108. When teaching is less successful, planning does not always take account of pupils’ prior knowledge and, as a result, some pupils can become potentially disruptive and achievement is limited. However pupils’ attitudes towards the subject are good overall. Most pupils like learning about science and this is in part due to the relevance of the school’s scheme of work for the subject and also to the often practical and meaningful way in which science is taught.

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SCIENCE

109. Leadership and management of the subject are good. The coordinator and support teacher have developed the school’s scheme of work so that it reflects the needs of the pupils and maximises the expertise of the staff. They have ensured that assessment procedures, which are now very good, have been greatly improved since the last inspection. The coordinator monitors delivery of the subject very well through lesson observations and by regular scrutiny of medium and long- term planning. These actions have helped to maintain the profile of science within the school and the standards the school achieves.

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SCIENCE

110. Resources for teaching science are good. Nearly all are up to date and well used. Resources for investigations are particularly good. The subject makes a very good contribution to pupils’ spiritual moral, social and cultural development. Pupils are given opportunities to enhance their understanding of the importance of science through visits to places such as the Science Museum and Planetarium in London. In addition, the school makes very good use of the large, well-stocked ‘Nature Area’ it has acquired as a result of good links with businesses. This area is full of plants and wildlife and is of great value to the school both as a science resource, especially useful for studying life and living things and also as a resource for other subjects, such as drama.

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SCIENCE

111. The use of ICT to reinforce learning in science is an area for further development, especially within the classroom. Links between science and other subjects, such as design and technology are good, as are links to numeracy and literacy.

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ART AND DESIGN

112. Standards are as expected nationally in Year 2 and Year 6. However, in individual cases and in specific areas of the art curriculum such as the use of fabrics and threads, they exceed expectations by Year 6. The quality of teaching has improved since the last inspection and is now good. This is due to the very good leadership and management of the coordinator and the support teacher and the impact of nationally suggested schemes of work.

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ART AND DESIGN

113. Pupils in Year 2 visit the village and from their trip select something for their use in the design of a tile which they will later print. Those in Year 3 have made good designs for a sculpture or installation which is intended to enhance the school grounds. They are very good at explaining what they have done and other pupils also take good advantage of the speaking and listening opportunities that arise as they make statements about the work and question the artists. Pupils in Year 5 have a good command of specific vocabulary and can understand and use effectively words such as line and texture. They produce reasonable sketches when they visit the nature reserve. Some exceptional work is produced in the form of embroidered book covers which Year 5 pupils use for their work in connection with their Yorkshire field trip. Year 6 pupils produce front covers for their Normandy project books based on the work of the French impressionist

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ART AND DESIGN

movement. Pupils also benefit from the opportunity to work with, fire and glaze clay. Art is successfully combined with history as Year 6 pupils reproduce graphic black and white drawings of scenes from the Second World War.

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ART AND DESIGN

114. The quality of teaching is good. Teachers are well prepared and make good use of resources. St Nicholas C E Primary School - 33 They integrate the subject very well into other areas of the curriculum to the mutual benefit of art and the other subjects concerned. For example in a very good lesson based on the difficult concept of representing journeys, the teacher had produced a wealth of material showing the work of other artists in order to draw attention to how geography might be represented. The lesson gave pupils the opportunity to use subject specific vocabulary such as ‘form’ and ‘shape’ as well as the opportunity to explain their work. This they did well. Others were then able to comment and the generous nature of their remarks showed that the exercise was making a very good contribution to their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development as well as giving a very good insight into

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ART AND DESIGN

the excellent relationships and behaviour that exist. Pupils are keen on art, enjoy it and make good progress because the teachers make the subject interesting for them.

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ART AND DESIGN

115. The subject is very well led and managed by a very well qualified and experienced coordinator and support teacher who are making a very good contribution to the development of the subject and the standards pupils attain. The coordinator has an effective system for assessing pupils’ attainment and is in the process of collating a portfolio which is designed to give teachers a better understanding of standards. The subject is well resourced. Sketch-books, which had been introduced at the time of the last inspection, are often underused and opportunities to use them as diaries are not capitalised on. The subject makes a very good contribution in other areas of the curriculum such as history. There are opportunities for all and no pupil is disadvantaged because of gender, need or ability with the result that all make good progress. A very good contribution is made through, for example, the study of famous artists, to pupils’ cultural development.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

116. Standards of attainment in design and technology at both Year 2 and Year 6 are above those expected nationally. All pupils including those with special educational needs make good progress in their learning. Pupils with English as a second language are well supported and make the same progress as their peers. The provision for design and technology is very good and the subject has a prominent focus around the school. It is evident that the subject is valued. Since the last inspection standards have improved from average to above average.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

117. The process of designing, making and evaluating is well established throughout the school. By the end of Year 2 pupils have a sound knowledge and satisfactory understanding of the properties of different materials and how best to shape, assemble and join them. They design and make a glove puppet using running stitches to join the felt. Pupils show imagination in the way they design the shape of their puppets, some with pointed ears for the owl or round ears for the bear. The drainpipes designed for ‘Incy Wincy Spider’ show pupils have a good understanding of winding mechanisms. They make good progress learning to comment on their work and make simple evaluations of their designs and product.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

118. As pupils progress through the school the subject is well linked to literacy and numeracy. They are given very good opportunities to write about the design and technology process and also to use their mathematical skills in measuring and comparing materials. In Year 4, pupils successfully designed a container after a visit from a handbag designer. They continued to develop their sewing skills and learn about folds, seams and effective stitching. The use of ICT to enhance learning is less well developed.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

119. By Year 6 pupils use their imagination well to design their own hats using a range of styles, for example an Australian bush hat, a sombrero and some peaked caps. In Year 5 the quality of work produced is well above expectation for their age. Inspired by their trip to Yorkshire, pupils produced their own books decorated with scenes of the Yorkshire countryside. The quality of design and stitching was very good. Pupils extend the size and style of their stitching and enhance their work with three-dimensional features such as a sheep’s head or trees, bushes, mountains and rivers. The quality of their evaluation is well above average. Pupils identify what worked well, what did not work well and how their product could be improved. Year 6 pupils suggest practical ways to help improve their toy, for example, by planning to use more glue next time. St Nicholas C E Primary School - 34 120. The quality of teaching is good throughout the school. Planning is very good and the very good

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

curriculum is based on national guidelines and linked to other subjects. Assessment is good and is used effectively to help planning. Teachers use questions well to check pupils’ understanding. An effective framework provides a balance between the process of designing, making and evaluating pupils’ own work as well as commercial products. Teachers use methods which help all pupils learn effectively. This develops a positive attitude to the subject. Pupils enjoy their lessons and become absorbed in their work. They sustain very good levels of concentration and are confident enough to enter into a discussion about their work. Teachers use illustrations well and in the better lessons suggest different methods to help pupils to select their own method. Explanations are very clear, for example, how to stitch the wrong side and turn the garment inside out to make a neat seam.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

121. The leadership and management contribution of the coordinator and her support teacher are good and have a positive impact on the subject. The coordinator has monitored lessons and is compiling a photographic portfolio of pupils’ work with a view to aiding staff in the evaluation of their pupils’ work. There is a clear action plan for the development of the subject. Resources are good and easily accessible.

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GEOGRAPHY

122. Pupils’ attainment at the end of Years 2 and 6 is above national expectations. Pupils achieve well in their time at school. Standards have improved since the last inspection at the end of Year 2 and have been maintained at the end of Year 6. The curriculum is broad and balanced and a curriculum map ensures teachers plan for a suitable range of geographical activities for all pupils. Planning is good. It is linked to the teachers’ very good subject knowledge and management of their pupils. Pupils of all abilities are included in lessons with questions being posed to boys and girls and pupils with special educational needs.

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GEOGRAPHY

123. By the end of Year 2, pupils complete a local study of the area through visits to local shops, parks, playgrounds and buildings. From these visits, they photograph places of interest, carry out surveys on the flowers, animals and insects to be found there and what different materials are used in buildings. These aspects are compared with other areas in the UK and a village in southern India. In one Year 2 lesson, one high ability pupil can tell that the village in question “is near Bombay, which is in Asia”. Pupils use picture clues effectively to compare food, industry, agriculture and education in the two places to a high degree of sophistication prompted by teachers’ very good questioning and use of resources. Each class adopts a tree and studies its habitat and how pupils can help it grow.

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GEOGRAPHY

124. Years 5 and 6 pupils use well-designed visits to Yorkshire and France to compare and contrast their lives and the environmental aspects that affect them, with those in Yorkshire and Normandy. Because of experiences such as tasting French cheeses whilst on that trip and visiting coves and caves in Yorkshire, pupils have developed positive attitudes to geography. They also show high levels of interest and involvement in lessons. They develop very good relationships with their peers and teachers and as a result, behaviour in lessons is excellent.

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GEOGRAPHY

125. Year 6 pupils design a brochure to contrast the geographical features of Surrey and Normandy covering agriculture, relief, history and tourism. Teachers’ questioning is very good. “Why did we only drink UHT milk when we were in France?” is answered by pupils saying that all the fresh milk is used to make cheese. Good use is made of CD-ROM’s and the Internet for pupils to obtain information that assists their learning. Pupils make effective consolidations of their very good speaking skills within lessons. They talk about and compare different locations and why certain events have affected human activity in the region, such as the reconstruction of Caen after World War 2.

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GEOGRAPHY

126. Visits to Shepperton are made regularly, as well as residential trips to Yorkshire and France. The school makes excellent use of its links with Nairobi to compare lifestyles and climate. The money donated to building a school in Mozambique enables pupils to appreciate their own environment St Nicholas C E Primary School - 35 when compared with less well-off areas of the world.

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GEOGRAPHY

127. Teaching throughout the school is good; this is an overall improvement since the last inspection. Teachers have very good knowledge of the subject and a very good understanding of how it should be taught. The subject makes a valuable contribution to the school’s ethos and pupils’ geographical learning.

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GEOGRAPHY

128. The leadership and management of an enthusiastic and knowledgeable co-ordinator are very good. Monitoring and evaluation of teaching and pupils’ work are in place. A very good action plan charts future developments. Regular teacher discussions linked with the many visits that take place, ensure that the subject not only has a high profile, but makes a significant contribution to the breadth and balance of the whole curriculum, for example in areas such as the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of the pupils. Resources are good and used well to support learning.

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HISTORY

129. Achievement and attainment are satisfactory in Year 2. By Year 6 pupils achieve well and attainment is above the nationally expected levels.

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HISTORY

130. Standards have been maintained in Year 2 and improved in Year 6 since the time of the last inspection. There is more emphasis on teaching historical skills. Teachers are aware of the varying attainments of their pupils and most make good provision to meet the needs of lower attaining pupils and to challenge higher attaining pupils. However, the challenge for some higher attaining pupils is not always sufficient.

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HISTORY

131. By Year 2, pupils have a satisfactory awareness of the passing of time and demonstrate a developing understanding of the differences between the past and present in their own lives and the lives of their immediate family. They have an appropriate awareness of chronology gained from looking at key events in their own lives and those of their parents and grandparents. They have a clear understanding that everyday life changes over time by looking at photographs of life 40 or 50 years ago, for example, comparing a seaside holiday at that time with a holiday now. They use language effectively. This shows their understanding of the passage of time such as, ‘a long time ago’, ‘before’ and ‘past’. Year 1 pupils make good progress in finding out about the past from a range of information, including photographs, artefacts and visits to museums and castles. They develop a good knowledge of famous people like Florence Nightingale and Guy Fawkes and

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HISTORY

know why they are famous. Pupils in Year 2 ask questions about the past and use simple research to find the answers.

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HISTORY

132. Pupils in Year 6 achieve well due to the high expectations of their teachers, who provide good support and guidance as well as encouraging them to use initiative in researching the topics they are studying. Pupils successfully build on the knowledge and skills they have developed in previous years. They look with effective scrutiny at photographs of Shepperton in the past and take note of the changes that have taken place and give sensible reasons for the changes. Their learning about social, cultural and religious differences through studying topics such as the Aztecs is also effective. Through learning about different historical periods they reflect on the diversity of beliefs and customs and make perceptive comparisons with modern times. They correctly use more complex historical language when discussing the past such as, ‘ancient’ and ‘modern’. Year 6 pupils have a reasonable knowledge of different periods of history, which have

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HISTORY

helped to shape the world, as we know it today. Their study of the period of the Second World War during the inspection, showed an understanding of, and empathy for, the groups of people that Hitler sent to the concentration camps. The very good use of primary and secondary resources brings the past to life for the pupils wherever possible and the school has collected a good range of artefacts to support the history topics. There is a good display of second world war posters by the Year 6 classrooms that adds significantly to the understanding of what life was like during those years.

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HISTORY

133. One lesson for pupils in Year 6 was observed. The teaching in this lesson was very good. It was St Nicholas C E Primary School - 36 very well planned and well structured, enabling pupils to make very good progress. The teacher engaged the interest and enthusiasm of the pupils, building on previous knowledge and linking the work to their work in literacy. Pupils co-operated very well, contributing ideas and listening well to each other’s opinions. Their behaviour was very good. This helped to create a very good atmosphere for learning. Scrutiny of the work of the pupils in Year 6 shows that teachers sometimes include challenge for the higher attainers when planning lessons as well as planning for the special needs pupils. However, this does not happen consistently enough throughout the school and needs to be more consistent.

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HISTORY

134. A strength of the history curriculum is the links with other subjects. A residential visit to France is arranged for the older pupils. This is cross-curricular and gives pupils the opportunity to use the French they are learning at the same time as visiting historical sites connected to their history topics. Good trips for each year group are used on a regular basis to support the learning in the different topics.

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HISTORY

135. The leadership and management of history are very good. The coordinator has ensured that there is good progression in the acquisition of skills as pupils move through the school. Assessment opportunities are effectively built into the scheme and good use is made of this in planning. Samples of work from each year group are analysed for attainment and this data is used for improvement planning and the future raising of standards. Her action plan has identified exploring further opportunities for cross-curricular links for the coming year. Resources are good and make a good contribution to pupils’ learning.

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HISTORY

136. The curriculum is enhanced by arrangements for visitors to the school and for the pupils to visit places of historic interest. The school is fortunate in that there is a wealth of such opportunities in the vicinity. The subject makes a very good contribution to the pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development through the carefully chosen topics that they study.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

137. Standards of attainment in information and communication technology (ICT) are above those expected nationally for pupils in Year 2 and Year 6. This represents a good improvement since the last inspection. Attitudes to learning have improved and are now very good and they are keen and enthusiastic to learn more about a subject they really enjoy. As a result, the achievement of all pupils, including those with special educational needs and those for whom English is not their first language, is good throughout the school.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

138. The school’s provision for ICT is good overall. As pupils move through the school they are given well-structured, regular opportunities to build up their knowledge, skills, understanding and confidence in the subject. This reflects the overall good standard of teaching of ICT. Pupils’ understanding has been enhanced through the build up of staff expertise and also the good use the school has made of its recently equipped ICT suite. It is well stocked with a good range of up- to-date computers, peripheral equipment and relevant programs.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

139. Pupils in Year 1 control listening centres well using a sequence of physical activities and enjoy recording and listening to their own voices whilst Year 2 pupils use word processing effectively to write stories and integrate text into pictures that they create using computer programs. Pupils in Year 5 are good at using data sources to construct comparative graphs and are able to integrate touch sensors when working with control technology. By Year 6 pupils have developed the confidence to use hyperlinks and import text and graphics from the Internet and they do so effectively. They are able to link work in ICT to extracting and using data from their recent trip to France. However in several lessons higher attaining pupils were not suitably challenged by the work they were engaged on and this often had a detrimental effect on their achievement.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

140. Pupils are very enthusiastic about all aspects of ICT. As a result, their attitudes and behaviour in lessons are usually very good and often excellent. Pupils work very well, especially in mixed ability pairs in helping each other when necessary. The sense of achievement they feel when they St Nicholas C E Primary School - 37 complete work successfully is often shared with others. It comes as no surprise that pupils in Year 6 rate ICT as one of their favourite subjects!

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

141. The quality of teaching is good overall with some very good teaching being noted. It is this that is responsible for the enthusiasm that pupils show for ICT. Planning is usually effective, even though it sometimes does not fully cater for the needs of more able pupils. Learning objectives are clearly stated and lessons briskly paced. In very well taught lessons pupils of all abilities are usually challenged by the work they have to complete. Support staff, including parent helpers, are deployed very effectively to enhance pupils’ learning opportunities. As a result the overall achievement of pupils is good.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

142. The coordinator and support teacher lead and manage the subject very well. They have worked hard to ensure that ICT has a high profile within the school. Their contribution to improvement planning is excellent. The adopted scheme of work, based on the practical acquisition of skills, understanding and knowledge, provides a coherent programme of study for pupils in all age groups. It also enables teachers to assess pupils’ progress on an individual basis and match this to national expectations. Whilst teaching is not yet monitored on a regular basis, the coordinator scrutinises planning at all levels and has an excellent grasp of what the school has to do next in order to further improve standards in the subject.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

143. Resources for teaching ICT are good overall and have improved since the last inspection. Links between ICT and numeracy are good and ICT is used well to support literacy. Older pupils who run the school’s library, for example, use fingerprint scanning as a means of identifying other pupils when they borrow books. However, whilst the ICT suite is very well equipped, resources for linking ICT to other subject areas within individual classrooms vary from satisfactory to good and are sometimes insufficiently used. The school is aware of the need to explore further opportunities to integrate ICT into work in other subjects where this would benefit learning and has included this in current school development planning.

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MODERN FOREIGN LANGUAGES

144. Pupils learn French in Years 5 and 6 and most make good progress by the time they leave the school. By the end of Year 5, pupils understand basic instructions and have learnt to make simple statements about themselves and about aspects of everyday life. Building systematically on the sound start they have made, pupils make good progress in Year 6. By the end of the year many are confident enough to ask for items in shops, for example ‘je voudrais une glace au chocolat’ and begin to appreciate that the same question may be asked in different forms.

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MODERN FOREIGN LANGUAGES

145. Pupils in Year 5 quickly learn to appreciate some of the similarities and differences between French and English. Many offer simple greetings, express their age, or describe accurately the colour of everyday objects. They build up a good range of basic vocabulary, although they do not always have sufficient opportunity to practise its use in different forms or contexts. A few pupils develop a good accent, but many are confused by the reading of unfamiliar French and make much better progress when they rely solely on the spoken word. In Year 6, teachers build systematically on pupils’ previous learning and this results in good progress. By the end of the year, many express preferences and volunteer simple information about themselves; for example, ‘ j’ai deux soeurs’, or even, ‘j’aime l’équitation parce que c’est facile’. They begin to construct simple conversations or scenarios and practise these in readiness for a visit to Normandy. The

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MODERN FOREIGN LANGUAGES

trip is a good culmination to their studies, because pupils develop as a result a clear understanding of some of the similarities and differences between the languages and cultures of England and France. Through their visits to the sites of the Normandy landings and to some of those associated with William the Conqueror, they begin to appreciate how the histories of the two countries are closely linked. Teachers generally motivate pupils well. As a result, they enjoy their lessons, are willing to learn from their mistakes and are eager to try new phrases. Those with special educational needs generally make similar progress to other pupils in their oral French.

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MODERN FOREIGN LANGUAGES

146. The quality of teaching and learning is good. In the lessons observed, teaching ranged from satisfactory to excellent and the differences reflected the quality of the opportunities presented for St Nicholas C E Primary School - 38 pupils to hear and speak the language. In the excellent lesson, for example, the teacher spoke clearly and confidently in a good accent, offering pupils an excellent model to imitate. She provided ample opportunities for pupils to speak by setting conversational tasks that matched well the learning needs of different groups of pupils. As a result, the pupils spoke without inhibition and developed a real enthusiasm for their work. In most lessons, work is well planned and carefully structured and the learning proceeds in the small steps necessary for a secure acquisition of the language. Although the majority of teachers do not have specialist knowledge of the subject, they

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MODERN FOREIGN LANGUAGES

are very well supported by the subject co-ordinator who offers linguistic advice, provides aids to learning and suggests appropriate strategies for teaching. In lessons where teachers are less confident of their own knowledge, more frequent use could be made of the taped voices of native speakers to provide a good model for pronunciation and intonation. Nevertheless, teachers make very good use of their skills, motivating pupils well so that they are enthusiastic to learn. As a result, all of those interviewed expressed a real interest in the language and were enthusiastic to make further progress.

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MODERN FOREIGN LANGUAGES

147. The school offers a good curriculum that encompasses the principal skills in language learning and pupils build progressively and logically on previous-acquired knowledge and understanding. French is used very well to support other areas of learning. As well as supporting history it contributes well to pupils’ learning in mathematics and ICT. For example, pupils conduct a survey of preferences for French cheeses and represent their finding graphically. The subject manager provides very good support to her colleagues. In post for almost three years, her dynamic and enthusiastic approach has been significant in improving the rate of pupils’ progress since the time of the last inspection. Teaching and planning are monitored and there is a helpful scheme of work to which teachers may refer. Teachers assess pupils’ progress annually and these evaluations form the basis of their reports for parents. Resources for the subject are good. Many of these have

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MODERN FOREIGN LANGUAGES

been collected by the subject manager and their suggested use is identified in the scheme of work. The annual visit to Normandy considerably enhances pupils’ linguistic and cultural experiences. Many see this as the culmination of the two years of their learning. The subject manager maintains informative links with feeder secondary schools to gauge the effectiveness of the school’s curriculum and for pupils’ subsequent learning.

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MUSIC

148. Standards for pupils in Years 2 and 6 are as expected nationally. However many pupils are attaining individually at levels beyond that in areas like instrumental performance and singing. Improvement has been good since the time of the last inspection and this is partly due to the improvement in the quality of teaching. This in turn is connected to the now very effective leadership and management of the teachers responsible for the subject.

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MUSIC

149. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 and children in the Reception classes sing well as a group. They know a good number of songs and are able to accompany some with deaf signing actions. This makes a unique contribution to their social and cultural development. Pupils in Years 3 to 6 sing well in assembly and they are well supported by others who accompany them with percussion instruments. They respond well to different forms of accompaniment for example, piano and guitar. In individual lessons, pupils in Year 4 show a good ability to compose a piece of music in three movements. They manage effectively to complete the task which required them to incorporate the use of ostinato. They are eager to play their pieces to the other pupils in their class but have not used any notation and so will have difficulty recalling what they played at a later date. Year 6 pupils explore the connection between music and history when they learn to

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MUSIC

sing songs from the Second World War. Individual pupils reach higher than expected standards in their individual instrumental tuition and some make very good progress. The same is true for pupils in the choir, the orchestra and the ‘Beat Band’.

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MUSIC

150. The quality of teaching has improved since the time of the last inspection and is now good. As a result, learning is good and pupils are achieving well. The pupils are fortunate to have a good number of teachers who are very able musicians. This means that teachers make exacting demands in lessons. In the best lessons they give good exemplification of what it is they want the pupils to do and suggest ways in which the pupils might achieve the objectives of the lesson. The process of evaluation is often built into the teaching process so that pupils comment on how well St Nicholas C E Primary School - 39 they have done. They can hear how others think they have done and also suggest how they think their work might be improved. Many pupils benefit from lessons with visiting music teachers and a wide range of instrumental options is open to them. The quality of this teaching is very good and pupils generally make very good progress. The commitment and enthusiasm of

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MUSIC

parents also play a significant part in the progress that these pupils make.

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MUSIC

151. As in other subjects, the quality of teachers’ planning is good. Teachers make very good use of resources including the opportunities that arise to make and use music in other areas of the curriculum. The subject is used well in assemblies and for other celebrations. It contributes significantly to the school’s excellent ethos and the pupils’ very positive self images because of the celebration of pupils’ achievement. Teachers have a great enthusiasm for music and this manifests itself both in the way that lessons are prepared and taught and in the way the teachers are prepared to take on the role of performers. This provides pupils with a very good example of the enjoyment that music brings. Consequently, pupils report that they enjoy music and their attitudes in lessons are generally very good and their behaviour and relationships are excellent.

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MUSIC

152. The leadership and management of the subject are very good. The coordinator and support teacher are very well qualified both as administrators and as musicians and many of the staff bring musical talents of their own to bear. The curriculum is good and offers pupils very good opportunities through their participation via instrumental tuition, or in school productions, orchestras, choirs and percussion groups. The school’s music room and other practice spaces contribute well to the development of the subject and the progress pupils make. The subject is effectively audited and proposals for its development are appropriate. Resources are of a good standard and the subject is integrated well into other areas of the curriculum. It makes a very good contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and is presented in such a way that no pupil, regardless of gender, need or ability is disadvantaged.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

153. The standards attained by pupils in Year 2 and Year 6 are above those expected nationally. Achievement is good overall and exceptionally good in gymnastics throughout the school. All pupils, including those with special educational need and those for whom English is not their first language, make good progress in the subject as a whole. Progress in gymnastics is very good throughout the school.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

154. The subject is very well led and managed by the coordinator and her support teacher. The coordinator is a physical education specialist and monitors teaching and planning regularly in every year group. She has helped develop comprehensive procedures in order to assess pupils’ standards and these are well used in teachers’ planning. She has also ensured that physical education has a very high profile within the school and this is noticeable in developmental planning. The expertise of teachers and support staff has been enhanced through recent training and the school provides pupils with a very wide range of sporting activities outside lessons which improves their achievement further. As a result, standards have improved well since the previous inspection.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

155. The quality and range of learning opportunities offered to pupils are good in Year 1 and Year 2 and very good in Year 3 to Year 6. As pupils move through the school they have regular opportunities to acquire and develop new skills and techniques and to apply them to their own performances. Pupils in Year 1 explore how to apply skills and actions in dance sequences. Year 2 pupils build on this by performing dance using a range of movement patterns and different styles. During a breaktime observation Year 2 pupils were seen applying well-developed games skills in their playtime activities.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

156. By Year 6 nearly all pupils can apply skills, techniques and ideas accurately. Most evaluate their own performance well and suggest ways of improvement. Like pupils in the school as a whole, Year 6 pupils really enjoy all aspects of the subject. They are proud of the school’s many sporting achievements, especially in football and gymnastics. Most Year 6 pupils show a good degree of precision, control and accuracy in their work and have developed the confidence to attempt St Nicholas C E Primary School - 40 challenging tasks.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

157. The quality of teaching of physical education throughout the school is good overall. During the inspection it ranged from satisfactory to excellent. Most lessons are well planned, briskly paced and well resourced and teachers’ subject knowledge is good. In the excellent Year 4 lesson the teacher’s subject knowledge was very good and the level of difficulty of all activities set an excellent level of challenge for all groups of pupils. As a result achievement was excellent and pupils’ attainment was very good overall.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

158. In those lessons where teaching was satisfactory, the level of challenge could have been better matched so that all pupils were presented with activities that enabled them to achieve to their potential.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

159. Resources for teaching physical education are very good and contribute very well to the overall good achievement of pupils. They are easily accessed and cover all aspects of the National Curriculum programme of study for the subject. Links between physical education and ICT are good and are used well to enhance learning. For example the use of digital photography and video, because of its capacity for use in evaluation, has helped the school to achieve high standards in gymnastics performances.

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