Yattendon School

YATTENDON JUNIOR 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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YATTENDON JUNIOR 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. Yattendon School – Page 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Oakwood Road Horley Surrey

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

E-mail address: info@yattendon.surrey.sch.uk

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The Governing Body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 8 December 1997 Yattendon School – Page 4

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Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

21038 Mr G D Timms Registered inspector Mathematics Physical education English as an additional language What sort of school is it? What should the school do to improve? The school’s results and pupils’ standards. How well are pupils taught? How well is the school led and managed? 9505 Mr D Haynes Lay inspector Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development. How well does the school care for pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? Staffing and accommodation. Finance. 11419 Mrs J Underwood Team inspector English Religious education Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. 30000 Mr J Tresadern Team inspector Science Geography French Special educational needs How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils?

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Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

31319 Mrs D Hunter Team inspector Design and technology History Music 32332 Mrs D Willis Team inspector Information and communication technology Art and design Educational inclusion Assessment.

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Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

PBM Inspection Services Ltd PO Box 524 Cheadle Staffordshire ST10 4RN

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Subject responsibilities 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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Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Yattendon School – Page 5

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 10

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

The school is much bigger than the average primary school. It serves a small town close to Gatwick airport and takes pupils from the year in which they are eight until they are eleven. There are 448 pupils on roll. There is a wide range of ethnic and mixed ethnic groups, including white European families, black African, Indian, and Bangladeshi. The percentage of pupils whose first language is not English is higher than is found in most schools although few are at an early stage of learning English. Standards on entry were generally below average in the years since the previous inspection but this picture changed to average with the 2002 intake. Twenty-seven per cent of the pupils are on the special educational needs list and this is higher than is found in most schools; six pupils have statements of special educational need and this is below average. The most significant special needs include both moderate and specific learning difficulties, with a few pupils having emotional and behavioural

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

difficulties and language impairment needs. The pupils come from a range of social backgrounds. The number of pupils who join or leave the school at times other than is usual is not significant. A below average proportion of the pupils is entitled to free school meals although this does not fully represent the social background of many of the families.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

The school provides a very effective education for its pupils. Standards are largely above average and the quality of the teaching is good with a substantial amount that is very good. The school is very well led and managed and, when all factors are taken into account, gives good value for money.

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What the school does well

• Standards are above average in English, mathematics and science, as well as in geography, history and physical education; they are good in French. • The quality of the leadership and management is very good and the governing body is very effective in carrying out its work. • The quality of the teaching is good with a significant proportion that is very good or excellent. • The school has a very positive ethos; the provision for pupils’ social development and the personal, social and health education programmes are very good; the procedures for child protection and pupils’ welfare are very good. • Pupils’ attitudes towards the school are very good, as are their personal development and relationships. • The enrichment of the curriculum through extra-curricular activities, visits and trips, is excellent. • The school has very constructive relationships with other local schools. • The quality of written information provided for parents is very good.

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What could be improved

• Where the teaching is less good, the planning does not always provide activities sufficiently matched to pupils’ prior attainment and experiences; computers are not used sufficiently in classrooms and the marking of pupils’ work is inconsistent in the advice and praise offered to them. • Teachers do not always deploy the classroom support staff to best effect. • The school does not consult with parents as effectively as it could and a significant minority of parents do not find the school very approachable. • The school does not prepare pupils sufficiently for life in a multicultural society. 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 last inspection was in December 1997. Since then the level of improvement has been good and the school is capable of further good improvement in the future. The key issues from the last inspection have been largely addressed although insufficient has been done to develop the multicultural aspects of the curriculum. There has been more monitoring of the teaching and the curriculum, leading to an improved quality of teaching. The assessment of non-core subjects has improved, although this information is not yet used fully in planning lessons. In addition, the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies have been introduced successfully and the information and communication technology curriculum has been improved through better resources, training for teachers and effective subject leadership. Yattendon School – Page 7

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

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Key

Since the last inspection in 1997 standards have improved and at a rate broadly in line with that found nationally. Although there is some inconsistency in standards from year to year, this often reflects changes in the cohort and the evidence of the inspection is that achievement is often very good and the school is well placed to improve standards still further.

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Key

The national test results for 2002 show that attainment in English and science was well above the national average, while in mathematics it was average. When compared to schools with pupils from similar backgrounds standards were above average in science, average in English and below average in mathematics. The dip in mathematics was recognised by the school and the co-ordinator has addressed this through a range of measures, including extra support groups, more specialist teaching and more training. The analysis of the standards attained by pupils from different ethnic backgrounds shows no differences in their achievement. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress given their prior attainment. The targets set by the school are based on the evidence of pupils’ prior attainment and are sufficiently challenging.

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Key

The current standards in the school are generally higher than those shown in the tests last year. Standards are above those expected in English, mathematics, science, geography, history and physical education; standards are good in French. Many of these have been maintained or improved since the last inspection. In the other subjects standards are broadly in line with those expected. Given the pupils’ below average attainment on entry to the school, this represents a very good level of achievement.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Very good. Pupils are enthusiastic and take a full part in the life of the school. Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Good. Incidents of unsatisfactory behaviour are rare and this has a positive impact on learning. Personal development and relationships Very good. Pupils relate very well to each other and to all members of the teaching and non-teaching staff. Attendance Very good. The attendance figures are well above average and there is little unauthorised absence.

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Aspect Comment

The pupils have very positive attitudes towards school. They are polite and well behaved and take a full part in lessons and other aspects of school life.

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Teaching of pupils in: Years 3 – 6

Quality of teaching Good Yattendon School – Page 8 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: Years 3 – 6

The quality of teaching in English is good and in mathematics it is very good. Literacy skills are taught very well and used very effectively in other subjects. Numeracy skills are also well taught. Where the teaching is strongest lessons are very well planned and pacey with appropriately challenging work. However, in a minority of lessons, some groups of pupils make less progress as the work is either too difficult or too easy and more needs to be done to match the work provided to their differing needs. Relationships between pupils and adults are very good and this supports the good learning that takes place. The teaching assistants and the special needs support staff provide very good levels of help for small groups and individual pupils. Classes with a high proportion of challenging pupils do not always have sufficient levels of support to enable fully effective learning. The teachers plan very effectively as year group teams, and this enables those with expertise or interest in a subject to use

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Teaching of pupils in: Years 3 – 6

their knowledge for the benefit of all. The marking of pupils’ work is often very good in English but is inconsistent in other subjects.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Good. There is a good range of broad and balanced learning opportunities appropriate for the ages and abilities of the majority of the pupils. Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good. The teachers and special needs assistants provide good support for these pupils and they make good progress against their prior attainment. Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Good. The school provides good extra support for the few pupils who need help with English although resources are scarce.

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Aspect Comment

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

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Very good. Child protection and welfare procedures are very well organised.

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Aspect Comment

The school provides very good written information for parents but recent decisions have left parents feeling that it is difficult to meet and talk with teachers informally. The provision of extra-curricular activities is excellent, with a range of sporting, artistic and musical clubs. Two good residential trips are held annually and these support the pupils’ very good social development.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Very good. The headteacher and the senior staff members provide the school with a clear educational direction for its work and all staff with management responsibilities have a positive effect.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Very good. The governors offer very good support and have good understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. The school’s evaluation of its performance Very good. The school makes very good use of available data to compare its performance with others and to track how well pupils are performing. The strategic use of resources Good. The school’s finances are very well controlled and linked to important priorities in the development plan.

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Aspect Comment

The headteacher provides strong leadership and the school is very well managed. The governing body has a data group to investigate and analyse test results and other data to assess how well the school is performing. Subject co-ordinators are involved in budgeting and monitoring their subjects, although not always the teaching, and this has helped develop a wider appreciation of management responsibility, ensuring the school seeks best value in all of its work to a very good degree. The staffing is appropriate overall, but there is insufficient teaching assistant Yattendon School – Page 9 time in some classes. The learning resources and accommodation are good, with the school benefiting from a very good site offering a range of learning opportunities.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• The school expects children to work hard and achieve their best. • The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. • Their children like school. • The teaching is good and the children make good progress. • The school does not always work closely enough with the parents. • They do not feel well enough informed about how well their children are getting on. • Children do not get the right amount of homework.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The findings of the inspection support the parents’ positive views about what pleases them most. The school has recognised the need to improve the way it works with the parents and addressing this is part of the development planning. The information provided about how well pupils are progressing is very good, both through written reports and parents’ meetings. Some parents felt there was too much homework while others felt pupils needed more to prepare them for secondary school. The evidence from the inspection supports the view that homework provision is mostly appropriate and has a positive impact on pupils’ learning. Yattendon School – Page 10

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. In the past, pupils starting at the school attained at a level below that expected for their ages. However, the levels of attainment shown by the tests taken when pupils are in Year 2 have been rising and the present levels of attainment on entry are higher than they were for the present Year 6 and are now average. However, those of last year’s Year 6, the pupils who took the tests in 2002 and the present Year 6 were below average.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. The national test results for Year 6 pupils in 2002 improved over the 2001 results in English and science but fell slightly in mathematics. The improvement in English has been due to a recent focus on spelling and writing and a good range of extra ‘booster’ type classes for small groups. The improvement in science has resulted from the school using national guidelines to improve the curriculum. The slight fall in the test results in mathematics was due to fewer pupils reaching the higher levels although one pupil achieved a very high Level 6 and overall standards were still in line with the national average, thus reflecting the good progress made since the pupils entered the school. In English and science the test results showed that the pupils had made very good progress when compared to the results they achieved as seven-year-olds.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. The current position in Year 6 shows that the very strong team of teachers is again having a positive impact on standards and the majority of the pupils are on line to exceed the expected levels in the tests this year. The school has some concerns that changes to the content and style of the tests may affect test results in the short term but that, as staff and pupils adjust to the differences, standards will continue to rise.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. Inspection evidence indicates that standards in English, mathematics and science are above average by the time pupils are in Year 6. Given their below average attainment on entry to the school, this represents a very good level of achievement. In the present Year 4, where more challenging pupils sometimes slow progress in some lessons, standards are still broadly in line with those expected and are improving. Standards by the end of Year 6 are also above those expected in geography, history and physical education; standards are good in French. The standards in art and design in Year 3 are also high. Standards have risen since the last inspection in mathematics, science, and geography, while the good standards in English, history, physical education, and French have been maintained. The present standards in art and design in Years 4 to 6, design and technology, information and communication technology,

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

music and religious education are broadly in line with those expected, as they were at the time of the last inspection. However, there have been a number of improvements to these subjects such as the better resources in information and communication technology.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. Seven out of ten of the pupils with special educational needs are at the school action stage of the Code of Practice. The substantial majority of them have difficulties with literacy and numeracy and are one or more years behind the national expectations for their age. Some also have social, emotional and behavioural difficulties. The remaining pupils all have long-term difficulties of a general learning, behavioural, or severe physical nature. Pupils with special educational needs in all years are attaining appropriately given the limitations of their abilities. Overall, they make good progress and some make very good progress. For example, one pupil working in a mathematics lesson played a very full part in the lesson with the support of the special needs assistant who checked that he had understood the teacher’s questions. He quickly offered a correct response and was one of just six pupils who went out to the front of the class to

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. The school has recently analysed the standards achieved by pupils from different ethnic backgrounds, through their test results and teachers’ assessments. This shows that they achieve broadly in line with their peers and there is no evidence of any underachievement or any other differences in their progress. Those at an early stage of learning English make very good, quick progress due to the support given to them by the school. Yattendon School – Page 11

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

7. The pupils' attitudes, values and personal development are very good and contribute well to the positive learning environment that exists within the school. The school's aims and values contribute greatly to the positive atmosphere in the school. Pupils are keen to enter school and settle quickly into the daily routine without undue intervention from the class teacher. During nearly all lessons pupils concentrate well and show enthusiasm.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

8. Behaviour is good. It is necessary for pupils to be reminded of the rules on very few occasions. Starting in Year 3 and continuing throughout the school, the teachers' expectations of pupils' behaviour are high and the pupils live up to these expectations most of the time. Behaviour in lessons is usually good though the standard of behaviour in Year 4 can fall below that of the remainder of the school. Behaviour in lessons can be very good when the quality of teaching makes the lessons interesting and stimulating. Behaviour around the school, in assemblies and at play is good. This reflects on the consistent expectation of good behaviour by both teaching and non-teaching staff. Over the past twelve months three pupils were excluded for a fixed period for behavioural problems and this was done correctly. Respect for the feelings of others is addressed very well in personal, social and health education lessons. No incidents of bullying or oppressive behaviour

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

were seen and this type of behaviour is not reported as a serious problem by either parents or pupils though a small amount of verbal bullying has been reported.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

9. The school is an orderly community, with each class creating their own class rules within the school's code of conduct. There is no evidence of vandalism. Learning resources and property are treated with respect. Pupils demonstrate a natural courtesy to adults, which is well demonstrated by pupils from all year groups as they walk about the school and during lunchtimes. Pupils relate very well to each other and to all members of the teaching and non-teaching staff. There are many examples of collaborative working during lessons. Pupils were at ease expressing their feelings to members of the inspection team; this was particularly evident during informal discussions with pupils when they talked about their likes and dislikes and about the behaviour of children around the school.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

10. The school offers a very good range of opportunities for pupils to take on responsibility for the day-to-day running of the school. These include the distribution of registers and older pupils helping the younger pupils during wet lunchtimes. Pupils assist with controlling music and projectors in assemblies and pupils assist in clearing the hall after lunch. There is a school council that Year 5 and 6 pupils operate. Members of the council control the issue of playground games and befriending pupils in the playground. All pupils are fully included in all activities. The school offers an excellent range of extra-curricular activities; both pupils and parents appreciate this. Over 20 different clubs are offered during the year. These activities are well attended and are open to both boys and girls. Pupils in Years 4 and 6 have the opportunity to go on a residential visit and these are greatly enjoyed. The school supports local, national and international

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

charities and pupils are aware of those less fortunate than themselves.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

11. Attendance was very good and above the national average for the reporting period. There is negligible unauthorised absence.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

12. The overall quality of teaching is good with a significant amount that is very good or excellent. Almost all of the teaching is satisfactory or better including 45 per cent that is good and a further 27 per cent that is very good or excellent. This has improved since the last inspection when seven per cent was unsatisfactory and 17 per cent very good or better. The improvements are due to the introduction of the national strategies for literacy and numeracy, better monitoring of teaching by senior and key staff and lessons demonstrating a good pace. This good teaching has a positive effect on the pupils’ learning and is responsible for the interested and enthusiastic way pupils approach many of the tasks provided for them. The pupils react positively to the pace of lessons and they produce a good amount of work in the time available.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

13. The teachers work well together. Year groups plan effectively as teams, involving teaching assistants where appropriate. The teaching assistants and special needs assistants are knowledgeable and have good relationships with the pupils they work with. The withdrawal of pupils is managed to ensure that they do not always miss the same lessons but more could be done to support them when they return to a lesson part way through. The learning support assistants are often deployed very effectively though in some lessons their time and expertise is wasted especially during whole class teaching times. In classes with the more Yattendon School – Page 12 challenging pupils there is insufficient teaching assistant time. Teachers know their pupils well and are aware of their strengths and weaker areas. This has improved since the setting of individual targets began.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

14. A major strength is the teaching of the basic skills, especially of literacy and numeracy. These skills are not only effectively taught but they are also used well in other subjects. For example, the use of mathematical skills is evident in a number of science lessons, and in history some very good imaginative writing has been produced. The use of information and communication technology skills, although often well taught in specific lessons, is not fully developed through other subjects and teachers do not use computers in the classrooms sufficiently, especially in literacy and numeracy lessons. The teachers are very effective at sharing the learning objectives of lessons with pupils, both at the beginning and at the end of lessons. This ensures that pupils are very aware of what they are learning and how well they have progressed during the lesson.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

15. The best teaching is characterised by very well planned lessons, often where the teacher has provided different work appropriate for different pupils based on assessments of their prior attainment. This is strongest in mathematics where there is good planning practice, which could usefully be spread to other subjects. The teachers have very positive relationships with the pupils, keep up a challenging pace and provide a range of activities. For example, in two excellent lessons in dance, after the basic skills had been practised the pupils were given good opportunities to develop the skills in their group work. The right amount of time was given and the teacher offered very appropriate advice and support where needed enabling particularly the higher attaining pupils to develop their skills to a very high level. The provision of homework is good and supports the work done in lessons effectively.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

16. Where the teaching remains to be improved further, including the one unsatisfactory lesson, teachers have some difficulties in managing the more challenging pupils. In a minority of lessons throughout the school, teachers do not plan a range of work sufficiently matched to the pupils’ needs, relying on an overall lesson suiting all. This is largely as a result of not using assessments made in the non-core subjects to plan work, but this also happens in English and science. The marking of pupils’ work is inconsistent with some very good practice in English. However, on many occasions, the marking does not reflect what pupils have done well or guide them sufficiently by indicating how they can improve.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

17. Pupils with special educational needs are taught particularly well in lessons where they have the support of teaching assistants and where planning takes into account the varying attainment of the pupils such that the work is appropriately matched to differing needs. For example, in a Year 4 mathematics lesson in which the pupils were learning to round numbers, four pupils with special educational needs worked with a teaching assistant in a withdrawal group. Their work was focused upon hundreds and rounding to the nearest ten, while other pupils were rounding to hundreds or thousands. The teaching assistant maintained a good working relationship with the pupils using good resources and praise to which the pupils responded well, such that they showed clear learning progress and two pupils were able to work to the nearest thousand accurately. However, in some subjects the lesson plans do not always make explicit the way in

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

which the teaching will take account of the needs of pupils with different abilities in the nature of the tasks set. This makes the teaching less effective.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

18. The pupils who have a first language other than English are fully included in lessons and teachers and support staff offer extra help where it is needed. A small amount of teaching is focused on pupils recently arrived in this country but the school does not have sufficient resources for this aspect of its work. Teachers do not take all available opportunities to celebrate the home cultures of the wide range of ethnic groups in the school and this would enrich the learning about other cultures for all pupils.

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

19. The school offers a suitably broad and balanced curriculum to all its pupils and meets all statutory requirements. Policies and schemes of work based upon national guidelines are in place ensuring that all aspects of all subjects are taught. French is taught regularly throughout the school and is popular with the pupils. The curriculum has been fully reviewed to take account of recent changes and the literacy and numeracy strategies have been implemented effectively and enthusiastically. Teachers generally plan well although there are inconsistencies in the planning of work to take account of the needs of pupils with different abilities. The time allocation for each subject is carefully calculated and appropriate. Additional tuition in music is available from a visiting specialist and the lessons are rotated within the timetable to avoid continually causing conflict with any one particular subject. In some lessons not all the pupils with

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

Yattendon School – Page 13 special educational needs have sufficient access to support, particularly when engaged in writing tasks. Where groups and subjects are targeted for support, it is of very good quality and the effect is highly favourable.

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

20. The provision for pupils’ personal, social, health and citizenship education is very good and there is a planned curriculum for the whole school prepared by the co-ordinator. Agreed policies are in place covering health, sex and drugs misuse. The pupils are taught through designated teaching sessions, for example in ‘circle time’, in assemblies and in subjects such as science where the pupils learn about maintaining a healthy body. Sex and drugs education programmes are both handled sensitively and parents are fully consulted on the content of the teaching programmes. The personal, social, health and citizenship curriculum is enriched with special events and support such as the work of the Healthy Schools Project, cycle training and a walking bus scheme run by parents. There is also a special session about drug misuse provided for parents by the police. The school has a clear commitment to equality and inclusion. This is

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

very apparent in the way all pupils have very good access to the full range of curriculum and the individual contributions of all pupils are valued. Furthermore, pupils are able to share ideas and concerns through the operation of the school council. However, some of the subject policies do not include an equal opportunities commitment statement and while the individual needs of lower attaining and higher attaining pupils are generally recognised, this is not made explicit in all planning.

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

21. The school has a significant minority of pupils with a first language other than English, and they come from a wide range of ethnic backgrounds. When they require extra help with their learning, staff ensure that the children are well provided for and extra support from special needs staff is given. However, too little is done to celebrate the different cultures in the school; resources are insufficient and the efforts to prepare all pupils for life in a multicultural society are insufficient.

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

22. Pupils with special educational needs experience a curriculum that is broadly the same as other pupils, and are included fully in the work of the school. The policy for special educational needs is good. It is implemented effectively and as a result, the provision for pupils with special educational needs is good, enabling pupils to be supported across a range of subjects but with emphasis given to literacy and numeracy. The work of pupils withdrawn from classes is well linked to what the rest of the class is learning. Pupils at the school action-plus stage receive tuition in pairs from a special educational needs teacher for one hour each week. This time is rotated through the timetable such that while it does cause some disruption, a pupil’s learning in any one subject is not constantly disadvantaged. Statemented pupils are also withdrawn on the same basis if their individual education plan targets demand it, for example for

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

23. Inspection evidence shows that the provision for extra-curricular activities is excellent compared to many schools and this differs from the view of some parents. Over the year the school provides a variety of activities including clubs for various sports, board games, chess, story, clay work, information and communication technology, recorders, drama, sketching, hand chimes, craft, singing, and writing. In addition, there are opportunities every year for pupils in Years 4 and 6 to take part in a residential experience offering adventure activities, while pupils who do not journey away undertake a similar range of activities within the local area. The pupils support charities such as Children in Need. The school’s links with the community provide a satisfactory enrichment of the curriculum. These links are with the local church and activities in which the pupils perform for people in the community such as singing to the elderly

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

in old peoples’ homes. Further curriculum enrichment is gained from visits by local performance artists such as children’s storywriters, musicians and a television producer. There are, however, very few links with the local business community. The school has very good links with partner institutions. Joint staff development sessions are held with a local schools and a learning partnership is being explored to enhance activities and the general provision of services. Infant pupils visit the school to watch a production and for transfer preparation. Joint staff development experiences are also held with a local secondary school and this co-operation extends to pupils visiting the secondary school for curriculum enrichment days in mathematics and French, sporting events and Year 6 transfer preparation visits. There are also good links with higher education for the purposes of initial teacher education.

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

24. The provision for pupils’ social development is very good and the provision for both their spiritual and moral development is good. The provision for pupils’ cultural development, particularly the multicultural aspect is satisfactory. As no clear judgement was made about the provision in the previous inspection no comment can be made about improvement. However, the previous report highlighted the fact that pupils were not made sufficiently aware that they lived in a multicultural society and this has not been addressed sufficiently. Yattendon School – Page 14 25. Spirituality is promoted effectively through assemblies where pupils are encouraged to think about others, how things change and the effects of this, and to develop positive attitudes towards one another. Other faiths are taught through religious education and pupils show respect towards other cultures during such lessons. Teachers try to present the pupils with a good range of experiences through music, art and

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

literature and through using the grounds to celebrate the wonders of nature: the woodpecker, squirrels and plants. The pupils feel secure in the ethos created within the classrooms and are confident to respond to teachers’ questions. Opportunities arise during discussion sessions for pupils to share their feelings and opinions and to become more aware of the impact of their attitudes and behaviour on others.

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

26. The provision for pupils’ moral development is good. It is promoted through assemblies and the rules that each class devise at the beginning of the year, and through the positive ethos of the school. There is a system of rewards to promote acceptable behaviour and an ‘achievement’ assembly every Friday. This has a positive effect on pupils’ behaviour, as they know what is expected of them. Teachers are good role models and use every opportunity to reinforce pupils’ understanding of right and wrong: in assembly, through literature using fables and through discussions in class about moral issues.

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

27. The provision for pupils’ social development is very good. They are expected to care for their school and the environment. Each class has monitors who perform a variety of duties. Older pupils set up the hall for assembly and put on the music. The school council meets regularly. At the moment representatives are chosen from Years 5 and 6; it is planned that younger pupils will have a chance to be members in the near future. They have been responsible for organising playground equipment, looking after younger pupils during wet play and lunchtimes and for introducing a fruit tuck shop. Year 3 pupils prepare a booklet for the children from the feeder infant schools and meet them when they come for their induction day and when they start school. Pupils can be seen working together in small groups or pairs, sharing ideas and resources. Little adult supervision is required. Pupils are encouraged to raise money for charity and to

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

understand there are others less fortunate than themselves. The residential trips for Year 4 and 6 help pupils to develop the social skills of living together. Many pupils participate in extra-curricular activities and make a commitment to attend practices and meetings.

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

28. The provision for cultural development is satisfactory. Pupils are given good opportunities to learn about their own culture through visits to museums and art galleries. Theatre groups visit, as do a local sculptor, poets, and authors. Teachers provide for learning about western culture through history. Visitors from different Christian denominations lead assemblies. Although pupils have firsthand experience of a Christian church as a place of worship, they have little opportunity to visit places of worship of other faiths. The need for a greater emphasis on multicultural education was mentioned in the previous report and this is still the case. During religious education lessons pupils learn about other faiths and cultures, but there are few opportunities for pupils to learn about the richness and diversity of our multicultural society or to celebrate the home cultures of all pupils in the school. The school is aware of this weakness and has plans to

p.14

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

29. The school cares very well for its pupils. The headteacher is responsible for child protection and her knowledge of the pupils and their backgrounds, together with clear guidance for teaching staff, provides a very good level of protection. The very good guidance on child protection given to teachers extends to other adults on the school staff. This is very good practice. Record keeping and communication within the school are very good and contact is maintained with outside specialists and their services are effectively used when required. First aid provision is good and the children know what to do should the need arise.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

30. The caretaker and team of cleaners maintain a very high level of cleanliness and any aspect of maintenance is attended to promptly. This helps create a safe learning environment and instils high values in the pupils that are reflected in their respect for property and learning resources. Health and safety awareness among members of the governing body is very high. A whole school safety audit has recently been completed. Risk assessments are carried out and these have lead to items being included in the school development plan.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

31. The school's aims and values are appropriate and are prominently published in the school prospectus. Pupils establish their own class rules and pupils know what is expected of them both in class and around the school. Science and personal, social and health education lessons address aspects of personal Yattendon School – Page 15 hygiene and behaviour well. This was particularly evident in a Year 3 science lesson on tooth decay where pupils were still talking about the outcome of the experiments when at play after lunch. Safety in lessons is well addressed by the class teachers and at lunch times volunteer pupils are correctly equipped and instructed on how to collect litter. Good procedures are in place to promote good behaviour and there were no incidents of harassment or bullying during the inspection. The headteacher supports the class teachers in establishing and maintaining high expectations of behaviour; this is particularly evident at lunchtimes and

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

in the school's communications to parents. A very good level of supervision is provided when the children are at play and play equipment including racquets, balls and skipping ropes is available but supervisors do not initiate or lead any structured or guided play. The supervisors interact well with pupils; the procedures available and the standard of supervision provided maintain a consistent approach to behaviour management and personal development.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

32. Registration is quickly taken and there are very few pupils arriving after registration closes. Registers are maintained correctly using a computer-based system. The administration staff members are confident and competent at analysing the data. A good feature is the return of the registers to the office after each registration; any latecomer having to report to the office. There are satisfactory procedures in place for monitoring absence. General attendance patterns are monitored and the education welfare officer involved when required, however the school does not analyse absence by reason and target those areas that could lead to improved attendance, due to the present very good attendance figures.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

33. The provision for pupils with special educational needs is good. The planning of the individual education plans is carried out thoroughly for all such pupils. The plans are of good standard with targets that are short term, specific and measurable. They are all reviewed each term or more frequently if necessary and they are monitored by the special educational needs co-ordinator for quality and their resource requirements. While parents are not currently invited to be present at the review and planning meetings of pupils at the earlier stages, the school is taking steps to invite the parents to attend these meetings. The provision for all pupils with special educational needs is discussed with parents at the parents’ meetings held each term. The school monitors the progress of pupils closely and maintains detailed records with a system that permits the tracking of the progress of individual pupils. Assessments are made on the progress of pupils

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

for the review meetings each term but in addition teaching assistants make daily assessments of their pupils with formal reports to class teachers at the end of each week or more frequently if necessary. Individual education plans clearly record the achievement of pupils in relation to the targets set. The staged identification, assessment and review process is well established and used effectively. There are good relationships with support and medical agencies. For example, the local education authority provides support from its educational psychology service and from visual and auditory specialists. Physically impaired pupils are observed in the school by representatives of appropriate agencies to assess their needs. The school also has a very good relationship with a special school that offers an outreach service, which is used particularly for pupils with behavioural problems.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

34. At the time of the last inspection the school was judged to have good procedures for assessing pupils’ attainment and progress in English, mathematics and science. The school continues to place high priority on this and the analysis and interpretation of pupil performance and school results by the assessment co- ordinator is good. In these subjects, the performance of pupils is tracked meticulously and there is a formal assessment timetable that outlines the termly assessments in which all pupils are involved.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

35. Assessment information is kept centrally and in class files. The data from these assessments is used effectively to set appropriate targets in consultation with pupils and parents. Pupils are aware of their targets and what they need to do to achieve them. An example of very good practice is in a Year 3 class where pupils’ targets are displayed on their desks; this practice could be usefully extended to other classes. The school is keen to work in partnership with parents and held a meeting to explain how the school’s assessment procedures complement statutory requirements.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

36. Although assessment procedures in the non-core subjects have improved since the last inspection, they are still underdeveloped. There is now a consistent record of pupils’ attainment in all the non-core subjects and religious education. However, as these procedures have only been in place for a short time there is scope for further development. Currently, this information is not being used sufficiently to plan carefully for next steps in pupils’ learning. The school has a good policy for marking, but it is not implemented consistently. Although marking is positive, it is often too general and insufficiently related to the objectives of the lesson. Yattendon School – Page 16

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

37. Parents' views as expressed in the parents' questionnaire and at the parents' meeting were positive. Parents particularly appreciated that their children liked school, that they were making good progress and there was an expectation of hard work. Parents also thought the school was well led and managed and that there was a very good range of activities outside lessons. However, areas of concern to one third of parents responding to the questionnaire centred on the school's partnership with parents and how closely the school works with parents. A small number of parents are concerned about homework.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

38. The school offers parents an opportunity each term to meet class teachers and discuss the progress of their children; this is more than the requirement. The school has a flexible timetable for these meetings to accommodate working parents and meetings in the autumn and spring terms are particularly well attended. The quality of written information provided for parents is very good. A school newsletter informs of general events and regular year group newsletters detail activities that will be undertaken by each class. The annual report to parents on pupils' progress is very good; it is comprehensive and contains details of progress particularly in English, mathematics and science. Progress in other curriculum subjects is also separately detailed and there is a section on personal development and behaviour. Targets for improvement are agreed with both parent and pupil at each consultation evening and are clearly recorded in the report; this is very

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

39. The school prospectus is a factual document, comprising all the necessary information parents require. The contribution of parents to their children's learning at school and at home and their impact on the life of the school is good. Most parents confirm work undertaken at home and the inspection found that the amount of homework is appropriate to the age of the pupil and is well managed. The Friends Association organises social events for both parents and children, and events that raise valuable funds for the school. Overall, the impact that parents have on the work of the school is good. A home/school agreement is in place. Parents are welcome to assist in school during the teaching day but very few do so. Parents have attended sessions explaining the assessment procedures and how they can help their children at home. Recent changes to access procedures to the school do not encourage informal contact with the school or staff.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

There are no parent assemblies at which pupils can demonstrate and celebrate their achievements though parents are invited to celebrate the major festivals with their children. Parents are concerned about how closely the school works with them. The school should consider how best to improve consultation with and communication to parents regarding current and future changes to school routines.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

40. Partnership with the parents of pupils with special educational needs is good. Parents are very pleased with arrangements for the support and very appreciative of the work of the special educational needs co-ordinator and the teaching assistants. They know whom to contact and are welcome to discuss the progress of their children as they wish both formally and informally. The school responds swiftly to any request for discussions. They receive very good information from the school including guidance on the process involved in identifying pupils with special educational needs and ideas for helping their children at home. The school is also planning to take part in a local authority scheme as a partnership school in a programme of workshops to support the parents of pupils with special educational needs.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

41. The leadership and management demonstrated by the headteacher and key staff are very good. This represents a good level of improvement since the last inspection. The improvement is due to the continuing consolidation of very good managerial skills gained during the school’s period as a grant maintained school, and the very clear educational direction and focus on raising standards that infuses all aspects of the school’s work. The senior staff members make an effective, experienced team and they offer both support and challenge to the staff.

p.16

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

42. The school has a very detailed, comprehensive and effective school development planning process. The plans contain an appropriate set of priorities and the school has effectively recognised through its self- evaluation process some important aspects such as the need to improve the communication with parents. The governing body is very involved in the development planning process and they have a good strategic view of the direction the school is taking. Teachers also take a lead in the planning for their subjects or other aspects of the school’s work. The plan is closely linked to the available budget and spending plans are clear. It is closely monitored in governors’ meetings and staff meetings on a regular basis. This planning Yattendon School – Page 17 does not focus purely on the school but also on local issues about planning for housing and schooling which may have an effect on the school. The school has an important place in the local community.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

43. The planning is largely based on very detailed and accurate data. This is analysed in detail and used to compare the school’s performance with others, both locally and nationally, and with schools in similar circumstances. The tracking of pupils’ progress results in management decisions about the best way to provide for them. A good example of this is that following work on analysing weaknesses in spelling, smaller groups based on prior attainment were set up and improvements have been evident in the pupils’ learning.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

44. The governing body is very effective and governors have a very clear awareness of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. Their work is well-organised and structured and appropriate terms of reference for committees exist and good minutes are kept. The teachers feel that the governors are both knowledgeable and very committed to the school. The governors have set up a ‘data group’ specifically to analyse results and to support the target setting process. This challenges the school appropriately to aim for continual improvement. Overall, the school and the governing body offer very good best value although more needs to be done regarding consultation with parents.

p.17

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

45. The school’s performance management policy is effective in monitoring and improving teaching standards and in setting appropriate objectives for the future. The headteacher, and her senior staff, all have a monitoring role that includes regular classroom observations. In addition, the core subject coordinators have had opportunities to scrutinise pupils’ work, teachers’ plans and to observe lessons, and at times to teach exemplar lessons. Less of this has happened in the non-core subjects.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

46. The management of special educational needs is very good overall. Strategic planning is good and the co- ordinator has clear ideas about the areas for improvement. However, while the co-ordinator undertakes training with the teaching assistants and monitors some teaching, these functions and further developments are limited by the amount of time usually allocated to the post. The funding provision is good. The school has set aside a number of rooms for special educational needs that gives designated teaching space for work with groups and a good resource base of curriculum materials to support the work of the teaching assistants. Teaching assistants are well qualified. They meet with the special educational needs co- ordinator almost every week to discuss any issues. In addition, they participate fully in all school staff development sessions and receive focused training in relation to the needs of the particular pupils with

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

whom they work. The governing body makes an appropriate contribution to the development of the subject. The teaching assistants also work with pupils from different ethnic groups, and one provides good support for those at an early stage of learning English.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

47. The school employs a bursar who keeps close control of expenditure throughout the year. There is a good working relationship with the governing body and financial plans are maintained for a number of possible options that the school may have to contend with in the future. There is a high awareness of the need to challenge and compare current costs to ensure good value for money; this was particularly well demonstrated in an analysis of the catering costs in the school. The school carried forward 17 per cent of its budget into the current financial year and a similar situation existed the previous year. This level of carry forward is very high. The bursar and governors are aware of this situation and the current school development plan provides for the provision of resources and other projects that will reduce any carry forward if the projects are completed.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

48. The school has an appropriate number of teachers providing a balance in the range of their experience and qualifications. Induction procedures are good and new teachers to the school are well supported by senior staff and colleagues. There is a clear policy for staff development and both teaching and non-teaching members of staff take advantage of training opportunities. While there is good support for pupils with statements of special educational need, there are too few assistants in some classes to support lower ability pupils, especially in the non-core subjects.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

49. The quality of the teaching accommodation is mainly good. In the main building, classrooms and other teaching areas are well furnished. Blackboards in some classrooms need replacing. The information technology suite in the middle of the school is a good learning resource, which is well used during the day. The library is also a well-used area and some extra, smaller rooms enable group teaching to take place. A recently refurbished home economics area is now used for meetings and as a group teaching room and is stocked with special needs resources. This detracts from its primary purpose to enhance design and technology. The main building is generally well decorated and very good displays throughout the school Yattendon School – Page 18 enhance the learning environment. However, one area of pupil toilets is in need of immediate refurbishment and decoration. There is no disabled toilet facility. The hall is adequate for class activities but is not large

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

enough for the whole school to meet together. The school entrance is secure but does not provide a very welcoming aspect for visitors. The school grounds are spacious, well maintained and provide a very good learning resource for the pupils. There are two school ponds, one of which needs to be refurbished and fenced to make it safe.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

50. Learning resources are good. A librarian maintains the well-stocked library, from which the children borrow books. The computer resources are good and pupils have good access to those in the suite and the many laptops around the school. The school has recently invested in broadband to enhance information technology. Resources for those with special needs are good and topic boxes for the non-core subjects are varied and well developed. There are too few resources to support the teaching of English as an additional language or to enable pupils to learn about cultures other than their own. The school enriches its resources by arranging visits to local places of interest as part of topics that are being studied and inviting groups and individuals in for workshops and theme days. Yattendon School – Page 19

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

51. The very detailed and well-produced school development and improvement planning provides appropriate priorities for the future development of the school. In addition, the governing body, headteacher and staff should:

p.19

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

q Improve the quality and consistency of the teaching further by: ° using assessment information more effectively to plan activities more closely matched to the pupils’ prior attainment; ° using the marking of pupils’ work to make clear to them what they have done correctly and what they need to improve; ° using computers in classrooms more regularly to support the work in the information and communication technology suite, especially in literacy and numeracy lessons. (Paragraphs 14, 16, 17, 20, 36)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

q When finances permit, extend the provision of, and improve the deployment and training of, classroom support staff. (Paragraphs 13, 48, 57, 66)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

q Improve communication and consultation with parents. ** (Paragraphs 32, 37 – 40)

p.19

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

q Improve the provision for pupils’ learning about the different cultures represented in the school and in the wider community. (Paragraphs 18, 21, 24, 28, 50)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

** This issue has been recognised by the school and is already part of the development planning. Yattendon School – Page 20

p.19

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 48

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. Care should be taken when interpreting these percentages as each lesson represents more than one percentage point.

p.20

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 448

p.20

Information about the school’s pupils

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

p.20

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 6

p.20

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 120

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 9

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 14

p.20

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 20

p.20

Attendance

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. Yattendon School – Page 21

p.20

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 65 58 123

p.21

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.21

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

Boys 52 52 64 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 51 42 56

p.21

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

Percentage of pupils School 84 (78) 76 (81) 98 (97) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 73 (71) 86 (87)

p.21

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.21

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

Boys 47 50 57 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 45 44 51

p.21

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

Percentage of pupils School 75 (85) 76 (87) 88 (90) at NC level 4 or above National 73 (72) 74 (74) 82 (82)

p.21

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

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

p.21

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.21

Exclusions in the last school year

White – any other White background 10 0 0

p.21

Exclusions in the last school year

Mixed – any other mixed background 5 0 0

p.21

Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British - Pakistani 1 0 0

p.21

Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi 2 0 0

p.21

Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British – any other Asian background 2 0 0

p.21

Exclusions in the last school year

Black or Black British – Caribbean 0 0 0

p.21

Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.21

Exclusions in the last school year

Chinese 2 0 0 Yattendon School – Page 22 Any other ethnic group 3 0 0

p.21

Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 18.6 Financial year 2001-2002

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 24

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: Y3 – Y6 Total income 1,121,651

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 20 Total expenditure 1,095,372

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 338 Expenditure per pupil 2,356

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance brought forward from previous year 160,732

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 197,011

p.22

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 5.2

p.22

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 13.6

p.22

Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

p.22

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.22

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.22

Recruitment of teachers

FTE means full-time equivalent. Yattendon School – Page 23

p.22

Percentage of responses in each category

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

p.23

Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 43 53 2 0 2

p.23

Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 38 54 2 0 6

p.23

Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 23 59 13 4 1

p.23

Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 27 54 13 5 1

p.23

Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 45 43 6 6 0

p.23

Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 58 41 0 1 0

p.23

Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 19 49 23 8 1

p.23

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 41 45 6 2 6

p.23

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 47 48 3 0 2

p.23

Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 53 39 6 1 1

p.23

Other issues raised by parents

A significant minority of parents felt that they were not consulted sufficiently about decisions affecting them and that the security improvements have made it more difficult for them to discuss matters affecting their child with teachers. Yattendon School – Page 24

p.23

ENGLISH

52. Since the previous inspection, the attainment for Year 6 pupils, then above average, has been maintained, apart from a dip in 2001, when results in the national tests were just above average. The 2002 results show the percentage of pupils attaining Level 4, the expected level, were above average but those attaining higher levels were well above the national average. Standards found during the inspection show that pupils are on course to achieve similar results in 2003. The pupils make good progress and achieve well in relation to their prior attainment. Those with special educational needs, and those with English as an additional language, receive good support and as a result make good progress towards the expected standards.

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ENGLISH

53. Areas of weakness highlighted at the last inspection have been addressed. The school has implemented the National Literacy Strategy successfully and this has had a positive impact on ensuring that the quality of teaching and learning has been maintained. Literacy is given a high priority throughout the school and there are good opportunities for pupils to use their literacy skills across the curriculum. The school continues to give considerable emphasis to ensuring pupils use their literacy skills in other subjects such as, for example, when writing a description of the Roman Army, writing up research on a geography topic, recording science experiments and evaluating models they have designed and made. This approach is helping to improve the standard of writing across the school. The school has also implemented “booster” classes and target groups to provide support for pupils needing extra help to reach the expected standard.

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ENGLISH

54. Pupils make good progress in developing their speaking and listening skills and as a result by the age of eleven standards are above average. Throughout the school, pupils are encouraged to express themselves well, to use interesting vocabulary and correct technical terms. Pupils listen attentively to stories in assemblies. In lessons, they have opportunities to express and develop their ideas and opinions, confident that they will be listened to and their contribution valued. Younger pupils discuss poems in some detail, whilst older pupils explore fables and myths, deciding what makes a good fable. By Year 6, pupils are confident articulate speakers and during lessons discuss how best to produce a piece of persuasive writing, including suitably strong phrases to catch the attention of the reader. For example, phrases such as “I’m outraged…”, “I protest….” and “I strongly believe that…”. In other areas of the curriculum, discussion plays

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ENGLISH

an important part in lessons, and this was particularly effective in a religious education lesson, where there was good level of discussion about the symbolism of the Holy Trinity.

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ENGLISH

55. Pupils make good progress in developing their reading skills and by the age of eleven are achieving above average levels. Year 6 pupils have a good understanding of terms such as plot, settings and characterisation . They show an understanding of different writers’ styles. They talk with enthusiasm about their favourite authors and enjoy reading fiction, reference and poetry books. All read accurately and confidently but many lack expression when reading aloud. They read for both pleasure and information. Books are well matched to pupils’ attainment and interest levels; all those spoken to expressed enjoyment and enthusiasm for reading. Pupils are developing good, independent research skills, regularly using reference books to find information for a variety of topics such as history, geography or science. The youngest pupils read confidently, using appropriate clues to help them decode unfamiliar words. However,

p.24

ENGLISH

the lower attaining pupils are not confident when they sound out words and need some help. As the pupils move through the school, they become more confident readers.

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ENGLISH

56. Pupils make good progress in writing and they are on course to attain at a rate above the national average by the age of eleven. Pupils in Year 6 have progressively developed their ability to write for different purposes: instructions, poems, newspaper articles, biographies, book reviews, play scripts and stories. They use a range of imaginative and descriptive vocabulary that evokes atmosphere in their stories. Spelling is generally accurate and punctuation is used appropriately. Presentation is good; each piece of work has a clear title and date and is neatly written in cursive script. In the lower school, the standard of writing is not as good. Punctuation is not always used appropriately nor is spelling as accurate.

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ENGLISH

57. Teaching is good overall with two-thirds of lessons being good or better. This enables pupils to learn well and make good progress. All teachers implement the National Literacy Strategy confidently. Teaching is carefully structured and well planned to meet the needs of most pupils. However, there are instances when the tasks set for the higher attaining pupils do not extend or challenge them sufficiently. Similarly, analysis of pupils’ work shows tasks are rarely adjusted to match the needs of the lower attaining pupils. This is an area for further development. Where teaching is very good, teachers have good knowledge and enthusiasm Yattendon School – Page 25 for the subject and this motivates the pupils to achieve. An example of this was observed in the Year 6 lessons where pupils were writing persuasive letters to convince the addressee that Mr. Wolf was innocent. The results were good and some effective writing was completed. Lessons move briskly and pupils remain

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ENGLISH

well focused and on-task. The closing parts of lessons are used to reinforce pupils’ understanding or to share their work. In some lessons, however, the pace is too slow and pupils sit on the carpet for too long. Consequently, time for writing is limited and the lesson is not effectively consolidated or revised through time at the end for pupils to reflect on their learning. Teachers use praise, comments and questions effectively to check understanding and to extend or reinforce learning. Relationships are very good and most teachers have high expectations of their pupils’ behaviour, resulting in good discipline. The use of support staff is good but there are times when they could play a more active part, particularly during the whole class teaching times.

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ENGLISH

58. In the majority of English lessons, behaviour is good and often very good. Pupils show very positive attitudes to learning, enjoy the activities and the very good relationships with their teachers. This makes a positive contribution towards their progress. Pupils are keen to learn, stay on-task and show good levels of concentration and the ability to work with minimum adult intervention. Where pupils find the task less interesting or too difficult they become a little restless and move off-task but this does not happen often. Pupils are confident when responding to teachers’ questions and listen with respect to the views of others or when letters or poems are being shared.

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ENGLISH

59. Assessment procedures are good and provide teachers with a range of information about pupils’ progress. The data is used effectively to track individual progress in order to raise standards, predict each pupil’s level of attainment and highlight areas of weakness. There are examples of very effective marking, which helps the pupils to improve their work, but this is not consistent. Homework is set regularly. There is an expectation that all pupils will read at home, the younger to family members. A reading record is provided for both parents and teachers’ comments although older pupils tend to record reviews of the books they have read.

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ENGLISH

60. The subject is enthusiastically well led and managed by a knowledgeable co-ordinator. A detailed action plan for improving standards even more has been drawn up. Her monitoring role is developing; planning is being checked and pupils’ work analysed and given a National Curriculum level. The curriculum is enhanced by the school drama production, visiting theatre groups, workshops led by local poets and authors and by termly book fairs. There is limited use of information and communication technology to support pupils’ learning in English.

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MATHEMATICS

61. Since the last inspection, national test results show that standards have improved. This reflects improved teaching since the National Numeracy Strategy was introduced, as well as better resourcing, more direct teaching and rising standards on entry to the school. Overall, the evidence of the inspection is that standards by the age of eleven are above average and are likely to improve even further given the good standards evident in other year groups. In 2002, a slightly better than average proportion of the pupils attained at a level higher than that expected. There are no differences in the attainment of boys and girls or in the progress made by pupils with special educational needs or those with English as an additional language. Where appropriate the school organises small group work for those pupils who show signs of underachieving and this also promotes the good progress that is made.

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MATHEMATICS

62. The curriculum provided for pupils ensures full coverage of the National Curriculum and is based appropriately on the National Numeracy Strategy. The school has recently emphasised the need to provide more work based on the use and understanding of mathematical skills in practical situations. As well as a great deal of work on number, teachers plan for learning in shape, space and measure and in data handling skills. For example, in one term in Year 4 pupils have learned to draw lines to a given measurement, to read scales accurately and to make tallies of data and interpret this through appropriate questions.

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MATHEMATICS

63. In Year 3, pupils make good progress moving from a satisfactory knowledge of tens and units in September to partitioning numbers to a thousand after one term. They are learning simple fractions and using them to find parts of numbers. Less able pupils are able to halve numbers but are less secure with quarters and eighths. During the inspection, pupils were learning to round numbers to the nearest 10, and to carry out calculations requiring some approximation beforehand. In addition, Year 3 pupils were learning to use ordinal numbers. In Year 4, pupils are able to make sensible estimates and approximations that they have Yattendon School – Page 26 to justify. More able pupils from all years work in small groups with the deputy headteacher and the subject co-ordinator on a regular basis and this enables them to spend time with others at a similar level. A group of pupils who are slightly underachieving also work as a small group once a week and this enables them to

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MATHEMATICS

make good progress in learning about money, with the help of a very effective teaching assistant.

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MATHEMATICS

64. In Year 5, pupils revisit the concept of rounding, but the work is effectively extended through the use of measures and the introduction of an approximation symbol. The majority are able to work confidently with numbers to 5000. Although they are often unsure of which way to round numbers ending in 5 teachers make this an effective teaching point when it arises. Pupils can use Venn diagrams to illustrate data gathered about pets. They can draw common nets for making cubes and are able to order decimals accurately. In Year 6, pupils are able to build on their earlier learning about estimation, approximation and rounding accurately to order fractions and decimals and work confidently with negative numbers. They are developing good thinking skills through responding to teachers’ questioning about how answers are arrived at.

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MATHEMATICS

65. Pupils’ attitudes towards the subject are very good. They listen well during whole class sessions and they demonstrate an enthusiastic approach to the tasks they are given. The classes in Year 4 contain a significant group of pupils who demonstrate more challenging behaviour but teachers deal with this well and the progress made by most is at least satisfactory. Where the teaching is very good, it often inspires pupils to ask questions themselves. For example, in one lesson where they are asked to round numbers, a Year 3 pupil asked a very pertinent question about what to do if the number contains or ends in a zero.

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MATHEMATICS

66. The quality of the teaching is very good overall. In five out of the 15 lessons observed the teaching was very good, and in one case excellent. There was no unsatisfactory teaching. Despite this some of the teaching can be improved. For example, the marking of pupils’ work often consisted of praise but little information about what the pupil had done well or what they needed to do to improve further. In some cases errors were marked correct and important spelling mistakes, such as ‘killogram’ and ‘shap’, ignored, which shows a lack of emphasis on the use of marking as a learning tool. Where the teaching is strongest, very good use is made of available resources and this is based on the planning and needs of pupils, rather than on the demands of a commercial scheme of work. The teachers plan very effectively and make clear the learning objectives, which they share with pupils, leaving them aware of what is expected of them during the lesson.

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MATHEMATICS

Activities are often matched appropriately to the pupils’ prior attainment. The majority of the teachers have very good relationships with the pupils and this supports the good learning that occurs. In one good lesson, a new interactive whiteboard enabled the teacher to make effective use of the technology to introduce a new topic, creating extra interest and enthusiasm among the pupils. Teachers target their questions well in many cases. For example in mental sessions, teachers often targeted harder questions based around the same topic at the more able pupils. However, where the teacher thought up the questions as she taught, rather than having been prepared beforehand, the pace of the session slowed. Support staff are well deployed and in the best lessons they take a full and active part in all sections of the lesson, resulting in them adding real value to the pupils’ learning. In some, however, they are under-used during whole class

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MATHEMATICS

teaching sessions. The plenary sessions at the end of lessons are not always used appropriately to consolidate learning or introduce new work ready for the next lesson, largely because teachers leave insufficient time for this to occur.

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MATHEMATICS

67. When groups are withdrawn to work with other staff, for instance extension activities with the coordinator or special needs support with teaching assistants, this benefits them to a good extent. In Year 3 pupils work on the same topic as their class but are able in the small group and with good teaching by the support staff, to make better progress than they would in the whole class group. The teaching assistants and special needs assistants work and plan closely with the teachers so the work is directly and appropriately related to that they are doing in class. The school offers extra sessions to Year 6 pupils before the national tests but parents do not always support these.

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MATHEMATICS

68. The subject co-ordinator is very knowledgeable and has worked at a high level as a mathematics advisory teacher in the past. She is enthusiastic and has helped the school develop a good set of plans and this has resulted in lessons being better matched to pupils’ needs than is the case in other subjects. There has been some monitoring of teaching and the co-ordinator has provided training and demonstration lessons for some staff. She recognises that there is still a need to develop the plenary part of the lessons and to ensure sufficient investigative work is carried out. Computers are not used sufficiently in classrooms to support the work in numeracy lessons.

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SCIENCE

Yattendon School – Page 27 69. The standard of the current work of the eleven-year-old pupils is above average. Nine out of ten are on course to attain the expected level by the end of the school year and this proportion is better than that in most schools. About four out of ten pupils are within reach of the next level and this is the same as that in most schools. Standards are better than those found at the time of the last inspection. This improvement is the result of the use of national guidelines modified to meet the particular needs of the school, effective management and a strong focus on reinforcement lessons for pupils in Year 6. The overall quality of teaching and learning is good throughout the school, and particularly in Years 5 and 6. However, planning does not always take sufficient account of the needs of pupils with different abilities. Furthermore, the teaching of scientific enquiry is not sufficiently rigorous in some lessons although the school has

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SCIENCE

recognised and begun to address this weakness. The support received by pupils with special educational needs enables most of them to make satisfactory progress. There are no significant differences between pupils of different gender.

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SCIENCE

70. Standards are improving throughout the school and pupils make good progress, particularly in Years 5 and 6. In the 2002 national tests more than nine out of ten pupils attained the expected level or above and five out of ten attained the next level. These results were well above the national average for pupils reaching the expected level for their age and for those reaching the higher level. Standards are rising at a faster rate than improvements nationally and have consistently been above national standards in recent years.

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SCIENCE

71. By the end of Year 6 pupils have a broad knowledge and understanding of scientific enquiry, life processes and living things, materials and their properties, and physical processes. Pupils plan and carry out an experiment to separate substances that have been mixed together by predicting what will happen, selecting the equipment to be used, describing the method of working and the results obtained and writing a conclusion. Younger pupils describe and classify materials using terms such as ‘transparent’ and ‘opaque’ and explore their properties of absorbency and the ease with which they can be changed, for example by melting. Pupils construct electrical circuits and know how to use circuit diagrams to determine which circuits will work, which will not and which circuits will make a bulb brighter or dimmer. They study the make-up of the human body including the structure, names and functions of teeth. Using eggshells, they

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SCIENCE

observe and record the effects of different liquids on tooth enamel, drawing conclusions about healthy eating habits. Higher attaining pupils often make very good contributions to discussions that show higher-level reasoning. Their work is neatly presented with good descriptions and explanations. However, these pupils are not always sufficiently challenged by the tasks set. An analysis of the work of all pupils shows that the detailed measurement, recording and description of results, before conclusions are stated, are not undertaken consistently in all cases. There was also limited evidence of the use of information and communication technology in the work.

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SCIENCE

72. The overall quality of teaching is good, with none less than satisfactory. Most lessons are based upon detailed plans but these do not always show how the teaching and the deployment of support staff are matched to the range of learning needs in the classes. There are inconsistencies in quality of marking between classes with some errors missed and sometimes a lack of guidance on how work could be improved. Teaching is effective when the pupils have clear ideas about the purpose and procedures of the lesson, when there is an appropriate level of challenge and involvement for all and when they are supported with good resources and good lesson organisation. For example, Year 5 pupils were given good support in setting up their enquiry by being involved in very good discussion activities that involved both whole class and group discussions. The group discussions challenged all the pupils to consider how air was acting as a

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SCIENCE

force in different situations and provided a sound base of knowledge and understanding for them to proceed to the design of the experiment to see if air has weight. The detailed proposals were then produced using a set of resources carefully prepared by the teacher. Teachers have high expectations of the way in which pupils conduct themselves during practical enquiries. For example, in Year 3 the pupils worked co- operatively in groups as they studied their delicate study specimens and carefully refrained from creating mess or spoiling their evidence. However, teaching is less effective when there is insufficient guidance and support in the conduct of investigations. In one lesson, the pupils had a series of observations and recordings to make that did not take full account of their varied abilities to understand how to go about the tasks or to record the key findings satisfactorily.

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SCIENCE

73. Co-ordination of the subject is very good. Although the co-ordinator has only recently taken up the post, she has already produced a clear action plan and identified areas for improvement to enhance the impact of her management upon the subject. Scientific enquiry is prioritised in the school action plan. She has enhanced the quality of support given by national guidelines through adding more detail and identifying clear objectives for each week’s work. She monitors teaching, pupils’ work and resources and undertakes regular Yattendon School – Page 28 staff development for her own purposes although nothing has yet been arranged for colleagues. Resources are good and include a range of computer programs. Pupils are assessed regularly and systems for using this data to track the progress of individuals and to provide records of achievement for pupils are being introduced.

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ART AND DESIGN

74. Eleven year olds reach the standard expected nationally, a similar finding to that of the last inspection. Standards in Year 3 are above the national expectation and this is as a result of consistently good teaching across the year group. Overall, pupils make satisfactory progress, with good progress in observational drawing, but as at the last inspection, progress is variable and dependent upon individual teachers’ subject knowledge. Work is displayed with great care and imagination and this enhances the overall impact of pupils’ achievement, enabling other pupils to review and celebrate their peers’ efforts.

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ART AND DESIGN

75. The majority of pupils in all year groups demonstrate a good development of skills, particularly in the high quality observational drawing. In all year groups, pupils use different grades of pencils to create varying tones and shades for effect. For example, in Year 3, pupils have sketched objects from World War 2 and in Year 5 pupils have sketched plants. The progression of skills was clearly evident and, in both displays, the close attention to detail was exceptional.

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ART AND DESIGN

76. Pupils complete work using a range of techniques and media. For example in Year 3, pupils experiment with shape and colour overlaying coloured paper cut and torn in different ways. In Year 4, when pupils are on their residential visit they create a colour palette from nature. In Year 5, pupils mix colours, using pastels, art pencils and watercolours and evaluate the effect this has on their audience. In Year 6, pupils learn skills such as perspective and how to create a sense of movement through analysing their own gestures and the work of the artist Edwaerd Muybridge. Pupils are given opportunities to consider the work of artists. For example, in Year 6 pupils’ sketches are inspired by the work of Monet, Constable and Sisley. Most pupils have sketchbooks, but the effectiveness with which these are used is variable. Although painting is included as part of the school’s scheme of work, there was limited evidence of painting skills

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ART AND DESIGN

being taught and some pupils expressed a desire that they would like to paint more . The range of extra- curricular clubs, including craft, clay, sketching and collage is impressive.

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ART AND DESIGN

77. Art methods are used throughout the school to support the work in other subjects. This is particularly effective within the Year 3 curriculum. For example, pupils have produced good, large collage book covers to illustrate books by Paul Geraghty following a visit by the author during the school’s book week. Year 3 pupils have also used a computer program to design and print book covers for stories told by a visiting storyteller. Another good example in Year 3 is when pupils evaluate and discuss the differences in the work of different artists’ impressions of Medusa. This lesson was carefully planned to link explicitly with the pupils’ history topic of Ancient Greece and pupils were excited about having the opportunity to make their own shields to depict the features of Medusa. In Year 6, pupils make clay models of symbols to demonstrate the Holy Trinity.

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ART AND DESIGN

78. Overall, the quality of teaching is satisfactory. Teachers in the same year groups plan together so that pupils in the different parallel classes benefit from the same experiences. In the lessons observed, where teaching was good, the learning objectives were shared with pupils, the teacher had good subject knowledge, was enthusiastic and the lesson had momentum. In the satisfactory lessons, too much time was spent introducing the lesson and consequently the pace was pedestrian. Pupils enjoy their work, respond well to the tasks set and work hard and with care. They can work in groups co-operatively, and where they need to share resources do so without conflict. Pupils are keen to learn and their positive attitudes contribute to their progress.

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ART AND DESIGN

79. The subject co-ordinator is recently appointed and is passionate about her subject. She is very knowledgeable and enthusiastic. She has a clear vision about how the subject should be developed and has the capacity to help the school to achieve this. She supports colleagues with advice and resources, but has not had the opportunity to monitor and evaluate teaching and standards across the school. The co- ordinator understands the need to use the recently devised assessment prompts to ensure good progression for all pupils in all aspects of the programme of study. Resources are very good for drawing, and good for three-dimensional work and printing; this helps support the good progress made in this aspect of the subject. Yattendon School – Page 29

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

80. Standards are similar to those found at the last inspection; the attainment of pupils by the age of eleven matches the national expectation. Pupils have a broad range of experiences as outlined in national guidelines and good planning ensures that skills, knowledge and understanding are built on as they progress through the school. A display of shelters and buildings using a basic wooden frame in a Year 6 class, showed that pupils are able to produce artefacts of high quality having made detailed plans, chosen suitable materials and evaluated the finished product.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

81. Pupils are often involved in ‘design and make’ activities, producing well labelled, detailed plans and listing materials needed so that they have a clear vision of their intentions. In a Year 4 class pupils make effective pneumatic monsters using balloons and washing-up liquid bottles and they are able to explain well the process which led to the finished product and the principle behind the activity. In Year 3, pupils make packages for sweets or pencils. They, rightly, took pride in their achievements and, through satisfactory evaluation of their work, felt that the bright colours and interesting fonts made the packages attractive to shoppers. Pupils of all abilities, including those with special educational needs, make satisfactory progress and girls achieve as well as boys.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

82. Pupils’ attitudes to learning are good and sometimes very good. They are responsive in lessons and show keen interest and enthusiasm. Generally, lessons are perceived as interesting and are enjoyed by most pupils. Finished artefacts are of a high standard and are displayed proudly with pupils being keen to explain how they have produced them. They settle to tasks quickly and concentrate for long periods even when the activity is, of necessity, repetitive. In a Year 5 lesson, where different breads were evaluated, pupils were given the opportunity to reflect on the characteristics, including taste, texture and shape of a variety of breads from around the world. They enjoyed the practical nature of bread tasting and wrote their evaluations after talking together and sharing ideas. This work was of good quality.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

83. In the lessons seen, teaching was mainly good, with the best lessons showing good pace and good questioning to allow the pupils to develop and express their own ideas. They are expected and encouraged to use technical terms such as evaluate, criteria and appearance. Pupils are made aware of health and safety issues. Teachers’ subject knowledge is appropriate for the tasks being undertaken and there is very good support from the enthusiastic subject leader who has ensured that the subject has a high profile by extending links to other subjects. Assessment procedures are in place but need to be used more directly to inform future activity for individuals. Written tasks are not always matched correctly to the pupils’ prior attainment. There are few links with the information and communication technology curriculum and the use of computers. Pupils do not have sufficient time to put into practice the skills they have learnt to make their

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GEOGRAPHY

84. Standards and achievement are above those expected nationally by Year 6. These standards are higher than those found at the last inspection. The use of national guidelines is supporting the teaching of the subject and producing a consistent approach and quality in most classes. Opportunities are being provided for fieldwork and geographical enquiry is being developed well including the exploration of environmental issues. Maps are used in much of the work but there is no clear progression in the development of map skills through the school. Some of the studies of distant places lack rich experiences for the pupils to sample. The teaching effectively develops the learning of boys and girls equally. Pupils with special educational needs generally make good progress, although some tasks are not sufficiently directed towards their needs.

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GEOGRAPHY

85. During the inspection, a limited number of lessons were seen but evidence was available from pupils’ work, teachers’ planning and displays. By the age of eleven, pupils have a good knowledge and understanding of geographical enquiry, their home area, are able to select contrasting places in the world, have a satisfactory understanding of human and natural environment features and of environmental management. Pupils in Year 6 can locate a variety of countries, cities and physical characteristics on maps of the world and the United Kingdom. They make detailed comparisons between Horley and other places, they understand why settlements of different sizes have different ranges of services and can explain the formation of river features. In a Year 6 lesson, the pupils were making good and enthusiastic use of the survey data they had collected to make decisions about the advantages and disadvantages of different

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GEOGRAPHY

Yattendon School – Page 30 ways of gaining access to a local store that is situated on a traffic island. One pupil in a group suggested that they had to consider the relative impacts of disruption, costs, and convenience.

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GEOGRAPHY

86. The pupils learn effectively because of the high expectations of the teachers and because the overall quality of teaching is good. It is particularly effective when all the pupils are engaged in activities that challenge them to think and participate in the lesson. In a very good Year 6 lesson this was achieved through carefully staged discussions that alternated several times between the pupils considering problems in pairs and groups and then feeding their thoughts back into whole class discussion. In this way, they all participated in the construction of a good ideas base, ready to undertake the class task. While information and communication technology is used to supplement and present information, there are missed opportunities in its use as a research tool.

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GEOGRAPHY

87. The subject is well co-ordinated. There are good medium term plans in place and, although the co-ordinator has only recently taken up the post, she is already active in making improvements to the subject following discussions with colleagues about planning and standards of work, such as modifying the Year 5 curriculum. Steps have also been taken to update her own expertise but currently there are no opportunities to monitor the work of colleagues. Pupils’ work is assessed using national guidelines but at present there is no system for tracking the progress of individuals. Resources are generally good but those needed to support the teaching about distant places are not sufficient.

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HISTORY

88. Standards have been maintained since the last inspection when attainment and progress were found to be good, and pupils exceed national expectations by the age of eleven. There is a broad range of study with a good range of experiences provided for the pupils.

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HISTORY

89. Pupils’ progress is good. On entry to the school they are beginning to develop a sense of chronology and are becoming aware of the ways historians and archaeologists gather evidence from clues. Gradually they learn to make deductions, for example when finding out that archaeologists discovered skulls with ground down teeth the pupils suggested that these people had probably eaten food with grit and sand in it. They see time lines and can begin to place major civilisations in order . By the age of eleven, most pupils can link events and actions and can begin to see their impact on society. They understand change over time and can use humour to put themselves in the place of people in the past. One pupil writing about social change declared ‘the shops started selling these great tasting, orange, oblong things called fish fingers!’

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HISTORY

90. Pupils are enthusiastic about the subject and are keen to participate in discussion and to contribute by bringing in books associated with the topic being studied that they have borrowed from the public library. They take pride in their work and enjoy learning about the past. Pupils are very encouraging of each other when in mixed ability groups for discussions. They respect each other and listen to others’ points of view. This allows the less able to be supported by peers and encourages them to join in whole class discussion.

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HISTORY

91. In the lessons seen, teaching was good and sometimes very good, with a clear emphasis being put on questioning to develop pupils’ enquiry skills and providing evidence to support their ideas. Lessons are planned carefully and teachers’ knowledge and high expectations ensure that pupils are challenged by their work. The best teaching has pace and is dynamic as, for instance, when learning about life in the ‘50s, ‘60s and ‘70s, the children focused on John Lennon’s life and times after listening to some of his music. Allowing Year 3 pupils to act as archaeologists and dig around in sand for first hand evidence was a real experience which spurred on their learning. Opportunities to visit historic houses and take part in events such as the Roman Day also foster a love of history and a desire to find out more. Good use is made of interactive displays to stimulate pupil interest.

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HISTORY

92. Teachers make good links with other subjects, particularly design and technology, music and literacy. The pupils’ writing shows many of the facets of the literacy strategy and there are good examples of note-taking and extended writing. Teachers encourage a sense of empathy to help create an understanding of past times. Year 6 writing about political, economic, scientific and social change in the sixties and seventies shows clear understanding and knowledge of the concepts.

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HISTORY

93. Good medium and short term planning ensure there is good continuity and progression in the learning. The subject leader’s enthusiasm and knowledge are very evident and she works hard with other staff to ensure Yattendon School – Page 31 the pupils’ experiences are worthwhile and relevant. She has insufficient time to monitor teaching or to ensure that assessment is used to plan suitably well-matched tasks for different groups of pupils.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

94. At the last inspection standards were in line with those expected nationally and this has been maintained. No significant differences exist between the attainment of boys and girls. All pupils, including those with special educational needs or who have English as an additional language, make good progress in developing their knowledge, skills and understanding.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

95. All pupils can access their own files on a computer and save work to them. By the end of Year 6 pupils can prepare a presentation using PowerPoint. This involves using CD ROMs and the Internet for research and mixing pictures with text. Pupils can also use desktop publishing to good effect. Pupils can program a series of commands to make a pelican traffic lights system, with the routine interrupted by a switch to allow pedestrians to cross.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

96. Pupils do not have access to email and so standards in this area are currently underdeveloped. However, the school has arrangements in hand and the recently upgraded information and communication technology suite will be connected to broadband by the end of the term. The school has planned that Year 6 pupils will use email as a conclusion to this term’s local geography project. Pupils will email the local planning department and supermarket with their suggestions, following a traffic survey, for improved pedestrian access to the new local supermarket. The school has an appropriate Internet filter service and they are aware of the need to ensure clear guidance is given about using email safely before pupils access this aspect of the curriculum.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

97. Information and communication technology is used to enrich the work of other subjects and there has been good improvement in this since the last inspection. For example, in Year 3 pupils change the font, colour and size of text when a different character in a story speaks; this is good reinforcement of the rules of showing speech in writing. In Year 4, pupils consider the repeating patterns of Islamic carpets before creating their own by selecting and inserting pictures from a graphics program. In Year 5, pupils use works by Matisse and Escher as inspiration when creating patterns in the same style. They can build pictures from a range of shapes and colours and manipulate the shapes by rotating them. In Year 6, pupils use spreadsheets to solve problems in mathematics and create posters in science to inform their peers about dental care and seed dispersal. Although information and communication technology has a high profile

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

within the curriculum, pupils have insufficient opportunities to use computers and other information and communication technology resources in their classrooms.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

98. Overall, the quality of teaching is satisfactory, but there are some individual examples of good and very good teaching. Where teaching is good, teachers have good subject knowledge, the lessons are well organised, teachers are clear about what they want pupils to learn and explain concepts to them in understandable terms. For example, in a Year 3 lesson the teacher related how to select and retrieve data to the pupils’ emergency contact details kept by the school. This allowed pupils to understand the concept and the relevance of storing and retrieving data. In another lesson, pupils used the mnemonic ‘apple pie’ when entering a formula into a spreadsheet to calculate the area and perimeter of different shapes. In a very good lesson, the teacher used a range of questions very effectively to consolidate and extend pupils’ learning about interpreting data.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

99. The curriculum is effectively planned and ensures that lessons build on pupils’ prior learning. For example, in Year 3 pupils have made tally charts in mathematics to record information about their favourite things. This was then developed further in a lesson when pupils retrieved data about mini beasts. This concept was then extended in Year 5 when pupils refined their data search by using two criteria. It is this careful planning that ensures pupils make good progress. However, the use of assessment is still undeveloped and this prevents pupils making very good progress.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

100. Pupils enjoy and look forward to working in the information and communication technology suite. Their attitudes towards their work are good and have a positive impact on their attainment and the progress that they are making. They talk about their work with confidence and enthusiasm and work well together sharing a computer workstation and helping each other as needed; this makes a significant contribution to their personal development. They are careful with equipment. Behaviour is largely good and when it is, pupils listen to instructions well and co-operate with their teachers. In all lessons, pupils are supported well by a Yattendon School – Page 32 technical assistant. She also organises three computer clubs and these make a significant contribution to pupils’ confidence and competence in information and communication technology.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

101. The leadership shown by the subject leader in supporting colleagues with their planning is good. He works very hard to ensure all teachers are confident when teaching information and communication technology. However, the role does not include enough monitoring and evaluating of the quality of teaching and standards in the subject across the school. The governor with responsibility for information and communication technology takes a keen interest and is a supportive ally in the development of the subject. The ratio of computers to pupils is better than that normally found.

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MODERN FOREIGN LANGUAGES

102. The teaching of French is well established in the school and is taught to pupils in all years. Standards have been maintained at the good level found at the time of the last inspection. Aims are clear and pupils are taught French in order to develop their basic skills and enthusiasm, particularly in speaking and listening, to give a sound start for development at secondary school and to increase their European awareness.

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MODERN FOREIGN LANGUAGES

103. All pupils are taught French for twenty minutes each week. The effective teaching results in a good level of competence amongst the pupils and meets the general aims of the course. At the age of eleven, pupils can talk about and express their preferences in school life and sports using words, phrases and short sentences correctly. They speak confidently and use good pronunciation. Written French is introduced in Year 6. Younger pupils concentrate upon the development of vocabulary and the use of simple sentences relating to greetings, telling where they live and describing the weather. Counting in French is built up throughout the school and is practised frequently, for example to gain pupils’ attention or to complete registers.

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MODERN FOREIGN LANGUAGES

104. Good teaching is supported by teachers’ good subject knowledge and the expertise of the co-ordinator who wrote the original scheme of work that has now been slightly modified using national guidelines. Teachers speak French well and teach lively lessons using songs, games, videos and other information and communication technology, resulting in wholehearted participation and good levels of concentration by the pupils. This was seen in a Year 6 lesson where the teacher used the game ‘Jacques a dit’ to aid the teaching of parts of the body and the pupils responded with great enthusiasm, including a pupil with special educational needs who participated fully and with confidence. However, resources are limited and teachers rely heavily on items they produce themselves. There is very good liaison with the local secondary school, which provides staff development for teachers and co-operates in an annual shopping venture for Year 6

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MUSIC

105. At the last inspection attainment was broadly in line with national expectation. This continues to be the case and standards in some areas are improving. Attainment in Year 3 is good, and it is satisfactory in the other year groups. The subject leader’s hard work over the past year has meant that there is clearer planning and progression with all aspects of the subject being given prominence.

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MUSIC

106. Pupils sing well and by Year 6 are able to sing a round in four parts unaccompanied, demonstrating good control of pitch, dynamics and rhythm. They enjoy singing and respond well in assemblies when they have the opportunity, as well as in singing practice. They have good opportunities to listen to a variety of music. In Year 3, pupils interpret sounds in compositions such as Peter and the Wolf and by Year 6 they are able to consider the impact of a piece of music on the emotions.

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MUSIC

107. Pupils make good progress. Learning in Years 3 and 4 is accelerated because of the high expectations of the subject leader and because of the support she gives to teachers. It is clear that the knowledge and understanding of the younger pupils is rapidly matching that of the older pupils. They understand technical terms such as ostinato and Year 3 pupils are able to recognise this element out of context, such as when a visiting storyteller sang and played a repeating pattern on his drum. Progress in lessons is sometimes very good as pupils learn skills and then demonstrate them by performing ostinatos in three parts using untuned percussion instruments. Yattendon School – Page 33 108. Behaviour is generally good. Some pupils are self-conscious at performing and this can result in distracting behaviour but most enjoy their music-making activities and are keen to learn how to be successful. Teaching is best when teachers are confident in the subject and when they are prepared to challenge pupils

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MUSIC

to succeed. The best lessons are planned in detail with clear objectives and move with pace so that pupils are able to learn key skills and then use them in performance. In these lessons, there is a sense of excitement and anticipation. Pupils are exposed to technical terms and by the end of Year 6 pupils know musical notation and are familiar with terms such as bars, rest signs, stave, musical phrases and pentatonic scales. They can write lyrics and choruses to known tunes and perform with syncopation. They are able to record their work and so can listen to, assess and improve their performances. They study songwriters and so become involved in looking at social issues, exploring feelings and recognising features of different cultures.

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MUSIC

109. Standards are rising due to the new subject leader who has worked hard to raise the profile of the subject. Her philosophy adds a spiritual dimension to the pupils’ development. There are many extra-curricular opportunities available for pupils such as the pop choir, hand-chimes, and recorder groups, and brass, woodwind, piano, guitar and keyboard lessons are offered by visiting staff. The annual school production gives the opportunity for Years 5 and 6 to take part in a public performance and this is well received by parents. At Christmas the choir and instrumentalists entertain in the local community, again giving pupils the opportunity to perform. Resources are appropriate and well used but the use of information and communication technology is under-developed. Assessment activities need to be developed more so that they are focused towards individuals’ achievements and future learning needs.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

110. Standards have been maintained at the good level found at the last inspection. Activities observed during the inspection included gymnastics, outdoor and adventurous activities and dance. In addition, pupils swim regularly and the vast majority achieve the level expected. Standards are equally good for all pupils, including those with special educational needs.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

111. Year 3 pupils are able to control their bodies well to create a range of balances using different parts of their bodies, and develop this to work collaboratively in pairs. They make good evaluations of others’ work and use their observations to improve their own movements and to create a range of shapes: twisted, curled, long and short, for example. They are at the early stages of learning to work out a route or follow a given route as part of their orienteering topic. Year 4 pupils show a satisfactory understanding of why games need rules, boundaries, equipment and clothing when they devise their own. In Year 5, pupils create gymnastic movements based on symmetry, devising short sequences that show a good ability to move smoothly between shapes and poses. In Year 6, pupils performed dances based on the idea of group or team movements in sequence. They performed very effectively to appropriate music and the progress made

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

during lessons, and the resulting performances were good. Some of the higher attaining pupils created very effective dance movements for their groups.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

112. Pupils’ attitudes are very good and the way they collaborate on tasks is particularly strong. This supports more effective learning and is also the result of good behaviour and safe practices. Pupils clearly enjoy the subject and willingly take part in extra-curricular activities as well as class lessons.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

113. The quality of the teaching is good overall. In dance lessons, it is often very good and occasionally excellent. The teachers have high expectations of the pupils and this is reflected in the challenging activities and response from the pupils who enjoy the challenge. For example, in outdoor and adventurous activities Year 3 pupils took part in a lesson introducing early map reading and following a route skills. They undertook this with great excitement, enjoyment and interest. Teachers have a good understanding of safety matters in the subject and they make clear to pupils what is expected in their introductions to lessons. When the weather affects the planned lesson teachers adapt their work well. For example, Year 4 used the time to devise some games of their own, with a good discussion of rules, playing areas and equipment for their games.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

114. The school provides a very good range of extra-curricular activities to offer extension activities for those with particular skills and interests. There are opportunities for competitive sport in teams that play other schools in the local area. The school site provides very good opportunities for sports and games, including outdoor and adventurous activities. The subject co-ordinators are knowledgeable and have a good level of personal expertise. However, they have little opportunity at present to evaluate teaching. The curriculum is based on Yattendon School – Page 34 national guidelines but adapted to the school’s specific needs appropriately and an assessment system has recently been adopted but has yet to have any impact on the planning. Pupils in Years 4 and 6 have the opportunity to take part in residential visits that include outdoor and adventurous activities as well as benefiting pupils socially.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

115. Standards by the age of eleven are in line with those expected in the locally agreed syllabus and have been maintained since the last inspection. Achievement is satisfactory. The quality of teaching has improved since the last inspection and is now good.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

116. The analysis of pupils’ work, except that by Year 6 pupils, shows very limited recording of information or opportunities for pupils’ to express their own opinions. This is an area that could be developed further to link with writing across the curriculum. Throughout the school, pupils learn about different religions: Year 3 pupils know about Jesus and his friends, Year 4 pupils have considered harvest in Christianity and Sukkat, the equivalent in Judaism, and are presently exploring symbolism within the Christian church, such as that of the bread and the wine. Year 5 pupils recall facts about Islam as they discuss Hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca, and think about the kind of journeys they make. Year 6 pupils have discussed world religions considering the symbolism and extended this to devising their own symbols to represent the Holy Trinity. These they drew and finally modelled in dough: for example, a hand holding a world, four leaves with cross,

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

wine, bread and body, and finally a flame for the Holy Spirit. All pupils know the Christmas and Easter stories and Year 6 pupils produced some thoughtful writing about the non-spiritual side of Christmas: brainwashing by commercials; the lonely; the sick; the homeless; and old people who may not enjoy Christmas.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

117. Pupils enjoy their lessons, listen carefully and respond with interest to teachers’ questions. They remain on-task in an atmosphere of calm and respect for the religion they are studying. They work well together sharing ideas and become engrossed in their model making.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

118. The quality of teaching in the few lessons seen in Years 5 and 6 was good. Teachers have a good knowledge and understanding of the subject. They use precise, specific language in their discussions with pupils in order to increase their vocabulary. Teachers incorporate questioning well to stimulate thought and capture the interests of pupils. Relationships are good and this gives pupils the confidence to respond even if they feel their answers are incorrect. Teachers’ enthusiasm and interest help to motivate the pupils to focus on their tasks and to give of their best. The quality of learning in these lessons is good as pupils begin to develop a deeper understanding of the importance of Hajj and the symbolism in the Holy Trinity.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

119. The coordinator has only recently been appointed and has already begun to develop a scheme of work based on the newly introduced locally agreed syllabus. A file will be provided for each year group to support the teachers. Pupils have visited various churches, including the Baptist church, but as yet there is no opportunity to visit other places of worship, such as a mosque. Visitors representing different denominations of Christianity regularly lead assemblies and this enhances pupils’ understanding of the importance of religion to people.

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