Setting 197857

PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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PRIMARY SCHOOL

Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the school must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. Newton Tony Church of England Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Infant and junior school

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Newton Tony Salisbury Postcode: SP4 0HF

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mr Ian Pannell

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: May 2001 Newton Tony Church of England Primary School - 4

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responsibilities

English Religious education Information and communication technology History 17932 John Bald Registered inspector

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responsibilities

Music The school’s results and pupils’ achievements How well are the pupils taught? How well is the school led and managed?

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responsibilities

9115 Terry Clarke Lay inspector Race equality and educational inclusion Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development. How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? Mathematics Science Geography Art and design Design and technology Physical education 22058 Christine Richardson Team inspector

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responsibilities

Special educational needs How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils? Newton Tony Church of England Primary School - 5 The inspection contractor was:

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responsibilities

Open Book Inspections 6 East Point High Street Seal Sevenoaks Kent TN15 OEG

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responsibilities

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

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responsibilities

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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responsibilities

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Newton Tony Church of England Primary School - 6

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REPORT CONTENTS

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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PART B: COMMENTARY

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

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS? 18-19

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED? 20-21

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER? 21-22

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS 23-26

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PART D: THE STANDARDS AND QUALITY OF TEACHING IN

AREAS OF THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES 27-37 Newton Tony Church of England Primary School - 7

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Newton Tony Primary School is a Voluntary Controlled Church of England school for boys and girls aged four to eleven. The school is very small, with 23 pupils, and had no children under five at the time of the inspection. All of the pupils are white, and none has English as an additional language. The number of pupils with special educational needs is a little below average. Most of these pupils have difficulties with literacy, and none has a statement of special educational needs. Most pupils join the school with above average standards for their age, and their social and economic circumstances are favourable.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Newton Tony Primary School provides satisfactory education and has good features. Standards are above average, and all pupils are very effectively involved in the school’s work. Provision for their personal development is very good. As a result of very recent improvements, teaching is good overall, and outstanding in a significant number of lessons. The headteacher and governors lead and manage the school well. While the cost per pupil is high, value for money is satisfactory.

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What the school does well

• Standards are above average overall in Year 2 and in Year 6. • The headteacher and governors provide strong leadership and a clear sense of direction. • Teaching is good overall, and very good in mathematics, science and information and communication technology (ICT). • Attitudes, behaviour and relationships are excellent throughout the school. • There is very good provision for the personal development and involvement of all pupils. • The school has a close and very effective working partnership with parents and the community.

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What could be improved

• Standards are below average in Year 6 in history, music and religious education. • Arrangement to assess progress, and to use assessment in planning, need further improvement. • The teaching of writing is not consistently effective across the school. • The school does not have an adequate library. • Pupils miss too much school through holidays taken in term time. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school was last inspected in May 2001. At that time, standards were well above average and there was good provision for pupils’ personal development. However, there were serious weaknesses in management, in tracking pupils’ progress, in provision for special educational needs, in the teaching of younger pupils, and in provision for children under five. The governors have worked hard to improve this position, with effective support from the Local Education Authority. Improvements in teaching have been held up by the high turnover of staff, but teaching has recently shown strong improvement, and is now good. There has been very good improvement in science and ICT, but more work is needed in music, religious education, and the teaching of writing. The school has set up some good assessment procedures, but these are not yet used consistently across subjects. Good plans have been made to improve the curriculum and accommodation for the children under five who are to

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

Newton Tony Church of England Primary School - 8 join in September. Provision for pupils with special educational needs is now satisfactory, and the school has made very good improvements in its provision for pupils’ personal development. The headteacher has made important improvements in leadership and management since his appointment in January 2003, and has laid a firm foundation for further development. Improvement since the last inspection has been satisfactory overall and the current rate of improvement is very good.

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STANDARDS

The number of pupils taking national tests in each year is too small to provide a basis for comparison with other schools, or to establish clear long-term trends. Results since the last inspection have been well above average in most years, but fell sharply in 2002. The results of national tests and teachers’ assessments for 2003 were not available at the time of the inspection, but the standard of work seen during the inspection was above average overall in Year 2 as well as Year 6. The school sets suitable targets for improving results, and expects higher-attaining pupils to achieve more than the nationally expected levels in tests. Targets were not met in 2002, partly because of staffing difficulties, but the school is on track to meet its targets for 2003.

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STANDARDS

Within subjects, standards are above average throughout the school in English, mathematics and science. In English, they are very good in speaking and listening, but above average in writing in pupils’ best work only. Standards are consistently above average in science and mathematics. Standards in ICT are broadly average in Year 2, and above average in Year 6, where pupils develop a broad range of skills. Standards in other subjects are broadly average in Years 2 and 6, except for religious education, music and history, where standards in Year 6 are below average.

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STANDARDS

Throughout the school, higher-attaining pupils, including those with particular gifts and talents, reach well above average standards in the bulk of their work. This represents satisfactory achievement from their starting points. The achievement of pupils with special educational needs is also satisfactory; they do well in most subjects but a small number of pupils still have weaknesses in literacy skills. Boys and girls achieve very similar standards. Overall, the current pattern of achievement in the school is satisfactory, with a trend of rising standards in pupils’ most recent work.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attitudes to the school Excellent. Pupils are eager to learn and to take part in all activities.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Excellent. Pupils are attentive and quick to respond to teachers’ requests. They play together happily and co-operatively.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Personal development and relationships Excellent. Pupils form very effective working relationships with their teachers and each other. They develop a strong sense of responsibility.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attendance Below average, because of holidays taken in term-time.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Pupils accept responsibility readily, and complete homework willingly. They work particularly well in groups, and listen to each other. All are involved in the school council. Pupils with special educational needs grow in confidence as a result of support from teachers and other pupils. Punctuality is good. Newton Tony Church of England Primary School - 9

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

The teaching of English is satisfactory in Years 1 and 2 and good in Years 3 to 6. English teaching is particularly strong in speaking and listening throughout the school. The teaching of literacy is satisfactory. It is good in reading, but pupils need more time for writing in Years 1 and 2, and their work over the year shows weaknesses in the teaching of writing in some subjects in Years 3 to 6. Teaching in mathematics and science is very well planned and effective throughout the school. Pupils make very good progress in scientific thinking, in number work and in other aspects of mathematics. The teaching of numeracy is also good across other subjects. The teaching of ICT, chiefly by the specialist teacher supplied by the local education authority, is very good, and very well integrated with the work of the class teachers.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Teaching is good, and sometimes very good, in physical education, geography and art and design. There is excellent teaching in music for younger pupils, and in some science lessons in Years 3 to 6. Where the teaching is satisfactory rather than good, planning ensures satisfactory coverage of the subject matter but work is not pitched at the right level of difficulty for all of the pupils in the class. While no unsatisfactory teaching was seen during the inspection, there was evidence of significant weaknesses in teaching earlier in the year, chiefly in history and religious education, but also in some English work.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Teachers form a very effective working partnership with pupils, managing them and their work well, and taking particular care to ensure that pupils with special educational needs are fully involved. The teaching of basic skills to these pupils is satisfactory, and good for younger pupils. Teaching enables gifted and talented pupils to make satisfactory long-term progress, though teachers do not yet ensure that they are fully challenged in all of their work. Overall, the match of teaching to the needs of all pupils in the school is satisfactory. Learning throughout the school benefits from the excellent, thoughtful and co-operative attitudes of all pupils.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The quality and range of the curriculum Unsatisfactory. Provision is satisfactory to good for most subjects, and is very good in ICT, mathematics and science. Provision for music and religious education in Years 3 to 6 does not meet legal requirements.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Satisfactory. Pupils’ needs are assessed well, and they are very well involved in all lessons. Provision for teaching reading to pupils with learning difficulties is satisfactory. Newton Tony Church of England Primary School - 10 Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Very good overall. Excellent provision for moral and social development builds on the values pupils bring from home, and is very well adapted to the needs of all pupils. There is good provision for cultural and spiritual development through lessons, assemblies, visits and visitors.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

How well the school cares for its pupils Good. The school takes good care of all of its pupils, and provides outstandingly good personal support for them. Most work is accurately assessed, but the school does not make enough use of results in planning work, guiding pupils and setting targets for improvement.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The school has a very effective working partnership with parents and the community. Almost all pupils are actively involved in sports and other clubs outside lessons, though there is little provision for study support. There are excellent systems to track progress in ICT and in pupils’ personal development. The home-school contact book is used very well, and there are good annual reports to parents.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Leadership and manage- ment by the headteacher and other key staff Satisfactory. The headteacher provides strong and sympathetic leadership. He is setting up effective management systems, but so far has had no permanent colleagues to contribute to this work.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Very well. The governors know the school’s strengths and weaknesses well, and have clear strategic vision for its future. Their decisive action since the last inspection has paved the way for current improvements.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The school’s evaluation of its performance Good. Test data is analysed carefully and used to set suitable targets for progress. The school has good understanding of its strengths and of the improvements it still needs to make.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The strategic use of resources Very good. The school budgets very carefully to make funds available for key priorities, and has very good plans for developing its site.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The school is generously staffed with qualified and experienced teachers. Teachers at the time of the inspection were engaged on temporary contracts, but permanent staff, including, one of the present teachers, have been appointed from next term. There are sufficient teaching assistants, who have suitable experience for their work. The school has good arrangements for appointing new staff and helping them to settle in. Accommodation is satisfactory for most aspects of the National Curriculum, but not for indoor physical education. There is poor access for people with disabilities, and there is no staff toilet. Resources for learning are adequate in most subjects, and there are good resources for art, science and ICT. There are too few resources for religious education and history. Books and resources in the library are inadequate and often out of date.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The headteacher, teachers and governors take great care to ensure that all pupils are fully involved and included in the work of the school. The governors have helped make up for the shortage of management staff by providing very effective additional support to the headteacher. Financial planning is very good, and there is a good cycle of development planning, though this does not yet include all subjects. The school has prepared well for the arrival of new children under five in September. The school makes very good use of external Newton Tony Church of England Primary School - 11 advice. The principles of providing best value in services, and of obtaining best value in purchases, are understood and applied well.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved • Pupils are expected to work hard and do their best. • The school is approachable, and works closely with parents. • The school is well led and managed. • Children like school. • Homework. • Behaviour.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

There were high levels of support and appreciation for the school at the pre-inspection meeting and in responses to the questionnaire. Inspectors agreed with almost all of the positive views expressed by parents, though they judged that management was held back somewhat by the lack of permanent staff to share in it. Concerns were expressed by only a very few parents. Inspectors did not agree with concerns about behaviour, which they found to be excellent. They considered that homework was satisfactory, but that it needed to be more closely adapted to the range of pupils’ learning needs. Newton Tony Church of England Primary School - 12

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. The number of pupils in each year group is too small to allow results to be used for comparisons with other schools, or to detect clear trends over time. Results have, however, almost always been well above average in all tests in Year 2 and Year 6. The exception was Year 6 tests in 2002, which were very low. The standards reached by pupils in Years 5 and 6 at the time of the inspection showed good recovery from this poor result. Almost all pupils in these year groups are reaching above-average standards in most of their work, and are on track to do better than the expected standard in national tests. This represents satisfactory achievement from the standards with which they joined the school. The standard of pupils’ work during the inspection was above average in Year 2 and Year 6, and also represents satisfactory achievement from their starting points. There are, however, some inconsistencies in

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

standards which reflect earlier weaknesses in teaching, some of which had only been put right in the month of the inspection.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. Standards in Year 6 are consistently above average, and sometimes well above average, in mathematics and science, and above average in ICT. This reflects very good teaching in these subjects in Years 3 to 6, and satisfactory achievement. Pupils develop above average skills in number work, and very good understanding of shapes and angles. Standards in mathematics and science are also above average in Year 2, with particular strengths in early scientific thinking. Standards in English are above average overall in Year 2 and Year 6, and well above average in speaking and listening. They are above average in reading, and well above average in higher-attaining pupils’ extended stories. In Years 1 and 2, however, achievement in writing is held back by a lack of balance in the curriculum that allows too little time for writing. Standards in Year 6 still reflect earlier weaknesses in teaching which have led to inconsistent learning, as

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

well as some poor and incomplete written work in history and religious education. While achievement in English is satisfactory overall, more could be achieved in writing.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. By the time of the inspection, standards in art and design and design and technology were broadly average throughout the school. This reflects satisfactory overall achievement, and good achievement in pupils’ current work. Provision for physical education had recently been improved by adding new sports such as badminton, and this was also leading to average standards. Standards in geography are broadly average, with some good features, including good recording of the weather in Years 1 and 2 and good understanding of map references in Year 6.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. Standards in history, religious education and music are below average in Year 6 because of earlier weaknesses in teaching. Pupils told inspectors that music lessons were often cancelled, and inspectors found little record of completed work. There was much poor and incomplete written work in history and religious education. There had been satisfactory improvement in current provision for history by the time of the inspection, but this had begun to address misunderstandings caused by previous weaknesses in teaching. Overall, standards in music, history and religious education are below average and unsatisfactory. There was too little evidence to judge standards in religious education and history in Years 1 and 2, though the limited work that was seen was average in history, and showed above-average knowledge and understanding of a bible story. Standards in music in Year 2 are above average as a result of recent

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

excellent teaching. Newton Tony Church of England Primary School - 13 5. There is little variation in the achievements of different groups of pupils. Boys and girls reach similar standards by Year 6, and gifted and talented pupils reach the standards they should be reaching in the bulk of their work. The achievement of pupils with special educational needs is satisfactory overall. They do well in most subjects, although the reading skills of older pupils are lower than they should be because earlier weaknesses in provision have only recently been identified. The school sets suitable targets for standards in national tests, including targets for higher-attaining pupils to reach above the expected standard. Targets were missed in 2002, but the school is on track to meet its targets for 2003. The recent improvements in management and teaching are already reflected in standards in most subjects, and the school is well placed to raise standards

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

6. At the time of the last inspection, attitudes and behaviour were very good. They have improved significantly as a result of well thought-out provision for pupils’ personal development, and are now excellent. Pupils enjoy coming to school. They arrive on time, quickly settle down in the classroom, having first ‘signed in’, and tackle their classroom tasks with enthusiasm. Pupils show an excellent level of interest at school and are keen to take part in all opportunities offered, in and out of lessons. They are proud of their school, and see it as an extension of their home life. In circle time, they readily share information about what they did at the weekend. They take much care with their homework, sometimes completing extensive projects over the holidays. They adopt the same open and friendly attitude to adults, visitors and to each other. Their attitudes to school are excellent.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

7. Behaviour is excellent. Pupils are polite and courteous. They respond immediately when a teacher asks them to do something and they play well together at break times. Older pupils are happy to support the younger ones and play with them. Parents warmly approve of the attitudes and behaviour that the school promotes, and inspectors agree. Pupils are keen to compete to be named ‘pupil of the week’ and have their name and achievements entered in the ‘Golden Book’. Teachers nominate pupils for this award for having good attitudes as well as for making progress in their work. Their praise for these pupils in the presentation assemblies is thoughtful and eloquent. There have been no exclusions in recent years, and no evidence of bullying. On the contrary, the school’s Christian ethos encourages pupils to help each other, which they do willingly.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

8. Pupils understand the impact of their actions on others and learn to respect their feelings, values, and beliefs. They relate religious beliefs, such as the family values in the Bahai faith, which they had heard about in assembly, to their experience of everyday life. Pupils also learn to understand feelings relating to wider issues such as the Iraq war. Pupils show initiative and take responsibility. Apart from routine tasks like returning registers to the office and tidying up after lessons, they take very good initiatives through the newly-formed school council, such as drawing up rules for playground behaviour. The school takes advantage of the small number of pupils to ensure that all older pupils are involved in the school council.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

9. Relationships throughout the school are excellent. Pupils support those who have special educational needs, and make it easy for teachers to ensure that they are fully involved in all activities. Older and younger pupils play together, and younger pupils sometimes seek help from older ones in lessons. Parents say that it is as if they were brothers and sisters. Newton Tony Church of England Primary School - 14 10. Because there are so few pupils, every absence has a significant impact on attendance figures. Nevertheless, attendance is unsatisfactory. While there has been no unauthorised absence this year, the level of authorised absence is well above average. Some is due to illness, but too much is caused by parents taking pupils on holiday during term time. Although the school discourages this practice, two fifths of pupils missed school due to holidays in the past year. Punctuality is good.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

11. Teaching is of good overall quality throughout the school. Within individual lessons and subjects, its quality ranges from satisfactory to excellent. No unsatisfactory teaching was observed during the inspection, a significant improvement from the position at the time of the last inspection, when teaching was unsatisfactory in Years 1 and 2 and for children under five. However, analysis of pupils’ work over the year shows that some improvements in teaching, particularly in Years 3 to 6, have been too recent to have an impact on standards in some subjects. Some earlier work from the year of the inspection is incomplete, with poor and sometimes misleading marking, a lack of challenge to higher-attaining pupils and insufficient support for those with special educational needs.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

12. Teaching is very good across the school in science, mathematics and ICT. Teachers have very good understanding of these subjects, and plan work carefully to meet the full range of learning needs in the class. There is particularly good emphasis on developing scientific thinking in Years 1 and 2, which is extended into imaginative practical work in Years 3 to 6. Teaching in mathematics makes very effective use of the National Numeracy Strategy, and is well balanced to include all areas of the National Curriculum. During the inspection, it included very good practical investigations of angles. Numeracy skills are also taught well in other subjects, including science and ICT. ICT during the inspection was taught by a specialist teacher from the local education authority’s intervention team. This teaching is very well planned, and integrated very effectively with the work of class teachers. It builds confidence, so that pupils learn to

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

use computers as an everyday tool for learning, and has led to above-average standards across a broad range of software by Year 6. The school has suitable plans to phase out this external support.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

13. Teaching in English is satisfactory in Years 1 and 2, and good overall in Years 3 to 6. Speaking and listening skills are very well taught throughout the school. Teachers plan activities that give clear focal points for discussion in all lessons, use questions very well to help pupils express and clarify their ideas, and ensure that all pupils have good opportunities to contribute. The teaching of reading skills is now good in Years 1 and 2, and good for most pupils in Years 3 to 6, with good emphasis on the structure of words and on reading with expression. Lower-attaining pupils are taught effectively in Years 1 and 2, but some individual teaching for older lower-attaining readers does not focus closely enough on the aspects they find most difficult. The teaching of writing is satisfactory in Years 1 and 2, because of some good writing in subjects other than English, but there are too few opportunities for pupils to compose their own text in the

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

literacy hour, and as a result progress is less consistent than it could be. In Years 3 to 6, writing is taught effectively in the literacy hour and in some extended stories, but pupils’ work over the year shows some unsatisfactory, and at times very poor, writing in subjects other than English. There are similar weaknesses in earlier work in the teaching of reading, particularly in history, where pupils have not paid enough attention to meaning in independent research. Overall, the teaching of literacy skills was Newton Tony Church of England Primary School - 15 satisfactory by the time of the inspection, but it had not yet made up for these earlier weaknesses.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

14. The school was re-organising the teaching of other subjects during the inspection, and all of the teaching seen was well organised, with clear learning goals taken from the National Curriculum and other national guidance. The best of this teaching, in music in Years 1 and 2, is excellent, concentrating a wide range of learning skills into the time available, and establishing a clear pattern of learning from week to week. This teaching had been in place for a little over a term at the time of the inspection and had already led to above-average standards in Year 2. The school had not yet completed its revision of music teaching, and none took place in Years 3 to 6 during the inspection. The bulk of the remaining teaching was good, with good and sometimes better teaching throughout the school in physical education, art and design, design and technology and geography. The remaining teaching was satisfactory. It engaged pupils’ interest and allowed them

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

to learn new material at a reasonable rate, but there were some weaknesses, for example, in history in Years 3 to 6, when resources did not match the teacher’s learning goals closely enough.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

15. Teachers in all subjects manage pupils very well, fostering excellent relationships and a strong learning partnership. They often make skilful use of links between subjects to reinforce learning – for example, by using close observational drawing in science in Years 1 and 2. The pace of work is good, and teachers make effective use of all available resources, including three-dimensional resources for art and design. Teaching assistants are well briefed and provide very good personal support to pupils, including those with special educational needs. They use ICT confidently, and provide good encouragement to pupils in their reading, though some do not have the skills needed to teach pupils with reading difficulties. As at the time of the last inspection, learning benefits from pupils’ excellent, co-operative attitudes, and eagerness to learn. This enables the school to build on positive attitudes established at home. Teachers

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

mark work regularly and sometimes give guidance on improving it. This, however, is still not consistent, and some targets for improving work are out of date, so that pupils are not kept closely enough in touch with their own learning. Teachers set satisfactory homework, but do not always match it closely enough to the needs of individual pupils. As a result, some is not demanding enough, while a minority remains unfinished. Teachers follow up homework well, and give pupils good encouragement to complete it.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

16. The school is refining its approach to the teaching of pupils with special educational needs. It is now satisfactory overall, and teachers often make use of targets from individual education plans in the course of lessons as well as in planning. The teaching of literacy to younger pupils with special educational needs is good, and all pupils with special educational needs are very effectively involved in lessons, so that they grow in confidence and achieve well in most subjects. Teachers’ skills in the teaching of older pupils with special educational needs need further development, and the school is taking advice on this. Boys and girls are equally engaged and interested in their lessons, and teaching meets their needs equally well. There are some good arrangements to meet the needs of gifted and talented pupils, such as having them work with older pupils where appropriate. They are suitably challenged in most, but not

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

all, lessons, and their learning is satisfactory.

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Learning opportunities

Newton Tony Church of England Primary School - 16 17. The whole curriculum reflects the school’s aims well. There are very good links with the community, good personal, health and social education, good opportunities for learning outside lessons and purposeful links with other schools. Since the last inspection, the school has revised the curriculum to ensure that provision for children under five meets legal requirements, and has supported this with new building plans to enable them to be taught in a way consistent with national guidance.

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Learning opportunities

18. The school has made recent and valuable improvements in its organisation of provision for the National Curriculum. It is systematically developing and reviewing policies and guidelines for all subjects, adapting national guidelines well to its own needs, and has set suitable priorities for this work. The curriculum makes good links between subjects, and pupils have good opportunities for practical work and direct observation. Very good recent improvement in ICT has led to above average standards in Year 6, and computers are used very well to promote learning in other subjects. Recent improvements have ensured satisfactory and sometimes good provision for almost all of the remaining subjects. However, there is too little provision for music in Years 3 to 6, and the Agreed Syllabus for religious education is not fully in place. These subjects do not meet legal requirements. Provision for history has only very recently been

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Learning opportunities

improved to a satisfactory standard in Years 3 to 6, and has not yet enabled standards to recover from the effects of previous work, some of which was very poor.

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Learning opportunities

19. The national strategy for literacy has been implemented satisfactorily and there are some examples of good writing in other subjects. These include good science notes and descriptive accounts in geography in Years 1 and 2, and good accounts of the work of visitors to the school in Years 3 to 6. However, the English curriculum in Years 1 and 2 does not provide enough time for writing, and analysis of pupils’ work over the year shows much incomplete writing in Years 3 to 6, particularly in history and religious education. The national strategy for numeracy is used well, with satisfactory reinforcement in subjects other than mathematics, including good data handling in ICT. All pupils have weekly swimming lessons in the spring term and achieve well.

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Learning opportunities

20. The provision for pupils with special educational needs is satisfactory, with good features. These pupils’ needs are effectively assessed, and targets in individual education plans are reflected in their work. These include personal development as well as learning needs. Teachers take particular care to ensure that pupils with special educational needs are involved in class discussions. Some literacy work is suitably adapted to meet their needs, but some reading support is not focused closely enough on what these pupils most need to learn. The curriculum ensures that gifted and talented pupils make the progress they should by Year 6, and younger higher-attaining pupils are moved on quickly to work normally done by older pupils. This is effective, but higher-attaining pupils are not challenged consistently enough as work is not assessed in enough detail to ensure that they are working to the highest possible standard.

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Learning opportunities

21. Talks and demonstrations by visitors, including scientists, and good use of the local area contribute well to learning. Provision for extra-curricular activities and involvement in sporting tournaments is good, and all pupils from Year 1 to Year 6 are invited to join each activity. Pupils are enthusiastic about the range of after-school clubs provided by staff from the school, parents, governors and sports coaches from the area. Over nine tenths of pupils take part in at least one activity, and many take part in all of them. The school is aware of the need for more creative activities and study-support outside lessons. The curriculum includes a sensitive approach to sex education, which is supported well by the school nurse, and there is effective co-operation with other schools in education against the misuse of drugs. Newton Tony Church of England Primary School - 17 22. There are good arrangements for the transfer of pupils to the secondary schools and

p.16

Learning opportunities

with the playgroup. Good co-operation with other schools on planning some aspects of the curriculum contributes to learning, for example through sharing good resources for geography. Purposeful links with the community make a very good contribution to pupils’ learning. These include links with the church, people in the village and groups, such as the Parish Councils of Newton Tony and Cholderton and Wiltshire Wildlife Trust. There is a good programme of visits, and a trip to a local sculpture park immediately before the inspection was used very well to promote interest and learning in art.

p.17

Personal development

23. At the time of the last inspection, provision for pupils’ personal development was good, but it was not planned or monitored. Since that time, and particularly in recent months, the school has made this aspect of its work much more systematic, with a new school council that involves all pupils, very well planned assemblies, and a personal record for each pupil. Overall provision is now very good. It is excellent for moral and social development, and good for spiritual development and cultural development.

p.17

Personal development

24. Pupils’ moral and social development is carefully fostered. Teachers know pupils and their families very well, and use this knowledge to adapt provision to meet individual needs. Provision for pupils with special educational needs is particularly effective, helping pupils to develop a clear sense of right and wrong, with encouragement to do what is right. Younger pupils learn patience and consideration for others as they wait their turn to speak in a discussion, knowing that they will have a good chance to contribute. Teachers use discussion and assemblies very well to foster a sense of responsibility, within and beyond the school community. The criteria for choosing the pupil of the week are clearly explained, and all pupils have good opportunities to be chosen. Pupils have very good opportunities to work in groups, sometimes with others who are younger or older than they are, and to play together, both informally in the

p.17

Personal development

playground and in organised games and clubs. They learn to value the school community, and to understand the nature of responsibility, for example through involvement with the National Canine Defence League and through study of the environment. The school council has been set up recently, and is well organised, with open minutes and an invitation to all pupils to contribute. Teachers set pupils an excellent example of kindness and thoughtful behaviour towards others. Provision for moral and social development builds very effectively on the values pupils bring from home, and is greatly appreciated by parents.

p.17

Personal development

25. Pupils’ work, assemblies and visitors from many backgrounds provide good opportunities for pupils to reflect on the world and on non-material aspects of life. Close observation in science gives them insight into the workings of nature, and well-chosen texts in literacy help them to understand the nature of identity. They learn key values of Christianity and of other religions. The ideas of peace and harmony from the Bahai faith, for example, were fully and sympathetically discussed in an assembly during the inspection. While religious education is not yet making a full contribution to spiritual development, there is some evidence in pupils’ work of consideration of fundamental issues such as peace, war and harmony.

p.17

Personal development

26. As at the time of the last inspection, pupils have a good introduction to their own and to other cultures. Older pupils read a good range of literature, including Beowulf, and have opportunities to talk to local authors. They study a good range of artists, and learn to apply their techniques in their own work. Pupils in Year 2 during the inspection were making good use of a wide range of percussion instruments in music, including several Newton Tony Church of England Primary School - 18 from Africa and South America. Visitors introduce pupils to a range of cultural issues, including current arts and crafts from South Africa. Pupils learn to treat all cultures and religions with respect, and are well prepared for life in modern British society.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

27. At the time of the last inspection, pupils were well looked after while in school, but there was some confusion over child protection procedures. There were significant weaknesses in assessment procedures, including those for identifying pupils with special educational needs. There has been satisfactory overall improvement in these arrangements since the last inspection. Strengths in personal care have been maintained and extended, special educational needs are properly identified from the time pupils join the school, and child protection arrangements are now satisfactory. The school has made some improvements in its assessment arrangements – for example, higher-attaining pupils in Year 5 are properly identified and set demanding targets for national tests in Year 6 – but these need further development.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

28. The school has proper child protection procedures, with the written policy in line with that of the local authority. The headteacher is the designated child protection officer and has undergone the statutory training. All adults are regularly updated in the procedures and they know that they should report any concerns to the headteacher. The school is aware of their responsibility towards children in care, although there are none in school at the moment. The Health and Safety policy is clear and in line with local procedures. The policy delineates clearly the areas of responsibility. Procedures for administering medicines and for dealing with injuries are good, with two members of staff fully trained in First Aid. Prescribed medication and first aid equipment accompany pupils on school trips. Accidents are properly recorded. The school has satisfactory procedures to protect pupils from harmful material on the Internet.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

29. Procedures for monitoring and promoting good behaviour are very good, and those for monitoring and eliminating oppressive behaviour are excellent. The results of these procedures are best illustrated by the outcomes. The school’s behaviour policy puts greatest emphasis on rewarding good behaviour and raising self-esteem, and reinforces this very consistently through the pupil of the week award. The pupil is usually chosen for good attitudes and behaviour and particularly for consideration towards others, for example by listening and not interrupting. Lower-attaining pupils, including those with special educational needs, have equal opportunities to receive this award. While the behaviour policy contains sanctions for inappropriate behaviour, these are seldom needed.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

30. The procedures for monitoring and supporting pupils’ personal development are excellent. Staff know their pupils very well, and keep a detailed personal record of each pupil, including positive as well as negative aspects, in an individual pastoral file. Procedures for monitoring and improving attendance are satisfactory. Parents are expected to inform the school of the reasons when a pupil is absent and registers are marked correctly. Attendance is monitored, but the specific issue of term-time holidays has not been identified and analysed.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

31. Since the last inspection, the school has improved its assessment procedures by setting up monitoring systems for pupils’ work, and making more use of National Curriculum level descriptions when planning work in English, mathematics and science. Arrangements to track progress in ICT, set up by the school’s external consultant, are excellent. The format is compact and flexible, and notes on pupils’ achievements provide a very clear basis for planning the next phase of work. There has been good Newton Tony Church of England Primary School - 19 improvement in the assessment of pupils’ special educational needs, which are now identified and tackled at an early stage, with good use of external advice and appropriate involvement of pupils and parents.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

32. On the other hand, assessment procedures still do not extend to all subjects, and are not used consistently enough, either to provide guidance to pupils or to contribute to lesson planning. Pupils have some targets for improving their work, but these are not kept up to date, and some are not adapted closely enough to individual needs. While targets in annual reports are now good, they are not followed through consistently enough in pupils’ work. These weaknesses prevent the school from using assessment to ensure that all pupils are fully challenged, and to track progress towards targets.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

33. Parents expressed very positive views of the school at the pre-inspection meeting, in responses to the questionnaire, and in discussion with inspectors during the inspection. The rate of positive responses to the questionnaire was particularly high. There was 100 per cent approval on many points, and particularly high numbers of parents strongly agreed that their children were expected to work hard and do their best, that the school was well led and managed, that it was approachable, and that it worked closely with parents. Parents had generally positive views of the school at the time of the last inspection, but there were some areas of dissent, for example in the quality of activities outside lessons. There has been a significant rise in the strength and consistency of parental support for the school since the last inspection.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

34. The school has very effective links with parents. It provides very good information, beginning with an attractively-presented prospectus and an informative annual report from the governing body. Both these documents have been improved since the last inspection, when they did not contain all of the information required by law. The school produces a monthly community newsletter, which is delivered to every household in the village. Pupils’ annual reports are very good, providing parents with information on how there children have progressed, as well as information on the National Curriculum level they are working at and their next targets for learning. Parents commented positively about the reports. The links between parents and school are enhanced by the school’s open door policy. A small number of parents considered that the school was not setting enough homework. By the time of the inspection, inspectors found that homework was

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

satisfactory overall, but that some needed to be more closely adapted to individual needs.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

35. Parents make a very good contribution to children’s learning at school and at home, and the overall impact of their involvement on the work of the school is excellent. Some parents contribute to pupils’ learning by coming into school and helping in the classroom - for example, one comes in twice a week to help with design and technology lessons. They organise extra-curricular activities, such as the cross-country club, and a rounders club led by parents during the inspection was attended by very nearly all of the pupils. The Friends of Newton Tony School (FONTS) raise considerable sums for the school, and, as one parent put it, ‘they take their coats off and do things for the school’. Parents have painted classrooms, put up bookshelves, and designed, built and wired the new ICT facilities.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

36. When the school was last inspected, there were serious weaknesses in management and in the performance of the governors. An interim visit by Ofsted a year later found Newton Tony Church of England Primary School - 20 improvements in budgeting and in the work of the governors, but some weaknesses in other aspects of management and in staffing. By the time of this inspection, a permanent headteacher had been in place for just over a term. With close support from the governors, he had begun a systematic review of all of the school’s work, improved procedures for recruiting and retaining teachers, and established clear priorities for improvement. New policies, for example on special educational needs and on race equality and inclusion, have been drawn up to a good standard and are reflected in the work of the school.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

37. Good arrangements for performance management are in place. Suitable targets have been established to enable higher-attaining pupils to reach the standards they should, teaching is suitably monitored, and work in Year 6 shows good recovery from the low standards in 2002 national tests. Pupils with special educational needs are identified and supported from an early stage in their school career, and management of this aspect is now good. There is a strong and effective commitment to equal opportunities throughout the school, with good systems to ensure that the achievements of all pupils are recognised and rewarded. This makes an important contribution to the happy atmosphere, and helps build the confidence of lower-attaining pupils.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

38. The governors are well organised, visit the school regularly to monitor as well as to support its work, and use their wide-ranging skills in management and education to help the headteacher. They contribute fully to the school development plan, and to the process of setting targets. They have a very good understanding of the school’s weaknesses as well as its strengths, and have taken decisive action since the last inspection to improve both the quality of teaching and their own organisation. Prudent financial management by the governors has enabled the school to allocate funds to develop the building and grounds, including extensions to facilities for new children under five who will join in September. This represents very good planning to meet the point for improvement in the last report, and effective allocation of resources to key educational priorities. The cost per pupil reflects the very small number of pupils

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

currently in the school. Taking account of all relevant factors, including the difficulty and cost of transport to alternative schools, it represents satisfactory value for money.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

39. At the time of the inspection, the school was recovering from a period of exceptionally high staff turnover. Thirteen teachers had come and left in the two years before the inspection. Staffing has shown recent improvement. While both teachers were engaged on temporary contracts at the time of the inspection – and had been in school for under three weeks – they have extensive experience. One has accepted a permanent post, and permanent teachers have been appointed to both classes from September. The school has also benefited from the part-time services of a specialist ICT teacher and has two teaching assistants who have good experience for their work, although they do not have specialist-teaching skills. Overall, staffing is now adequate, and the new headteacher has had time to devote to his management duties.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

40. Nevertheless, the headteacher is the only member of staff with management responsibility, and has not yet had time to tackle everything that needs to be done. The priorities he and the governors have set meet the needs of the school, but they have not yet secured adequate provision in music, religious education and the assessment of pupils’ work. In history and special educational needs, recent improvements have not been in place long enough to make up for the effects of previous weaknesses. The headteacher and governors recognise the need for improvements in these areas, and are to include them in the next school development plan. Overall, the leadership and management of the school are now satisfactory, and are set to improve rapidly. Newton Tony Church of England Primary School - 21 41. The school has good resources for learning in some subjects, including ICT and science, and adequate resources for most others, including practical subjects. There

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

are too few resources for history and religious education. The library has sufficient fiction, some of it well chosen to interest higher-attaining pupils, but its collection of non- fiction books and resources is very poor, and this hinders the development of advanced reading skills. At the time of the last inspection, accommodation was inadequate. It is now adequate to meet the needs of the pupils in the school apart from indoor physical education, where the school continues to use the cramped village hall. There is poor access for people with disabilities, and no staff toilet. The latter is included in current building plans, which will incorporate some improvements in disability access.

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

42. The headteacher and governors have made suitable arrangements to share management responsibility with permanent staff from September, and are continuing to develop provision for special educational needs effectively. In continuing their work to raise standards and improve the quality of education, they should give priority to the following points. The school has begun to take action on points 2 and 3.

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) Improve standards and provision in history, music and religious education, by:

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• establishing comprehensive and practical schemes of work for each subject; • allocating sufficient time to ensure that all legal requirements are met; • taking immediate action to correct pupils’ misunderstandings in history. (Paragraphs 2, 4, 11, 18, 25, 40, 46, 73-6, 83-5, 91-2) Newton Tony Church of England Primary School - 22 (2) Improve arrangements for assessment and its use in planning, by:

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• extending arrangements for assessment and target setting to all subjects; • using information from assessment consistently in planning lessons; • ensuring that progress towards targets is noted and targets are regularly updated. (Paragraphs 15, 20, 32, 40, 49, 76, 85, 91)

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(3) Improve the teaching of writing, by:

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• establishing a clear programme for writing in each subject as part of its scheme of work; • ensuring that pupils have enough time for writing, and that all work is completed; • improving marking, and its use to set targets and track progress in writing; (Paragraphs 11, 13, 19, 47-8, 73, 91)

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(4) Improve the contribution of the library to teaching and learning, by:

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• establishing a clear programme of reading for learning in each subject; • removing obsolete books, and building up suitable collections of books and resources; • evaluating the use of the library and its effectiveness in each subject. (Paragraphs 41, 46, 92)

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(5) Reduce the amount of time lost through holidays taken in term time, by:

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• using its very good relationships with parents to continue to discourage the practice; • continuing to stress to pupils the advantages of full attendance; (Paragraph 10)

p.22

Additional items to be included in the governors’ action plan:

(1) Extend provision for study and learning support outside lessons. (Paragraph 21)

p.22

Additional items to be included in the governors’ action plan:

(2) Carry out its plans to improve disability access and provide a staff toilet. (Paragraph 41)

p.22

Additional items to be included in the governors’ action plan:

(3) As circumstances permit, improve facilities for indoor physical education. (Paragraph 41) Newton Tony Church of England Primary School - 23

p.22

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 12

p.23

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

p.23

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 six percentage points.

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 23

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 2

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 4

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 0

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 0

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 4

p.23

Attendance

School data 7.1 School data 0.1 Newton Tony Church of England Primary School - 24 National comparative data 5.4 National comparative data 0.5

p.23

Attendance

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

p.24

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.24

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

White – any other White background 0 0 0

p.24

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Mixed – any other mixed background 0 0 0

p.24

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British - Pakistani 0 0 0

p.24

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi 0 0 0

p.24

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.24

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black or Black British – Caribbean 0 0 0

p.24

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.24

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 2.9 Financial year 2002-3

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 7.9

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: Y1 – Y6 Total income 163,824

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 2 Total expenditure 150,316

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 30 Expenditure per pupil 3,630

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

FTE means full-time equivalent Balance brought forward from previous year 21,043

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 34,551 Newton Tony Church of England Primary School - 25

p.24

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 13

p.25

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 13

p.25

Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

p.25

Recruitment of teachers

Number of vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of a term or more (FTE) 2

p.25

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.25

Recruitment of teachers

FTE means full-time equivalent. Newton Tony Church of England Primary School - 26

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 54 46 0 0 0

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 54 38 8 0 0

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 31 62 8 0 0

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 38 62 0 0 0

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 85 15 0 0 0

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 92 8 0 0 0

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 85 15 0 0 0

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 85 15 0 0 0

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 46 64 0 0 0

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 38 62 0 0 0 Newton Tony Church of England Primary School - 27

p.26

ENGLISH

43. Standards are above average overall in Year 2 and Year 6. Results in national tests have been well above average in almost all years since the last inspection, with the exception of 2002, when they fell very sharply in Year 6. Year 6 pupils during the inspection were reaching above average standards in their work overall, and higher- attaining pupils’ best work was well above average in reading, writing and speaking and listening. This represents a satisfactory recovery from the results in 2001, and satisfactory achievement in view of the standards with which pupils join the school. Boys and girls during the inspection were reaching similarly high standards by Years 5 and 6, and gifted and talented pupils, including some younger pupils, were achieving well.

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ENGLISH

44. The achievement of pupils with special educational needs is satisfactory overall. All are very effectively involved in all class activities, making good progress in speaking and listening and growing in confidence. Younger pupils with special educational needs make good progress in reading in response to skilled teaching, but some of the teaching offered to older pupils is not tuned closely enough to their learning needs, and this is holding back their progress beyond the early stages of learning to read. The school is working hard to improve this aspect of its provision, with support from external specialists, but more work is needed. Progress in writing is satisfactory. Pupils’ best work is fluent and reasonably accurate, but learning suffers from a lack of consistency in planning writing tasks.

p.27

ENGLISH

45. All pupils make good progress in speaking and listening, both in English lessons and through the skilled use of discussion and questioning in other subjects. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 learn to listen to each other and to take their turn, knowing that they will have an opportunity to speak. They discuss their work with interest, and learn to formulate arguments, for example when predicting the outcome of an experiment. By Years 5 and 6, pupils express themselves clearly, using specialised vocabulary and advanced sentence structures when they need to. The school’s very good provision for speaking and listening builds all pupils’ confidence and is a key feature in building excellent relationships.

p.27

ENGLISH

46. By Years 5 and 6, standards in reading are above average. Almost all pupils during the inspection read fluently and accurately, and records showed that they had read a good range of literature, including some classic texts such as Beowulf. On the other hand, some higher-attaining pupils do not always pay close enough attention to detail in the meaning of texts they read for research purposes, and this leads at times to serious misunderstanding, particularly in history. Pupils in Year 2 read simple texts fluently and accurately, with good attention to expression, and are beginning to read for a variety of purposes in different subjects. Their use of the connections between sounds and letters has improved since the last inspection.

p.27

ENGLISH

47. Pupils achieve above-average standards in writing in their best work, but learning throughout the school is held back by a lack of consistency in planning writing tasks. In Years 1 and 2, some writing tasks are very well planned and lead to above-average standards, for example in retelling Bible stories. There is, however, too little time for pupils to complete some writing tasks, and sometimes pupils have too little scope to compose their own texts. There are similar problems in Years 3 to 6. Pupils’ best Newton Tony Church of England Primary School - 28 work, for example, in extended stories written by pupils in Years 5 and 6, is well organised, accurate and imaginative. They do not, however, work consistently to this standard, and a significant proportion of their written work, particularly in history and religious education, is scrappy and incomplete. Too often, writing tasks do not take

p.27

ENGLISH

enough account of the different learning needs and abilities in the class.

p.28

ENGLISH

48. At the time of the last inspection, teaching was good in Years 3 to 6, but unsatisfactory in Years 1 and 2. During the present inspection it was good, with very good features, in Years 3 to 6 and satisfactory, with some good features, in Years 1 and 2. Teachers know the subject well. As at the time of the last inspection, they use the National Literacy Strategy framework to provide a clear outline for each lesson. In Years 3 to 6, they plan work well to meet the needs of the full age range in the class, although the balance of work does not provide enough opportunities for writing for pupils in Year 2. Teachers choose interesting texts and poems for pupils to read, and manage classes very well to engage pupils’ interest. Work is marked, but not always in sufficient detail to give pupils guidance on what they need to improve. In some work completed over the year, basic errors have gone uncorrected, while a positive comment has been made on

p.28

ENGLISH

the work as a whole. This had been improved by the time of the inspection. There is some good use of ICT in English in both classes. This is mostly for word-processing, including a good modified word-processor for younger pupils with special educational needs.

p.28

ENGLISH

49. The last inspection found weaknesses in the co-ordination of English. These have been partly put right, but more progress is needed. For example, there was some assessment of literacy in Years 3 to 6, but none in Years 1 and 2. Assessment is now accurate throughout the school, and pupils’ special educational needs are effectively assessed. Information from this assessment is not, however, used to match all work to pupils’ needs, either in English or in other subjects. As a result, the contribution of work in other subjects to literacy is haphazard, ranging from very good, as in note- making in science, in Years 1 and 2, to very poor, as in unfinished and inaccurate history writing, in Years 3 to 6. The library has a reasonable stock of fiction for English, but is very poorly provided with books in other subjects. This seriously limits opportunities for pupils to develop advanced reading skills. Pupils’ interest in English,

p.28

ENGLISH

and their writing skills, are extended by writing about the work of visitors to the school and by interviewing local authors.

p.28

MATHEMATICS

50. Standards are above average by the end of Year 2 and Year 6, and all pupils, including those with special educational needs, achieve well. There are no significant differences between the achievements of boys and girls. Pupils with special educational needs, or who learn at a slower rate, work hard and gain confidence because of the high quality teaching and support. Higher-attaining pupils have challenging work to enable them to achieve at a higher level and extend their thinking skills. While standards were high at the time of the last inspection, there were some weaknesses in co-ordination, and teaching was satisfactory rather than good. The school’s current provision represents good improvement.

p.28

MATHEMATICS

51. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 can double numbers to 20 and count from zero to 100 and back again in tens. They know that 50 is half of 100 and confidently use the 100 square. Pupils explain the strategies they use to add three single numbers and employ these when adding the numbers on three dice. When they throw double numbers, pupils know these immediately. Pupils realise that they cannot make answers totalling 20 and make several suggestions to the teacher of ways in which the task could be changed. Newton Tony Church of England Primary School - 29 More-able pupils add two-digit numbers to a single number and find each other’s errors when they check the answers. Pupils know two, four, five and ten times tables and use these to solve problems. They collect information sensibly and use this to create frequency tables. Most pupils answer questions about the information correctly.

p.28

MATHEMATICS

52. Pupils in Years 3 to 6 understand the terms clockwise and anti-clockwise . This helps them to work out quarter and half turns on the compass and they quickly progress to understanding that these fractions can be converted to degrees. Older pupils learn to use a protractor accurately because the teacher gives very precise instructions for measuring angles as they prepare to work. All draw and measure angles and, by the end of the lesson, more-able pupils measure a shape with eight angles and draw a triangle by calculating missing angles. Younger pupils give instructions to a ‘spider’ to direct her to her web. They give instructions to take so many paces forward and backward and to make right and left turns. All complete two pathways in the lesson and work out how to amend instructions. ‘I said 40 paces forward. It was too many. I tried 30, which wasn’t enough. So, I tried 35 and it was right’, explained one pupil confidently.

p.29

MATHEMATICS

Pupils understand negative and positive numbers and convert fractions to decimals. They insert information into the computer to make a range of different graphs and draw sensible conclusions from the information.

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MATHEMATICS

53. Teaching and learning are very good. Lessons proceed at a brisk pace and teachers’ questioning skilfully extends pupils’ answers and thinking. Planning is very good so that activities match the age and abilities of pupils well. Teachers and teaching assistants work well together and make notes of pupils’ areas of difficulty so that plans for the next lesson can be amended. ICT is used very well to support and lead pupils’ learning. Programs are selected very thoughtfully, and carefully matched to individual needs, so that higher-attaining pupils are given very challenging work. There are excellent relationships between class teachers and the specialist ICT teacher. Relationships between pupils and adults are excellent because pupils are clear about teachers’ expectations of behaviour and work. Teachers are aware that, with the changes of staff over the year, there may be some gaps in pupils’ learning and they make careful notes

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MATHEMATICS

to ensure that understanding is reinforced if this appears to affect learning in some lessons. Nevertheless, there are some inconsistencies in assessing and tracking progress, analysing the results of tests, and setting targets for pupils to improve their work.

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MATHEMATICS

54. Pupils enjoy numeracy because lessons are practical and interesting. They are keen to contribute and settle well to work. Pupils work without direct supervision and concentrate well because they want to learn and succeed. They enjoy using white boards and use these very sensibly. The structure of the daily mathematics session is used very effectively because the initial ‘quick-fire’ and number activities sharpen pupils’ thinking. Teachers use mathematical terms precisely and help pupils to realise that accuracy and checking of work are very important in mathematics.

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MATHEMATICS

55. The subject is led and managed well. The school makes good use of advice from numeracy specialists and has introduced new support materials for teachers and pupils this year. As a result, mathematics and the use of numeracy across the curriculum have shown good improvement since the last inspection. Mathematics makes a good contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development because pupils learn to work together, become aware of patterns and new ways of working with figures and trust each other with marking.

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SCIENCE

Newton Tony Church of England Primary School - 30 56. Standards are well above average in Year 2 and Year 6, and there are no significant differences between the performances of boys and girls. Pupils with special educational needs achieve well because of the good teaching and encouragement they receive to play a full part in experiments and discussions. Weaknesses in provision for science at the time of the last inspection have been very effectively tackled, and improvement has been very good.

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SCIENCE

57. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 look carefully through magnifying glasses to observe the features of woodlice and other minibeasts. As a result their observational drawings of the creatures are completed with very good attention to detail. They classify them carefully, discussing criteria with pupils who work on classification on the computer. Pupils label their diagrams carefully. They know the conditions needed to make plants grow, and carry out simple experiments to see how growth is affected by changes in these conditions. From the beginning, they write their work up well, using their own words. They predict the outcome of experiments, and are beginning to understand the idea of a fair test. Pupils understand the different seasons and types of weather, producing interesting weather maps on the computer. Following a ‘weather walk’ in January, pupils noted the temperature - minus four – and ice in the rain gauge at the

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SCIENCE

weather station. Pupils wrote good descriptions of their walk. One pupil commented that it was so crunchy and icy that, ‘it felt like I was standing on crisps’. Pupils use ICT well to record patterns in weather using graphs and maps.

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SCIENCE

58. Pupils in Years 3 to 6 find science exciting and are eager to experiment. Following a ‘Science Explorers’ Day’ with visiting local scientists, pupils showed good understanding that ‘water slows you down and provides a force’. They watched the teacher drop a coin into water, described what happened, and suggested ways of comparing results for different items. Younger pupils used a forcemeter to measure in Newtons. They weighed several items in plastic bags before they put them in the water to test them when they were submerged. They all explained what happened confidently. Their final challenge was to decide what to put as their heading for the last column on their recording sheet. A quick response was ‘the difference between the two weights’. Older pupils worked out how to ensure that they carried out a fair test when weighing their objects with the force meter. They completed their recording of the evidence to

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SCIENCE

prove the statement about water as a force with thought and care. There is a consistent emphasis in teaching on the use of scientific vocabulary and the development of reasoning and thinking skills.

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SCIENCE

59. Teaching and learning in individual lessons range from good to excellent. They are very good overall. Teachers use a wide range of interesting resources and provide opportunities for pupils to be involved in experiments and research. They give clear instructions and explanations before organising pupils into groups so that they will have work at the correct level and be able to share information with each other. Planning ensures clear links between what pupils are to learn and the National Curriculum level descriptions, so that work is effectively matched to the wide range of learning needs in each class. Nevertheless, this is not consistently reflected in assessment, and arrangements to track progress need further development. Practical work develops pupils’ independent and social skills effectively; they select their own materials, take turns and listen to each other. In some cases, however, conclusions to experiments

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SCIENCE

60. The head teacher is leading the subject very enthusiastically and has made significant improvements to the planning and the amount of investigative work carried out by each class. As a result, standards are rising rapidly and pupils look forward to their lessons. Visitors bring additional excitement with their interesting experiments and there are very Newton Tony Church of England Primary School - 31 good planned links with literacy, art, numeracy and ICT in the subject. Science makes a strong contribution to personal development through opportunities to reflect upon what is happening during an experiment, and to work together in a purposeful manner.

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ART AND DESIGN and DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

61. Standards in both subjects are in line with those expected nationally, and are improving rapidly. This is an improvement since the last inspection because both subjects are now carefully planned to ensure that pupils build on skills as they grow older and have a wide range of experiences. Provision for both subjects includes good emphasis on design, and on modifying designs as a project proceeds. Boys and girls, including pupils with special educational needs, achieve well because of the teaching and the thoughtful approach to topics.

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ART AND DESIGN and DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

62. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 use a wide range of paints, pens, pencils and collage materials to make figures and patterns. They collect interesting items outside to make a collage of natural materials and use photographs taken of some flowers, such a bluebells or daisies, as a stimulus for pastel and collage work. Their observational drawings of flowers have improved because pupils know that they need to look carefully at what they are drawing. This work is particularly well integrated with science. In a very successful lesson during the inspection, pupils drew an element of their collage on paper, enlarged it, and then made a three-dimensional picture, choosing from a wide range of colours and papers. Every pupil produced work of very high quality and discussed their choice of stimulus at the end of the lesson.

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ART AND DESIGN and DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

63. In design and technology, pupils practise cutting, scoring and folding paper to make a three-dimensional scene with a setting and characters. They design their setting and characters and write a story in which to use them. This is a good link with literacy. They design model spiders with toilet rolls and pipe cleaners and puppets with moving limbs, strings and hand control.

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ART AND DESIGN and DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

64. Pupils in Years 3 to 6 continue to develop a wide range of skills in both subjects. Inspired by a visit to a sculpture park, pupils during the inspection were designing items to enhance the appearance of the school grounds. They listed the materials they needed, and considered ways in which they could make a basic shape for their sculpture. They made this from wire, using wire cutters, staples and twists to make effective, safe joins in preparation for covering their models with modroc plaster. Pupils complete very good paintings of space, using vivid tones of blue to provide a dramatic background for planets and spheres. They look carefully at the work of Lowry, and show good understanding of his style in snowy, wintry scenes in white chalk on black paper, as well as strong, direct observations of people.

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ART AND DESIGN and DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

65. Standards in design and technology are similar to those in art and design. No lessons were observed, but picture frames on display showed good standards in cutting and sticking wood and other materials. Pupils select suitable materials for their purpose, and some had worked hard to produce mitred corners. The finished products are of good quality and all based on properly developed individual designs.

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ART AND DESIGN and DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

66. Teaching and learning are good in both subjects, with very good teaching in individual lessons in art and design. Teachers know the subjects well, with very good knowledge and understanding of art and design in Years 1 and 2. They plan effectively to include all elements of the National Curriculum in their work, and make good links with other subjects. They encourage junior pupils to use sketchbooks for rehearsing ideas and practising skills. Teachers emphasise the need for good ‘looking skills’ to improve Newton Tony Church of England Primary School - 32 observational drawing. There is a strong emphasis on producing work of good quality. Teachers assess pupils’ contributions in lessons and regularly check their understanding of the processes involved.

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ART AND DESIGN and DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

67. There are now good guidelines for both subjects, which are led and managed thoughtfully to ensure that pupils have a good balance of activities. Food technology is limited to cold items such as sandwiches, but purchase of more resources will improve this next year. The subjects make a strong contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development because of the opportunities to reflect upon the beauty of the world around them and awareness of the contribution artists make to the understanding of different cultures.

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GEOGRAPHY

68. Standards are broadly average throughout the school and have been maintained since the last inspection. This represents satisfactory overall achievement for all pupils, including those with special educational needs. Standards are improving, and are above average in aspects of the subject that have been taught recently.

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GEOGRAPHY

69. In the lesson observed in Years 1 and 2, pupils were immediately drawn to the stimulating display of books and photographs prepared for their lesson. They took turns in commenting on the photographs, telling everyone what they reminded them of in clear presentations. Pupils described many countries and places in the British Isles they had visited. They used maps and globes to find out more about these holiday destinations. Some pupils used a bank of phrases on the computer to start their writing about a holiday at the seaside or a visit to the zoo. They included a good amount of information in a short paragraph. The teacher skilfully introduced photographs of seaside holidays in Victorian times and pupils looked carefully for differences between now and then. Pupils were especially interested in the bathing machines. For homework they were to find out what holidays their parents had so that they might track changes over time.

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GEOGRAPHY

This made a good link between the National Curriculum for history and geography.

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GEOGRAPHY

70. Pupils in Years 3 to 6 develop their mapping skills well. Younger pupils collect evidence about the village and locate the school on a map. They use a key to mark places and land use. Older pupils use the key with confidence and work out how far places are from the school. They calculate an appropriate scale to use on their rulers, and can use a six-figure map reference. Older pupils willingly give help to younger ones who are unsure about some aspect of their task. They have a good knowledge of the local community and write interesting paragraphs about features in the village, for example, the church, which they work out is the oldest building.

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GEOGRAPHY

71. Teaching and learning are good, and were very good in Years 3 to 6 during the inspection, thanks to very recent improvements. There are good links with literacy, numeracy, history and ICT. Teachers plan lessons thoughtfully and ensure that tasks are matched well to pupils’ age and abilities. They make good use of the digital camera for a study of the local community. Lessons are practical and good visual materials help pupils to understand new vocabulary and ideas. They check learning from previous lessons and there are some helpful comments in the marking of pupils’ work. Pupils enjoy their lessons because the activities are interesting and challenging.

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GEOGRAPHY

72. The subject is led and managed effectively. Schools in the area share resources so that a good range of photographs and books is available for specific topics. Geography makes a good contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, Newton Tony Church of England Primary School - 33 because pupils work together, go into the local community and learn about other cultures.

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HISTORY

73. During the inspection, pupils in Years 3 to 6 were beginning a new unit on modern British history, and were reaching broadly average standards in their understanding of issues such as changes in transport, fashion, music and population. Analysis of their work over the year, however, showed standards that were well below average overall, with much unfinished work and some serious misconceptions. These included a statement, marked as accurate, that the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle recorded an invasion in 1066 by a foreign ruler called Alfred, who divided the country. It was not possible to observe teaching in Years 1 and 2 during the inspection, but pupils were reaching average standards in those aspects of history that were touched on in their geography lessons.

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HISTORY

74. At the time of the last inspection, standards were broadly average, but pupils were achieving less than they should, there were too few resources, and co-ordination was poor. The headteacher and the newly-appointed teacher for Years 3 to 6 have begun to take action to improve provision, by purchasing appropriate resources and improving planning. However, this action has not yet made an impact on the underlying weaknesses in standards, so that achievement in Year 6 and improvement since the last inspection remain poor.

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HISTORY

75. The current quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. Pupils are encouraged to look closely at historical source material, and to sequence it, giving reasons for their decisions. Pupils with special educational needs are given effective additional support, for example, through well-focused questions addressed specifically to them, and take a full part in group work. Teachers’ knowledge and understanding of the subject are very good, but the links between resources used in different parts of the lesson are not always clear, and planning does not enable higher-attaining pupils to reach the highest standards set out in the National Curriculum level descriptions. Excellent management of the class and excellent relationships among pupils create a very good working atmosphere, and help pupils to take an interest in history.

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HISTORY

76. History is not yet making a satisfactory contribution to literacy and numeracy skills. There has been some use of ICT, but almost always merely to download and print illustrations, which are not evaluated. Resources, apart from those most recently purchased, are inadequate, and there are too few suitable books in the library. There are no arrangements to assess pupils’ work in terms of the National Curriculum. The recent developments in history are a step forward, but co-ordination and provision are not yet satisfactory.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

77. Standards are broadly average in Year 2, and above average in Year 6. This represents satisfactory improvement since the last inspection, when pupils were reaching average standards throughout the school, and the use of ICT was mainly for word-processing. Boys and girls use computers with equal skill and competence, and pupils with special educational needs make good progress. They produce some of their best work with the aid of computers, and use them effectively to help with literacy and mathematics.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

78. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 use computers for a wide range of simple purposes, including word-processing. They can drag and drop images using the mouse, use a simple Newton Tony Church of England Primary School - 34 painting programme, and produce a mini book with text and illustrations. They design their own minibeasts and sort them according to agreed criteria. Working with a specialist teacher during the inspection, pupils learned to design a sequence of questions that would identify minibeasts according to agreed characteristics, such as the number of legs and whether it had wings. This gave them insight into the practical use of a computer to organise thinking, and built confidence.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

79. By Year 6, pupils use computers confidently and independently for word-processing and desk-top publishing, varying fonts and design to suit their purpose. They can design a series of instructions for a floor robot, and understand the need for precision in programming, including timing. They produce complex and beautiful geometric designs in their art work. They use a broad range of graphs, data files and spreadsheets – for example, to calculate the costs of running a party – and make very good use of digital photographs.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

80. Careful selection of software enables them to use ICT very well to support work in many other subjects. For example, software designed to support work on angles enabled all pupils in Years 3 to 6 to estimate, calculate and draw angles at varying levels of difficulty, and speeded up learning in their mathematics lesson. In some of their work over the year, however, particularly in history, pupils had been downloading material without investigating it properly.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

81. Most of the teaching seen during the inspection was the work of a specialist teacher who has worked part-time in the school over the past year as part of the local education authority’s intervention team. This teaching is very good. The teacher knows the subject to a very high standard, and works closely with class teachers to ensure that work contributes to learning in subjects as well as to pupils’ ICT skills. Personal support and feedback to pupils is excellent, and work is closely matched to pupils’ learning needs. This builds confidence, so that older pupils use computers naturally as an extension of their working tools.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

82. This teacher has set up an excellent assessment and recording system, integrated with the scheme of work, that tracks each pupil’s progress and ensures that they have a broad range of experience across the National Curriculum. She has provided effective training to one teaching assistant, and the school has plans for further training for its newly-appointed permanent staff. Parents have made an important contribution to progress in ICT by redesigning and building new facilities that give easy access to computers in all lessons. The school is very well placed to develop its work further.

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MUSIC

83. There has been considerable inconsistency in provision for music since the last inspection, and pupils in Years 3 to 6 told inspectors that music lessons had often been cancelled. No teaching in Years 3 to 6 took place during the inspection, and there was no other evidence of pupils’ work. Pupils said that they had had no experience of composing or evaluating music, although some did take music lessons on electric guitar. Provision in Years 3 to 6 does not meet legal requirements for the subject, and there is insufficient evidence on which to base a judgement on standards.

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MUSIC

84. In Years 1 and 2, standards are above average because of a recent strong improvement in teaching. One lesson was observed during the inspection. It was excellent, and clearly built on a strong pattern of learning established in previous lessons. The teacher used very clear knowledge and understanding of the subject to bring together a broad range of National Curriculum elements into an extremely well Newton Tony Church of England Primary School - 35 planned and structured half-hour of learning. Following a well-designed starter activity, pupils developed their knowledge of rhythm and notation very well, learning to assign accurate values to notes using the teacher’s analogy with standing, walking and running. They showed excellent concentration when taking part in a group performance using a wide variety of percussion instruments, some of them from South America and Africa. They could recreate a simple composition from the written record they had

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MUSIC

made last week, and add new patterns to it. The pace of learning was outstanding, and the lesson was equally enjoyable for the teacher, pupils and the inspector.

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MUSIC

85. However, this work depended very closely on the individual skills of the teacher, and, as at the time of the last inspection, there is no development plan for music. The last report contains no overall judgement on standards and provision, but there has clearly been no improvement in Years 3 to 6. There are no arrangements to assess pupils’ work, and no use of ICT. There is some contribution to literacy and numeracy in Years 1 and 2, but not in Years 3 to 6, and the library has too few suitable books. The school has yet to establish satisfactory management arrangements for the subject.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

86. Pupils reach standards in line with those expected nationally by the end of Year 2 and Year 6. The improvement since the last inspection has been recent and rapid. There are good guidelines for teaching, methods of checking pupils’ progress and well- attended after-school activities. Boys and girls, including those with special educational needs, achieve well and make good progress because of the good teaching. Attainment in swimming is above average since all pupils go swimming in the spring term and very few pupils do not yet swim 25 metres. Some have already achieved Amateur Swimming Association awards.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

87. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 are very enthusiastic about physical education lessons. They choose an extra lesson as their class reward for achieving their weekly target. They bounce, roll, aim and throw medium sized balls to each other with a good degree of accuracy. Everyone enjoys the challenge of running towards the netball post, bouncing the ball and trying to score a goal. Four of the pupils do this very successfully. The brisk changes from one activity to another give them an opportunity to refine their ball skills when sitting, standing close to each other or further apart. Pupils demonstrate their favourite method of using the ball. Some boys display their dribbling skills very proudly.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

88. Pupils in Years 3 to 6 demonstrate their ball skills well in the playground, organising good games of football and catching. They, and some from the infants, are developing good hand-eye co-ordination skills when they play badminton after school. Twenty of the 23 pupils in the school belong to this club. Sporting activities after school are very popular and have enabled the pupils to participate with great success, for example, in local tag-rugby tournaments and Kwik Cricket.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

89. It was possible to observe only extra-curricular teaching during the inspection. This was of good quality, and involved all pupils in Years 3 to 6. The teacher had good knowledge and understanding of the sport, and used this to design an interesting and effective coaching programme, with good demonstrations and opportunities for pupils to review and discuss their work. There is further evidence of good teaching in long, medium and short-term planning, all of which are of good quality and provide a clear pattern of progression in pupils’ skills. Pupils taking part in the rounders club were fully exercised. Newton Tony Church of England Primary School - 36 90. The subject is led well, and the head teacher ensures that all aspects of the curriculum are covered over the year. Through the team games, pupils have good opportunities to participate in a wide range of activities and join with pupils from other schools. There

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

are opportunities to work with other adults when members of local teams coach football and cricket and a parent takes rounders. Physical education makes a good contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development because of the opportunities for working together as a member of a team and learning the importance of rules.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

91. It was not possible to observe teaching in religious education. Written work from pupils in Years 1 and 2 showed good understanding of the story of Noah’s Ark, but there was too little evidence overall to support a judgement on standards. Pupils in Years 3 to 6 have sound understanding of Christianity, but discussion with them and analysis of their written work over the year shows that only a small part of the Agreed Syllabus had been covered, and that they have very limited knowledge and understanding of other faiths. Much of their written work is incomplete and of poor quality, strongly indicating that teaching and learning earlier in the year have been unsatisfactory. Standards are not assessed, and there is no evidence of the use of ICT. The subject makes a good contribution to literacy in Years 1 and 2 through retelling stories, but not in Years 3 to 6. Standards in Years 5 and 6 are below average, and provision overall does not meet

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

legal requirements for the subject. There is no judgement on provision for religious education in the last inspection report.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

92. At the time of the inspection, the school was re-organising its provision for religious education, and had begun to make some improvements, for example, by providing a good introduction to the principles of the Bahai faith in an assembly. It does not, however, have a clear programme of action for the subject, and leadership and management are not yet satisfactory. There are several books on Christianity in the library, but very few on other faiths, and the collection is poorly organised, with some hymn books stored on library shelves.

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