Forest Town Primary School

FOREST TOWN PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 25 th – 28 th November 2002

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FOREST TOWN 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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FOREST TOWN 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. Forest Town Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Clipstone Road West Forest Town Mansfield Nottinghamshire

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The Governing Body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mrs K Benstead

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: February 1998 Forest Town Primary School - 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

21069 Mr P Edwards Registered inspector Science English as an additional language Educational inclusion The school’s results and pupils’ achievements. How well are pupils taught? What could the school do to improve further? 15181 Mrs M Hackney Lay inspector Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development. How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? 18059 Mrs R Harrison Team inspector The Foundation Stage Music 18130 Mr T Ford Team inspector History Religious education How well is the school led and managed?

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

3529 Mr G Williams Team inspector Information and communication technology Design and technology Physical education 32279 Mr R Hammerton Team inspector Mathematics

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

30398 Mr C Scola Team inspector English How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils? 17767 Mrs S Power Team inspector Art and design Geography Special educational needs

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Lynrose Marketing Limited Bungalow Farmhouse Six Mile Bottom Newmarket Suffolk CB8 0TU Forest Town Primary School - 5 Any concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be raised with the inspection contractor. Complaints that are not satisfactorily resolved by the contractor should be raised with OFSTED by writing to:

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Forest Town Primary School - 6

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 7

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 12

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Forest Town Primary School is situated on the edge of Mansfield. The Nursery accommodates 76 children who attend either morning or afternoon. There are 300 pupils in the main school, 152 boys and 148 girls. This is bigger than the average sized primary school. All pupils are from white ethnic backgrounds and none are learning English as an additional language. The percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals, (21.2 per cent) is broadly in line with the national average. The percentage of pupils with a statement of special educational need (0.3 per cent) is below the national average and the percentage of pupils on the school’s register of special educational needs (22.6 per cent) is average. Attainment on entry to the Nursery is well below average. Pupil mobility is quite high with nineteen pupils entering the school and nine leaving at times other than the normal admission and leaving times in the previous year. There has been a high turnover of teaching staff in the last two

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Forest Town Primary is an effective school that gives good value for money. The headteacher provides strong leadership and manages the school effectively. Although in the National Curriculum tests at age eleven, the pupils attain standards that are well below average in English, mathematics and science, most pupils achieve satisfactorily, although some of the more able pupils are not challenged sufficiently and do not attain the standards of which they are capable in these subjects. Teaching is good overall and particularly effective for those pupils with special educational needs. The provision for the pupils’ moral and social development is very good, helping to create a very effective working environment. There is good capacity for further improvement.

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What the school does well

• The children are given a good start to their education in the Nursery and Reception classes. • Teaching is good. • The provision for pupils with special educational needs, including the support given by learning support assistants, is very good, enabling these pupils to achieve well. • The pupils behave well, are enthusiastic and have very positive attitudes towards school. There are very good procedures in place for monitoring and promoting good behaviour. • Relationships between staff and pupils and between pupils are very good. • The provision for the pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good, as is the provision for personal, social and health education. • Parents think very highly of the school. • The headteacher has a clear vision as to how the school can improve and there is a determination and commitment amongst the staff to succeed.

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What could be improved

• Standards in English, mathematics and science by the end of Year 6. • The use of information and communication technology to develop learning in other subjects. • The use of assessment information to plan future work. • The rate of attendance. 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

Forest Town Primary School - 8 The school was last inspected in February 1998 and has made satisfactory improvements since that time. National Curriculum test results at the end of the juniors are similar to what they were four years ago although science results improved significantly in 2000 and English and mathematics more so in 2001. Most of the key issues identified in the previous report have been addressed effectively although the school recognises the need to purchase more books, both fiction and non-fiction. The plans for improvement to the provision for information and communication technology are well advanced, the new computer room awaiting delivery of computers. The good leadership and management of the school has been maintained and the quality of teaching has improved.

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STANDARDS

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

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schools

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

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schools

By the time they enter Year 1, most children, as a result of very good teaching, make good progress and achieve the Early Learning Goals in creative and physical development and exceed them in personal and social development. Few pupils achieve the Early Learning Goals in communication, language and literacy and mathematical development due to the lack of opportunities for them to develop these skills outside of the school environment.

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schools

The 2002 national test results in English, mathematics and science show the pupils’ attainment at the end of Year 6 is well below the national average. When compared with similar schools, the pupils’ attainment is average in English, above average in mathematics and below average in science. These results show standards are broadly similar to what they were four years ago. Significant improvements were seen in 2000 and 2001 but results have not been as good this year due to a higher proportion of pupils with special educational needs. The differences in attainment between boys and girls are similar to what are seen nationally. The 2002 National Curriculum test results show the pupils’ attainment at the end of Year 2 is below the national average in reading and well below average in mathematics and writing. When compared with similar schools, their attainment is average in reading, and below average in writing and mathematics. These results show a slight decline in

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schools

mathematics over the previous years but are similar in reading and writing.

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schools

Inspection evidence shows that by the age of seven and eleven the pupils’ attainment is below average in English, mathematics and science. Generally, most pupils achieve well. However, in the juniors the most able pupils need more challenging work in all three areas to ensure they achieve the standards of which they are capable. This also applies to the infant pupils in mathematics. The lack of suitable books, both fiction and non-fiction affects the progress made, particularly by the older pupils. Forest Town Primary School - 9 Pupils with special educational needs make good progress and achieve well. Literacy and numeracy targets for Year 6 pupils are challenging and the school is on course to achieve them.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Very good. Most pupils enjoy school and have positive attitudes towards work. Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Good overall. With a few exceptions, the pupils behave well in lessons and in the playground. Personal development and relationships Good overall. Teachers and support staff work hard to develop the very positive relationships that exist between pupils and between staff and pupils. Opportunities for the pupils to undertake personal responsibility and to use their initiative are satisfactory. Attendance Unsatisfactory. Too many pupils take holidays during term time.

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Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

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

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Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

The quality of teaching is good overall. It is very good in the Nursery and the Reception class where the teachers provide the children with a wide range of activities, enabling them to make significant progress from a low starting point. The teaching is good overall in the infants, with most work being well-matched to the pupils’ ability and, as a result, they make good gains in their learning. In mathematics however, some of the lessons lack challenge for the most able pupils and occasionally the work is too difficult for the pupils of average ability. In the juniors, most of the teaching is good with most pupils making good progress. The more able pupils do not achieve as well as they should because work is often insufficiently challenging. In both the infants and the juniors, the teachers are enthusiastic and this generates considerable interest amongst the pupils, helping to provide a good environment

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Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

for learning. The teachers have good subject knowledge and use this knowledge effectively to respond to pupils’ questions. The teachers assess the pupils’ work effectively and the school makes good use of assessments in English and mathematics to place pupils into ‘sets’ according to their prior attainment. However, insufficient use is made of the information to ensure work is well matched to the pupils’ ability within individual lessons. This applies particularly to the more able pupils. The literacy and numeracy strategies have generally been implemented satisfactorily. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress due to the quality and amount of support they receive. The teachers’ planning ensures classroom assistants have a clear understanding of what the pupils are to learn. Forest Town Primary School - 10

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Satisfactory. The curriculum for children in the Foundation Stage is very good. All subjects of the National Curriculum are covered in the infants and juniors. However, the two-year rolling programme for some foundation subjects results in long gaps between skills being taught. Provision for pupils with special educational needs Very good. The pupils are provided with very effective support enabling them to make good progress overall.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Very good overall. The provision for pupils’ moral and social development is very good and there is good provision for their spiritual and cultural development.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Procedures for child protection are good and there are satisfactory procedures for ensuring the pupils’ welfare. There are appropriate procedures in place for monitoring the pupils’ attainment in English, mathematics and science. However, the use of the information to plan further work is unsatisfactory. Procedures for assessing the pupils’ attainment in other areas of the curriculum are unsatisfactory.

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Aspect Comment

The school works closely with parents, a good number of whom help in school. The overwhelming majority of parents are very satisfied with the school.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Satisfactory overall. The headteacher has a clear vision of what needs to be done to improve standards. He is well supported by senior staff but the lack of a deputy results in a considerable workload. Many staff are new to co-ordinator teams and although they are monitoring planning to ensure work is covered, leadership to ensure work is well-matched to the pupils’ ability is unsatisfactory. How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Good. The governors are well informed and support the school effectively. They fully meet their statutory requirements. The school’s evaluation of its performance Good. The school evaluates the national test results carefully and has appropriate plans to raise standards in literacy, numeracy and science. It is effective in monitoring the achievements of boys and girls. The strategic use of resources Satisfactory overall. Funding to support pupils with special

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Aspect Comment

educational needs is used very effectively. The delay to building the information and communication technology suite has created a hold up in improving the library and quality and range of books. The governors are well aware of the need to ensure they get good value for money and ensure this is done by seeking appropriate advice. The facilities for dining and the library are unsatisfactory. The hall has to be used by a second Reception class in January and this results in accommodation for indoor physical education Forest Town Primary School - 11 being unsatisfactory. Whilst the current provision for information and communication technology is unsatisfactory, the almost completed suite will provide an excellent learning environment.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• The behaviour is good. • Their children are expected to work hard and do their best. • The teaching is good. • Their children are well looked after. • They find the school very approachable. • The school is well led and managed. • There is a good range of out of school activities. • Information about how their children are progressing

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspection team agrees with the parents’ positive views of the school. The reports outlining how well the pupils are achieving are satisfactory and there are good opportunities for the parents to discuss their children’s progress with the teachers. Forest Town Primary School - 12

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1 The children enter the Nursery with well below average levels of attainment. By the time they enter Year 1, most pupils achieve the Early Learning Goals in creative and physical development. They exceed the goals in personal and social development due to the very good teaching and high expectations that are set for them. Overall, attainment is below the Early Learning Goals in communication, language and literacy, mathematical development and knowledge and understanding of the world due to the very low attainment on entry to the school in these areas. The children are provided with a rich and varied curriculum in the Nursery and skills learned here are built on effectively in the Reception class. Progress throughout the Foundation Stage is good overall.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2 The 2002 National Curriculum test results show the pupils’ attainment in English, mathematics and science is well below the national average at the end of Year 6. When compared with similar schools, the pupils’ attainment is average in English, above average in mathematics and below average in science. Standards have been maintained in English and mathematics over the last four years but have declined in science. The results mask the fact that the school has taken in an increasing number of pupils with special educational needs in the last two years of their primary education and these pupils, together with those with average ability, achieve well. There is a small number of more able pupils who do not achieve the standards of which they are capable due to the lack of challenge in the work they are given. The difference in the attainment between girls and boys is similar to differences seen nationally. Literacy and numeracy

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

targets for the Year 6 pupils are challenging and the school is on course to achieve them. The overall rate of improvement in all three subjects is in line with what is seen nationally.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3 The 2002 National Curriculum test results show the pupils’ attainment is below the national average in reading and well below average in writing and mathematics at the end of Year 2. When compared with similar schools, their attainment is average in reading and below average in writing and mathematics. These results show a slight decline in writing and mathematics over the previous year but fluctuate significantly due to the attainment of the pupils on entry to the school. Girls are attaining better results than the boys in all three areas in line with what is seen nationally.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4 Inspection evidence shows that by the end of Year 2, most pupils attain the expected standard in listening, but few achieve the expected standard in speaking where they are hampered by their limited vocabulary. By the end of the juniors the pupils’ listening skills are well developed and they make satisfactory progress in the development of their speaking skills although they remain below average. Most pupils achieve well as a result of the good opportunities to take part in debates and discussions. By the end of Year 2 and Year 6, standards in reading are below average. Most pupils make good progress throughout the school. However, for many pupils, particularly the juniors, progress is hampered by the lack of a school library and the progress of the more able pupils is held back by the lack of opportunities for them to expand the breadth of their reading. The range of fiction books for the more able pupils is unsatisfactory. Standards in writing are

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

below average at the end of both Year 2 and Year 6. However, standards are getting better as a result of the initiatives introduced, including additional writing sessions. Most pupils make good progress, particularly the less able who are provided with a good level of well-targeted support. Forest Town Primary School - 13 5 In mathematics, inspection evidence shows that pupils’ attainment is broadly average at the end of Year 2 but below average by the end of Year 6. Pupils make good progress throughout the infants as a result of the good teaching. Overall, the junior pupils make satisfactory progress but could do better if given more challenging work. Whilst this particularly applies to the more able pupils, it also applies to the average pupils. Less able pupils generally make good progress as a result of the good support they are given.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6 In science, inspection evidence shows that the pupils achieve below average standards at the end of Year 2 and Year 6. The pupils make particularly good progress in their investigative skills as a result of the emphasis placed on this aspect of the subject. Progress in other aspects of the subject is generally good for most pupils – pupils with special educational needs are well supported and given good guidance. However, the more able pupils need to be provided with more challenging activities in order to ensure they make the progress of which they are capable.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7 Standards in art and design, design and technology, geography, history, information and communication technology, music and religious education are in line with national expectations by the end of Year 2. They are above average in physical education. By the end of Year 6, standards are above average in drawing and painting, physical education and average in all other subjects. Achievement is at least satisfactory in all of these subjects.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

8 The school has a significant number of pupils with special educational needs and these pupils make good progress towards the targets outlined in their individual education plans. They achieve well due to the amount and good quality of support they receive. A range of strategies are used to ensure older pupils with behavioural problems achieve well, including the use of a ‘Sensory Garden’ where, under the guidance of a learning support assistant, they develop an appreciation and understanding of the growth and cultivation of plants.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

9 Pupils of all ages have very good attitudes towards school and this makes a very positive contribution to their progress and achievements. Parents feel that pupils behave well and are keen to learn. Most pupils, including those with special educational needs and the very youngest children, are enthusiastic learners and are keen to be involved. During lessons most pupils concentrate well on their work and, when given the opportunity, they are able to work well independently. An example of this was seen in a Year 4 literacy lesson when pupils worked very well on their own arranging instructions into a sequence and annotating them with further information. In all classes pupils work well together in small groups and they willingly and sensibly share resources. Pupils respond well to the school rules and behaviour policy and they know what is expected of them. When moving around the school and outside in the playground the majority of

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

pupils demonstrate good self-discipline. They are friendly, polite and helpful and most are co-operative in following the established routines. Due to the very good support they receive, children in the Nursery and Reception class settle quickly into the well organised learning environment and they are secure and happy.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

10 The school is an orderly establishment where pupils are caring and supportive of each other. During lessons, and particularly those which are well-planned and managed, most pupils are keen to answer questions and to share their ideas and experiences. Most pupils listen well to their teachers although there are a small group of pupils who often become restless and disruptive, paying insufficient attention to the lesson. Forest Town Primary School - 14 11 Overall behaviour is good and often very good throughout the school. Pupils respond well to the positive system of rewards and they value the opportunity to win certificates and stars for good work and behaviour. Through the good provision for personal and social education and the good role models of staff, pupils have a firm understanding of the difference between right and wrong and the impact of their actions on others. Pupils play together very harmoniously in the playground and in the dining hall at lunchtime.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

Incidents of bullying or harassment are a rare occurrence but pupils and their parents are confident that any problems will be dealt with promptly. During a Year 4 personal, health and social education lesson, pupils discussed their feelings about bullying and made sensible suggestions about how they could deal with it. There have been six exclusions involving five pupils during the past year.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12 Relationships throughout the school are very good. In all classes there are very good relationships between pupils and staff. Pupils understand the school’s commitment to inclusion and they know that in school all pupils are equal. Pupils with special educational needs and physical disabilities are treated very sensitively by their fellow pupils, and are very well supported and integrated into all activities. The very happy relationships amongst pupils and between pupils and adults in the school make a very positive contribution to pupils’ personal and academic achievements.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13 Pupils’ personal development is good and is closely linked to the very positive ethos of the school. In all classes pupils take on special responsibilities as monitors and help by returning registers to the office, clearing away resources and acting as ‘disc jockeys’ in assemblies. Pupils in Year 6 help to care for younger children in the Nursery and in the playground. Limited opportunity is provided for pupils to become independent learners and to take responsibility for research and finding out information for themselves. The newly formed School Council consists of elected representatives from each class who meet with adult representatives every fortnight to discuss pupils’ suggestions for improvements to the life of the school. This is a good arrangement for pupils to have a voice and the chance to make suggestions and raise concerns. However, at present pupils have insufficient opportunity to take full responsibility and to play a leading role in

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

the School Council as proceedings are mainly led by adults. Pupils respond enthusiastically to opportunities to visit places of educational and cultural interest including residential visits for those in the juniors.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14 Attendance is unsatisfactory and is well below the national average. Although unauthorised absence has slightly improved recently it still remains higher than the national average. A significant number of pupils take holidays during term time. The majority of pupils are punctual in the morning. Lessons start promptly and there is an efficient and orderly start to the day. This makes a strong contribution to pupils’ progress and achievements and on their attitude towards school. Forest Town Primary School - 15

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

15 The quality of teaching is good overall. During the inspection, just over five per cent of the teaching was excellent, 29 per cent was very good, 40 per cent was good and 22 per cent was satisfactory. Just over one per cent (one lesson) was unsatisfactory.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

16 Teaching in the Foundation Stage is very good overall. This very good teaching is characterised by the very good classroom management and organisation. Children in the Nursery have particular areas in which to work on specific tasks and understand well how they must work in each area. The effective organisation in the Reception class allows pupils to receive suitable adult teaching as well as good opportunities to select structured play activities for themselves. The teachers recognises the vast range of abilities children are performing at and children know that they must work hard at structured tasks as well as having time to relax on ‘play activities’. The very good relationships established in the Nursery are sustained in the Reception class and children happily ask for help and share their experiences when given the opportunity.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

17 The quality of teaching is good overall in the infants. Staff plan most lessons well and provide the pupils with work that is challenging, particularly in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science. However, the teachers need to use assessment information more effectively in mathematics to plan work for the most able pupils who could achieve better. Work is sometime too difficult for the average pupils and again, assessment information needs to be used more effectively to address this. In the best lessons, introductory sessions are brisk and lively and the teachers capture the pupils’ interest through their enthusiasm, ensuring they achieve well. The teachers manage the pupils well, particularly those with behavioural difficulties, and use a good range of strategies to ensure that that all pupils make the progress of which they are capable. Most pupils achieve well due to the good match of work to their abilities.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

18 The quality of teaching is good overall in the juniors. Classroom assistants are used very effectively to support lower ability pupils and they play an important role in the development of the pupils’ reading skills. The teachers’ planning is good and there are clear learning objectives that are usefully shared with the pupils at the beginning of lessons. In literacy and numeracy, the assessment information is used effectively by the school to place pupils in ‘sets’ according to their prior attainment and this is good. However, where pupils are taught in mixed age groups in sets this is sometimes less effective. The teachers, particularly in mathematics, find it difficult to ensure that work is planned at the appropriate level for the different age groups within a set and this results in the pupils not achieving as well as they might. Overall, the effectiveness of strategies for teaching literacy and numeracy are satisfactory. The teachers are very enthusiastic

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

and this has a positive effect on the progress made by the pupils. For example, in an excellent Year 3 science lesson, the pupils made significant gains in their understanding of the permeability of soils due to the enthusiasm which was generated by the teacher. The teachers have good subject knowledge and this enables them to answer the pupils’ questions confidently. This is seen particularly in the introductory part of lessons. The teachers need to ensure that the pupils are provided with more opportunities to record their work in a variety of formats to help develop their literacy skills. Occasionally, these opportunities are too limited and restrict the pupils’ progress.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

19 In all other subjects, the quality of teaching and learning is at least satisfactory. It is good in music and art and design in the infants where the pupils are presented with an appropriate range of activities to develop their musical and creative skills. Teaching is good in art and design, geography and religious education in the juniors and the pupils Forest Town Primary School - 16 make good progress in these subjects. The teachers do not plan sufficiently to use information and communication technology to promote learning in other subjects.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

20 The teaching provided for pupils with special educational needs is good throughout the school. Teachers’ planning invariably provides for tasks that are appropriately matched to the abilities of the pupils and they are given very good quality support from teachers and teaching assistants to enable them to take a full part in lessons. The pupils with special educational needs are encouraged, with great sensitivity, to answer questions and make contributions to discussions. The teaching methods chosen to meet their needs are effective in developing confidence and self esteem so that they can make good progress towards their individual targets.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

21 Improvements to the curriculum since the previous inspection have been satisfactory overall. The curriculum for the Foundation Stage, however, has improved significantly and is now very good. The curriculum for the infants and juniors is satisfactory. There is still a very great emphasis on developing early literacy skills but the curriculum is very well planned to give children a broad range of experiences in all areas of learning. Opportunities for creative development such as painting have improved since the most recent inspection. The way in which the needs of all children, particularly the high number of those with special learning difficulties, are clearly identified, so that appropriate work can be set is very good.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

22 Provision for the teaching of religious education fully meets the requirements of the Locally Agreed Syllabus. But, by splitting the time available for religious education into two sessions, some pupils do not develop their knowledge and understanding of the subject as effectively as they might. All subjects now have schemes of work in place, which is an improvement since the most recent inspection. They are based on national strategies and show what the pupils are expected to learn at each stage of their development. However, in history and geography, the length of time between revisiting the subjects is too great and the continuity of the skills development for many pupils is limited.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

23 A very good range of extra-curricular events and activities supports the curriculum. These include a wide range of local and extended visits. For example, an extended visit to Lincoln for Year 3 and Year 4 pupils develops their knowledge and understanding of various aspects of Roman Life. Very good links with a local historian enable the pupils to try out a local history pack. A ‘Pilgrimage’ to Southwell Minster supports the religious education curriculum and a visit to a sculpture park provides good stimulus for the pupils' artistic appreciation. Local theatres and museums are well used. Year 5 and Year 6 pupils, for example, have seen several Shakespeare Plays as part of their work in literacy. There is also an extended visit to a National Park in Year 5 and Year 6 for personal development, field work as well as adventure activities.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

24 A very good range of after school clubs such as art, singing, drama gymnastics and other various sporting activities is available to both infant and junior pupils. French is also taught to junior pupils and this gives them a good start to learning another language as well as an appreciation of a different culture. Sex education and personal and social education are appropriately taught with health education and the use and misuse of medicines are taught as part of science and personal and social education. There are Forest Town Primary School - 17 good opportunities for regular sporting activities such as football, cricket, athletics and netball. Various matches and competitions are held with local schools.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

25 The school has successfully introduced and implemented the National Literacy Strategy and the National Numeracy Strategy. There are satisfactory opportunities across the curriculum for the majority of pupils to develop their literacy and numeracy skills. The setting of pupils and better planning has addressed some of the weaknesses highlighted in the previous report, but there are still occasions when the most able pupils are insufficiently challenged. All subjects in the curriculum are beginning to be integrated into supporting work in Literacy, but the school recognises that there is further work to accomplish in this area.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

26 The curricular provision for pupils with special educational needs is very good. Clear procedures for the identification and assessment of pupils are in place and the new Code of Practice has been carefully and effectively implemented. The individual education plans provided for the pupils are of good quality. They identify achievable targets to meet the specific needs of the pupils and state clearly the small steps by which the targets will be achieved. The pupils’ progress towards their targets is reviewed on a termly basis and parents are kept fully informed. Curricular arrangements, particularly ability setting for literacy and numeracy lessons, are of considerable benefit to pupils with special educational needs in providing access to their full curriculum entitlement. The school is particularly successful in ensuring that pupils with special educational needs are able to take part in the full range of learning opportunities,

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

including sporting and after school activities. The provision of horticultural therapy for pupils with special educational needs is proving to be very successful in increasing confidence and self esteem for these pupils. The way the school directs individual support from well trained and skilled teaching assistants is another strength of the provision for pupils who have particular learning difficulties.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

27 The school makes good use of the resources in the community. It has some very good links with a Community Newspaper and recently, three boys went to London to receive an award for the best piece of journalism in their region. The school welcomes a variety of visitors from the local and wider community such as drama, art, dance and music teachers. The school has very good links with local schools particularly the local secondary school. Teachers from this school have delivered specialist lessons to support the wider curriculum.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

28 The school’s provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good overall, with particular strengths in moral and social development. This is an improvement on what was already a successful position at the last inspection.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

29 The provision for spiritual development is good. Effective daily acts of worship take place in a pattern involving some assemblies which are for half of the school and some which are held in classes. These are well supported by regular visitors; in particular, the local vicar and a parent who works for the church diocese. Pupils enjoy both types of assembly, seeing them as an important ingredient of life in school. The pupils understand the spiritual purposes of assemblies and value the fact that those held in class are often linked to other learning in school. Most assemblies offer high quality opportunities for reflection on important issues. Good opportunities for spiritual development are planned into lessons, too. For example, in a Year 5 geography lesson, pupils were awed by, and expressed their feelings clearly and appropriately about, a Russian child’s poem concerning pollution in a beautiful lake. In a Year 3 Religious

p.17

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

education lesson, the pupils described their feelings in response to special objects, like a pebble used as a prayer stone, very well. Forest Town Primary School - 18 30 Provision for pupils’ moral development is very good. The school has a clear set of simple rules, displayed clearly all round the school. Most pupils understand these rules, think that they are fair, and can see that obeying them helps make a happy school for everyone. Additionally, each class has its own rules, decided by the pupils themselves, which are also highly effective in helping children to understand moral issues. Teaching and support staff are very good role models to the children and are quick to praise pupils who make sensible, thoughtful choices about their words and actions. Each week, a particular moral issue is effectively considered in assemblies. During the week of the inspection the theme was ‘being sensitive’. Other examples are ‘trying to do the right

p.17

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

31 The school makes very good provision for the pupils’ social development. The headteacher identifies that the school ethos is based on respect and the inspection evidence shows that this is put into practice very well. Starting in the Nursery, pupils learn to co-operate with and to support each other very well in lessons throughout the school, with keen encouragement from the staff. Relationships between adults and pupils are mutually very respectful. This is seen, for example, in the playground where children are encouraged by the midday supervisors to play traditional games with each other, using the rather limited equipment available. All the children are included in this provision and are very considerate towards each other. Teaching staff, including the headteacher, sometimes join in these games, which the children really enjoy. In general, pupils are highly appreciative of the fact that they attend a very friendly school. They like

p.18

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

the fact that the adults proactively teach them strategies, such as good ways of listening to each other, to help everyone get on well together.

p.18

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

32 Provision for pupils’ cultural development is good. Pupils study the major world religions within the religious education curriculum. They also learn about world cultures in other subjects. Infant pupils discuss Chinese customs and culture with appropriate knowledge and junior pupils talk with interest about a South American village studied as part of a geography project on world rivers and the people living near them. A multicultural display entitled ‘We are all different, we are all special’ is given prominence in the hall. The headteacher has rightly identified that it would now be very helpful to establish a link with a community group from a different religion or culture. Pupils are involved in local cultural events. For example, some pupils who are taught musical instruments in the school have graduated to the local colliery band. Many pupils contribute presents to ‘Operation Christmas Child’, an appeal organised by the local church. The school recognises,

p.18

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

however, that these local links could also be developed further.

p.18

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

33 Good links have been established with the local community and this contributes well to the work of the school. The local church supports the school well and has an effective impact on pupils’ spiritual, moral and social development. The Vicar is a regular visitor to lead assemblies and to assist in the teaching of religious education. The school makes good use of the church as a learning resource and for services such as the Harvest Festival, Easter and Christmas when members of the local community are invited. Older pupils go out into the community to distribute harvest produce to senior citizens and to join in with their Christmas celebrations. They also sing carols outside the local supermarket. The school welcomes members of the local community to join in with special celebrations and is supported well by them at the school's Autumn and Summer Fairs. The school regularly contributes a news article about their activities in the Forest

p.18

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

Town Crier community newspaper. Regular visitors, such as a theatre company, police, local historian, poets and storytellers enrich the curriculum. The school values the help of volunteers from local industries who have recently started to come into school to listen to pupils read. Forest Town Primary School - 19 34 The school has very good links with other schools and educational establishments. Regular provision is made for sports teams to take part in competitive games and matches against other local schools. Students from Bishop Grosseteste College, Lincoln spend time in the school on teaching practice, and Childcare students regularly complete their training courses in classrooms. Very close curricular and social links are well established with the local secondary school to which the majority of pupils transfer.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

35 Good provision is made for pupils’ support and welfare and the school provides a safe, happy and caring environment in which to learn. Parents are confident that their children are well looked after in school and that any problems are dealt with quickly. All staff know pupils well and they are alert and committed to their individual, physical and emotional needs. This contributes well to progress and pupils’ individual achievements. Pupils with special educational needs are very well supported and this enables them to be fully integrated into all activities. The induction procedures followed prior to children joining the Nursery and Reception classes are good and well established. This ensures that children and their parents understand how the school is organised and helps children to settle quickly into school routines. Through the school’s very close links with the secondary school, pupils from Year 4 onwards receive very good support prior to

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

transfer with a range of exchange visits and involvement in activities. The school has good procedures for identifying pupils with special educational needs and for assessing their progress. The assessment information obtained contributes effectively to target setting and reviews of progress for these pupils.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

36 Since the last inspection the school has reviewed its Health and Safety policy. All issues of safety are now well monitored and areas of concern are dealt with promptly and well recorded. Governors are involved effectively in regular Risk Assessment of the accommodation and the caretaker who lives on the site is vigilant in identifying any safety issues. During lessons, and in the playground, pupils are well supervised and staff ensure that they are aware of their own safety and the safety of others. The school has improved its arrangements for fire practices and now organises regular drills when the building is evacuated. The fire bell is checked on a weekly basis. The provision for First Aid is good with several qualified First Aiders on site and boxes located centrally. Parents are contacted where necessary and accidents are well recorded.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

37 Child Protection procedures are satisfactory and concerns are appropriately monitored and recorded. The headteacher is the designated person with overall responsibility and works closely with the co-ordinator for special educational needs. All staff are aware of the procedures to follow in the case of concerns, but at present insufficient provision is made for lunchtime supervisors to receive similar guidance. All pupils have access to outside support agencies. The administrative staff are efficient in keeping good up-to- date personal and medical records for all pupils and these are used well to support their personal needs. 38 The revised procedures for monitoring and promoting attendance are satisfactory although the level of attendance remains below the national average. Registers are completed consistently and accurately. Most parents are reliable in contacting the school promptly in the case of pupils being absent. However the school’s procedures for

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

reminding parents and the swift follow up of unauthorised absence is insufficiently tight to effectively improve attendance levels. Punctuality is well monitored and names of pupils arriving late are recorded in the late book. Forest Town Primary School - 20 39 The procedures for monitoring and promoting behaviour are very good and in most classes are implemented consistently. Teachers and support staff are skilled in their management of pupils with behavioural difficulties. Very good procedures are followed to deal with any incidents of bullying or harassment which the school does not tolerate. A good system of reward and celebration promotes pupils’ self-esteem and personal development very effectively. The manner in which most pupils behave and their very positive attitude towards school reflects the very good procedures and high expectations of staff. The school’s procedures for monitoring and supporting pupils’ educational and

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

personal development are satisfactory. All pupils have an individual Records of Achievement file which follows them as they move up the school and which class teachers monitor each term. Teachers know their pupils well and their achievements are well monitored both formally and informally.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

40 The headteacher and staff know the pupils very well. They gather and record information on an informal day-to-day basis enabling them to monitor pupils' personal development through regular exchanges. In the Nursery, very good use is made of the results of assessments carried out soon after pupils join the school. The information gathered is used to plan the development of the pupils' learning and the staff prepare appropriate targets for each child. Regular reviews are made and recorded by teachers and support staff in the Nursery and Reception classes. These reviews are used, very effectively, to monitor the progress all pupils make in achieving their targets. The process is also instrumental in the early identification of those pupils who have special educational needs. The systems for identifying and monitoring the progress of pupils with special educational needs across the whole school are one of its major strengths.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

41 Procedures for assessing attainment for pupils who are aged between 5 and 11 are unsatisfactory overall. Assessment systems have not improved sufficiently since the last inspection and teachers have yet to fully implement effective systems for monitoring pupils' academic performance across the curriculum. The school gathers useful data in the core subjects both from national tests and from the end of subject based unit assessments. Similar procedures are less well developed for collecting and recording similar information in most foundation subjects. The assessment team has recently begun to analyse the data collected to set targets for pupils across the school. However the results of this analysis are not being used efficiently to identify either pupils’ progress or strengths and weaknesses in teaching and learning. A further consequence is that the school is not always able to identify the more able pupils and as a result they are being

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

42 Some pupils are beginning, very recently, to respond to the setting of targets for their personal academic achievement in written English. This is helping them gain insights into their own learning and to measure the progress they are making. However, this system is not fully developed and lacks consistency across the school. Individual targets are rarely annotated in pupils' workbooks and this means that pupils can lose sight of what they are expected to achieve. The assessment team has a very clear insight into these shortcomings and is beginning to formulate strategies for improving procedures to produce much more effective assessment, target setting and monitoring of pupils’ progress in all subject areas.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

43 The school has a good partnership with parents, the overwhelming majority of whom are very satisfied with the quality of education provided. Since the last inspection the school has successfully maintained its good relationship with parents. Most parents feel that the Forest Town Primary School - 21 school works closely with them and is approachable to answer their questions and discuss any concerns. The headteacher and staff are readily available to speak to parents at the start and end of the school day. During the inspection many parents were seen taking children into classrooms and speaking to teachers. Many parents support the school well and assist their children at home by listening to reading and helping with homework. This has a very positive impact on their progress. However, there is a significant number of parents who find it difficult to sustain an active partnership and provide little support at home for their children’s learning.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

44 All pupils have a home/school reading diary which they take home with their reading book. There are inconsistencies between classes on the effectiveness of its use as a communication between home and school. Older pupils have homework diaries and some show that parents are helping with homework topics. A group of parents provide regular valuable help in classrooms, assist with extra-curricular clubs and accompany pupils when they go swimming. This additional support impacts very positively on the work of the school. More parents help with supervision when pupils go out on trips. One parent who is an ex-teacher provides quality support to the school by his regular input into assemblies which provides very good spiritual and moral development for pupils. Parents of pupils with special educational needs are generally very supportive. The school keeps them well informed about individual education plans and most attend

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

assessment and review meetings. The ‘Friends Association’ is an active and supportive group of parents who organise regular social events to raise considerable funds for the school. Events are well supported and this enables the Friends to provide a range of additional learning resources to enrich the curriculum.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

45 The quality of information for parents is satisfactory. The headteacher sends out regular newsletters containing helpful information about events and school organisation. Notice boards for parents are located inside school and outside in the playground and these contain a variety of helpful information about school activities and community events. Some class teachers provide parents with a list of homework and the topics to be taught each term, but this is not followed consistently throughout the school. Regular consultation evenings are held and the majority of parents attend to talk to teachers and to look at work around the school. Parents of children in the Nursery and the Reception class are involved very well and receive good information to help them to support their children’s learning at home. Following the children’s first half term in school parents are invited to meet key workers to discuss how the children have settled and their progress.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

46 Overall, annual reports to parents are satisfactory, but there are some inconsistencies between classes in the clarity of information provided about progress across the curriculum. Some parents would like to have more information about how their children are getting on and some clarification about the meaning of National Curriculum test levels. Insufficient information is provided about target setting to inform parents and help pupils to improve. Since the last inspection the school has improved its procedures for the production of the prospectus and governors’ annual report to parents and this is now reviewed annually. Both documents meet the statutory requirements and provide a good amount of helpful information for parents. Parents of pupils with special educational needs are kept well informed of the outcomes of the termly reviews of their children’s individual education plans and are involved in the review process wherever possible.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

47 Although he has only recently been appointed to the post, the headteacher provides good leadership for the school and this is recognised by governors, staff and parents. He and Forest Town Primary School - 22 the Governing Body have a clear understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses and are clearly committed to raising standards further and initiating developments in order to provide the best learning environment for pupils of all ages and abilities. The headteacher is very ably supported by a senior management team which has taken on increased responsibilities in the absence of a deputy head. In spite of the high turnover of staff during the last two years the headteacher and his team have been very successful in maintaining staff morale and in promoting a very positive working ethos. Teamwork is a key feature of the strong and supportive working relationships that exist amongst the staff within the school. The day-to-day management of the school is

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

good and office staff handle parent enquires and requests from staff extremely well. There are clear routines and effective systems in place to ensure the smooth running of the school.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

48 The headteacher has developed a very good working relationship with the Governing Body and they have a shared vision for the school and its development. The headteacher provides the Governing Body with an in-depth analysis of statistical data highlighting strengths and areas for improvement and how these are to be addressed. He shares his clear expectations about what is to be done and how it is to be achieved with all staff and there is commitment to raising standards amongst the whole school community. The planned appointment of a new deputy head will strengthen the management and leadership of the school and assist it in making further progress towards achieving its aims.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

49 The senior management team has worked effectively and team members have adapted very well to their new and expanded roles and this has contributed to their own professional and personal development. There is a considerable range of experience amongst the management team, which has enabled team members to gain a better insight into the school and have a positive impact on the school’s development. They set high standards through their own practice and display good management skills. They each have clearly defined roles and carry them out well to enable the school to function effectively. The team is comprised of teachers who represent each year group in the school and this not only gives each member a valuable strategic insight, it provides staff with opportunity to discuss matters relating to their key stage with staff with experience of a particular year group. New ideas and improvements to existing practices are

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

considered and discussed by the senior management team, governors and staff and, as a result, decisions are agreed and shared by all.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

50 Co-ordinators and curriculum teams are well placed to develop and share good practice throughout the school. At the moment, their management of subjects is satisfactory but could be better. Whilst the composition of the curriculum teams provides good representation across the whole school, their role and purpose remain underdeveloped as a result of a number of staffing changes, which means that a high proportion of the teachers are new to their responsibilities. They have yet to monitor pupils’ learning through the systematic scrutiny of pupils’ work and, as a result, the curriculum teams do not have, or use vital information about standards and pupils’ progress. They are unaware as to where their priorities lie in the development of their subject and their actions have yet to impact on raising standards. The curriculum teams have brought about changes in long and medium term planning to ensure coverage but to date there

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

have been no opportunities for them to monitor teaching in the foundation subjects. They have yet to identify and address the need for a closer match of short term planning to pupil ability within the two-year cycle of curriculum delivery.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

51 The provision for pupils with special educational needs is very good and this aspect of the school’s work is effectively led and managed by the special educational needs co- Forest Town Primary School - 23 ordinator. Statutory requirements are being met in respect of pupils who have a statement of special educational need and the new Code of Practice has been fully implemented.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

52 The headteacher has rightly concentrated his monitoring in core subjects and this is having an impact on raising standards across the school. Good use is made of information gleaned from monitoring exercises and teachers appreciate the feedback. Minor and whole school issues have been addressed through discussion, policy and practice review and the provision of clear guidance to influence and support the work of the staff. However, assessment information is not being used widely enough to set targets for cohorts, groups of pupils and individuals in order to raise standards further.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

53 The school improvement plan covers a three-year period and is a well structured document which provides an effective method by which to identify targets for development, measure the progress made against agreed priorities and highlight areas which require further action. All members of staff contribute to the improvement plan prior to discussions by the governing body. A commitment to school improvement and raising standards exists amongst the whole school community. The plan is fully costed, and includes procedures for monitoring the progress and outcomes of agreed targets and realistic time-scales for their completion. The Governing Body, the headteacher and his staff closely monitor the plan and review and up-date it regularly and it is now successfully reported to parents through the Governors’ Annual Report. Account has been taken of the size of future intakes and plans have been drawn up to manage their

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

54 The Governing Body is effective and plays an active role in the development of the school and acts as a critical friend through its monitoring and evaluative role. Since the last inspection issues relating to the Annual Governors Report to Parents and the school brochure have been successfully addressed. All statutory duties are now met and policies have been developed in line with national guidance and recent changes to legislation. The Governing Body is aware of the diverse social and economic circumstances of the school’s catchment area, they are well informed about the school’s strengths and weaknesses, and have a clear understanding of their roles and their responsibilities.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

55 The Governors are very supportive of the school. Many visit school regularly, work in classes, and attend training activities. Each has responsibility for a particular curriculum area or another aspect of the school such as child protection and health and safety. They have carefully monitored the progress of the development of the ICT suite and know the reasons for delays. The Governors’ involvement with curriculum teams is a recent innovation and is helping to raise awareness of curriculum matters as policies and practices are discussed and reviewed. Provision for the more able pupils is an area for improvement and Governors have recently attended a course on meeting the needs of gifted and talented pupils. They accept that improvements could be made to the entrance to the school and have plans to improve consultation with parents over a range of issues. Governors are aware of what the school’s large reserves are to be used for

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

and they accept that sharing spending intentions with parents is a priority. As a group, the Governing Body support the school extremely well and put their skills to effective use for the benefit of all pupils and staff.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

56 Finances are managed effectively and the school actively seeks to ensure that the services it receives are provided at the best value. The school’s newly built computer suite is an example of this and will provide an excellent learning environment. The available funding for special educational needs is used effectively to provide classroom Forest Town Primary School - 24 support for pupils with particular need and to release the co-ordinator from classroom duties to enable her to carry out her administration and monitoring role. Areas of funding are matched closely to areas identified in the school improvement plan. The school has delayed purchasing new books due to impending reorganisation when the information and communication technology suite is occupied. This is not satisfactory and the school needs to address the shortfall in reading material as soon as possible. Given the good leadership, high proportion of good and better teaching, and the pupils’ achievement, the

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

57 The school is well staffed with a balance of experienced and more newly qualified teachers. All are suitably qualified to teach the National Curriculum and the Foundation Stage. The school is currently without a deputy headteacher. Teachers work in teams and most have additional responsibilities as curriculum co-ordinators. Staff attend regular training courses which are well matched to their needs and linked to the priorities in the school development plan. Good arrangements are made for the induction of all new staff and newly qualified teachers are very well supported by a mentor system. The provision of teaching assistants and nursery nurses is good with effective support provided for individual pupils and class teachers. The learning support assistants provide good additional support for special educational needs and pupils make good progress. The commitment and efficiency of the administrative staff, lunchtime supervisors and

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

caretaker all ensure the effective day-to-day running of the school.

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

58 Accommodation is satisfactory and is well maintained. The building provides sufficient space for the number of pupils on roll and the delivery of the National Curriculum. Teaching facilities have improved since the last inspection with the provision of two additional classrooms and the recent completion of a computer suite which has not yet been resourced. Throughout the school displays of pupils’ work, pictures and artefacts create an interesting learning environment. The school has no designated library and this seriously limits opportunities for pupils to develop independent study and research skills and impacts on their reading development. At present the facilities provided for dining are unsatisfactory. The hall currently provides sufficient space for assemblies and the teaching of physical education. However, with the third intake of children into the Reception class when part of the hall is partitioned off to create an additional classroom

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

this seriously limits the space for activities. The small designated room for pupils with special educational needs and the facilities provided for pupils with physical disabilities are satisfactory. Outdoor play space is good with wide hard surface areas, an orchard and a field. The newly established science garden is attractive and is effectively used as a withdrawal area for pupils with behavioural difficulties, and as a learning resource for science and art. The large secure play area for the youngest children is good and provides sufficient space for the use of large wheeled toys and play equipment.

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

59 Overall learning resources to support teaching and learning are satisfactory and they are good for the Foundation Stage and for special educational needs. The current provision of computers for the teaching of information and communication technology is unsatisfactory although plans are well in hand for the development of the newly built computer suite. The provision of reference books is unsatisfactory and lacking in range and suitability. The school has insufficient attractive books of fiction particularly those which could extend the more able readers.

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

60 The governors, headteacher and staff should now: Forest Town Primary School - 25 (1) raise standards in English, mathematics and science by: • ensuring the teachers provide work that is sufficiently challenging for the more able pupils; • ensuring that assessment information is used effectively to plan work for all groups of pupils in mathematics; • enabling co-ordinator teams to monitor the quality of teaching and learning in their subjects. (paragraphs 1 –6, 17, 18, 25, 41, 42, 49, 50, 52, 74 – 103)

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(2) make effective use of information and communication technology to promote learning in other subjects by: • ensuring teachers identify opportunities for its use in their planning. (paragraphs 19, 122 – 128)

p.25

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(3) make effective use of assessment information by: • ensuring all teachers have access to such information; • ensuring curriculum teams monitor learning to ensure the information is being used appropriately. (paragraphs 17, 18, 25, 41, 42, 49, 50, 52)

p.25

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(4) improve the rate of attendance by: • impressing upon parents the importance of avoiding holidays during term times; • swiftly following up absences. (paragraph 14)

p.25

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

61 The headteacher, staff and governors should also consider the following for inclusion in its action plan:

p.25

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• the two year cycle for the teaching of foundation subjects which results in long gaps between some skills being taught. Forest Town Primary School - 26

p.25

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 23

p.26

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

p.26

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

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

p.26

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR– Y6

p.26

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 38 300

p.26

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 0 53

p.26

Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6

p.26

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 0

p.26

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 4 43

p.26

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.26

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 0

p.26

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.26

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 19

p.26

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 9

p.26

Attendance

School data 6.0 School data 0.9 Forest Town Primary School - 27 National comparative data 5.4 National comparative data 0.5

p.26

Attendance

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

p.27

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2002 23 24 47

p.28

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.28

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

Boys 13 16 20 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 23 21 21

p.28

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

Percentage of pupils School 77 (83) 79 (83) 87 (94) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (84) 86 (86) 90 (91)

p.28

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.28

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

Boys 16 18 23 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 22 22 24

p.28

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

Percentage of pupils School 81 (87) 85 (89) 100 (87) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (85) 89 (89) 89 (89)

p.28

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

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

p.28

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2002 18 21 39

p.28

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.28

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

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

p.28

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

Percentage of pupils School 62 (74) 69 (63) 77 (86) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 73 (71) 86 (87)

p.28

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.28

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

Boys 11 13 13 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 12 15 17

p.28

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

Percentage of pupils School 56 (72) 67 (70) 67 (84) at NC level 4 or above National 73 (72) 74 (74) 82 (82)

p.28

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

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

p.28

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.29

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

White – any other White background 0 0 0

p.29

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Mixed – any other mixed background 0 0 0

p.29

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British - Pakistani 0 0 0

p.29

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi 0 0 0

p.29

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.29

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black or Black British – Caribbean 0 0 0

p.29

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.29

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. Forest Town Primary School - 30

p.29

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 13 Financial year 2001/2002

p.30

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 21.1

p.30

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 801,048

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 6 Total expenditure 739,357

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 135 Expenditure per pupil 2,325

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery Balance brought forward from previous year 58,098

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 1 Balance carried forward to next year 119,789

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 38

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 2

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 60

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 5

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 6

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Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 1.7

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of a term or more (FTE) 1.7

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Recruitment of teachers

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

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Recruitment of teachers

FTE means full-time equivalent. Forest Town Primary School - 31

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Questionnaire return rate

Percentage of responses in each category

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Questionnaire return rate

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

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Questionnaire return rate

My child is making good progress in school. 64 31 3 0 2

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Questionnaire return rate

Behaviour in the school is good. 58 34 5 0 3

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Questionnaire return rate

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 49 39 9 0 3

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Questionnaire return rate

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 53 31 12 2 2

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Questionnaire return rate

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 78 20 0 2 0

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Questionnaire return rate

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 69 31 0 0 0

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Questionnaire return rate

The school works closely with parents. 52 39 5 2 2

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Questionnaire return rate

The school is well led and managed. 52 42 3 0 3

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Questionnaire return rate

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 59 39 2 0 0

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Questionnaire return rate

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 48 42 5 3 2 Forest Town Primary School - 32

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

62 Provision for children in the Foundation Stage has improved since the previous inspection and is now very good. The foundation stage has a Nursery, with eighty part- time places, and currently one Reception class. An additional Reception class is organised in the summer term when the final intake for the year group moves into full time provision. This group of children, who have only one full time term in the Reception class have significantly less time to gain the same level of skills as children who have three full terms. Staff in the Nursery work very hard to take this into account as they support children from day-to-day. Children come from a variety of pre-school settings and most children move from the Nursery into the Reception classes. Children enter the Nursery with a very wide range of abilities and attainment on entry to the school is generally well below average overall. This is because a significant number are insecure

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

with their skills to communicate effectively, their number skills are weak and their knowledge and understanding of the world around them is well below expectations. Children make overall good progress and by the time they enter Year 1, most attain the Early Learning Goals in their creative and physical development. They exceed the goals in personal, social and emotional development because they settle very quickly into the Nursery and thrive because the routines and high expectations are quickly established for children to learn to work with others and take appropriate responsibility for themselves. In communication, language and literacy, mathematical development and knowledge and understanding of the world, the majority of children do not reach the Early Learning Goals normally expected. This is because, despite making overall good progress in school, many children have limited opportunities to enhance their learning

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

outside school, and a good number struggle to retain all that they learn effectively from day to day.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

63 Good links are established with parents and carers from the outset, by successful home visits made by the nursery staff. These very good relationships are sustained through a relaxed start to the sessions, when parents and carers are left to judge the correct time to say ‘goodbye’ and have ample opportunity to share queries or concerns with the teacher or other nursery staff. The school recognises the value of forming such very good relationships and parents appreciate the links they have with Foundation Stage staff. This creative approach recognises the sensitivity and care the school takes to welcome adults and children into the formal, but friendly setting. Children settle quickly into a relaxed but stimulating and well-ordered environment. The transition to the Reception class is smooth, with both children and parents having the opportunity to visit the next class and ask questions about the next stage of education. The partnership

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

between Nursery and Reception staff is very good and there are effective plans to develop this working practice even further by creating an Early Years Unit rather than Nursery and Reception classes. Each term, parents are provided with good information about the content of the curriculum and how they can help at home, as well as having the opportunity to attend more formal interviews. They also receive a detailed annual report specifically centred on the Foundation Stage. Staff keep an informative book of achievements and photographs for parents and children to browse. Children particularly refer to these photographs with delight as they recall previous experiences. This makes them feel they are important in the day-to-day life in the Foundation Stage and that they are valued.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

64 The curriculum offered to the children is very broad and balanced. It is enriched through creative and thoughtful planning, which makes effective use of the good quality Forest Town Primary School - 33 accommodation, both inside and outside. Early intervention, through careful observations and from information elicited from parents, enables children with special educational needs to be supported well and these pupils too make good progress. Staff work very well together planning through topics in the six areas of learning, and ensure learning progresses suitably from the Nursery to Reception. The clear vision and expertise demonstrated by the foundation stage co-ordinator, particularly in the organisation of the Nursery, is very good. A particularly good balance between teacher- focused and child-selected activities is maintained in both areas. In the Reception class, small groups, based on ability, have well planned teaching time, enabling all children, to

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

make good progress. Whereas the less able children are supported effectively, there are opportunities missed to identify and challenge the more able children further. For example, there are a few children in the Reception class already moving effectively towards elements of Year 1 work and they are in a position to move on faster. The classroom assistants and nursery nurse contribute well to planning and take a very active part in the management of pupils. They play a significant role in the classroom and contribute greatly to the quality of education provided for these young children. Visits to places of interest, including special buildings and the countryside, and an array of visitors, including ‘people who help us’ add an extra, valuable dimension to all the experiences the school strives to offer, to help the children learn new things well.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

65 Teachers keep very good records of children’s achievements in all areas of the curriculum. They use this good quality information daily to ensure that each child has appropriate support and makes suitable progress towards the next steps in learning. Support staff regularly carry out assessments as they work with children and record concerns and successes so that each child is monitored effectively. Records of achievement, pass from Nursery to Reception, ensuring that successive teachers have helpful information about each child. Detailed analysis of attainment is made at the start of the Reception year and the results analysed systematically to provide targets and tracking opportunities as children work towards Year 1.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

66 Teaching in the Foundation Stage is very good overall. This very good teaching is characterised by the very good classroom management and organisation. Children in the Nursery have particular areas in which to work on specific tasks and understand well how they must work in each area. The effective organisation in Reception allows pupils to receive suitable adult teaching as well as good opportunities to select structured play activities for themselves. The teacher here recognises the vast range of abilities children are performing at and children know that they must work hard at structured tasks as well as having time to relax on ‘play activities’. The high expectations of very good behaviour and work are consistently applied. Children recognise the fairness of these approaches and as a result enjoy everything they do even when some find it hard to sustain concentration. The very good relationships established in the Nursery are sustained in

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

the Reception class and children happily ask for help and share their experiences when given the opportunity. They develop conversation and language confidently and enjoy sharing time with any adults working with them. They thrive on this attention and the respect children have for adults is mirrored by the way adults value the children. Very effective use of praise motivates children to try hard, although sometimes the rate at which some work is limited because they do not always retain new learning well from day-to-day. Teachers have a secure knowledge of the curriculum and they make creative links in their planning, for example, in singing number rhymes and action verses put learning into a meaningful context. Children succeed particularly when they are secure with prior learning and familiar experiences. For example, the story of ‘Elmer’ currently permeates teachers’ planning and children ‘know’ so much about the subject

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

and links to camouflage, wild life, shapes, colours and songs about elephants. Forest Town Primary School - 34 67 Children in the Reception class join in with school assemblies and use the hall for physical development, drama and music sessions. The Reception children join their friends in Years 1 and 2, at playtimes, so that transition into main school is smooth. This very good provision enables children to develop very positive attitudes to work. They concentrate for longer periods of time as they mature, converse with each other and take turns sensibly. Because they are eager to learn and want to gain praise from adults in all they do they recognise when they have met their targets well.

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Personal, Social and Emotional Development

68 Very good teaching in this area ensures children achieve particularly well and most exceed the Early Learning Goals by the time they enter Year 1. Because relationships established between adults and children are very positive, children feel safe, secure, well cared for and valued. They learn from the very constructive role models adults provide. From their earliest days in the Nursery, children understand how to behave and follow well-established routines and procedures. They are helped to spend sustained periods of time on each activity. For example, the teacher skilfully moved from one activity to another in a literacy/numeracy activity so that children did not lose interest despite the session being nearly half an hour long. Even when working alone, children know how to organise themselves for sustained periods to produce work adults will be pleased with. For example, one child patiently sat with crayons to colour ‘Elmer’ for nearly twenty

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Personal, Social and Emotional Development

minutes and he was thrilled with his work being displayed on the wall. Great concentration was observed, for example, when some children made a range of patterns and shapes using what they knew about triangles, rectangles and so on effectively. Through regular routines, the children learn how to dress and undress themselves and wash their hands after activities. They assist with passing out ‘snacks’ and wait to be offered their share. A few children still prefer to work alone, communicating minimally with others, but staff are aware of these situations and intervene sensitively to build children’s skills in these aspects. In the Reception class, children work well in groups, helping each other, for example, when listening kindly when lower ability children struggle with expressing ideas. Teachers encourage co-operation by helping children take turns in games designed to check word recognition; this makes

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Personal, Social and Emotional Development

learning great fun, almost a lively game where accuracy and speed are expected as they try to achieve their targets. For example, children helped others, who are less confident, sound out initial letters of body parts they had just learnt from the teacher. All children love to listen to stories which teachers read or tell very engagingly. Children sit quietly and listen in awe as the plot emerges and their excitement regularly spills into eagerness to guess what happens next. This was clearly evident in the final session of the day in the Nursery where ‘the lost teddy’ became an exciting adventure.

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Communication, Language and Literacy

69 Children achieve well in this area, although only the most able attain the Early Learning Goals at the end of the Reception year and overall attainment is below expectations. Teaching is very good in this area because teachers work hard to build children’s confidence with speaking, writing and reading tasks. ‘Speak to me’ is a regular reminder to children when appropriate interventions from adults insist on children talking clearly and with confidence. One-word responses are discouraged although for some children this is the natural form of communication initially. Every opportunity is given to children to extend their vocabulary and understanding through conversation in the role-play area and good questioning sessions during activities led by teachers and support staff. For example, adults take an active role in re-enacting ‘Elmer’ and asking children to explain how ‘Elmer felt when the teddy was lost.’ Children are expected to answer and ask

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Communication, Language and Literacy

questions. Photographic evidence shows children from the Reception class have Forest Town Primary School - 35 engaged in ‘ Victorian’ activities, and children talk animatedly about their experiences from that visit. Children concentrate well on mark making in the writing area in the Nursery and persevere to underwrite with careful guidance, their names and other key words. A good number have very limited skills in this aspect, but work hard to improve. Many enjoy re-telling stories, especially of books that have been read to them. Children approaching the end of their Reception year, experience most aspects of the literacy hour. A significant minority write independently, forming their letters well and writing simple words confidently, forming sentences. Others struggle to retain and apply learning without support and prompts. Good modelling from teachers enables children in the Reception class to talk about how they feel, for example, on a warm sunny day. The

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Communication, Language and Literacy

introduction of Vivaldi’s ‘Summer’ music skilfully conjured up ideas children shared with others, ‘it makes me feel happy inside’. The written work is less confident because children are not confident to write as they think, and letter reversal and confusion of upper and lower case continues well into Year 1. By the end of the Reception year, children demonstrate suitable awareness of reading skills but perform below average expectations. The more able children use phonic and picture cues to aid reading well.

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Mathematical Development

70 Throughout their time in the foundation stage, children have many well-planned opportunities to investigate all areas of mathematical development. Consequently, they achieve well. A small number attain the Early Learning Goals by the age of five, but the majority do not. Teaching in this area of learning is good. In the Nursery, the children have many opportunities to count and the stimulating environment has many displays of numbers and shapes which are used well to provide interesting and imaginative activities. For example, ‘the shape detectives’ searched the corridors and walls for the regular shapes they had been introduced to. They named these shapes accurately and the more able explained accurately, the difference between squares and rectangles. As groups are selected by ability and since lessons are particularly well planned, they extend children’s learning effectively. Structured play activities are well designed, and

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Mathematical Development

teachers link mathematical concepts helpfully to children’s prior learning. This approach helps children think about what they already know and try to move forwards logically. In the Reception class, children have appropriate experience in using numeracy skills to measure and count. The number rhymes consolidate learning well as children are asked to think about concepts including ‘more /less than and how many more /less…’ In some instances, because a few children have restricted concentration and communication / vocabulary skills, their progress is limited.

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Knowledge and Understanding of the World

71 Children have many opportunities for structured play and teaching is very effective in this area. Children enjoy ‘exploring and discovering’ and skilful intervention helps the majority to achieve well. Very good teaching enables most to move closer to achieving the Early Learning Goals by the end of the Reception class, although only the most able do. Again, limiting factors include weaker skills in communication but also limited experiences outside school to observe and talk about what they see. In the Nursery, there is a good emphasis on children using their senses to find out about the world around them. Staff sit patiently with groups of children showing them what to look for and asking challenging questions, for example, ‘why do spiders lay eggs? …reply.. ‘so they can make more spiders!’, and ‘why do tigers have stripes?’ … reply .. ‘so they can hide. Children explore tactile materials using dough, clay and sand, fabrics and also in the outside play area,

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Knowledge and Understanding of the World

they explore ‘ the wind on my face makes me cold’. In the Reception class, the teacher also uses senses to enable children to explore texture and taste helping them explore appropriate vocabulary. For example, children talk about the weather and how different Forest Town Primary School - 36 temperatures across different seasons affect what we wear and what we do. Their learning is reinforced by opportunities linked to making observations and drawing/painting pictures and collages, for example, of Van Gogh’s ‘Sunflowers’. Children develop their understanding of the passage of time well, by looking at ‘old’ artefacts, like the toys and books on display, ‘things from the olden days’. Children design and make ‘divas’ to support their work in religious education, and understand that lighted candles are dangerous if not handled carefully. Their awareness of the diversity of materials and their properties develops well, for example, they know some materials

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Knowledge and Understanding of the World

are waterproof, from their work on the weather. Children have particularly good opportunities to develop their information and communication technology skills, for example, by using relevant programs to support their work in mathematics and literacy. Children are confident with a mouse and select, drag and drop objects on the screen. Children love this facility, are eager to work with tasks set but are very good at taking turns. They are particularly enthralled by the interactive games and the art activities on screen. They use relevant computer programs to support literacy and mathematical development.

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Creative Development

72 Children achieve well in this area and, as a result of very good teaching, most attain the Early Learning Goals. Throughout the foundation stage, children explore a good range of activities that develop their creative skills. They learn how to mix paint to make new colours well in the Nursery. Their ability to manage paints and brushes is poor initially but the very good support they receive enables the children to make good progress and develop appropriate finesse in their work. They make splatter pictures and use the outside area effectively to paint with water large areas of walls and ground, identifying ‘squares, rectangles and other shapes they outline with their brushes carefully and purposefully. Pattern prints help children observe similarities in shapes, and consider symmetry, for example, portraits of themselves and other detailed observation work on buildings they have seen on their walks in the local area. Music features strongly in the

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Creative Development

foundation stage and children delight in playing instruments and acting out action rhymes in the hall where they perform confidently, the familiar songs they know. The resulting standards achieved in singing are good. Role-play in the Nursery is supported well, allowing children to explore language and work with others through effective ‘make believe’ situations. Role-play opportunities in both areas are re-designed regularly to match the current class work.

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Physical Development

73 By the end of the Reception year most children attain the Early Learning Goals in their physical development. Throughout the Foundation Stage, children work hard in this area of learning and good teaching ensures that they achieve well. For example, they are shown how to prepare for exercise by dressing appropriately and warming up. They learn effectively how to use space and recognise how their bodies change during exercise. As the theme in the Nursery on one day of the inspection was ‘squares’, the teacher consolidated this information by conducting the physical activity within or around a square. They develop their running, balancing, throwing, catching and jumping skills in the hall and the outside area. The good range of wheeled toys is very popular and children use the toys confidently and fairly sensibly, as they explore their physical capabilities. Because they are good at sharing and taking turns, all have opportunity to

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Physical Development

play with the items and they are good at tidying these away sensibly, because they want to look after them well. Large construction apparatus helps them build and break down structures safely. Children clearly enjoy all the experiences presented to them and even want to help keep their spaces clean and tidy, for example, helping to sweep away fallen Forest Town Primary School - 37 leaves from their outside area, which has been suitably surfaced for all weather activities. Fine skills, such as holding a pencil, are a weakness for most children when they enter the Nursery. With careful guidance children are shown how to handle small tools safely and accurately, for example, scissors when they make pictures and models. A few are hesitant simply because they lack confidence and have had limited prior experience. Progress is good for this area of learning.

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ENGLISH

74 The school has made satisfactory progress since the previous inspection. National Curriculum tests for 2002 show that by the time they leave the school at the end of Year 6, the pupils’ attainment in English is well below the national average. However, it is average when compared with similar schools. The tests in 2002 for pupils at the end of the infants show that pupils’ attainment in reading is below average nationally and average when compared to similar schools. Results in the writing tests at the end of the infants are well below the national average and below average when compared to similar schools. However, these figures do not give a true picture of standards across the school. The school has high levels of pupil mobility in both juniors and infants. For example, out of the Year 6 pupils who took the test, nearly one quarter were pupils of low ability, who had entered the school in Year 5 or 6. Also, a very high proportion of the

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ENGLISH

pupils throughout the school, around one third, have been identified as having particular learning difficulties.

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ENGLISH

75 The pupils make good progress overall throughout the school. In the current Year 6, the pupils’ standards are below average. Their attainment when they were in Year 2 was below average. Those pupils who have been in the school since Year 1 make satisfactory progress. However the large proportion of pupils who have special educational needs make good progress because they are identified early and given very effective support. Progress for all pupils has been better over the last two years because of the emphasis the school has placed on improving writing and the setting arrangements that enable teachers to target work more precisely. Also the school has used extra funding to employ additional teaching and classroom assistants. This has enabled various groups of pupils in the juniors to receive specially targeted support in small groups.

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ENGLISH

76 Pupils’ attainment in the present Year 2 is below average but these pupils too, have made good progress since they entered the school. This is partly because the setting arrangements are very effective and also because of the recent emphasis on raising standards in writing. These improvements are having a greater impact on infant pupils who, having been in the school for a shorter time, have benefited more from recent improvements. 77 By the end of Year 2, the majority of infant pupils attain the expected standard in listening, but very few pupils attain the expected standard in speaking. The school has put great emphasis on developing speaking and listening skills by including focussed discussion in lessons. Pupils of all abilities are encouraged to speak in front of the class and publicly in assemblies. Homework, such as information about the adventures of Basil Bear, ensures detailed discussions at home between pupils and parents. The

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ENGLISH

school makes great efforts to ensure that a range of interesting speakers visit and talk to the pupils in assemblies and in class. By the age of seven, most of the pupils pay close attention to instructions and listen carefully when texts are read to them. Most take part in group and class discussions in which they listen and respond to the ideas of other pupils. Although the pupils are eager to contribute to discussion work, they are often hampered by a lack of an adequate vocabulary with which to express themselves. Forest Town Primary School - 38 78 By the end of the juniors, the pupils’ listening skills are well developed. Nearly all the pupils listen carefully to instructions and to the contributions of other pupils. This is particularly the case in literacy lessons, where the pupils listen to, and discuss a wide range of texts. The pupils make steady progress in developing their speaking skills by,

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ENGLISH

for example, engaging in debates such as ‘Should We Allow Foxhunting?’ Poets and story tellers have visited the school as well as a variety of visitors who give interesting presentations and further develop listening skills. The school is very active in ensuring that the pupils go to plays and pantomimes as part of the curriculum. The pupils speak enthusiastically of when they saw the ‘Children’s Theatre Production’ of Macbeth. They quote extracts of the ‘Witches’ Speech’ and their own versions of it. Since the most recent inspection, opportunities for pupils to develop their speaking and listening skills have improved, but regular drama lessons to reinforce these skills have not yet been fully integrated into the English curriculum. This is partly caused by the limitations of the school hall.

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ENGLISH

79 The previous inspection identified a lack of breadth in reading across the infants. This has been somewhat improved by the provision of a wider range of books but the lack of a suitable school library seriously limits the opportunities for pupils to access a wide range of books that are attractively displayed to stimulate the pupils’ interest and enable them to develop early reference skills. Occasional visits to the local library, though useful, do not really compensate for this. When they enter school standards in reading are well below average, but although all pupils make good progress in their reading, by the end of the infants standards are still below average. Those pupils who have special educational needs make particularly good progress because of very effective support from skilled teaching assistants. The school has made the teaching of the basic skills in reading a high priority. There is also great emphasis on ensuring that all pupils have a

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ENGLISH

clear understanding of the way in which letters, and groups of letters, represent sounds. The pupils understand that authors of stories use plot, character and description to hold the reader’s attention. They make predictions about the outcome of the stories they read based on what they know about the characters and settings in them. All pupils read regularly to the teacher or classroom assistant and this reading is very closely tracked and monitored. Their parents are also involved in this, but although many pupils take home their reading books, only a minority receive regular support at home in their reading. Although there have been some initiatives in the past, this is an area that needs developing and the school recognises this.

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ENGLISH

80 By the end of the juniors attainment in reading is below national expectations and only around a quarter of pupils read at the higher levels. Progress in reading for the more able pupils is only satisfactory because there are too few occasions when they are sufficiently challenged to expand the breadth and variety of their reading. The school is starting to address this by introducing reading sessions where different ability groups are set very appropriate work in reading. The high proportion of less able pupils are tracked more rigorously, given more individual support and set more challenging targets. The basic skills of reading are taught very systematically and there is a great emphasis particularly for younger and less able pupils on understanding how letters and groups of letters make sounds and how to make these sounds into whole words. These pupils make good progress. The lack of an adequate school library has an even greater impact

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ENGLISH

in the juniors. Many of the reference books have come to the end of their life and need replacing. There is nowhere in the school for books to be attractively displayed and browsed. The range of fiction books, particularly for the more able readers is very limited. Both teachers and pupils attempt to redress this by bringing in their own books but the school urgently needs more books. For example, more able readers discussed why they liked particular books such as ‘The Fire Within’ or the differences between the Forest Town Primary School - 39 film and the second J K Rowling book. But both these books were unavailable in school. The school has identified the underachievement of some boys in reading, particularly the more able and does target them with appropriate books to stimulate their interest and motivate them but does not really have the resources to do this effectively.

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ENGLISH

81 Although by the end of Year 2 standards in writing are below national expectations, these are rising because of all the initiatives the school has recently introduced to improve the teaching of writing; for example, the use of very carefully structured planning sheets and an additional extended-writing session. The majority of pupils have made good progress in their writing and those pupils who have special difficulties with their writing make particularly good progress because of well-targeted work and skilled support from teaching assistants. Younger pupils form most letters correctly and the most able pupils spell some common words accurately. By Year 2 most of the pupils are able to write familiar words correctly and some can compose a sequence of sentences in longer pieces of work, such as when composing instructional writing of ‘How to Score a Goal.’ The most able pupils write pieces of narrative with interesting vocabulary and make

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ENGLISH

appropriate use of character, setting, narrative and dialogue such as when retelling the story of Eddy but only a very small minority reach the higher level. The standard of presentation is generally good and most pupils write legibly.

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ENGLISH

82 The standards attained by pupils in writing at the end of Year 6 are below national expectations. However, standards have risen over the past two years because of the very great emphasis the school has placed on improving the standard of writing. All pupils are taught in sets and this enables teachers and classroom assistants to target work more precisely to the abilities of their pupils. Also, there have been many very recent improvements to the way writing is taught across the school, such as using models of well-written text to brainstorm ideas so that pupils improve their own writing. In a Year 6 class, for example, some particularly good headlines were produced using this model describing their teacher’s wetting in the stocks in the most recent Summer Fair- Slater Suffers A Severe Soaking. There is also an increased emphasis on using a wider range of writing. This is beginning to be linked to other areas of the curriculum such as in

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ENGLISH

geography when pupils write letters protesting about a proposed bypass. Most of the pupils attempt a wide range of types of writing that include stories, poems, factual writing letters, biographies, play-scripts and diaries. There is a strong emphasis on teaching grammar and by the end of the juniors, the pupils identify and correctly use verbs, adverbs and adjectives. They successfully use speech marks, paragraphing and other forms of punctuation. All pupils enjoy composing poems such as Kennings in Year 4 about a Chimpanzee - Tree Swinger, Fruit Bringer, Banana Chaser, Climbing Racer. Standards of spelling are below average and this is an area that the school has recently started to address.

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ENGLISH

83 The quality of teaching is good. Teachers plan literacy lessons well and all teachers make good use of learning resources, use explanation and discussion effectively and establish good relationships with the pupils. Management of pupils is good, but the way in which assessment is used to set appropriate work for certain groups of pupils, is an area that needs improvement. For example, the setting arrangements work particularly well for the less able pupils who make good progress because of the accurate match of work to their ability. For more able pupils, however this is not always as effective as sometimes the work is insufficiently challenging. The classroom assistants are very effective at supporting groups of lower ability and pupils who have special learning needs. They also have a very important role in improving standards in reading. Parents and members of the community are also used for this. The school has started to set

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ENGLISH

individual targets for pupils and already this has had some impact. Across the whole school particular homework tasks are well used to support the learning of literacy skills. Forest Town Primary School - 40 84 Management of English by the newly formed ‘Curriculum Review Team’ is satisfactory. It has a good understanding of how English is taught across the school and has monitored some teaching. Training from experts has helped teachers assess writing and given them a greater understanding of the teaching of literacy. The very directed way, in which writing is now being taught with teachers clearly demonstrating writing techniques, is beginning to improve pupils’ writing across the school. Formal lesson observations have been used to support and improve the teaching of literacy. But there is no one person with a clear overview of standards across the whole school. The emphasis has been looking at teaching and not learning. However, the developing links between the

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ENGLISH

assessment co-ordinators and the English team should address this.

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MATHEMATICS

85 Satisfactory improvement has been made in mathematics since the previous inspection. The 2002 National Curriculum test results for pupils at the end of Year 6 were well below the national average, although above average when compared with similar schools and results were not as good as in two of the previous three years. The 2002 results were adversely affected by a number of less able pupils admitted to the school not long before the tests were taken. At the end of Year 2 in 2002, National Curriculum Test results were well below the national average and below average when compared with similar schools. These results show a decline from the previous year, where test scores had been in line with the national average, but a similar picture to the two years before that and reflect the large number of children with learning and/or behavioural difficulties in that cohort.

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MATHEMATICS

86 The inspection findings indicate that standards at the end of Year 2 are now broadly in line with the national average in all aspects of the subject. This improvement has been brought about by generally good teaching in the infants, resulting in pupils making good progress. At the end of Year 6, standards are below the national average in number, shape, space and measure and data handling and well below the national expectation in using and applying mathematics. Overall, junior pupils make satisfactory progress. The lower standards at the end of the juniors are caused by insufficiently demanding work being given to Year 6 pupils, and especially those with higher ability. The use of assessment information to guide curricular planning is unsatisfactory. The improvement in the subject since the previous inspection is satisfactory, although some of the issues for development identified then remain.

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MATHEMATICS

87 By the age of seven, the pupils can work out simple problems involving number operations and money. They understand place value to a hundred and are beginning to carry out some simple calculations using these numbers. The pupils use different methods for calculating, such as using their knowledge of how addition facts can help to solve subtraction problems and using their knowledge of adding and subtracting ten when dealing with calculations involving the numbers nine and eleven. When considering shapes they know the names and simple properties of a range of two-dimensional shapes and know about symmetrical shapes. The pupils carry out some data collection but have too little experience of carrying out the practical process of deciding what information to collect, how to collect it, collecting and then communicating the information in graphic forms, both drawn and computer generated.

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MATHEMATICS

88 By the age of eleven, the pupils calculate and solve problems involving decimals to two places. They know the relationship between fractions, decimals and percentages. The pupils carry out their number calculations using different methods, such as using a partitioning and grid method when multiplying larger numbers. There is insufficient Forest Town Primary School - 41 evidence of more able pupils being extended beyond the level of the average pupils and so their levels of attainment are not as high as they could be. The pupils work satisfactorily with co-ordinates in one quadrant but too little progress is made in working at a higher level within all four quadrants. The pupils know about reflective and rotational symmetry and congruent shapes. They measure in various standard measurements but these skills are not used sufficiently to solve practical problems. The pupils measure the perimeter and area of shapes but the more able pupils are not sufficiently challenged by

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MATHEMATICS

more complex straight sided shapes and shapes such as circles. In their data handling work the pupils interpret the information from graphs but have limited experience beyond answering direct literal questions. They do not have sufficient knowledge of, or experience of, the full process of data collection and communication.

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MATHEMATICS

89 Pupils with special educational needs make good progress in the subject due to activities being well targeted to their needs and the high quality extra support offered to them by teachers and teaching assistants. There are no marked differences between the achievement of girls and boys. The use of information and communication technology to support learning in the subject is underdeveloped. The school is aware of this and has plans to purchase new, appropriate software.

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MATHEMATICS

90 Teaching in the infants is good overall, though still with some areas for development. It is characterised by thorough planning, clear learning objectives which are shared with the children, effective use of praise and encouragement, good questioning and appropriate pace. Concepts are explained effectively to the pupils and mathematical vocabulary is introduced well. These strengths enable pupils to make good progress on the whole. However, not all pupils in the infants achieve as well as others. All the lessons are in ability sets, each including children from Year 1 and Year 2. In the two higher sets, assessment information is not used enough to match work to pupils’ abilities and pupils usually do the same work as each other. In the lower ability set, tasks are better differentiated to suit the needs of the pupils, although this is counteracted by some inattentive behaviour and the lessons being too long for the pupils’ attention span. In the

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MATHEMATICS

infants as a whole, work tends to be best matched to the lower ability children in both year groups and to the higher ability children in Year 1. More specific challenge at the above average Level 3 is sometimes needed for higher ability children in Year 2. The average ability children in both year groups sometimes struggle because the learning tasks given to them can be too difficult, being generally more appropriate for the more able pupils in their sets.

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MATHEMATICS

91 Teaching in the juniors is satisfactory overall but is at its least effective for the oldest pupils. Pupils in Years 3 and 4 are taught in sets in discrete year groups. The teaching here is generally good and most pupils make good progress. Usually, lessons are well structured and paced, with explicit objectives. Plenary sessions are well used to help pupils to revise and reflect on their learning. Year 4 pupils also develop data handling skills effectively in their geography work. However, work is not always as well matched to all pupils’ individual needs as it could be. This issue also applies in Years 5 and 6, where the pupils are taught in four sets, three of which include pupils in both year groups. Lessons in these sets have good, and sometimes very good, features. Even so, many Year 6 pupils, and especially the more able, are not sufficiently challenged by the work. For example, in one lesson seen, whilst the very able pupils in Year 5 were suitably

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MATHEMATICS

challenged as they worked out the perimeters of compound shapes, exactly the same task was given to the more able Year 6 children who found it too easy. An extension activity was a variation on the same theme and did not develop the pupils’ learning. In a lesson observed in another set, all pupils were given the same task from a textbook about finding the mode and median of groups of numbers. This challenged most of the Year 5 pupils well, but not the majority of those in Year 6. Scrutiny of work, and Forest Town Primary School - 42 discussions with pupils, show this is a consistent pattern in each of the sets which contain both Year 5 and Year 6 pupils. Inspection evidence also shows that pupils have very few opportunities to work at the above average Level 5, although many in Year 6 are ready for this and, indeed, are assessed as having already achieved some Level 5 objectives. In the juniors as a whole, insufficient time is given to investigational and

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MATHEMATICS

problem solving work and this has been rightly identified as a priority in the subject’s action plan.

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MATHEMATICS

92 Throughout the school, the marking of pupils’ work is thorough and encouraging and, sometimes, offers pupils clear guidance about how they can improve their work. This conscientious marking, along with informal assessments made in lessons, gives teachers good information about how well pupils are achieving and what they need to do next. There is a clear need to improve the way this information is gathered and used to provide work which is suited to all pupils’ actual learning needs. All children take formal tests in mathematics at least once a year. The results of these tests are used appropriately to decide which sets children are placed in and to set future targets. However, the school does not check adequately the progress pupils are making towards these targets. The headteacher has identified this as an area for development.

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MATHEMATICS

93 The leadership and management of the subject are satisfactory. The headteacher, working with local authority staff, has recently carried out some subject monitoring. From this, appropriate areas for development have been identified and an action plan has been produced. The curriculum review team for mathematics has worked hard to develop resources, which are satisfactory, and has set individual pupil targets. Time has been allocated in the near future for the team to take responsibility for the key tasks of maintaining an overview of the subject’s development, rigorous monitoring of standards and supporting the evaluation of teaching and learning. The headteacher sees the need for further staff training in the techniques involved, such as lesson observation and work sampling. The members of the team are all keen to work together to raise standards and the subject is well placed to improve further.

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SCIENCE

94 The 2002 National Curriculum test results show pupils’ attainment by the end of Year 6 is well below the national average and below average when compared with similar schools. These results are affected by the high proportion of less able pupils who entered the school in the year prior to the tests. By the end of Year 2, the National Curriculum teacher assessments indicate that the pupils’ attainment is well above the national average with a high proportion of pupils achieving the above average Level 3.

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SCIENCE

95 Inspection evidence shows that the pupils’ attainment is below average by the end of both Year 2 and Year 6. These judgements are similar to those made at the time of the previous inspection and overall, show that the school has made satisfactory progress overall. It has continued to make good progress however, in the experimental and investigative aspects of the subject, an area that was praised at the time of the previous inspection. Most pupils generally make good progress throughout the infants and the juniors, although occasionally the work is insufficiently challenging for the most able pupils.

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SCIENCE

96 By the end of Year 2 pupils have had good opportunities to cover a range of scientific topics. Careful questioning reminds pupils in Year 1 of what they already know and leads them on well to further learning. Most pupils, including those with special educational needs, name a range of materials and identify the most suitable to wear for the time of the year. They understand that some materials can be changed by bending, squashing and twisting. More able pupils compile lists of food which they know should be part of a healthy diet. Other pupils complete their work with good support and simplified recording. Challenging work in Year 2, and time for experimentation motivates the pupils and stimulates discussion. The inspection evidence does not support the school’s assessment of a significant proportion of pupils achieving the higher Level 3. The school acknowledges this fact and believes the assessments, by an inexperienced, temporary

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SCIENCE

teacher, overestimated what the pupils could do.

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SCIENCE

97 By the end of Year 6, the vast majority of pupils have covered an appropriate amount of work and make good progress overall. They make particularly good progress in their scientific enquiry because the teachers ensure that pupils are provided with a wide range of opportunities to undertake this aspect of the subject in all year groups. The pupils demonstrate a secure knowledge of electrical circuits and how they may be interrupted using switches. Most pupils have a good understanding of solids, liquids and gases and use appropriate vocabulary such as evaporation and condensation, to indicate how some change states. They know which changes are reversible and which are not. The pupils use their knowledge of materials effectively to determine which materials are most suitable for making carrier bags. For their age, the pupils demonstrate appropriate knowledge of life processes and living things. They name

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SCIENCE

accurately the major organs of the human body and, through work in physical education, understand the effect exercise has on the heart. Few pupils demonstrate an understanding of the effects caused by the movement of the Earth and they are uncertain of the environmental factors which result in creatures living in different habitats.

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SCIENCE

98 The quality of teaching and learning is good overall. In the infants, the pupils are given work that is well matched to their ability and builds effectively on what they have previously learned. The teachers make the lessons interesting with a good range of practical activities. The teachers question the pupils very effectively, assessing how well the pupils have understood before moving on. As a result, the pupils are enthusiastic and make good gains on their understanding. For example, in a very good Year 1/2 lesson, Forest Town Primary School - 44 the pupils’ understanding of how materials could be altered by stretching, squeezing and squashing was developed well as a result of the teacher’s excellent, clear introduction and questioning using scientific vocabulary. In the juniors, most pupils make good gains in their learning as a result of the good teaching. However, a small number could do better if they were given more challenging work. Lessons are planned very well with

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SCIENCE

clear learning objectives, enabling the pupils to know what they are to learn and are particularly good for the less able pupils. The best lessons are exciting, generating significant enthusiasm amongst the pupils. For example, in an excellent Year 3 lesson, the teacher made what could have been a mundane topic on the permeability of soils very interesting through her careful planning and enthusiasm. The pupils responded well, making sensible predictions. The overwhelming majority of pupils achieve the standards expected for their age and this is due to the teachers’ clear planning. However, in their efforts to ensure the majority reach appropriate standards, teachers do not always provide sufficient challenge for the most able and this results in standards that are below national expectations. These pupils are often required unnecessarily to carry out the same work as other pupils before being given extension work. The school recognises

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SCIENCE

this is an issue that needs to be addressed. The marking of pupils’ work is good throughout the school with realistic targets set for pupils to improve and assessment procedures are satisfactory. However, the information gathered needs to be used more effectively to ensure work is matched effectively to the needs of all pupils

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SCIENCE

99 The curriculum co-ordinator team has a clear understanding of what is being taught in science through their monitoring of planning and discussions with colleagues. Through this monitoring it is able to ensure that all elements of the curriculum are given appropriate coverage. However, several members are new to the team and do not have a secure understanding of what the pupils can or should achieve at various stages. Consequently, the underachievement by some of the more able pupils has been missed. The use of information and communication technology to support and develop learning in science is unsatisfactory. The pupils need more opportunities to record their work using computers and to produce graphs and charts using spreadsheets. The school makes excellent use of its ‘sensory garden’ to provide a therapeutic environment for junior aged pupils with emotional or behavioural problems. Under the guidance of a learning

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SCIENCE

assistant, the pupils are given first hand experience to develop an understanding of plants and their growth.

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ART AND DESIGN

100 Pupils’ attainment by the age of seven is in line with national expectations in all areas of the subject. By the age of 11, standards are above expectations in drawing and painting but there was no evidence available in the juniors to enable a judgement to be made about work in other areas, including three-dimensional work and textiles. This is a slight improvement from the time of the last inspection when standards in drawing and painting were average in both the infants and juniors. At that time, the school made inadequate provision for the pupils to experience textiles and three-dimensional work. This situation has been rectified and the subject structure now provides appropriately for all areas of the subject in a two-year rolling programme.

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ART AND DESIGN

101 Most pupils, including those with special educational needs, make satisfactory progress in the infants. The rate of progress increases during the juniors and all pupils make good progress in the development of their artistic skills and knowledge. The infant pupils experience a range of drawing media and use their drawing skills within the context of other curriculum areas. In studies of themselves, they use collage appropriately to create self-portraits. A visit to a sculpture park gave pupils a sound understanding of Forest Town Primary School - 45 materials, patterns and textures in a variety of forms. In the infant classes, the pupils have insufficient opportunities to work with paint and clay due, mainly to the structure of the programme of work. In the juniors, the pupils extend their expertise in using a wider range of media. Their drawing and painting skills develop well and they show an

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ART AND DESIGN

increasing awareness of line and tone, for example in delicate observational studies of plants and found objects. They are particularly adept in the use of pastel crayons, and use this medium very effectively in studies imitating the style of Cézanne and Van Gogh. The pupils use evaluation of the work of famous artists very well to extend and refine their own work.

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ART AND DESIGN

102 The quality of teaching is good throughout the school. Teachers have good subject knowledge and plan work well. Very good support is given to pupils with special educational needs to enable them to achieve their full potential. All teachers manage their pupils very well and ensure that all are fully included in the lessons. They have high expectations of what the pupils can do and promote very positive attitudes towards creative activity. Specific skills, such as the use of different drawing media to produce texture and shading, are taught well. In a good lesson based on the work of Cézanne, the teacher’s own expertise stimulated the pupils and they were fully focused on the task of recreating the artist’s style to produce very credible and sensitive interpretations of still life studies. Very good opportunities are provided for pupils to evaluate their own work and that of others so that they become confident in their own creative abilities. The pupils

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ART AND DESIGN

become confident in expressing their artistic preferences and this makes a good contribution to the development of their speaking and listening skills. Art makes an appropriate contribution to other subjects, such as the study of Islamic art in religious education lessons, and makes appropriate use of information and communication technology for creative purposes.

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ART AND DESIGN

103 The members of the co-ordinator review team work well together and have begun to evaluate the quality and balance of the present art curriculum. They have rightly identified an imbalance in the structure of the present programme of work in providing the relevant experiences and are about to revise the art curriculum in order to meet the school’s needs more closely. Although the management team has a good overview of the implementation of the art programme of work and provides satisfactory leadership and management for the subject, it does not have a sufficient role in monitoring the standards achieved in the subject throughout the school. The subject has no formal assessment structure for monitoring the progress of individual pupils to support the monitoring of standards. Resources for art and design are satisfactory overall but there are some deficiencies in the availability of good quality books and art reproductions to

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ART AND DESIGN

support some parts of the curriculum. The provision of visits to art galleries, such as the Usher Gallery, and visitors, such as a textile artist to work with Year 6, greatly enhance the quality of pupils’ learning in art and design. The subject makes a satisfactory contribution to the pupils’ cultural development. Forest Town Primary School - 46

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

104 The attainment of pupils by the end of Year 2 and Year 6 is in line with national expectations. Progress since the last inspection is good when the findings relating to standards were reported as being broadly similar. All pupils, including those with special educational needs, are now beginning to gain a clear understanding of the processes of designing, making and evaluating as outlined in the National Curriculum.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

105 Throughout the school, pupils' work shows that not only are they becoming adept at making objects, but are also able to design and evaluate their finished articles. They are developing an appropriate degree of technical vocabulary during their lessons. Pupils across the school are provided with appropriate opportunities to investigate a range of materials so as to identify their properties before they put them into use in their designs. They are able to work with a variety of materials including card, fabric and balsa wood. They are developing satisfactory skills of measuring, cutting and are now able to join materials together using different methods.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

106 Pupils in Year 1 and Year 2 have designed, created and then decorated a variety of 'pop- up' cards. In one lesson, pupils made felt finger puppets and joined the materials by sewing them together. The process was achieved very successfully as pupils were given valuable support by voluntary parent helpers who were instrumental in making the lesson a success. This was one of a series of successful activities, which were aimed at developing pupils' skills at joining a range of materials in a variety of ways.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

107 Pupils in Year 3 and Year 4 have investigated the ways in which simple pneumatics can be used to create a range of different movements. They were then able to effectively use the information gained to begin designing a ‘moving monster’. Pupils demonstrate their understanding of an important scientific concept and how this can be applied in a new context.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

108 Pupils in Year 5 and Year 6 classes were able to design and make a broad range of different types of bread. They were able to evaluate them effectively in the school despite the lack of cooking equipment because they were able to have the samples baked in the school kitchen. They continue to work with a range of different materials and finished products are satisfactory with some examples of a good standard, which show thought and originality.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

109 Scrutiny of teachers’ planning and pupils’ work shows that teaching in the subject is satisfactory. This is supported by the lessons that were observed during the inspection. The teachers show secure subject knowledge and are keen to extend their own experience as well as that of their pupils. However, teachers do not make sufficient use of assessment and recording procedures to evaluate their pupils' progress and set targets for future development and to ensure the effective development of teaching and learning across the school. Pupils are encouraged to share ideas with the rest of the class and suggest ways of improving them. The large majority of pupils show interest and commitment to their activities. They work with enthusiasm and achieve satisfactory progress in design and technology lessons. The quality of learning in design and technology is satisfactory.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

110 The resources for design and technology are satisfactory. The co-ordinator review team provides satisfactory leadership and management for the subject. The co-ordinators intend, when time allows, monitoring the quality of teaching and learning across the school. Forest Town Primary School - 47

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GEOGRAPHY

111 The standards reached by pupils aged seven and eleven are in line with national expectations for age and are similar to those reported at the time of the last inspection. The majority of pupils make satisfactory progress in developing their geographical knowledge throughout the school. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress in relation to their prior levels of learning, due to the good provision made for them in lessons. However, the pupils’ geography study skills are not as good as they should be in the juniors, due to the two-year cycle of teaching that provides infrequent opportunities to develop the required skills at an appropriate level in each year group.

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GEOGRAPHY

112 By the age of seven, most pupils have developed a basic sense of place in relation to their own locality and are beginning to develop an awareness of places further afield. The travels of the class teddy bear help them to gain a sense of the way in which people interact with their local environment, for example in transport, services and leisure pursuits. The bear’s visits to places further afield, such as Skegness or Derbyshire, help to develop an awareness of the nature of different localities. The study of an imaginary community, on the Hebridean island of ‘Struay’, enables the pupils to make comparisons between life in that community and their own lives. The pupils are able to make effective use of a range of sources of information, such as photographs, books and maps, to find out about life in an island community.

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GEOGRAPHY

113 By the age of eleven, the pupils have made satisfactory progress in developing their knowledge and understanding of places beyond their own locality and are developing a satisfactory geographical vocabulary. The pupils’ geography study skills do not develop at an even rate because of infrequent opportunities to practise these skills, due to the way in which the curriculum is organised. The pupils develop a sound understanding of maps of different scales and are able to interpret these with reasonable accuracy to identify the location of principal cities, countries, continents and rivers. They know some of the ways in which human activity affects the physical environment. In Year 5 and Year 6 the pupils could recognise the way in which pollution from industrial activity has destroyed the environment of Lake Baikal in Russia and could identify some of the consequences of this for the people who live in the area. In their studies of the local area,

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GEOGRAPHY

the pupils express strong opinions and preferences about the environmental conditions they encounter, such as litter and vandalism in a local playground. Most pupils can use an appropriate range of sources to find out about human and physical features of their own locality. For example, in a local traffic survey, the pupils in Year 3 and Year 4 were able to identify patterns in local traffic movement at different times of the day and give reasoned explanations for the differences.

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GEOGRAPHY

114 The teaching of geography is satisfactory in the infants and good in the juniors. All teachers manage their pupils very well in activities that are interesting and appropriate. The lesson planning is invariably thorough and takes careful account of the range of ability in each class, so that all pupils are fully included in the lesson. The provision for pupils with special educational needs is particularly good throughout the school and tasks are well matched to the pupils’ needs. The support given to these pupils from teachers and learning assistants is usually of good quality. The teachers have appropriate subject knowledge and use this well in questioning and supporting their pupils. This is very effective in the juniors in promoting good extended answers and explanations in response to questions, for example in considering the reasons for traffic volume at different times of day. In a very successful lesson in the juniors, good use was

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GEOGRAPHY

made of a current news item about oil spillage at sea, to set learning about pollution in a relevant context. Throughout the school the teachers make satisfactory use of visits in Forest Town Primary School - 48 the local area and further afield, to promote learning in geography. For example, residential visits provide good opportunities for studying a contrasting locality, such as Kettlewell, and an orienteering day provided good opportunities for pupils to develop their map reading skills. Although most teaching has high expectations of pupils’ oral responses to learning, the written tasks do not always do justice to the pupils’ knowledge and understanding and do not sufficiently extend their literacy skills. Numeracy skills, such as data collection and graph construction, are developed well within geography lessons but there is insufficient emphasis on the use of information and communication technology for research and communication purposes.

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GEOGRAPHY

115 The newly established co-ordinator team has already carried out a subject audit and has rightly identified the development of geography skills as an area in need of development. Although the team monitors the medium term planning within each of the age groups, it does not have a sufficient overview of standards in the subject and at present there is no formal system for tracking pupils’ progress in the development of geographical skills. The present arrangement for teaching the same subject content to two age groups over a two-year period is providing insufficient challenge for some pupils and there is too long between teaching some skills, for the pupils to make the progress of which they are capable. Resources for geography are satisfactory but there is insufficient software to enable information and communication technology to be used effectively in the subject.

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HISTORY

116 Pupils’ attainment in history meets the nationally expected standards by the end of Year 2 and Year 6. These standards match those noted in the last inspection report and show that standards have been maintained. By the end of Year 6, pupils have a satisfactory knowledge of the periods of history they have studied. All pupils, including those with special educational needs make satisfactory progress throughout the school but the development of independent inquiry skills remains an area for the school to improve on. For example, the extensive coverage of the Romans in the juniors is over directed by worksheets, which provide insufficient opportunity for pupils to develop and record their own ideas.

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HISTORY

117 By the age of seven, pupils have developed a satisfactory understanding and a sense of the past. They have a good recall of facts and can place a small number of key events on a time line. Pupils learn about famous historical figures such as Mary Seacole, Alexander Graham Bell, Grace Darling and Guy Fawkes and begin to understand in some detail what people’s homes and lives were like years ago. They compare toys from the past with the present day and know what holidays were like in a different era. They know and retell the story behind the Great Fire of London, its cause and effects, and that building wooden structures close together presents a danger.

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HISTORY

118 By the age of eleven, pupils have a sound knowledge about the way different people lived in the past. They study life under invading armies such as the Greeks and consider life in Egyptian times. They recall key features of pyramids, the curse of particular tombs and why important belongings were buried alongside the Pharaohs. As a result of work on the Tudors, pupils are aware of how rich people lived and they relate events associated with Henry VIII’s development of the navy, his religious difficulties and more able pupils could recall the names of all six of Henry’s wives.

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HISTORY

119 Pupils have enjoyed opportunities to work from first hand evidence, to research and to interpret their findings. At present, pupils’ opportunities to discover more information about famous names and events in history are very limited as a result of the delays in Forest Town Primary School - 49 accessing the Internet. However, they have used the local churchyard to gather information about residents who lost their lives in the Second World War. A good range of visits, to Haddon Hall to support work on Tudors, to Crich, to study different modes of transport and to Lincoln, to gain from evidence of Roman occupation, enrich the subject effectively. Pupils speak with genuine excitement when talking about these events and remember key features from each activity. Pupils are interested and keen to learn and teachers make good use of resources to heighten and maintain pupils’ interest. Grandparents visit to talk about their lives and a local historian has contributed to the

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HISTORY

120 Overall the quality of teaching is satisfactory but insufficient consideration is being given to stimulate and challenge the more able pupils, especially those in mixed age classes and those who are older but being taught the same topics as younger year groups. Marking is inconsistent and standards of presentation vary in quality and the process of setting targets to move pupils’ learning forward is under-developed. Teachers ensure there are links with other subjects especially in geography, and literacy. For example pupils are taught how Roman words influence the naming of towns and villages today. Although no history lessons were seen in the juniors, discussions with pupils and an analysis of their work indicate that the teaching of history is undertaken regularly within the agreed two-year cycle of coverage. However, the termly gaps over the cycle of the history curriculum mean that pupils are inclined to forget some of their previously

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HISTORY

acquired skills. The teaching of history through drama, role-play and the development of empathy with figures from the past contribute to pupils’ spiritual, social, moral and cultural development.

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HISTORY

121 Leadership and management of the subject are satisfactory overall. Whilst the members of the co-ordinating team have reviewed and adapted the long and medium term planning in history, they have had little opportunity to monitor teaching or to systematically analyse pupils’ work. The planning cycle and the identification of key learning objectives support teachers well, though identified gaps in the progressive development of skills are providing a current focus for the team. The planning of individual lessons is good. Assessment takes place through discussions with pupils prior to, and at the end of, lessons and some end of topic tests are carried out to assess pupils’ learning. The shortages of resources identified through the monitoring of medium and long term planning are currently being addressed through the purchase of CD- ROMS and additional artefacts.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

122 Pupils' attainment is in line with national expectations for pupils by the end of Year 2 and Year 6. The school has made a steady improvement since the previous inspection when attainment in the subject was judged to be broadly satisfactory for both these year groups. The problem of inadequate resources is being addressed by the opening of a dedicated computer suite that is large enough for whole class lessons. Several months of delay, beyond the school’s control, to the opening of the suite have hindered development of the subject. However, the school has made considerable efforts to minimise the current poor accommodation and pupils of all ages and abilities have made satisfactory gains in learning overall. Not all pupils make the same gains as there are weaknesses in the provision for challenging the more able pupils in both the infants and juniors.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

123 By the age of seven, most pupils use a word-processing program satisfactorily to create simple stories or to record information from their work in the classroom. The majority Forest Town Primary School - 50 can save and print work by using the command menus on the computer screen. By accessing drawing and painting programs they are able to produce simple artwork as well as repeating and non-repeating patterns. Pupils have a basic understanding of how computers are used in the wider world and they have a satisfactory knowledge of computer terminology and vocabulary. Pupils show a sound awareness of how computers can be used to present information in different ways.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

124 Pupils in Year 3 to Year 6 continue to make satisfactory progress as they make more use of the computers. At the time of the inspection some pupils did not have access to computers in the classroom although the installation of new machines is imminent. This has meant they have not been using computer technology to support their learning in the classroom as effectively as they might. However, the majority of pupils are confident in accessing the Internet as a source of information. Pupils are becoming adept in the use of spreadsheets. During the course of the inspection pupils in Year 3 were able to enter data gathered in a class survey to produce graphs. This was effective in supporting their studies of mathematics.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

125 By the age of eleven, the majority of pupils have developed a range of skills that allows them to identify, evaluate and retrieve information. However, they are not able to use data logging or devices, such as interface boxes, which enable the computer to control external devices. Pupils have a satisfactory level of understanding of how computers are used in society at large and an increasing awareness of the full potential of the Internet and electronic mail.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

126 Satisfactory use is made of the computers during timetabled lessons. The school’s computer club enhances pupils’ learning of information and communication technology. Pupils do not have sufficient access at other times to use the equipment to support learning across all subjects. This has already been identified as an area for development for the subject.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

127 The quality of teaching and learning in both the infants and juniors is satisfactory and at times good. Where teaching is good it is enhanced further by the very able support of the teaching assistant who does much to ensure both the hardware and software are always in good working order. This support does much to help pupils to make steady progress. Lessons are well planned and pupils are given the opportunities to practise and refine their skills in interesting and appropriate activities. However, the school lacks a coherent system for the rigorous assessment and recording of gains in the subject's knowledge and understanding and skills development made by all its pupils. The management team for the subject has not been able to monitor effectively enough the quality of teaching and learning across the school. This is to be addressed by the school in the near future when the subject is a priority focus on the school development plan.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

128 Many pupils clearly enjoy working on the computers. They listen attentively to instructions and work together well, often helping one another rather than relying too heavily on adult support. Behaviour in lessons is often good and this together with the positive attitudes that the majority of pupils show adds to the quality of learning.

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MUSIC

129 The school has made satisfactory progress since the previous inspection. Pupils achieve standards that are broadly in line with national expectations at the end of Year 2 and Year 6. Pupils are provided with an appropriate range of experiences, including peripatetic instrument tuition, regular opportunities to perform within the school and Forest Town Primary School - 51 involvement in musical events in the locality and make satisfactory progress overall. The co-ordinator review team includes a music specialist and her expertise is suitably deployed in supporting teaching across all year groups.

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MUSIC

130 In assemblies, pupils have appropriate opportunities to listen to a range of music from different musical traditions and pupils learning to play instruments are encouraged to perform to their peers. Regular recorder groups meet from Year 3 onwards to practise technical skills and this enables more pupils to become involved in performance. Performances also take place at regular times in the school calendar, combining music with drama effectively, for example in the Christmas or Easter productions. Pupils clearly look forward to these events and a good number participate enthusiastically in rehearsals because they enjoy performing. The school’s collection of recorded music is good and it is a pleasure to see that teachers take regular opportunities to play tapes as background listening, for example, to create a ‘spiritual or contemplative’ atmosphere in religious education, art, and ‘circle time’ sessions.

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MUSIC

131 By the end of Year 2, the pupils have developed a good sense of rhythm. They are able to copy beats and to ‘compose’ rhythms which are written down for other pupils to follow. In lessons in the infant classes, pupils are provided with good opportunities to listen to and appraise the moods of pieces of music. The pupils know a good range of songs. They have a satisfactory sense of pitch and sing tunefully and rhythmically. For example, in a lesson, the pupils sang tunefully, despite being very excited, some of their favourite action rhymes that involved challenging skills that combined pitch and pulse. The lesson was particularly effective because all the adults took part to show the pupils how to improve.

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132 The emphasis on developing pupils’ skills to compose and apply what they know to improve performance, continues throughout the junior classes and by the end of Year 6 their attainment is in line with national expectations. Pupils are encouraged to appreciate the quality of a wide range of music styles from classical to ‘pop’ and from a diverse range of cultural traditions. Their singing is of a satisfactory quality. Attention is paid to ensure the pupils perform with expression and the techniques pupils need to adopt in order to improve, are demonstrated well by teachers. However, a significant number of pupils find it difficult to combine their knowledge and understanding with practical tasks effectively. For example, in a lesson in Year 5, pupils found it difficult to keep to the rhythm and the beat when adding percussion accompaniment to their singing. When they are confident, for example, when they sang, ‘Joseph and his multi-coloured coat’,

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the quality of the sound they produce is much better. In a Year 3 lesson, pupils demonstrated significant interest when they considered how musical sounds are used to illustrate words, for example, ‘plodding’ of the slow movements of a tortoise. However, in this activity, for some of the lower ability or the less confident pupils, their restricted vocabulary limited their overall success in the task. For example, pupils were unsure about the meaning of words including ‘ brayed and pranced’.

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MUSIC

133 Teaching in the infants is good because the planned activities introduce pupils to an appropriate range of skills and the emphasis is finely balanced, ensuring pupils continue to enjoy what they learn and take pleasure in performing even when fully confident or competent. Teaching is generally satisfactory in the junior classes and good where teachers have additional support or where they themselves are more confident with the subject. The elements of the multi-cultural dimension are celebrated effectively when teachers link work in music to learning in other subjects. For example, in geography, pupils are given the opportunity to experience African music, and in history, pupils have listened to and sung songs from war time. Occasionally, the taped music pupils sing along to does not help them because it is played at too slow a pace compared to the Forest Town Primary School - 52 tunes they have previously encountered. As a result, the pupils lack enthusiasm for what

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MUSIC

they are doing and this was evident in an upper juniors’ lesson where few sang with visible pleasure because their efforts centred more on trying to combine a number of skills of diction, dynamics and beat, which then detracted from their performance

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MUSIC

134 The leadership and management of the subject are satisfactory. The school has an appropriate scheme of work, which is being reviewed in order to help pupils develop a suitable range of skills in a logical order. Teachers do not record currently, in any systematic way, how well pupils achieve the skills that they are learning. The teacher with musical expertise has a sound understanding of what pupils are learning because she works with a number of classes and provides appropriate support for colleagues. She, in partnership with other teachers, is working to improve the planning and support staff further. The school acknowledges the subject, whilst generally popular with pupils, has not had sufficient time given to its development with regard to monitoring teaching and learning, There is a satisfactory range of resources, including musical instruments. The music curriculum makes a sound contribution to the pupils’ spiritual, social and

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

135 Lessons in swimming and dance were observed during the inspection together with club activities in gymnastics and football. Lesson observations and discussion with pupils confirm that all pupils are making satisfactory progress in these aspects of physical education. All pupils, by the end of Year 2 and Year 6 are achieving standards that are good when compared with national expectations. This is in line with the findings of the last inspection.

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136 By the age of 7, pupils acquire and develop a good range of physical education skills. All pupils gain good awareness of space and movement. They run safely around the hall varying pace and direction. From an early age they learn the importance of fitness and health as well as ‘warming up’ and ‘warming down’ their muscles. They perform stretching exercises to prevent muscle damage. In dance, pupils recall the movements from the previous week’s lesson and perform them with satisfactory control. They are able to perform movements in a variety of ways. This was in response to two different pieces of music. These were carefully chosen by the class teacher to provide opportunities for pupils to respond in different ways to the mood of the music. The teacher’s pace and enthusiasm ensured that all pupils made good progress in learning to move in different ways. They initially work alone and then link actions together when

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working with a partner or in small groups. A significant number show good levels of imagination in their choice of movements and all are able to make good use of space. By the end of the lesson they were able to show how they could compose their ideas and combine two or three movements into a series. However, opportunities for pupils to evaluate and improve their own performances were not exploited as well as they might have been.

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137 Pupils build upon, increase and refine their skills as they move through the school. Their work in dance lessons is more challenging and the pupils make good gains in developing fluency and accuracy. Pupils in Year 5 were challenged by the teacher to develop more and more complex routines. They all rose to the demands very well. The teacher highlighted and praised pupils’ good achievements and this enhanced their learning. Clear and structured teaching ensured that Year 5 pupils’ made significant progress in developing their skills. In this lesson there were opportunities for pupils to evaluate and improve their own performances but as before, not as effectively as they might. Forest Town Primary School - 53 138 Teachers dress suitably and set a similar standard for their pupils. Lessons are well- planned and carefully structured, with warm-up and cool-down sessions. The teachers keep up a good pace, give clear instructions and manage the pupils very well. The

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teachers highlight and praise pupils' good achievement and, as a result, the pupils try hard to improve what they do. Pupils with special educational needs are fully involved and well supported and so make satisfactory progress.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

139 Pupils respond to the effective teaching with enthusiasm and concentration. They try hard to improve their physical skills and their accomplishments. They work well both as individuals and in groups, sharing equipment and responsibilities. Pupils’ skills are enhanced through the very good range of extra-curricular activities, including netball, football, rugby, hockey, gymnastics and athletics. Local sports clubs contribute their expertise to these activities as do a number of active parents who possess sports training qualifications.

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140 The role of the co-ordinator review team is being developed with care and the team provides good leadership and management for the subject. An audit of strengths and areas for development for all staff has been undertaken. The results were used to identify needs and provide them all with in-service training in dance. The team has developed a spending plan to improve the limited equipment presently available. Outdoor facilities are good with a playing field adjacent to the school, which is put to good use.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

141 Standards are in line with those expected in relation to the Nottinghamshire Locally Agreed Syllabus for religious education at the end of Year 2 and Year 6. This indicates that standards have been maintained since the last inspection. All pupils make at least satisfactory progress and pupils with special educational needs are well supported in their learning through the provision of activities, which match their abilities.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

142 By the end of Year 2, most pupils have a secure understanding of the Creation and know that different tasks were undertaken on successive days. They are aware of the temptations in the Garden of Eden, and this is effectively linked to their personal and social education through considering the issues of right and wrong. Arising from their study of Noah they create and annotate their own Arks. Pupils have a good understanding of the meaning and purpose of Christian festivals such as celebration of Harvest and the Nativity. They can relate the Easter story in detail, for example the treachery of Judas and how Jesus saved the life of Barabas by giving his own.

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143 By the end of Year 6 pupils have a good understanding of the symbolism associated with Judaism, Christianity and Sikhism. They have also acquired a very good awareness of Islamic culture. They retain many facts about Islam and the important rituals associated with worshipping in a mosque. They confidently recall facts relating to the five pillars of Islam and important festivals such as Ramadan. They know that most faiths have special texts such as the Qu’ran and the Bible, and that the latter has two distinct parts. They know that the Qu’ran is placed as high a possible to be nearer to Mohammad and that it is written in Arabic.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

144 Pupils learn about religions other than Christianity in the infants and revisit them in the juniors, building on, and extending their knowledge of world faiths and the different ways in which they are worshipped. Pupils can readily name places of worship such as church, and synagogue and which religious groups use them. They accurately relate the Forest Town Primary School - 54 stories associated with the teachings of Jesus such as the lepers who didn’t say thank you. The study of prayer in its many forms in different religions is a strong feature of the curriculum and pupils write their own prayers based on the Lord’s Prayer. They consider prayers to God from people in different positions, such as those offered by a drowning man, a vicar and a lottery winner. Their work on ‘counting their blessings’ shows a deep awareness of the plight of people in different and difficult circumstances. Visiting

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speakers from the local Church assist with Harvest and other Christian festivals and this enriches the curriculum. The study of different religions, and their impact on everyday life, is preparing pupils well for their role in a multi-faith society.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

145 Teaching is satisfactory in the infants and good overall in the juniors. The very good lessons seen in the juniors were characterised by a strong focus on spirituality and provision of opportunities for thought and reflection. The use of prayer aids, such as a crucifix, rosary beads, lighted candles and Gregorian chants create a very good atmosphere for reflection and contemplation. This brought home to pupils that such aids, which focus on the senses, greatly assist those in prayer. The majority of work in the infants is successfully delivered through discussion and role-play whilst in classes of older pupils there is a requirement for more formal recording of work. Written work is sometimes annotated by the posing of a question by the teacher but there is no evidence to show whether this has been followed up to secure or extend learning. There are sufficient written and illustrative records to allow teachers to assess progress over time

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and for pupils to reflect on their own learning, but these features aren’t yet sufficiently developed. Teachers use a range of approaches that stimulate the pupils’ interest, such as handling artefacts, and discussing biblical stories and they encourage pupils to record their ideas in different ways and to employ cross-curricular skills, for example by designing patterns in Islamic art to reinforce an understanding and appreciation of other faiths.

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146 There is a progressive build up of skills and understanding through very good planning of the curriculum. The on-going assessment of pupils’ activities is unsatisfactory because pupils are doing the same work at the same levels and account isn’t being taken of the needs of pupils of different abilities. More able pupils are not being given opportunities to develop their skills at a more challenging level of understanding. In several lessons in Year 3 and Year 4 pupils responded with reverence and awe to the prayer aids, which they were allowed to hold and touch. As well as allowing them to demonstrate their good speaking and listening skills, pupils responded to these different stimuli sensitively and readily accepted the thoughts and ideas of others. Pupils display good attitudes to learning throughout the school by co-operating and appreciating the thoughts and work of others.

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147 Time at the end of lessons is used well to reinforce or assess pupils’ learning but such activities restrict the amount of time available particularly in a short lesson and work is not always completed. At the end of one lesson where others viewed pupils’ work in the class good opportunities were provided for pupils to comment positively on the performance of others.

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148 Leadership and management of the subject are satisfactory. The curriculum review team have not had sufficient opportunity to monitor the teaching of religious education or undertake the systematic scrutiny of work. However, the whole school programme of subject monitoring indicates that this is scheduled to take place in the spring term. Identified weaknesses such as meeting the needs of more able pupils within the two- year cycle of coverage and charting attainment and progress remain areas for future development. The school’s religious education policy is well structured and makes relevant reference to the locally agreed syllabus and national guidance and provides help Forest Town Primary School - 55 in relation to agreed teaching styles. The subject is satisfactorily resourced and any shortages identified through the scrutiny of planning are quickly addressed. To date, pupils have had little opportunity to use information and communication technology to

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undertake research in order to extend their learning. The subject is making a very strong contribution to pupils’ spiritual, social, moral and cultural development through the provision of appropriate artefacts and reflective opportunities.

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