Cedarwood Primary School

CEDARWOOD PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 9 - 12 December 2002

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CEDARWOOD 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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CEDARWOOD 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. Cedarwood Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Peasey Lane Kesgrave Ipswich Suffolk Postcode: IP5 2ES

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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 Angela Beattie

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: None Cedarwood Primary School - 4

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responsibilities

15477 John Messer Registered inspector Mathematics Art and design Foundation Stage English as an additional language What sort of school is it? How high are standards? The school’s results and pupils’ achievements. How well are pupils taught? How well is the school led and managed? 9798 Vivienne Ashworth Lay inspector Educational inclusion How high are standards? Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development. How well does the school work in partnership with parents? How well does the school care for its pupils? 32180 David Sleightholme Team inspector English Design and technology Geography History Music Cedarwood Primary School - 5 17852 Lawrence Moscrop Team inspector Science Information and communicati on technology Physical education Religious education Special educational needs How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils? Cedarwood Primary School - 6 The inspection contractor was:

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responsibilities

Demeter House Station Road Cambridge CB1 2RS

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responsibilities

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

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responsibilities

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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responsibilities

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Cedarwood Primary School - 7

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REPORT CONTENTS

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

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REPORT CONTENTS

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

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REPORT CONTENTS

HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS? 14

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REPORT CONTENTS

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS? 15

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REPORT CONTENTS

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS? 16

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REPORT CONTENTS

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED? 17

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REPORT CONTENTS

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER? 18

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REPORT CONTENTS

PART D: THE STANDARDS AND QUALITY OF TEACHING IN AREAS OF THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES 25 Cedarwood Primary School - 8

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

The school is new. It opened in September 2001 with 106 pupils on roll and has grown rapidly. It will have 184 boys and girls on roll in January 2003 and will continue to expand over the next few years. In September 2002 the school established seven classes to accommodate its seven year groups. The school has been built on the edge of a residential estate of new houses that is itself expanding rapidly. New pupils enrol in Years 3 to 6 almost on a daily basis, although the reception, Year 1 and Year 2 classes are full until the school’s capacity is increased. There are plans to increase the school’s capacity in the near future. Except for children in the nursery and Year 1 classes, the pupils have come from 46 different schools. Nearly a half of pupils are from outside the immediate area. A small proportion, less than 5 per cent, of pupils are from ethnic minority backgrounds. A very small number of pupils speak English as an additional language and all are

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

fluent in English. Nearly 5 per cent of pupils are entitled to free school meals, which is below the national average. The proportion of pupils on the schools’ register of special educational needs, around 6 per cent, is below the national average and most of these need little extra support, although a small number have statements of special educational need because they require considerable help with their learning. Children’s attainment on entry to the reception class is now somewhat above average but this has not always been the case for all year groups. There is a very wide spread of ability in several year groups.

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

This is a good school that provides its pupils with an effective education. Already good foundations for promoting high standards have been established. Although standards are currently average in most subjects, pupils’ achievement is good and there is clear evidence that the good teaching pupils receive will soon result in standards that are above average. In several year groups a significant proportion of pupils are already beginning to attain standards that exceed those expected for their age. The very good leadership of the headteacher and the good management of the curriculum means that the school is poised to make further advances. The school provides good value for money.

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What the school does well

 Pupils enjoy reading and standards are above average.  There is a high proportion of very good teaching throughout the school and pupils’ learning is supported well in lessons by classroom assistants and voluntary helpers.  This new school has already established a good curriculum that provides a full range of learning opportunities for all pupils.  The headteacher provides very good leadership and is supported well by staff and governors.  Pupils have very good attitudes to school, they show great enthusiasm for learning and behave well.  Provision for the children in the reception class is exceptionally good and provides an excellent start to their education. Cedarwood Primary School - 9

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What could be improved

 Procedures for monitoring and evaluating the quality of teaching and learning in order to improve the consistency of teaching and raise standards to the level of the best.  Long-term strategic planning to finance an improved level of resources for teaching and the development of the management structure.  The school library, which is inadequate and cannot support learning effectively. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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What could be improved

HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

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What could be improved

The school has not been inspected before. Cedarwood Primary School - 10 STANDARDS

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What could be improved

In most reports a table showing the school’s performance in national tests compared with other schools is published here but, as there were only 5 newly arrived pupils in the group of pupils that took the national tests in 2002, no statistically valid results are available.

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What could be improved

Across the school pupils attain standards that are as high as might reasonably be expected in a school that is so newly established. Children’s achievement is very good in the reception class and they are likely to exceed the early learning goals, described in national guidance, in all areas of learning well before the end of the school year.

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What could be improved

The school has set challenging targets for the proportion of pupils in Year 6 who will reach the national target of Level 4 in the national tests in English and mathematics in 2003. The targets are set at 93 per cent for both subjects. These will be hard to attain as there is a particularly wide spread of ability among the pupils in Year 6. Pupils’ achievement in Year 6 is satisfactory and is good in Years 3, 4 and 5. By the end of Year 6, most pupils are likely to attain average standards in all subjects except reading where pupils are on course to attain standards that are above average. A significant proportion of the pupils in Year 6 are likely to attain standards that are above average.

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What could be improved

Pupils are achieving well in Years 1 and 2. However, many pupils in Year 2 are new to the school and there is evidence that their achievement has not been consistent over the past two years because of their many and varied prior learning experiences in the different schools from which they have come. By the end of Year 2, they are likely to attain standards that are above average in speaking and listening, reading, mathematics, art and design and average standards in all other subjects.

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What could be improved

Pupils are on course to attain by the end of Year 2, and again by the end of Year 6, standards that are in line with the expectations described in the locally Agreed Syllabus for religious education.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Very good. Pupils have an enthusiasm for school and enjoy their work.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Very good. Pupils work and play happily together. They are kind, courteous and sensitive to the needs of others.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Relationships throughout the school are very good. There is scope to provide more opportunities for pupils to use their initiative and take greater responsibility for their learning. Cedarwood Primary School - 11 Attendance Very good. Pupils enjoy school and attend regularly.

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Aspect Comment

Pupils are mature and sensible but have too few opportunities to participate in managing classrooms and to exercise responsibility across the school. The absence of an adequate library means that opportunities for independent research are limited.

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Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

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

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Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

The quality of teaching in nearly all the lessons seen was at least good and often it was very good or excellent. The quality of teaching in English, mathematics and science is good, as it is in all the other subjects where there was enough evidence available to form judgements about teaching. Teachers’ planning and lesson preparation are especially good. Lesson plans show clearly how the needs of pupils who are at varying stages of ability will be met. The teaching of pupils with special educational needs and those who are particularly able is good. Classroom assistants make a strong contribution to the quality of teaching. Relationships between teachers and pupils are very good. The skills of literacy and numeracy are taught well and opportunities are provided for pupils to use their skills of reading, writing and numeracy in other areas of the curriculum. Teachers encourage a great enthusiasm for learning that helps pupils to achieve well in lessons. Teaching for

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Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

the children in the reception class is imaginative and in this class pupils achieve exceptionally well. The high quality of teaching promotes effective learning but has not been sustained over a long enough period to have had its full impact on the standards that pupils attain.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Good. The school has devised good planning frameworks for most subjects that promote a broad and balanced curriculum.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good. Class teachers are fully aware of pupils’ varying learning needs and, together with classroom assistants, provide good support.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Satisfactory. Appropriate provision is made for the very small number of pupils with English as an additional language. All are fluent English speakers. Cedarwood Primary School - 12 Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Satisfactory overall. Provision for moral and social development is good and it is satisfactory for spiritual and cultural development. There is scope to enhance spiritual and cultural development through literature, music, art and design.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Good. The school provides a caring supportive learning environment. Assessment of pupils’ achievement is good and data is used satisfactorily to plan the next steps in learning.

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Aspect Comment

Parents hold the school in high esteem and an active parent / school association has been established. The school has good lines of communication with parents and parents support their children’s learning well. The annual school reports to parents are very clear and informative.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and manage-ment by the headteacher and other key staff The headteacher provides very good leadership and subject co-ordinators assist with managing the curriculum well but have not yet had sufficient time to monitor and evaluate the quality of teaching and learning thoroughly.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Governors are closely associated with the school and provide good support. They fulfil their responsibilities conscientiously.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance The school analyses pupils’ performance closely and uses the information to set performance targets. There is scope to refine the monitoring of teaching so that all teachers receive clear guidance on how they could improve their performance.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Resources are generally used well to support teaching and learning. although computers in classrooms are under- used.

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Aspect Comment

As the school is new it has not been able to accumulate resources over a period of years and much of the equipment normally found in modern schools is missing. Accommodation is adequate but the level of resources to support teaching and learning is unsatisfactory. Classrooms are not equipped with overhead projectors, for example and there is no large computerised white board to demonstrate techniques in information and communication technology. The school has been obliged to borrow a significant amount of money to buy books but the library is still inadequate. Although there are sufficient teachers and support staff the school cannot afford to employ a deputy headteacher or a part-time teacher to allow subject co-ordinators regular non-class contact time during which to fulfil their curricular responsibilities. The governing body have been prudent in making spending Cedarwood Primary School - 13 decisions and have applied the principles of best value well. However, there is no

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Aspect Comment

long-term strategic plan designed to guide the school in overcoming its financial difficulties. Particular strengths of the leadership and management of the school are the open communications that have been established among all associated with the school, the sense of teamwork and the good range of complementary skills that governors bring to the governing body.

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Aspect Comment

PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

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improved

 Children like school and make good progress.  They would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem.  The school works closely with parents.  The school expects children to work hard and achieve their best.  The school is well led and managed.  The school helps children to become mature and responsible.  The range of activities outside lessons.  The amount of homework pupils receive.  Information about how their children are getting on.

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improved

Inspection findings indicate that an appropriate amount of homework is set but that it could be more challenging for the higher attaining pupils. The school is developing an increasing range of activities outside lessons. A range of visits and visitors enhances extra-curricular provision satisfactorily. The reports to parents are very good and information provided for parents about how their children are getting on is good. Cedarwood Primary School - 14

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PART B: COMMENTARY

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

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PART B: COMMENTARY

‘Standards’, the judgement of how well pupils are doing compared to others of the same age nationally, may be judged from national test results, or against the levels defined in the National Curriculum or the Early Learning Goals as ‘expected’ at certain ages. The other judgement, ‘achievement’, is a judgement made against pupils’ starting points. The achievement judgement shows whether, in the longer term, enough progress is being made.

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PART B: COMMENTARY

1. New teachers were employed and the school was organised into seven classes, to accommodate the seven year groups, at the beginning of this term. The good teaching that has been established has not been sustained over a long enough period to have had a major impact on the standards that pupils attain but pupils’ achievement is very good in the reception class and good in all the other classes. This shows that standards are set to improve rapidly over the next few years. This is confirmed by computer predictions based on pupils’ prior attainment, which indicate that the school’s performance in national tests for pupils in Year 6 in 2004 will be well above national averages. Results in the national tests for pupils in Year 6 in 2003 are unlikely to be better than average in English, mathematics and science because the current class of Year 6 pupils is not representative of the characteristics found in the other classes.

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PART B: COMMENTARY

There are very few girls in Year 6 and pupils in this class have come from a particularly large number of schools are at widely varying stages of development. There is clear evidence that several have gaps in their learning, such as their understanding of spelling rules, for example. However, by the end of Year 6, standards in reading are likely to be above average. Most pupils in Year 6 are on course to attain at average standards in all the other subjects and a significant proportion are likely to attain standards that are above average. There are several exceptionally able pupils in this class, as there are in several other year groups. The Year 6 class teacher has been absent for a significant proportion of the term but the quality of teaching has been maintained at a good level by a temporary teacher. This has ensured that the pupils in this class continue to achieve well and attain the standards that are as high as might reasonably be

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PART B: COMMENTARY

2. Last year there was just over half a class of pupils in Year 2 and many were new arrivals but their performance in national tests was, given these factors, reasonable. When compared with all schools, the school’s results in reading were well above national averages, in mathematics they were average and in writing below average. When compared with schools that have pupils from similar social backgrounds, the school’s performance was average in reading, well below average in writing and below average in mathematics. The teacher assessments in science indicated that the proportion of pupils who attained the national target of Level 2 was average but the proportion who attained the higher Level 3 standard was well below the national average. Inspection findings indicate that, by the end of this school year, pupils in Year 2 are likely to attain standards in speaking and listening, reading, mathematics and art and design

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PART B: COMMENTARY

that are above average. Standards are likely to be broadly average in all the other subjects except geography and music where there was insufficient evidence available to make judgements.

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PART B: COMMENTARY

3. Throughout the school, pupils with special educational needs are set clear and appropriate targets and make steady progress towards meeting them. Their achievement is satisfactory in relation to their prior attainment. Class teachers, the special needs co-ordinator and the support staff for pupils with special educational needs all work closely together to ensure that the pupils are provided with work that is appropriate. Pupils are given particular support in literacy and numeracy in order for them to achieve success.

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PART B: COMMENTARY

4. Across the school pupils speak confidently and have a good understanding of language. Most read with enthusiasm and many have a good knowledge of a wide range of children’s fiction. Cedarwood Primary School - 15 Research skills are underdeveloped partly because the range of non-fiction books in the library is inadequate and partly because computers are not used much for research purposes. Most pupils write well, although the spelling of the older pupils is often inaccurate because they lack a thorough understanding of spelling rules. They have very positive attitudes to mathematics and in a recent survey expressed the desire for more. Good opportunities are provided for pupils to use their literacy and numeracy skills in other areas of the curriculum. They read and write well in history lessons, for example, and measure carefully in science and design and technology. They thoroughly enjoy practical activities and especially experimental work in science. Good

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PART B: COMMENTARY

work was seen in Year 5 where pupils demonstrated a good understanding of a fair test when they carefully controlled the variables, such as light, temperature, water and soil conditions, when studying the growth of plants. Pupils enjoy all the other subjects. In a very good lesson in Year 3, pupils were learning a good range of skills, such as sewing and plaiting as they made well-designed bags to hold their calculators. This enthusiasm for learning, coupled with the good and often very good teaching, indicates that pupils’ achievement is set to surge forward and that high standards are likely to be attained in many areas of the curriculum.

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PART B: COMMENTARY

Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

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PART B: COMMENTARY

5. The pupils have very good attitudes towards their school and their work. Their personal development is good and their behaviour and relationships with each other and members of staff are very good. These make a great contribution to the harmonious and friendly atmosphere within the school.

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PART B: COMMENTARY

6. The pupils show great enthusiasm for their new school, both in lessons and other activities. They enjoy the sense of belonging and would not wish to be at any other school. Those spoken to during the inspection were able to say that they much prefer this school particularly because of the way the headteacher and staff care for them. Most pupils show interest in their work and share and co-operate with others. There is a very positive attitude to learning which is greatly encouraged from the moment they enter the reception class. Most pupils show good levels of effort and concentration in lessons and are very keen to join in activities. They want to learn and most try hard with their work. They show developing skills for independent study. Pupils with special educational needs demonstrate positive attitudes to the school. They are keen to learn and behave well in lessons.

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PART B: COMMENTARY

7. Behaviour throughout the school is mainly very good. There have been two permanent exclusions this term with one reinstatement. Although many pupils have been disturbed by the unacceptable behaviour of a very small minority of boys in Year 6, these matters have now been resolved. The school’s emphasis on forming relationships and social development generally has had a very positive impact on behaviour.

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PART B: COMMENTARY

8. The head teacher and staff consider it a very high priority to develop positive relationships, particularly as all the children are new to the school. The school recognises the need to form friendships and for pupils to be secure and happy in their learning environment. The staff provide very good role models and the caring attitude is evident throughout the school community. Pupils are polite to adults coming into school and are very willing to enter into conversation when given the opportunity. They are able to relate to adults in a mature manner and many are extremely articulate and pleasant. There is no evidence of bullying in the school. Any incidents which do occur are dealt with quickly and Cedarwood Primary School - 16 appropriately. Pupils are taught to think about what they do and to respect each other’s feelings and this is evident in their attitude towards each other.

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PART B: COMMENTARY

9. The pupils are willing to take responsibility when this is offered. There are opportunities to be monitors in class and they enjoy special responsibilities such as returning the registers to the office. The School Council, with two representatives from each year, has just been formed and is still in the early stages of development. As a direct result of this forum there is now a developing ‘buddy’ system whereby the older pupils look out for the younger ones in the playground and around the school. However, there is considerable scope for providing more opportunities for pupils to exercise greater responsibility in class and around the school. The school is very concerned that no pupil should feel alone and without someone to talk to. Attendance at the school is very good and was well above the national average during the last reported period. There was no unauthorised absence.

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PART B: COMMENTARY

10. Teaching is good. The quality of teaching seen in nearly all lessons was at least good; it was excellent in a tenth of lessons, very good in a quarter, good in nearly two thirds and satisfactory in a small proportion. One lesson was unsatisfactory. Teaching in the reception class is very good and it is good in Years 1 to 6. There is an exceptionally high proportion of very good teaching in the school. Across the school, teaching is good in English, mathematics, science and information technology; it is good in Years 1 and 2 in art and design and in Years 3 to 6 in design and technology. There was insufficient evidence available to form judgements about the quality of teaching across the school in geography, history, music, religious education and physical education and not enough evidence in Years 1 and 2 to make judgements about teaching in design and technology and in Years 3 to 6 in art and design. The teaching

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PART B: COMMENTARY

of pupils with special educational needs is good. The support that they receive is guided by well-written Individual Education Plans. Pupils are well integrated into the life and work of their class groups and teachers adapt their class work to ensure that pupils are able to achieve success. Pupils with statements of special educational need are well supported by classroom assistants specifically assigned to them. Lesson planning is very good. It is detailed and thorough.

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PART B: COMMENTARY

11. The reception class is an exciting place to be because each day brings a new adventure. The teaching is always at least very good and in a half of the lessons seen it was excellent. On Monday morning the teacher was called out of the classroom to answer an urgent telephone call. The headteacher took over. It was not long before an angel appeared dressed all in white. She explained that she had been this way before but that was two thousand years ago and she couldn’t quite remember all the details but she did remember that it was a very special event. The children were captivated and carefully explained the details of the Nativity while the angel jotted notes on the board so that she could remember the sequence of events. And so the week progressed with special journeys to the stable, letters arriving from Herod demanding data for tax purposes and a letter from Mary announcing the birth Cedarwood Primary School - 17

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PART B: COMMENTARY

and inviting the children to visit. This imaginative teaching was especially effective because all the activities were linked by a common theme. The teacher also had high expectations of children’s ability to learn rapidly and they rose eagerly to the challenges presented. The teaching was also highly effective because the children themselves were given every opportunity to discuss problems and find solutions, such as how they were going to find their way to Bethlehem.

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PART B: COMMENTARY

12. Examples of very good teaching were seen in the other classes. An excellent science lesson was seen in Year 1 where pupils were studying sources of light. As they identified each source it was covered with black paper. Again the pupils themselves were in charge of events, noticing where light still spilled into the room, identifying its source and suggesting how to block it out. Before long the room was in total darkness. This in itself was a powerful experience. The teacher struck a match and lit a candle as different light sources were examined. In a very good lesson in Year 2, good links were made between drama, literacy and history. The class squelched through the mud in the trenches in World War One, inspired by the book ‘War Game’ by Michael Foreman, and gratefully received Christmas presents of an Oxo cube and a pencil before writing home to tell of their experiences.

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PART B: COMMENTARY

13. In a very good English lesson in Year 4, the pupils thoroughly enjoyed writing the script for a play about Santa Claus. They demonstrated a good understanding of dialogue and had a good understanding of the colloquial speech that Santa might use. Here the teaching points were made with great precision and the pupils understood that the teacher was looking for strong adjectives and powerful adverbs. As a result one pupil changed his stage direction from, ‘ He fell out of bed,‘ to ‘He tumbled anxiously out of his rumpled bed’. The teaching was carefully structured so that pupils knew exactly what was expected. Again high expectations helped to promote good quality work.

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PART B: COMMENTARY

14. Teachers assess pupils’ learning effectively as lessons proceed by using good questioning strategies to evaluate the level of pupils’ understanding. They use review sessions towards the ends of lessons well to assess the effectiveness of their teaching. Pupils’ work is marked carefully and the best gives pupils a clear understanding of how they can improve. Homework is set regularly and makes a satisfactory contribution to pupils’ learning but homework tasks are rarely modified to match pupils’ varying learning needs. Teachers have a good knowledge and understanding of the subjects they teach and several are particularly knowledgeable about the use of computers. They each have a laptop to support lesson planning and these are used well. They contribute to the high quality of lesson plans. Teaching is constrained at times by a lack of resources. In several lessons an overhead projector would have enhanced the

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PART B: COMMENTARY

teaching but none was available at the time. Flipcharts were needed in several lessons but no appropriate easels were available to support them. In lessons in the small computer suite, pupils were obliged to crowd around a computer screen to watch a demonstration that could have been much more effective if a large computerised screen was available. On one occasion a pupil could not find information in the library due to the scarcity of appropriate non-fiction Cedarwood Primary School - 18 books. Library studies are not taught at present because the library is inadequate.

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PART B: COMMENTARY

15. Classroom assistants and voluntary helpers make a strong contribution to the quality of teaching. The musical expertise of one classroom assistant is used well in class and in assemblies whilst a nursery nurse plays the guitar to accompany songs in the reception class. A grandfather in the guise of Santa Claus arrived in Year 5 and was placed in the hot seat to answer pupils’ questions in a very well organised lesson on note-taking as a preamble to writing at greater length. Several governors help regularly in classrooms and help to make resources. A teacher’s husband made a very good desk easel for the teacher to use with small groups. The school secretary visits school on one of her days off to help in design and technology as she is particularly skilled in sewing and design. The caretaker has good plans for using the potting shed as a learning resource in the spring. There is a strong sense of

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PART B: COMMENTARY

teamwork with everybody working well together to improve learning opportunities.

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PART B: COMMENTARY

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

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PART B: COMMENTARY

16. This new school has already established a good curriculum that provides a full range of learning opportunities for all pupils. The curriculum is enhanced by a suitable range of extra-curricular activities and through developing links with the local community and partner schools. Additional support for class work is provided through homework, clear guidance for which is given to all staff in the staff handbook. All pupils have equality of access to the curriculum. The provision for pupils with special educational needs is good. Pupils receive additional help in lessons from teachers, classroom assistants and volunteer helpers and they are given a range of interesting and appropriate work. Particularly good support is given to pupils with statements of special educational need. These pupils are well integrated into the school and considerable effort is made to see that their needs are met. Gifted and

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PART B: COMMENTARY

talented pupils are identified by the school and appropriate provision is made for them, for example in special mathematics classes and at joint events organised for pupils from local primary schools.

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PART B: COMMENTARY

17. Children in the reception class are provided with a very good curriculum based on national recommendations. For pupils in Years 1 to 6, a good whole-school curriculum plan details all units of work to be undertaken annually by each year group. At the time the school opened, nationally recommended planning frameworks were put in place for most subjects. These were supplemented by the locally Agreed Syllabus for religious education and the local education authority’s scheme for physical education. These plans help to promote a good progression in learning and provide appropriate guidance for teachers. There is good provision for English and mathematics and pupils benefit from the good emphasis placed on the acquisition of basic skills. Nearly all pupils read well. Provision for the development of skills in information and communication technology is often good for all age groups. However, Cedarwood Primary School - 19

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PART B: COMMENTARY

computers in the classrooms are not used enough to support teaching and learning.

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PART B: COMMENTARY

18. Several areas of the curriculum have allocations of time that are below average. However, the school has provided additional opportunities through a weekly arrangement known as ‘Our Time’. Pupils in all classes are given the opportunity, on a Friday afternoon, to select an activity of their choice. The aim of ‘Our Time’ is to develop pupils’ own interests and enthusiasms as well as raising standards through enjoyable and practical activities. This has proved to be very successful and provides a worthwhile supplement to the planned curriculum.

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PART B: COMMENTARY

19. The school has implemented the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies well. Planning and teaching take account of the recommendations, both in the organisation of lessons and in lesson content. The headteacher and the staff of the school regularly discuss the curriculum that is provided for the pupils. Some adjustments to the planning have already taken place to take account of the varying needs of pupils who in most classes are at widely varying stages of development. There is a procedure in place for each curriculum area in turn to be formally reviewed to ensure that the provision is meeting the needs of all pupils and that adequate resources are provided to support teaching and learning. The headteacher has identified the need to review curriculum provision in order to take account of different learning styles. He is also keen to address ways whereby more links can be made between the different

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PART B: COMMENTARY

subjects of the curriculum to create a more unified set of learning experiences for pupils. There is a programme for personal, social and health education (PHSE) and time is allocated for this on the weekly timetable. Other opportunities to support pupils’ personal development occur incidentally at registration time or in lessons in other subjects such as literacy and religious education.

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PART B: COMMENTARY

20. For a school at this stage in its development, there is an appropriate range of extra-curricular activities. Currently, opportunities include netball, football, a French club, cycling proficiency and an ‘Eco-Club’ that promotes environmental awareness. There is a school choir and pupils have the chance of instrumental tuition in brass and woodwind. As the school develops, it is planned to extend opportunities for extra-curricular events and plans are already being made for a residential visit for pupils in Year 6.

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PART B: COMMENTARY

21. The school is developing good links with the local community. Parts of the school are hired to local groups at particular times of the week and visits to the school are made by the minister from the nearby church. The neighbouring primary schools organise joint events for sport, music and opportunities for gifted and talented pupils in mathematics and drama. Curricular links are being forged with the nearby high school and students from there, and from the College of Further Education, are provided with work experience opportunities.

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PART B: COMMENTARY

22. Overall, the school makes satisfactory provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Provision for pupils’ spiritual development is satisfactory. There are opportunities for pupils to reflect on their own feelings. Cedarwood Primary School - 20 For example, pupils had written about their feelings of fear and hunger. In the school entrance area there is a good display in which pupils had recorded their own personal wishes for the future that often referred to the well-being of others and hopes for world peace. In religious education lessons and in school assemblies, pupils gain knowledge and insight into issues affecting values and beliefs which enable them to reflect on their own experiences. The legal requirement for a daily act of collective worship is met.

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PART B: COMMENTARY

23. Provision for pupils’ moral development is good. Opportunities to discuss right and wrong are found during PHSE lessons or as incidents occur in the life of the school. In the Year 5 class, for example, pupils were being asked to consider the effects of their actions on others. Provision for pupils’ social development is good. Pupils are encouraged to work co-operatively during lessons, taking turns and sharing resources. They develop an understanding of the need to think about other people’s misfortunes. Pupils were involved in a fund-raising event for a local hospice. In school, pupils are responsible for day-to-day routines such as taking registers to the office. Pupils in Year 6 were organising a ‘Disco’ for the older pupils and had helped to plan a carol concert for senior citizens. However, there is still scope for enabling pupils to take greater responsibility in and around the school.

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PART B: COMMENTARY

24. Provision for pupils’ cultural development is satisfactory. Pupils make visits to local art galleries, historic sites and museums. Opportunities to learn directly about other cultures and other faiths are limited. During the inspection, a Year 2 class had invited a member of the Jewish church to talk about his traditions and customs. The school has recognised the need to investigate other similar opportunities, not only in religious education, but also in art, music and dance.

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PART B: COMMENTARY

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

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PART B: COMMENTARY

25. The school takes good care of its pupils and has established a warm, friendly atmosphere which offers pupils every opportunity to do their best. There are effective measures in place to ensure that pupils receive appropriate support and guidance.

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PART B: COMMENTARY

26. Procedures for child protection are established and effective. The headteacher is the designated person responsible for child protection and he receives regular, updated training. All the staff are trained and local authority procedures are followed. The school is developing relationships with social services and the education welfare officer visits each term. There are effective procedures in place to check on the health, safety and well-being of all those in school.

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PART B: COMMENTARY

27. There is close monitoring of pupils’ academic performance, which starts from the moment the child enters school. Comprehensive records are kept and these are updated regularly. The recording and monitoring of personal development is satisfactory and presently less formalised. This is a developing area. However, teachers know the pupils well and understand when and where support and guidance are required. The teaching assistants play a very Cedarwood Primary School - 21 important part in this monitoring process. Throughout the school day academic and personal achievements are recognised, in lessons and around the school, through praise and encouragement.

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PART B: COMMENTARY

28. Effective procedures are in place for promoting good attendance. Parents understand that the school must be informed of any unexpected absence early on the first day. Most pupils are punctual and all latecomers are recorded. Registers are completed quickly and efficiently and returned to the office twice a day. Attendance and punctuality contribute greatly to the attainment and progress of the pupils.

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PART B: COMMENTARY

29. There are good procedures to support and promote appropriate standards of behaviour. The behaviour policy works well. Pupils are aware of the sanctions if behaviour is not good. Behaviour is monitored at all times and incidents are recorded when necessary. The school is very successful at eliminating oppressive behaviour. The accepted practice is one of prevention through positive means such as giving regular praise for good behaviour. Pupils are taught and encouraged to behave well in order to sustain an orderly community. The personal and social education development plan highlights the need for more time to be provided when the pupils can examine mutual respect and the way to establish good relationships.

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PART B: COMMENTARY

30. The procedures for assessing pupils’ academic progress are good in English and mathematics and these are implemented effectively to chart pupils’ academic progress. From the reception class through to Year 6, up-to-date records are kept of pupils’ progress with a clear indication of those pupils who are more able or in need of additional support. Particular pupils are identified who, with specific help, could make particularly good progress. In other subject areas, teachers keep examples of pupils’ work and these demonstrate the progress being made. This practice is still developing and no formal procedures for assessing progress in the non-core subjects of the National Curriculum are yet in place. This means that teachers do not always have a clear view of what pupils can do and what they need to do in order to improve.

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PART B: COMMENTARY

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

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PART B: COMMENTARY

31. The school is developing strong links with parents. The survey of parents’ views before the inspection and at the pre-inspection meeting showed that parents are largely very satisfied with the school’s provision. Although some parents commented that they were not sure about the quantity of homework or whether they were well-informed, or whether school provides an interesting range of activities, these numbers were very small. The overriding view is that school expects their children to work hard and that it is well led and managed, that the teaching is good, behaviour is good and the children make good progress. It is agreed that the school works closely with parents, the children are helped to become mature and responsible and that parents feel comfortable about approaching school. The parents show a high regard for the school’s work throughout. The inspection findings are in agreement with the

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PART B: COMMENTARY

positive views of the parents. Cedarwood Primary School - 22 32. Although this is only the fourth term, the school’s links with parents are good and start early with a good induction process. There is an ‘open door’ policy, which means that parents are welcome at the beginning and end of the day to speak to staff if necessary. The school secretaries are also good at maintaining open channels of communication during the school day. The school holds a coffee morning for parents each half term to encourage parents to communicate and feel happy in the school surroundings. 33. Parents receive very good quality information particularly in the annual reports to parents on their children’s progress, which give clear detail in all aspects of achievement. All parents receive a home school agreement, the contents of which they acknowledge by sending their child to the school. Parents are very supportive of the school’s aims. Newsletters are sent home on most Fridays.

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PART B: COMMENTARY

The school brochure and governors’ annual report to parents are concise but informative and clear. There is also a school website. School holds very well attended parents’ evenings each term, and there is a written report in the summer. It is expected that an additional report will be available in the spring term.

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PART B: COMMENTARY

34. There are good procedures in place for identifying and monitoring pupils with special educational needs. There is effective liaison with external agencies and with parents of pupils with special educational needs. There are appropriate Individual Education Plans to help each pupil to tackle their learning difficulties and these are carefully monitored by the class teachers in consultation with the special needs co-ordinator.

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PART B: COMMENTARY

35. There are good opportunities for parents to become involved with the work of the school. Some are able to help very effectively in the classroom with art and design, design and technology, reading and mathematics, and four parents serve on the governing body. Others support the staff by making tea and coffee and assisting on school trips. The school greatly appreciates the volunteer parents and the impact they make on the work of the school.

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PART B: COMMENTARY

36. Parents support their children’s learning well by involving themselves in project work, supporting homework, hearing their children read and recording work done at home. The Parents and Friends of Cedarwood is already a very strong parent / school association. In its first year £3000 was raised for the benefit of the school. This group is imaginative in its fund raising and is anxious to assist in enhancing the quality of the children’s lives in school.

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PART B: COMMENTARY

37. An immense amount of work has been completed by the staff, including support staff such as the caretaker and the offices staff, and school governors, to establish the school so successfully in such a short period of time. Roles and responsibilities are clear and routines are well established. The school runs smoothly and a good standard of education is provided for all pupils. The curriculum has been well planned and pupils are provided with good learning opportunities. The headteacher provides very good leadership and has been successful in building a good team of teachers and support staff. The special educational needs co-ordinator manages provision well and maintains an accurate record of all pupils on the special needs register and ensures that Cedarwood Primary School - 23 class teachers are fully aware of the needs of these pupils. The governing body is well organised and ably led by the chair.

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PART B: COMMENTARY

38. The building is a unique design and is proving to be highly efficient in its use of energy. There are several teething problems, such as the extreme heat in summer on the first floor and the absence of air conditioning to control it. Also the lights have to be kept on all day throughout the year as there is little natural light and there is insufficient storage space. Unlike most other schools, the school has not been able to accumulate resources over a period of years and there is not as much equipment to support teaching and learning as normally found in most modern schools. Resources to support several areas of the curriculum are inadequate. Despite borrowing money to buy books, the library has insufficient resources to support pupils’ learning. Teachers have to share equipment, such as overhead projectors, and this constrains the development of their use. Unlike many schools, this school has no interactive white boards

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PART B: COMMENTARY

that the teachers can use for demonstrations or use with their laptops for the preparation of lessons.

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PART B: COMMENTARY

39. The governing body have managed the establishment of the school well. As numbers increased so too did the number of teachers appointed. At no time were there more teachers than required to teach each class. Similarly the number of support staff increased in line with requirements. A quarter of the teaching staff are new to the profession, which establishes a good balance between experienced teachers and those who are less experienced. Since before the school opened the headteacher has been expressing concerns to the governing body about the apparent inadequacy of money to fund each area of the curriculum. One of the first actions taken by the governing body was to establish a fund-raising committee to help the school to meet shortfalls in funding. Despite careful spending on the most urgent priorities the school does not have enough money to employ a deputy headteacher or to develop the management structure by allocating a sufficient number of management posts.

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PART B: COMMENTARY

Although the financial details published in this report show that there was a large budgetary surplus last year, this has been completely used up by equipping and staffing the new classes required as numbers increased. The governing body are anticipating a very small surplus for contingencies this year. The governing body have not developed a long-term strategic plan designed to address these financial issues and to steer financial planning towards resolving shortfalls.

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PART B: COMMENTARY

40. Funds are carefully controlled and all accounts are kept meticulously and audited regularly. All allocations of money are used for the purposes designated. The office staff work well as a team and ensure that the day-to-day management of administrative routines run smoothly and efficiently. Of necessity much time has to be spent on dealing with the administrative details associated with enrolling new pupils. The financial picture is not clear but on the figures provided by the school it would appear that allocations of money per child is well below average.

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PART B: COMMENTARY

41. Governors have each accepted responsibility for monitoring different aspects of the curriculum. They have developed links with subject co-ordinators and Cedarwood Primary School - 24 discuss developments with them. The headteacher regularly collects in pupils’ work to monitor their achievement and to identify areas for improvement in teaching and learning. One area identified for improvement was spelling as older pupils are not sure about spelling rules and therefore make many errors. A start has been made on conducting lesson observations in order to monitor the quality of teaching and learning. There is no clear timetable for evaluating pupils’ work regularly. There is a proforma for recording details about the quality of teaching when evaluating lessons but this does not include a section for recording the strengths and weaknesses in teaching. As a result feedback to teachers on their performance is not as helpful as it should be. Subject co-

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PART B: COMMENTARY

ordinators have had few opportunities to monitor teaching and learning in their areas of responsibility and little training in how to identify areas for development in teaching. These are pre-requisites if the school is to maintain high quality teaching throughout the school. The headteacher conducts useful interviews with pupils to determine their views. His last investigation revealed that pupils liked their school very much but would like to have more practical work. Pupils also indicated that they would like clearer explanations about what is expected of them. They would also like more time for work in mathematics and they would like their work in mathematics to be displayed more prominently.

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PART B: COMMENTARY

42. The school has been working systematically towards developing all the policies required to maintain its efficient management. It has prioritised appropriately. The first policy agreed concerned health and safety issues and was soon followed by a teaching and learning policy that provides good guidance for teachers and helps to maintain good standards of teaching.

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PART B: COMMENTARY

43. Taking into account the rapidly improving standards and the high proportion of very good teaching, despite limited resources, the school provides good value for money. The staff and governors share a strong commitment to improve standards further and the school has very good capacity to develop significantly over the next few years.

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PART B: COMMENTARY

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

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PART B: COMMENTARY

44. In order to improve standards further the headteacher, staff and governing body should:

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PART B: COMMENTARY

(1) Improve the procedures for monitoring and evaluating the quality of teaching and learning by:  setting a clear timetable for monitoring and evaluating of pupils’ work regularly;  adding a section to the lesson observation proforma that has space for indicating clearly the strengths of teaching as well as areas for improvement;  providing training for subject co-ordinators in strategies that help them to evaluate the quality of teaching and leaning in their areas of responsibility. (paragraph 41) Cedarwood Primary School - 25 (2) As part of the school development plan devise a long-term strategic plan designed to guide the school in allocating its finances so that resources can be maintained at adequate levels and so that the school can put in place an improved management structure. (paragraphs 14, 39)

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PART B: COMMENTARY

(3) Develop the school library so that it is sufficiently equipped to support teaching and learning and provide opportunities for pupils to research for information. (paragraphs 14, 38, 69)

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PART B: COMMENTARY

Other less significant areas for improvement:

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PART B: COMMENTARY

 Storage facilities are inadequate. (paragraphs 38, 91, 122)  The encouragement of pupils to take greater responsibility. (paragraphs 4, 9, 23)  The use of computers in classrooms to support teaching and learning. (paragraphs 4, 17, 69, 86, 91, 95, 100, 110, 118, 121, 127) Cedarwood Primary School - 26

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 43

p.26

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

p.26

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Percentage 10 25 61 3 2 0 0 The table gives the number and percentage of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about teaching. Care should be taken when interpreting these percentages as each lesson represents more than one percentage point.

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

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

p.26

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 8

p.26

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 2

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 12

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.26

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 1

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.26

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 41

p.26

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 6

p.26

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

National comparative data 5.4 National comparative data 0.5 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Cedarwood Primary School - 27 Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2) Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2002 12 6 18

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Boys Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Percentage of pupils School 94 (n/a) 94 (n/a) 94 (n/a) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (84) 86 (86) 90 (91)

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Boys Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls

p.27

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Percentage of pupils School 94 (n/a) 94 (n/a) 94 (n/a) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (85) 89 (89) 89 (89)

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

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

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Most of the pupils in Year 2 who took the national tests were new arrivals at the school. According to guidance, the numbers of boys and girls have not been entered in the table as the number of girls was less than 10.

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

The table of national test results for pupils in last year’s Year 6 is not published as there were only five pupils in the group, the results were untypical and not statistically significant. Cedarwood Primary School - 28 Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

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

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

White – any other White background 1 0 0

p.28

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Mixed – any other mixed background 0 0 0

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Asian or Asian British - Pakistani 1 0 0

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi 0 0 0

p.28

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

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

p.28

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Black or Black British – Caribbean 0 0 0

p.28

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

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

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

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.

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Teachers and classes Financial information

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 8 Financial year 2001-2002

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 21.6

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Education support staff: YR– Y6 Total income 255 658

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Total number of education support staff 7 Total expenditure 213 872

p.28

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Total aggregate hours worked per week 113 Expenditure per pupil 1 768

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

FTE means full-time equivalent. Balance brought forward from previous year 0

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Balance carried forward to next year 41 786 Cedarwood Primary School - 29 Recruitment of teachers

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 0

p.29

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 3

p.29

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

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

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) 0 FTE means full-time equivalent. Cedarwood Primary School - 30 Results of the survey of parents and carers

p.29

Questionnaire return rate

Percentage of responses in each category

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Questionnaire return rate

Strongl y agree Tend to agree Tend to disagr ee Strongl y disagr ee Don’t know

p.30

Questionnaire return rate

My child is making good progress in school. 49 47 4 0 0

p.30

Questionnaire return rate

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

p.30

Questionnaire return rate

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 36 44 13 0 7

p.30

Questionnaire return rate

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 46 39 11 1 3

p.30

Questionnaire return rate

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 79 20 0 1 0

p.30

Questionnaire return rate

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 61 34 1 0 3

p.30

Questionnaire return rate

The school works closely with parents. 47 44 4 1 3

p.30

Questionnaire return rate

The school is well led and managed. 64 34 0 0 1

p.30

Questionnaire return rate

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 49 49 1 0 1

p.30

Questionnaire return rate

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 33 37 14 1 14

p.30

Other issues raised by parents

Several parents expressed the wish to know more about what the pupils are being taught in lessons. Cedarwood Primary School - 31 There was some concern expressed over provision for pupils in Year 6 and in particular the effect that the behaviour of a very small minority of boys have on the learning of the rest of the class. Cedarwood Primary School - 32

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THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

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THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES

A revised curriculum that follows national guidance has been introduced for children in nursery and reception classes. National guidance recommends six areas of learning and these are:

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THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES

 personal, social and emotional development;  communication, language and literacy;  mathematical development;  knowledge and understanding of the world;  physical development; and  creative development.

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THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES

The curriculum details ‘stepping stones’ in each area of learning that lead to ‘early learning goals’ for each area.

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THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES

Personal, social and emotional development

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THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES

45. The relationships between the teacher, the nursery nurse and the children in the reception class are excellent and support the children’s personal, social and emotional development exceptionally well. Staff are acutely aware of the varying stages of development of each child and approaches are modified to meet the needs of each. Specific tasks are allocated to children that are within their capabilities so that they can experience success and feel good about themselves. The teacher shares information about her own life, such as not being able to buy a Christmas tree until she has moved house, and this helps to encourage the children to talk about events in their lives. The teacher also pretends not to be sure about how to do things and invites the children’s suggestions. This is a particularly good strategy as it encourages reflection and makes the children feel that they are fully involved in decision-making. One

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THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES

group of children were asked to help the nursery nurse to read a very hard story book. There are ample opportunities for problem solving as the teacher asks, for example, how on earth the class are going to find their way to Bethlehem. One child suggested taking the globe with them to help them find the way. They are given wide ranging responsibilities. During ‘Nursery Rhyme Week’, for example, they were divided into small groups and each group was allocated a nursery rhyme and given responsibility for discussing and designing a display to illustrate their particular rhyme. They worked well as a group and succeeded in producing imaginative displays. They know that they are responsible for packing away the large wooden bricks in the wooden box because, try though they might, none of the adults know how to arrange the bricks so that they all fit. They work together well to put the heavy wooden lid

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THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES

46. One excellent strategy that is frequently used is to ask the children to discuss possible solutions to problems with their partners. This works well as, again, the children develop a heightened sense of responsibility for their own learning. The teacher spreads her questions carefully to ensure that all children are involved in discussions. The teacher and classroom assistant give plenty of praise and encouragement and this helps to boost children’s confidence. The Cedarwood Primary School - 33 children are thoughtful and kind. One boy complimented one of the girls on her new hair-style and another kept an eye on the register monitors to make sure that they knew where the office was. The children are led to an understanding that it is perfectly acceptable to make mistakes or to find some difficulty in solving problems. After activities the teacher often asks what difficulties pupils experienced. After wrapping up parcels, for example, the teacher asked the

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THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES

children to describe precisely what was difficult so that those who tried later could be prepared for any pitfalls. After explaining activities the teacher invites the children to give her a nod if they are sure that they understand what is expected of them. The children listen attentively to each other and are polite and considerate. They wait patiently when children occasionally struggle to find the words needed to express themselves. Racial harmony features strongly and boys and girls are prepared to sit on the same seat when sharing a computer to design nativity scenes. The children are good at taking turns and readily accept the advice of their friends. They play happily in the baby clinic and minor disputes over who should be the patient and who the nurse, are settled amicably without the need for adult intervention. As a result of the exceptionally good start to school in the reception class children develop a

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THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES

good level of self-assuredness and are confident in their relationships. They are highly motivated to learn and enjoy tackling new experiences.

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THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES

47. The children achieve exceptionally well in this area of learning and attain standards that are much in advance of those normally expected of children in a reception class. Good opportunities are provided to develop children’s speaking and listening skills, both informally through role-play in the babies’ clinic and in a more structured way in class discussions. Children talk confidently and listen carefully. The teacher makes no concessions to the children’s age by selecting a limited vocabulary and has high expectations of pupils’ ability to develop a wide vocabulary. ‘That’s a good idea but I think it has many implications. Let’s think about some of the implications.’ The children are acutely aware of sounds and letters and spot similarities in words, ‘Hey, look there’s a J for Jesus and it’s the same as the J for Joseph, it’s the same phoneme.’ When investigating the articles found in a blue box that

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THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES

appeared in the classroom, they quickly agreed that all the articles, such as balls, books, bears, all began with the same phoneme and they were adamant that the ruler found in the box could not be part of the same set of objects. They examined the letters ‘p’, ‘d’ and ‘b’ and discussed the similarities in the shapes.

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THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES

48. The children love listening to stories and listen closely. They recall the events of familiar stories, such as ‘Goldilocks and the Three Bears’ in the correct sequence and retell the main events well. Many children are already beginning to read simple books. When reading they demonstrate good strategies for working out unfamiliar words, such as sounding out the word by using their good understanding of the sounds that letters make, using their understanding of the context of the word and likely possibilities and using illustrations to give clues about the meaning of words. The class have worked collaboratively to produce an excellent book, ‘Babies – A non-fiction book by the Foundation Cedarwood Primary School - 34 Class.’ The book is dedicated to a baby who was just 5 days old when he visited the class to assist the children with their research. The book is well written and demonstrates that the children have well-developed skills; several

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THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES

wrote simple sentences such as, ‘They need milk’. Spelling is plausible, as when a child wrote ’Besd pomiGRnit’ for ‘ Best pomegranate’ when conducting a survey on favourite fruits.

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THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES

49. Children have a good grasp of the technicalities of language. These use technical terms, such as ‘phoneme’ accurately and recognise words that rhyme. During registration they noticed, for example, that seven rhymed with eleven. One commented that the word ‘Twelfth’ was ‘a bit of a tongue twist’. When asked by the teacher what phoneme she needed to start ‘Thursday’ the whole class chorused ‘T’ and ‘h’. Inspired by the book by Eric Carle, ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar,’ they wrote alliterative sentences for each day of the week, such as ‘Wandering in wet Wellingtons on Wednesday’, and ‘ Find fun fish on a foggy Friday’. Most remember that this pattern of words beginning with the same phoneme is described as alliteration. Children dictate their writing for the teacher to write out for them, such as the poster in the clinic which showed how good the class are at writing instructions, such as those for changing as baby’s

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THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES

nappy. Two girls wrote a poem collaboratively and dictated it to the teacher. This demonstrated a good understanding of this form of writing, ‘At night it is dark And sometimes scary The owls hoot The bats come out! At night it is dark And sometimes scary.’ Cedarwood Primary School - 35 Mathematical development

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50. Children achieve well and learn rapidly. Most have already met the early learning goals specified in national guidance. They can count reliably well beyond ten although counting numbers larger than twenty is not always quite accurate. Registration periods are used well to reinforce and extend children’s understanding of number. During these sessions the large 100 square mounted on the wall is used extensively by the teacher and by the children. In one session the teacher suggested weighing and measuring the five toy babies in the baby clinic. First they had to whisper to their partner which one they thought was the longest and which the shortest. Then they had to determine how they could check to see if they were correct. The teacher had planned to arrange them side by side to determine which was the longest and which the shortest but the children thought that it would be better to measure them

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properly by using interlocking plastic bricks as the unit of measurement. First they estimated, ‘I think 21’, ‘I think 89’. The shortest doll measured 15 cubes and the longest 24. The hundred square was used to identify these numbers. The teacher asked which was the greater number and how did the children know which was the greater. They all found this a very hard question to answer. They had a good understanding that the pointer on the scales moved around the circular face to indicate the weight of the babies and were able to use this knowledge to determine which was the heaviest and which the lightest. They reflected on why one was so short and weighed less than the others. ’I don’t think that the mummy’s been feeding it properly’. ‘No, it might only just have been born.’

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51. Pupils develop a good understanding of collecting and arranging data. One morning an important letter arrived from King Herod requiring the class to proceed to Bethlehem to be taxed. The King required information for taxation purposes. The class busily recorded gender, age, eye colour and hair colour on a tally chart. The data was carefully prepared to send to the King. In an earlier project the children had conducted a survey of the class to determine which fruit was the most popular. They used the information to create a bar graph to illustrate their findings and used this to answer questions such as, ‘Which fruit is the most popular?’ and ‘How many more people chose apples than chose lemons?’

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

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52. Children achieve particularly well and learn rapidly. Most have already met the early learning goals specified in national guidance. Their ability to use computers is exceptional because skills are taught systematically and because the teacher has high expectations of the children’s ability to learn new skills. Children were required to create a picture to illustrate the song, ‘Twinkle, twinkle, little star’. They demonstrated good prior knowledge of the computer’s paint program and knew how to select colour from the palette and select a tool from the shape menu. They used the spray facility to make ‘glitter’ and explained that the ‘fill tool’ was their new tool for the week. They understood that if they did not make a completely joined shape then the colour would flood the whole screen. One boy acted as the teacher when he showed the others Cedarwood Primary School - 36 how he had made a star using vertical, horizontal and diagonal lines. The

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whole class produced well-crafted, colourful designs. They used their good reading skills to identify the file menu, to select ‘print’ and print out their work successfully. The teacher emphasised that she was looking for good sharing strategies and at the end of the lesson the children explained what they had found tricky and shared the new techniques that several had found out about by experimenting with the tools. They understood that when the colour of their pictures started to look strange, then it was time to change the cartridge.

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53. Pupils designed and made bibs from different materials and then evaluated their completed products. The results were inconclusive; the plastic bibs they made were easier to clean but the ones made from cotton soaked up more dribbles. The class have conducted detailed research into the conditions that babies need to thrive and the toys they like to play with. As a result of their research they were rather scathing about the presents that the three wise men presented to the baby Jesus, considering them most unsuitable. They designed and made more suitable alternatives. The children experimented with the materials that were most suitable for making a baby’s rattle. They concluded that tissue paper and sponge rubber would be no good as a filler but that split peas, lentils or pasta worked well. They considered the quantity of the material to put into their rattles. Good links were made with developing thinking

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and speaking skills as the teacher asked why the container made no noise when totally filled. This proved a hard question to answer but one child concluded, ‘Because there’s no space left for them to bang into each other.’

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54. Children have a good understanding of time passing and know about the stages of their lives from being babies, to becoming toddlers and then school children. They know that dinosaurs lived millions of years ago and that Jesus was born two thousand years ago. They drew detailed maps of their journey to Bethlehem, showing their route, together with physical features they expected to see on their journey, such as rivers, hills and the sea, as well as the pub to stop for a rest on the way.

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55. The outside play area is used well to provide good opportunities for physical development. The class considered different modes of transport, ranging from helicopters to donkeys to make their journey to Bethlehem. They were led by the teacher as they energetically tried out each method, first zooming across the playground and then trotting rhythmically, first fast then slow. The children use wheeled vehicles confidently and develop the ability to steer accurately and control the vehicles well. When running they have developed a good awareness of others and skilfully avoid collisions. The class visits the hall twice a week for well planned dance, drama, gymnastics and activities involving small apparatus, such as bats and balls. Children have good throwing and catching skills and are good at kicking footballs. The teacher has good plans for the further development of the outside area to make it an even more

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effective learning environment. Cedarwood Primary School - 37 56. Good opportunities are provided for pupils to practise using tools such as paintbrushes, pencils and scissors. In one lesson, for example, pupils practised wrapping presents. They found this extremely challenging but most persevered. They estimated the amount of wrapping paper required and cut it out well, although some of the edges were jagged. They found folding and sticking difficult but most succeeded in completing their wrapping but the results were somewhat fragile. The children are skilled at using the computer’s mouse. They point the cursor accurately before ‘firing’ with the left hand clicker. They display exceptional concentration during such activities.

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57. Children paint bold portraits of their friends and identify the similarities and differences. Good links are made between the different areas of learning. Children used paint and rollers effectively to make a large wall poster about shapes and labelled them, ‘square’, ‘rectangle’, ‘rhombus’, ‘triangle’. They printed a large number of circles with a wide range of circular objects and considered the properties of circles. Good links are made with literacy and the children have, for example, created a colourful mural based on a favourite book, ‘The Rainbow Fish’. The nursery nurse accompanies the children’s singing well with her guitar and the children have learned a good repertoire of songs. They made special play dough for a special baby that included the addition of glitter to the mixture as well as cinnamon and cloves to make it smell nice. The playhouse outside in the enclosed play area is used well for imaginative activities.

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During the week of the inspection it had been converted into a stable and was equipped with sparkling robes, a donkey and straw strewn on the floor.

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58. Children readily slip into imaginary worlds as they engage in various activities. They were captivated by preparations for their journey to Bethlehem. They carefully packed their bags, ‘A dummy for the baby, a towel for when we go swimming and a tin of peas to eat on the way.’ The class received a special letter from Mary and Joseph announcing the birth of their son Jesus and asking if they would like to pay an early visit before Bethlehem became too crowded. When following their maps as they journeyed to Bethlehem they saw the most amazing sights on the way. When they reached the stable they saw a strange light and were amazed to see a woman wearing long flowing clothes and partly hidden by her blue shawl, cradling her baby. It was a magical moment as they quietly offered the special gifts that they had made in class.

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59. Pupils’ attainment overall is broadly average by the end of Year 2 and by the end of Year 6. As a result of the good teaching, pupils achieve well but their good achievement has not been sustained over a long enough period to yet have raised standards above those found in most schools. By the end of Year 2 and again by the end of Year 6, pupils are likely to attain standards that are above average in speaking and listening and in reading. Standards in writing are likely to be broadly average. Given that most pupils are new to the school, standards are as high as might reasonably be expected. The very small number of pupils with English as an additional language achieve as well as all the others. Pupils with special educational needs achieve well and, in relation to their prior attainment, attain reasonable standards.

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60. Pupils communicate clearly and are confident in talking about their work. They listen very well to their teachers and to each other. In discussions with partners, they exchange ideas sensibly, consider alternative points carefully and reach decisions agreeably. A very effective strategy in developing pupils’ speaking Cedarwood Primary School - 38 and listening skills is the regular opportunities pupils are given in lessons to spend a few minutes talking to their partners about possible solutions to problems set by teachers. This works well in literacy lessons and in other areas of the curriculum and makes a good contribution to social development. This strategy was used very effectively in a lesson for pupils in Year 5 when Father Christmas was their guest and they asked him lots of questions. Good partner discussions enabled pupils to frame a good range of appropriate questions and to compose newspaper headlines featuring Father Christmas.

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Pupils in Year 6 had a good opportunity to use their speaking skills at an end of term concert. This event had been planned entirely by Year 6 pupils and several of them were announcers. One pupil gave a delightful speech at the end of the performance giving thanks to all who had taken part, and to the visitors for coming into school. In lessons teachers model speech well, especially when telling stories. They include a lot of expression, for effect. In a good Year 1 lesson the teacher read with expression, and varied the volume of her voice from very quiet to very loud. Pupils were encouraged to join in with parts of the story after the teacher had given guidance on how to express the words. This was a good learning experience.

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61. Pupils handle books confidently and most are able to talk, in some detail, about the books they are reading. Reading is taught well with good attention to ensuring that the younger pupils have a good grasp of the relationship between letters and the sounds that they represent. Reading opportunities take place daily at the start of every afternoon session. This makes a good contribution to pupils’ reading development, but it is rather noisy in some classrooms, and this affects pupils’ concentration. This session is used well for guided reading activities, outside the literacy hour and enables teachers to spend more time concentrating on writing skills in literacy lessons. Records indicate that a number of pupils who need to have daily opportunities to read do not practise their reading every day. Pupils have a reading diary, which contains a record of the books they have read outside the school’s reading scheme. Most of the

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entries are by parents, who include useful comments about the way their child has read, any difficulties they have encountered and whether the child has enjoyed the book. The diaries are a useful way of developing a reading partnership between home and school. In discussions, most pupils are not aware of reading targets or how they can improve their reading. The majority are able to explain differences between fiction and non-fiction books, but few are able to explain how they would set about finding information in the school library. The under-developed library skills limits pupils’ work in other subjects where literacy and research skills are required.

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62. By the end of Year 6 the majority of pupils are fluent, confident readers who are able to talk about their reading in appropriate detail. They discuss their preferences in reading and most identify the authors they particularly enjoy. Pupils are beginning to consider characters and issues in their reading at a more complex level. Pupils in Year 6 particularly enjoyed reading a suspense story. They discussed, confidently, the way the author had built up tension, and suspense, as the passage unfolded. A minority of pupils still read hesitantly and find it difficult to discuss the content of their books. Cedarwood Primary School - 39 63. Pupils experience a reasonable range of writing opportunities, which include, writing diaries, letters and instructions. They construct simple sentences properly and use simple punctuation appropriately. Generally their written work is grammatically correct. Most pupils hold pencils properly and form letters

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reasonably well, with appropriate attention to shape and size. The handwriting practice books purchased to support improvements in writing are a good resource, but inspection evidence suggests they are under-used in some classes, and therefore pupils are not having consistent opportunities to improve their handwriting. Many of the new pupils, who have not been taught according to the school’s system of teaching handwriting and presentation skills, often present work in an untidy manner. These untidy pieces of work are characterised by careless mistakes, slipshod handwriting and inaccurate spelling.

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64. The school is focusing on improving writing as a priority. A good action plan is in place that is designed to ensure that pupils have plenty of opportunities for writing in all curriculum areas. There was a good example of this in a history lesson in Year 2 where pupils were finding out about life in trenches in World War One. After a good discussion, and some very good drama activities, pupils wrote letters home from the trenches. This gave them an opportunity to write about an event they had played no part in, and to use their imagination to the full. Good preparatory activities ensured the pupils had developed a good understanding of the events, and consequently the writing was good. Pupils communicated their feelings well in this piece of work. In a Year 6 geography lesson pupils were asked to write a report about mountains. The teacher referred the pupils to the work they had covered recently in literacy on

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structuring reports. This ensured that pupils were able to concentrate on the content of the report, knowing they had a structure to work to. As part of their research in history, pupils have written biographies of famous Victorians. Teachers are making good use of literacy skills in other subjects and this is a particular strength of the good planning.

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65. Many pupils are capable of writing independently and need little guidance or support, whilst others need help to ensure they convey meaning clearly and write an appropriate amount. The school does not have many teaching assistants and therefore appropriate support and guidance is often the teacher’s sole responsibility. In the large classes the teacher cannot always deal with all the pupils who need support and attention simultaneously and this limits their achievement.

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66. Pupils in Year 6 write for an appropriate range of purposes which include descriptive narrative, writing in role as one of the characters in their reading, writing for information, comparing poems they have read, formal letters of complaint, requests for information and biographies. Writing shows appropriate use of more formal language and most writing is usually organised into paragraphs. There are variable levels of accuracy in both spelling and basic punctuation. The school has identified spelling as a priority for improvement. Most teachers encourage pupils to have a go at a spelling first before helping them further. In some classrooms laminated copies of commonly used words are available to support spelling, and in others, boxes of words are available on Cedarwood Primary School - 40 each table. Pupils have not learned the strategies needed to become effective spellers. The practice of sending spellings home on a weekly basis supports

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the learning partnership between home and school well, and contributes to pupil progress in this area.

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67. The quality of teaching throughout the school is good. All pupils are fully involved in all lesson activities. A very effective feature of the teaching is the sharing of learning intentions at the beginning of lessons. These are usually revisited at the end of the lesson so that pupils and teachers can assess the extent to which they have succeeded in meeting the intentions. A very good marking system indicates how well teachers believe pupils have met the learning intentions; three ticks means the learning intention has been fully met, whereas two means the pupil has only partly met the objective whilst one indicates that the objective has not been met. This information is used well to assess learning and to address any particular needs that emerge. Teachers frame questions skilfully to extend pupils’ understanding and to assess what pupils have learned. Teachers and classroom assistants, where available,

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work effectively in partnership to support pupils’ learning.

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68. Assessment procedures are good. The results of national tests, reading tests and optional tests are analysed carefully to identify appropriate priorities and to determine how the curriculum can be adapted to meet the needs of all pupils. Pupils’ progress in both reading and writing is carefully recorded and teachers are fully aware of pupils’ strengths and weaknesses. Target setting for individual pupils, and groups of pupils, is underway with consistent practice developing across year groups. The school has reviewed the original pupil targets and made them more challenging as standards of attainment have improved more rapidly than expected. These targets are not always shared with pupils. 69. Resources are generally satisfactory at present but there are no plans to increase the level of resources in line with the steadily increasing number of pupils in the school. The library is grossly under-stocked and has many empty

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shelves. Whilst the range of non-fiction material is generally appropriate, there is not enough books to support research or the effective teaching of library skills. The use of computers to support teaching and learning is satisfactory. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 use special keyboards, covered with an overlay to help them write. The overlay has been specially prepared with the most commonly used words. Computers are not often used in literacy lessons. Where they are used they support learning well. In a good lesson in Year 3, one pupil used a word processor well to write a story. In a very good lesson in Year 4, pupils used a thesaurus well to help them with their writing, and ‘clip art’ was used effectively to help them illustrate their work.

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70. The subject is well led by the co-ordinator who has a good understanding of the subject’s strengths and weaknesses. In order to identify these she has analysed a wealth of assessment data. From this information she has identified writing and spelling as priorities and they have therefore been included in the school development plan. The co-ordinator is building up a portfolio of moderated work to help staff and pupils feel secure about the Cedarwood Primary School - 41 standards that need to be achieved at successive National Curriculum levels. So far the co-ordinator has not had opportunity to monitor classroom lessons.

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71. Pupils achieve well in Years 1 and 2 and by the end of Year 2 most are likely to attain standards that are above average. Pupils continue to achieve well in Years 3 to 5 but achievement in Year 6, although satisfactory, is more erratic and pupils in Year 6 are likely to attain average standards by the end of this school year. Pupils with special educational needs achieve as well as the other pupils, as do those who are particularly gifted. Several have Individual Education Plans to support their learning. Those who are particularly advanced have ambitious targets set for their attainment. Several pupils in Year 5 will be expected to attain the exceptionally high Level 6 standard by the end of Year 6. Provision is made for the most able pupils to spend special residential weekends on courses designed to meet their particular learning needs.

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72. The National Numeracy Strategy has been implemented successfully. Pupils are particularly good at number work. In most classes the registration period is used well to extend pupils’ understanding of number and the large 100 square displayed in each classroom supports learning well in these sessions. Pupils in the Years 1 and 2 use it as an aid when counting forwards, counting backwards, counting in multiples of two, five, and ten or finding the difference between two numbers. There is not a great quantity of work produced in Year 2 mainly because, quite rightly, much of the work is oral and the teacher spends time extending understanding rather than practising written calculations. Work in books is not always neat and presentation skills need refining. Pupils use their numeracy skills well in other subjects. In Year 2, for example, pupils have measured carefully in design and technology lessons when making model

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vehicles and when making little boxes to hold the Christmas biscuits they have made. Pupils in Year 5 organised a whole school fund raising project for charity that involved making, pricing and selling cakes. This provided good opportunities to practise number skills in a good range of practical activities.

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73. Good links are made with other subjects and in Year 5, for example, excellent work on spreadsheets used to create shopping bills in information and communication technology complemented number work well. In this class pupils produced accurate line graphs to plot the growth of plants grown under different conditions as part of an experiment in science. In Year 2, good work is produced on shape and space and pupils have a good understanding of the properties of simple two and three-dimensional shapes. By Year 6, much more complex work is attempted as pupils examine the properties of regular heptagons, decagons, nonagons and dodecagons. In Year 6, most pupils present their work neatly.

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74. The quality of teaching is predominantly good for pupils in each class and often it is very good. Across the school, teachers’ lesson plans are particularly good. They are thorough and describe how work will be modified to meet the Cedarwood Primary School - 42 needs of pupils who are at differing stages of development. The plans include clear details of precisely what teachers expect pupils to learn during the course of each lesson. These learning intentions are shared with the pupils and reviewed towards the end of each lesson. This helps pupils to gain a good understanding of how successful they are in their learning. They often describe the classroom assistant’s role in the lesson but rarely refer to how the classroom computer will be used to support learning. In one good lesson for pupils in Year 2, pupils were using matchsticks or lollypop sticks to make triangles. They had to find ways of calculating how many matchsticks were

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used to create, for example, 15 triangles. This they found challenging. They recorded their results as they made more and more triangles and looked for emerging patterns. In a good review session towards the end of the lesson, the teacher urged children to notice the pattern of odd and even numbers in each successive product and the pupils grasped the idea that they could use the patterns to find quick ways at arriving at the correct answers as, for example, where five triangles are made from 15 matchsticks, so ten triangles would need twice as many.

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75. In a good lesson in Year 6, pupils were challenged to devise a series of five numbers that formed a sequence. Pupils strove to find a complex set of numbers to present to their partners. The partners were at similar stages of development so that the lower attaining pupils presented their partners with appropriate challenge whilst the higher attaining pupils devised extremely complex sequences that involved decimal fractions and several operations. Registration periods are used well in the classes for the older pupils. In Year 4, for example, a routine has been established that involves pupils rapidly solving problems written on the board immediately they arrive in the classroom. In a very good lesson in Year 5 the small white boards were used well by pupils to record their answers to the teacher’s imaginative questions. At the word of command they held up their answers, which enabled the teacher to see

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immediately who had understood the question and who had not. In this lesson the technique of discussing problems with partners was used well. They were asked, for example, to discuss how fifty six hundredths might be written as a decimal fraction. The computer was used well by pupils who consolidated their understanding by completing a program that required quick responses to questions about the equivalence of fractions. In a very good lesson in Year 3, excellent links were made with work in design and technology as pupils designed and made clocks as part of their work on time. They made water clocks, sand timers and ‘tocker’ timers. These activities developed their understanding very well.

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76. The co-ordinator manages the subject well. She has analysed pupils’ performance in tests to identify areas for development. She has examined pupils’ records of attainment in tests that they completed in their previous schools and selected pupils whose results declined after arriving at the school. She conducted interviews with these pupils to determine the reasons for a decline in their performance. It appears that a minority of pupils take time to settle into their new classes in a new school and this has a short-term impact on their achievement, which falters for a while. She has scrutinised teachers’ marking of pupils’ work to determine its effectiveness in helping pupils to Cedarwood Primary School - 43 improve their work. She has made a start on monitoring and evaluating teaching and learning by observing lessons but has not as yet been able to identify areas that need developing in teaching. She has identified the need to

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invest in more computer software so that teachers are able to use computers more effectively to support learning. She has written a good policy that, after discussions with all teaching staff, is now in its fourth draft. Assessment procedures are good and a computerised system is used to analyse data from tests to set targets for each child based on their prior performance. The governor with particular responsibility for monitoring the subject has visited the school and held meetings with the co-ordinator. At this early stage in the school’s development it is clear that the subject has a high profile in the school and there is good capacity to make further advances.

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77. Pupils arrived in the school in September 2001 from a variety of other schools and with a range of scientific experience and knowledge. Having decided upon an appropriate curriculum for the age range of the pupils, which teaches science in a series of inter-linked themes, the staff are now about to embark on a review of this programme, and to make any necessary adjustments in the light of their increased knowledge of the pupils’ level of attainment. 78. By the end of Year 2 and again by the end of Year 6, pupils are likely to attain average standards. It is difficult to judge the achievement of pupils as they progress through the school as there is little evidence upon which to base judgments. However, from the lessons observed and from the scrutiny of work, there are clear signs that the effective teaching is having a positive impact on the standards and the school is well placed to make further advances and to

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improve standards. Learning in lessons is good.

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79. From Year 1 to Year 6, there is an emphasis on the principles of good scientific enquiry. In Year 1, pupils use their senses to explore a range of materials. They record their findings in sentences and with illustrations – ‘It is yellow and shiny’, ‘It smells like the sea’ or ‘It makes a crunchy sound’. By Year 2, pupils group materials according to their properties. They identify natural or non- natural materials or say that they are not sure. The also find out that materials can be changed, for example by heat. Whilst carrying out these simple investigations, the pupils record their findings clearly.

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80. By the time the pupils reach Year 3, they are challenged to suggest different methods of testing. For example, as part of a unit of work about teeth, they had to suggest a method of testing the effectiveness of two different toothpastes. They are becoming aware of the need for a fair test and are able to make predictions as to the outcome of a test. In Year 4, pupils identified the need for a fair test when judging which materials are good thermal insulators. They recognised that all the materials being tested had to stand in the same hot water for the same length of time. Using a clear framework, they recorded the main points of their investigations, which included a prediction and a conclusion. The teacher emphasised the importance of a diagram, with clear labels. In Year 6, pupils have quite sophisticated discussions about Cedarwood Primary School - 44 environmental issues. In one lesson they related changes to the environment

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to their knowledge of habitats and food chains. Pupils identified the positive and negative impacts caused by a change to the environment, for example, when a new school is built.

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81. Across the school, teaching is good. Teachers show confidence in the subject and clearly explain scientific concepts and principles. Lessons are well planned and well organised. Good use is made of the resources available and lessons have good pace that helps to maintain pupils’ interest. In a lesson in Year 1, pupils sat in almost complete darkness when thinking about materials through which light cannot pass. They responded with great enthusiasm and were able to think of ways to eliminate sources of light. A lesson in Year 5 included a game which encouraged pupils to think about the life cycle of a song thrush and the possible threats to its continued existence. Teachers do their very best to make lessons interesting for the pupils who are enthusiastic and look forward to the next lesson. As a result of the very positive teaching, pupils work well in lessons. They listen carefully to instructions and they respond well

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to their teachers’ high expectations of their behaviour. They treat equipment and resources with care and they are keen to contribute ideas to discussions. Teachers are not all sufficiently confident that they know pupils well enough as yet to provide opportunities for them to carry out investigations entirely on their own.

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82. Teachers use a nationally recommended planning framework to plan sequences of lessons and to identify and record the scientific skills that pupils are acquiring. They have not yet begun to analyse this data systematically in order to determine the level of pupils’ attainment in terms of National Curriculum levels and to identify particular areas for improvement. Computers are used appropriately as, for example, when pupils record their investigations or when they enter data that they have gathered. The co-ordinator is very keen to develop the subject throughout the school. She has produced a good action plan designed to focus attention on improving standards. She has begun to organise resources into a series of ‘topic boxes’ to match the units of work that have been planned to ensure full coverage of all the statutory programmes of study. The co-ordinator is also in the early stages of developing an

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environmental area in the school grounds. With financial help from a high street bank, a small area has been fenced off and a storage shed provided. The site will include a wet area as well as space for growing a range of vegetables and herbs. Cedarwood Primary School - 45 ART AND DESIGN

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83. Pupils achieve well in Years 1 and 2 and by the end of Year 2 most attain standards that are above average. Pupils achieve well in Years 3, 4 and 5 and satisfactorily in Year 6. Pupils in Year 6 are likely to attain average standards by the end of the school year. Mark Rothko’s ‘A Winter’s Sky’ provided inspiration for a good series of lessons in Year 1 that culminated in the production of good pictures for Christmas cards. Particularly good work was seen in Year 2 where pupils were studying works by Renoir, Monet, Seurat, Derain and Van Gogh. They placed viewfinders over a part of the work by these famous artists and attempted to emulate the style of painting. Those working on the Van Gogh painting, for example, mixed their paint with sand and applied it with spatulas to achieve the thick, textured effect favoured by the artist. Those working on Seurat’s ‘The Harbour at Honfleur’ painted in dots like

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the Pointillists. This work was the culmination of a whole series of lessons where pupils had developed skills cumulatively throughout the term.

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84. There were examples of good work in Year 4 where pupils had divided a painting by Monet into sections. Pupils were allocated a section to copy before all sections were assembled into a large mural. This was a challenging activity that taxed pupils’ colour mixing skills. Good still life work in Year 5 was well structured. In one lesson pupils used charcoal and white chalk to emphasise light and shade. Once this had been established they subsequently painted good still life pictures, having gained a good understanding of how to use line and tone from their prior learning.

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85. The quality of teaching is good in Years 1 and 2. There was insufficient evidence available to form judgements about the quality of teaching in Year 3 to 6. The good teaching is based on thorough planning and good lesson preparation. Teachers define clearly the precise skills that they intend pupils to learn during the course of a lesson. Pupils achieve particularly well in Years 1 and 2 because lessons follow a clear sequence and skills are built progressively in successive lessons. The teachers have a good understanding of the subject and maintain high expectations of the quality of work that they expect pupils to produce.

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86. The subject is managed well. The co-ordinator is in the process of producing a good planning framework that is designed to give teachers clear guidance and promote good coverage of the statutory programmes of study described in the National Curriculum. Resources are adequate but the co-ordinator has identified shortages of books, prints and computer material to support teaching and learning. Computers are used well to support learning in the strand of the subject that concerns exploring and designing but they are not used much for research into the similarities and differences in the work of artists, craftspeople and designers in different times and cultures. Visits are used well to extend learning opportunities, such as a recent visit to a local museum. There is as yet no system in place for assessing and recording the development of pupils’ skills, knowledge and understanding but the co-ordinator has devised a

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manageable system that she intends to present to staff in the near future. Cedarwood Primary School - 46 DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

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87. Pupils’ achievement is satisfactory and, by the end of Year 2 and again by the end of Year 6, they attain average standards. Pupils develop an understanding of how to join pieces of material using a range of resources, including pins, glue, staples, sticky tape and string. In Year 2 they have constructed sturdy vehicles with a chassis frame they made by measuring, sawing and cutting wood accurately. Pupils are developing a satisfactory understanding of the design process, but this is under-developed as they have too few opportunities to produce individual designs. The recent work on making vehicles was based on the same design for all.

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88. In Year 2, pupils exchange ideas when evaluating finished products, but evaluations are not precise and do not always indicate how improvements could be made. The written work on the vehicles pupils made included pupils’ recollections of what they have done, but there were no evaluative comments about what they thought worked well, or how they would improve their product next time. There are not enough opportunities for pupils to reflect on all the stages of the process, from initial design to finished product. 89. Pupils continue to develop their designing and making skills satisfactorily as they move through school from Year 3 to Year 6. Pupils in Year 3 made photograph frames, building on the skills of making frames for vehicles in Year 2, and pupils in Year 5 have completed a number of activities, including, designing and making games, and baking biscuits. Pupils in Year 6 have experienced a good range of activities such as making shelters, fairgrounds,

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90. It is not possible to make a judgement about the quality of teaching in Years 1 and 2 as no lessons were observed. Teaching in Years 3 to 6 is good. In one very effective lesson, the pupils were working in groups, making shelters for the Nativity. Pupils’ designs were very well thought out, and produced collaboratively on a large sheet of card. Pupils listed all the materials, assigned individual and group responsibilities and drew the design from several angles as well as in several phases of construction. The teacher’s planning for this work was thorough. She used skilful questioning to guide discussions about the considerations pupils should bear in mind during the construction phase. Pupils approached their tasks enthusiastically, and with a high degree of co- operation. Progress was rapid and pupils were motivated to produce good quality results. At all times there was due regard to health and safety

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considerations. As they went along pupils realised that some of their original designs would not work and so they modified them accordingly. There was evidence in the design and construction that pupils were able to employ skills and knowledge they had built up in earlier work, for instance, strategies for ensuring joints were strong. Pupils were aware that the shelter should be sturdy, waterproof and warm, especially if the Baby Jesus was going to occupy it. The pupils thoroughly enjoyed this activity and talked enthusiastically about how they would evaluate it. A very good review session towards the end of the lesson gave pupils an opportunity to discuss interim evaluations of their work. Cedarwood Primary School - 47 91. The co-ordination of the subject is satisfactory. The school has not seen this area as high priority, in its first four terms, and therefore the co-ordinator has been given little opportunity to monitor, evaluate and develop teaching and

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learning. She has studied samples of work and teachers’ planning in order monitor standards. Since the school opened the subject has received a very small budget allocation only. Resources are, therefore, inadequate to support this subject appropriately. Due to the lack of alternative space, resources have to be stored in the staff room, which is an unsatisfactory arrangement because pupils cannot always access them easily. Computers are used in several classes to support learning but this does not happen consistently. At present there is no formal assessment of skills in this subject and therefore pupils’ strengths and weaknesses are not identified systematically in order to identify areas for improvement.

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92. A long-term plan for developing the subject is in place. This takes account of the planning framework commended by the local education authority and also links to national guidance. The co-ordinator has produced an action plan, and is looking at ways of developing links with other subjects, particularly science and history. A subject policy has been written, but awaits discussion by staff and governors.

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93. Pupils’ achievement is satisfactory and they are on course to attain average standards by the end of Year 2 and again by the end of Year 6. In Year 2, pupils have researched differences between their home village of Kesgrave and the remote fictional Isle of Struay, as featured in the Katie Morag stories. An attractive display in the school’s library supports this work well. Pupils have investigated and described the landscape, travel facilities and the way people live on the island. Through this work pupils have developed their geographical skills in observing and recording the similarities and differences between the two contrasting environments. A good link has been made between literature and geography and this is part of the school’s developing strategy designed to connect different subjects in a thematic approach .

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94. Pupils in Year 3 have undertaken work in the local environment, locating the school and planning simple routes to the nearest supermarket, for instance. They have studied land use, and found a way of representing this on a map using different colours for each category. Further work has included good use of computers to record and represent the results of a survey. Pupils collected information about the ways parents travel to work. They established that cars are the most popular mode of transport used to get parents to work. In discussions, pupils are able to explain why the car emerged as the most popular mode of transport for getting to work. Pupils are beginning to develop an understanding of the impact of transport on the environment, and can explain why roads and houses have taken the place of open fields, for instance. Cedarwood Primary School - 48 95. As only a small number of lessons was seen and the school has not yet had

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time to build a body of work, there was insufficient evidence on which to base judgements about the general quality of teaching and learning across the school. However, in a good lesson on mountain environments, Year 6 pupils found out about the plants and animals that a mountain area will support. They were introduced to the term ‘biodiversity’ and a good discussion developed about ecosystems and how they support many different life forms. The teacher’s good subject knowledge helped to sustain high levels of interest and contributed to good learning during this lesson. Pupils completed a report about some aspects of their work and the teacher reminded them how to structure a report, referring them to their recent work in literacy. This was a good teaching point, as it enabled all pupils to apply skills from one area of the curriculum to another, and contributed to good progress because pupils knew

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precisely what to do, and how to do it. Computers are not used enough to illustrate data or for research purposes.

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96. Leadership and management of the subject are satisfactory although there is considerable scope to develop the role of the co-ordinator. The school has adopted a nationally recommended planning framework to guide teachers’ lesson planning. The co-ordinator’s action plan involves reviewing this framework to ensure that there is sufficient progression in the development of skills, knowledge and understanding. The plan also identifies the need to build up resources and analyse pupils’ work to monitor standards and identify areas where more resources or extra training is needed. The monitoring of lessons is planned for later in the academic year. Assessment is confined to the extent to which pupils have met the learning intentions in topics, and as yet does not record the development of pupils’ skills. The current assessment system is therefore under-developed as it does not identify areas for improvement or

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guide curricular planning effectively. Resources for the subject are barely adequate. The school has had to equip all year groups from a limited budget, and consequently has been unable to buy sufficient atlases and maps, for instance, to meet the needs of this growing school .

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97. The achievement of all pupils, including those with special educational needs, is satisfactory and most pupils are likely to attain average standards by the end of Year 2 and again by the end of Year 6. However, the amount of work in books and folders is less than would normally be expected after studying the subject for a term. As pupils move through school they are developing a good understanding of life in other times through activities such as role play, which enable them to develop an understanding of ‘what it was like to be there’. There was a very good example of this in a Year 2 class when pupils marched off to join in the war and fight in the trenches. These pupils were able to develop an understanding of the conditions the soldiers had to endure, and begin to appreciate the emotions of those left behind at home who worried about their loved ones. Cedarwood Primary School - 49 98. Pupils in Year 1 to 6 are developing a good understanding of ‘then’ and ‘now’.

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Their work includes comparisons such as homes in Tudor times or schools in Victorian times, for instance. Teachers are helping pupils to develop skills in historical research by exploring with them sources of evidence that enable them to find out about the past. These include using the school’s immediate environment, visits, use of library books for research, artefacts and limited use of the Internet. This approach to the teaching of history is ensuring that pupils’ acquire the research skills they need in order to be able to interpret the evidence and to form conclusions. These are skills which pupils use in other subjects. For instance, in a Year 6 geography lesson pupils were using evidence of mountain ecosystems to look at how things are now, and then making informed judgements about the conditions that have contributed to those in the past.

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99. As only a small number of lessons was seen and the school has not yet had time to build a body of work, there was insufficient evidence on which to base judgements about the general quality of teaching and learning across the school. There were examples of good teaching where well-thought out planning contributed to good learning experiences. Pupils were actively involved in the learning and teachers’ good knowledge of the subject added to pupils’ understanding of the past. However, many pupils lack an awareness of the past and the order of historical events. Where charts that plot events on a time line are displayed in classrooms, this helps to develop pupils’ awareness and help pupils to develop a good sense of chronology. A very good chart in a Year 6 classroom exemplifies this as it identifies significant events in Victorian times. Pupils are able to see the impact inventions had in the Victorian period,

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and subsequently in the twentieth century, for instance. In this way the pupils develop a good understanding of cause and effect and can directly link significant events.

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100. There is clear evidence that teachers are developing pupils’ literacy skills well in history. For instance, in a Year 2 lesson children were finding out about past events affecting Britain and the wider world. The teacher used, ‘War Game’ by Michael Foreman. She read this account of the Christmas Day truce between the British and Germans and the football match that took place between the enemies. The pupils were very interested in this version of events and entered into a thorough discussion about it. They later wrote a letter from the trenches to somebody back home. This required them to think about how to set out a letter and consequently drew upon their literacy skills. Pupils are given limited opportunities to use computers in history as teachers do not always plan for it, and the school is still building up its resources in this area. Evidence from pupils’ topic folders indicates that many have used a computer at home for

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research, or to ‘word process’ their writing, and this is having a positive impact on styles of presentation and sources of evidence.

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101. The school has adopted a nationally recommended planning framework. Pupils in Year 2 study topics, such as, Florence Nightingale, Guy Fawkes and the Great Fire of London. Pupils in Years 3 and 4 find out about the Romans and the Vikings. In Years 4 and 5 they study the Egyptians and the Ancient Greeks. Most of the work in Year 6 is an in-depth study of Victorian times, Cedarwood Primary School - 50 followed by a study of how Britain has changed since 1948. This new school is in the very early stages of building up resources for history and organising visits to support the curriculum. Resources are barely adequate at present. The school is aware of the need to monitor the quality of teaching and use this information to inform future planning and this is planned for next term. Assessment takes place at the end of units of study and establishes how well the pupils have met the learning intentions for the topic. This type of

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assessment does not reflect individual strengths and weaknesses well in order to inform future planning.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

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102. The quality of teaching across the school is good and enables pupils to achieve well. The good quality of teaching has not been sustained over a long enough period to have had a full impact on standards. By the end of Years 2 and 6, most pupils are likely to attain average standards and many are beginning to attain higher standards. When the school opened in 2001, a decision was made to locate eight computers in a computer suite and one computer in each of the seven classrooms. The computer suite is used well but the use of the classroom-based computers varies from class to class.

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103. There is evidence of the use of information and communications technology throughout the school and of its use in other subjects. The planned programme for the subject provides good experiences for pupils in the computer suite and these are having a direct and positive impact on standards. The computer suite is not large enough to accommodate a whole class together but flexible arrangements are made to overcome this. Teaching assistants provide invaluable support during lessons.

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104. During the lessons in the computer suite, pupils learn and practise specific skills. They make good progress in the use of these skills as they gain new knowledge of what computers can do. A Year 1 class confidently ‘logged-on’ to the computers and then found the particular piece of software they needed. They showed considerable skill in using the mouse to draw a Christmas tree, using various techniques such as choosing the colour and then adding text in a writing frame. When complete, they printed their work for use in their Christmas cards. By Year 5, pupils have developed a good understanding of how spreadsheets can be used to display information. Pupils planned how to spend a given budget on Christmas presents for their family. They format cells to display information as text or as a currency and they put in a formula to calculate the total cost of their purchases.

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105. Pupils in Year 6 take this work a stage further and can cut and paste information from other sources into their work. For example, during one lesson, they were planning a presentation for Key Stage 1 staff on their ideas for a Christmas Party. They used a spreadsheet to present their information about costs, but they also incorporated graphs and charts to illustrate pupils’ favourite party food or games. Some pupils displayed this information in a ‘Powerpoint’ presentation incorporating sound and graphics. During this Cedarwood Primary School - 51 lesson, one pupil accessed the Internet to find out the cost of grapes at a well known supermarket. Pupils in Year 6 had produced the programme for the school carol concert using a combination of text and graphics.

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106. Other aspects of the subject are also incorporated into the curriculum. In Year 2, pupils learn how to control a programmable toy. In one good lesson they made decisions about the angle and direction of a turn and to estimate the forward distance required to travel from one point to another. Using a ‘street map’ on the floor, they discussed the best route to Santa’s Grotto. They then attempted to control the toy accurately and make adjustments to their instructions as appropriate. The control of more sophisticated mechanisms is recognised by the school as an area for development. Plans to buy appropriate resources have already been discussed. Similarly there is no sensor equipment to extend learning opportunities.

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107. Word processing skills are practised in a variety of ways in other curriculum areas. In Year 3 pupils had used computers to practise their understanding of punctuation and numerous examples were seen of pupils adding word- processed captions to their work. Classroom displays demonstrate the range of work covered by the pupils and in the computer suite, ‘Powerpoint’ work was displayed by pupils from different classes which had been completed during the free choice sessions on Fridays.

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108. The teaching staff and several of the classroom assistants have good skills and expertise. Lessons are well organised and managed, and pupils are well supported individually or in pairs. In order to make best use of the computer suite, some lessons involve only half the class. This means having the support of the headteacher or a competent teaching assistant to supervise the other half of the class. In the lessons seen, this was a very useful strategy. One class made use of the classroom-based computers to enable all pupils to be involved in the lesson at the same time. Pupils respond well in their lessons and show obvious enjoyment in the work they produce and at the way they are developing their skills. Where appropriate pupils with special educational needs are very well supported in their learning through the use of a lap-top computers.

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109. The subject is enthusiastically and confidently led by the co-ordinator. Training is being provided for staff in the use of computers to support teaching and learning across the curriculum and there are plans for the co-ordinator to monitor the standards throughout the school. This will involve a review of the planned programme of activities and also a consideration of how to assess pupils’ skills and knowledge. Because of the varied backgrounds of the pupils when they start at this new school, the scheme of work has already had to be modified to take account of their previous knowledge. The co-ordinator also has good plans to provide laminated cards which explain the procedures for different pieces of software. All teaching staff have been provided with lap-top computers which they use for planning and for writing subject documents.

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110. Resources are adequate but there is a need for a larger display screen so that teachers can clearly demonstrate teaching points to a group of pupils. At the Cedarwood Primary School - 52 moment large groups of pupils huddle around one computer screen and not all can see clearly. It also means that certain processes have to be explained several times over and this wastes time. Some class teachers do not make full use of the classroom-based computers and this is partly due to the limited range of software available to them.

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111. There was insufficient evidence available to make a judgement on the standards that pupils attain by the end of Year 2. The achievement of all pupils, including those with special educational needs, is satisfactory from Year 3 to Year 6 and by the end of Year 6 pupils are likely to attain average standards. As only a small number of lessons was seen and the school has not yet had time to build a body of work, there was insufficient evidence on which to base judgements about the general quality of teaching and learning across the school.

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112. The school has developed a long-term plan, which broadly reflects the nationally recommended planning framework and it has purchased a commercial scheme for the non-specialist music teachers. This scheme covers most areas in the long-term plan, providing very good ideas, especially in composition. All aspects of music are covered so that pupils sing, listen to a wide range of music and compose their own tunes using a mixture of tuned and un-tuned instruments. By the end of Year 3, pupils have developed good listening skills and give thoughtful ideas for improving each other’s work. For example, a pupil said, ‘ I really like the way you played quietly at the end of your piece; it surprised me after the very loud bit in the middle. It was good’. Pupils in this Year 3 class used their imagination very well when composing a short piece to portray Christmas sounds. They worked in groups using un-

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tuned percussion instruments. The teacher asked them to consider the structure of their composition by ensuring it had a beginning, a middle and an end. She also gave them guidance on varying the volume and creating different effects. The pupils worked extremely well co-operatively and made a wonderful din as they practised being composers. The finished pieces demonstrated that they had been imaginative, within the structure suggested. Pupils in this class are in the early stages of writing down their compositions using squiggles, lines and crosses. They are able to explain to others the meaning of the symbols and how these ‘scores’ work. They are able to follow these simple scores during their performances.

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113. By the end of Year 6 pupils have extended these skills well. They talk confidently about music from different countries, mention a few well-known composers, discuss their favourite pieces of music, and, to a limited extent, use musical notation. They talk confidently about pulse, beat, rhythm and dynamics. Pupils in a Year 4 class listened to an extract from ‘The Carnival of the Animals’ featuring the tortoise’s tune. Some children realised this was a much slower version of the ‘Can-Can’. The teacher played the ‘Can-Can’ at normal speed and illustrated the point about changing the tempo for effect. Pupils’ compositions demonstrated how well they had met the learning Cedarwood Primary School - 53 intentions because they managed to create pieces, with at least two different tempos, in the style of the extracts they had listened to. During this lesson the teacher, and teaching assistant, gave the pupils good support and this ensured

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114. In an excellent lesson with Year 5, pupils listened to a number of pieces, including a ’Rap’, ‘Plainchant’ and ‘The Planets’. The teacher skilfully questioned the pupils about the effects the composers had used in order to avoid the listener getting bored. They gave very good answers, and then used their imagination very well to create sounds to match shapes that a teaching assistant had drawn on the board. Pupils worked in groups, creating their own compositions, and ended the lesson with a performance. The class appraised each group by discussing what they thought worked well, and what could be improved. The success of this lesson was due to the teacher’s excellent planning, the very good adult support and the mature and sensible way the pupils applied themselves fully to the tasks.

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115. Although pupils enter and leave assemblies to music, opportunities to heighten their awareness of various composers are missed. The name of the composer, details about the period when the composer lived and the name of the piece of music are rarely announced. There is nowhere at present where information is displayed about the music being played in assembly.

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116. Pupils usually sing clearly and tunefully in assemblies. The school’s choir provides a good opportunity for pupils to develop their skills in singing. The choir is led by a teaching assistant who has expertise in music. She provides good strategies for the pupils to help them improve their performance. At the Christmas end of term concert the choir sung a number of items giving a good performance. They particularly enjoyed their version of ’Frosty the Snowman’, complete with actions. The school has visiting teachers of woodwind and brass. These groups performed well, playing a selection of Christmas music. 117. As a new school there have been many initiatives to implement in a short space of time. Music has not been a priority in the school development plan and provision has not been co-ordinated. The headteacher has maintained an overview of the subject, but alongside many other initiatives in a rapidly

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growing new school, this subject has received little co-ordination or management. There has been some monitoring of teachers’ planning, but there has been no formal monitoring of teachers’ lessons. The headteacher is aware of the need to identify how well pupils are developing knowledge and understanding, and to ensure that the subject is covered in sufficient depth. The school sought advice about the purchase of musical equipment and consequently bought good quality resources. These resources are adequate for the teaching of music at present but many more will be needed as school continues to grow.

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118. There is little use of technology to support teaching and learning at present. Teachers use compact disc players in lessons, and there is a new music system in the hall. However, computers are under-used in music at present, but they are equipped with software that can be used for composition. Assessment is based on teachers making judgements at the end of lessons Cedarwood Primary School - 54 about the extent to which pupils have met the learning intentions, stated in lesson plans. The assessment system does not record information about the development of skills and understanding for individual pupils at present, and therefore fails to take into account pupils’ strengths and weaknesses at the planning stage.

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119. Pupils’ achievement is satisfactory and they are likely to attain average standards by the end of Year 2 and again by the end of Year 6. During the inspection lessons were seen in games and dance. Over the course of the year, pupils are provided with a balanced programme of activities which also includes athletics and gymnastics. The public swimming pool is used for pupils in Year 5 and Year 6 and plans are in place to introduce Outdoor Adventurous Activities during the Friday afternoon activities and also in the planned residential visit for Year 6.

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120. There is insufficient evidence to make judgements about the general quality of teaching and learning in all strands of the subject across the school. During the inspection, only three lessons were seen. One of these lessons was cut short as result of an extended literacy session and the other two lessons were both in Year 5. From the lessons seen, however, it is clear that teachers place an emphasis on a warm-up at the beginning of lessons and time for cool-down at the end. They explain the importance of this for the muscles of the body and for the heart.

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121. The two lessons in Year 5 were of particularly high quality. The class teacher maintained a very purposeful working atmosphere and pupils responded to her with enthusiasm. They carefully practised accurate striking of a ball with different parts of their feet so that it passed between two markers. In dance, they listened carefully to a range of music and then, in small teams, they performed appropriate movements in time with the music. In each lesson they evaluated their performances and thought of ways of improving. An example of a link between physical education and art and design was seen in a drawing by Year 6 pupils of two figures working together in gymnastics, using the techniques of balance and counter-balance. There is little evidence of computers being used to support teaching. However, in Year 2, the digital camera is used to record pupils’ performance in gymnastics.

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122. The school has good facilities for physical education – a large hall, a hard play area and an extensive field. There is a good range of small apparatus and, once repairs are made in the hall, apparatus for gymnastics. The school does have an acute storage problem and this is particularly noticeable in the hall. The cupboard designated to hold equipment for physical education is used for dining tables and the boys’ changing room is used for storing equipment. There are no storage facilities provided for chairs which are stacked along one wall of the hall. This is potentially hazardous during energetic activities. The headteacher and his staff place great importance on physical education and the timetable provides plenty of time for two lessons each week. Cedarwood Primary School - 55 RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

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123. Pupils’ achievement is satisfactory and, by the end of Year 2 and the end of Year 6, pupils are attaining standards that are in line with the locally Agreed Syllabus. The school supplements the Agreed Syllabus with nationally approved guidance. The curriculum for religious education is based a good programme of study for each year group. Sufficient emphasis is placed both on the study of Christian beliefs and the customs and practices of other major religions. For example in Year 2 and in Year 6, pupils study aspects of Judaism. At other times, they consider how members of different faith communities celebrate festivals.

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124. In Year 2, pupils have thought about ‘special occasions’ with their families, such as birthdays, Easter and weddings. ‘At my brother’s christening we celebrated for my brother’. Pupils in Year 3 have thought about special books and the part which the Bible plays in the Christian religion. During the inspection, a visitor from the Jewish faith spoke to pupils in Year 2 about the festival of Hanukkah. The pupils had prepared questions during a literacy lesson and they enjoyed hearing the responses from the visitor, who carefully explained the customs of his family that are associated with this festival. Comparisons were made with the Christian festival of Christmas and those of other religions where candles are of significance. In Year 6, pupils consider stories from the Bible and discuss, from their own experience, stories which are ‘true to life’. The pupils enjoy thinking about the stories and looking for the

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125. Pupils are also introduced to the idea of how faith can have an impact on people. The lives of well known people, such as Martin Luther King, Ghandi and Nelson Mandela, are discussed. Pupils were asked to consider how the world is different as a result of these famous people and how their faith has influenced their work. In their written work, pupils recorded their ideas about faith, such as ‘Faith is something you can rely on’ and ‘Faith is where you can trust someone or something’.

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126. As only a small number of lessons was seen and the school has not yet had time to build a body of work, there was insufficient evidence on which to base judgements about the general quality of teaching and learning across the school. In the few lessons seen teaching was always at least satisfactory and often it was good. Teachers showed a good understanding of the subject and made the lessons interesting. Pupils responded well and their interest was captured by the way in which the teachers managed the lessons. For example, in the Year 6 lesson, pupils enjoyed the opportunity provided by the class teacher for them to share their own experiences and ideas.

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127. The subject is currently led by the headteacher. There is a limited range of resources to support teaching and the headteacher recognises the need to increase these when the budget allows. Computers are not used to support teaching and learning. A representative of the parish church, who is also a Cedarwood Primary School - 56 school governor, visits the school regularly to take an assembly. There are limited opportunities for members of other faith communities to visit the school.

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