Brampton Primary School

BRAMPTON PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 30 September – 3 October 2002

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BRAMPTON PRIMARY SCHOOL

Inspection number: 248952 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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BRAMPTON 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. Brampton Primary School - 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: School Board Lane Brampton Chesterfield Derbyshire

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

E-mail address: headteacher@bramptonpri.derbyshire.sch.uk

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mrs. J. Green

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: Not applicable Brampton Primary School - 5

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

18645 C.D. Loizou Registered inspector English as an additional language Information and communication technology Physical education Religious education How high are standards? How well are pupils taught? How well is the school led and managed?

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

9146 M. Brennand Lay inspector Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? 21398 T. Gill Team inspector Educational inclusion English Music How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils? 21235 M. Graham Team inspector Foundation stage curriculum Art and design Design and technology 22884 S. Sutcliffe Team inspector Special educational needs Science Geography History 31539 M. Phillips Team inspector Mathematics 29703 R. Barton Team inspector The centre for autistic pupils Brampton Primary School - 6 The inspection contractor was:

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Sandfield Educational Consultants, 16, Wychwood Drive, Trowell Park, Nottingham, NG9 3RB.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

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

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 7

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 12

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

This is a new community primary school which was opened in January 2001 after amalgamating an infant and a junior school on the same site. The school has a Nursery which admits up to 74 part-time children aged three. Approximately two-thirds of the children attending the Nursery join the school’s two Reception classes in the school year in which they become five years old. Attainment on entry to the Reception year is below the standard expected of four-year-olds. There are 352 pupils on roll between the ages of four and eleven and they are organised into thirteen classes, two of which are of mixed-age. Most of the pupils are white and approximately eight per cent are from ethnic minority families. Seven per cent of the pupils speak English as an additional language and one third of these are in the early stages of English language acquisition. Twenty-one per cent of the pupils are eligible for free school meals, which is above average. The school has identified 15 per cent of its pupils as

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

having special educational needs, which is average. The school recently opened a Centre for Autism which admits up to eight autistic pupils who have a Statement of Special Educational Need (SEN). In the rest of the school, there are an additional ten pupils who have a Statement of Special Educational Need, so there is an above average proportion of pupils in this category in the school.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

The school provides a satisfactory education for its pupils and standards are improving. However, the quality of teaching varies. From the Nursery up to the end of Year 2, the quality of teaching is good with very good features. This is reflected in the good progress made by the pupils where standards by the end of Year 2 in mathematics are currently above average and in English and science they are average. In the junior classes, the teaching is satisfactory but varies considerably. Consequently, standards are below average in English, mathematics and science. The headteacher, who was formerly the headteacher of the infant school before the amalgamation, has managed the amalgamation of the two schools well and provides good leadership. The inspection evidence shows that the headteacher, staff and governors have a good understanding of the issues facing the new school and that they are determined to raise standards by the end of Year 6. The school provides

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What the school does well • The pupils achieve well and make good progress in the Nursery and the infant classes. • The pupils identified with special educational needs, including those in the school’s centre for autistic pupils, achieve well and make good progress. • The teaching in the Foundation Stage and in Years 1 and 2 is good. It enables the pupils to achieve well in the basic skills of reading, writing and numeracy. • The headteacher provides good and effective leadership. She has managed the amalgamation of two very different schools well, ensuring the minimum of disruption to the pupils’ education. • The personal development of the pupils and relationships throughout the school are good. Consequently, they are well behaved and show good attitudes to school and their work. • Parents think highly of the school and there are good links with them and the local community.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What could be improved • Standards by the end of Year 6 in English, mathematics, science and information and communication technology. • The quality of the teaching, particularly in the junior classes, should be raised to that of the best seen in the school. • The assessment of the pupils’ progress so that it better informs teachers’ planning. • Ensure that a register is kept which identifies gifted and talented pupils and sets out how their Brampton Primary School - 9 needs will be met. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

As the school opened in January 2001, this is its first inspection since amalgamation. There has been a high turnover of staff in the junior classes which has hampered the development of teaching. Attainment in national tests by the end of Year 2 show that the infant department is successful and the pupils have achieved well. Historically, standards in the junior school have been low and this is reflected in last year’s results in the national tests. The headteacher and governors have worked in partnership with the Local Education Authority to bring the two schools together. The school’s capacity to improve further is good.

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STANDARDS

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

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STANDARDS

Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

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STANDARDS

English n/a n/a E E well above average above average A B Mathematics n/a n/a E E* average below average C D Science n/a n/a E E well below average well below average and in bottom 5% of schools E E*

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STANDARDS

(The “similar” in the table above refers to the percentage of free school meals and not the size of the school.)

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STANDARDS

The 2001 tests for Year 6 show that the school’s results were well below average. In mathematics, they were in the lowest five per cent nationally when compared with similar schools. The tests in 2002, and current standards in Year 6, show good improvement in English, although standards are still below those expected. Mathematics standards are below those expected but are improving. Science standards are below expectations because of inconsistencies in the teaching in junior classes. Many children enter the Nursery with well below average attainment, especially speaking and communication skills. They make good progress in the Reception year in all areas of learning. Infant pupils make good progress because the teaching is effective. Inspection evidence shows that standards in reading and writing are in line with those expected by the end of Year 2. The pupils have made good progress which is also reflected in the standards achieved in mathematics, where standards are above

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STANDARDS

expectations. In science, standards are in line with those expected by the end of Year 2. Standards in information and communication technology are average by Year 2 but below those expected by the end of Year 6 because the teaching is unsatisfactory in the junior years and is affected by the lack of expertise amongst some junior staff. Standards in other subjects are in line with national expectations by the end of Year 2 and Year 6, except in geography, where standards are below average by the end of Year 6. The pupils with special educational needs, including those in the school’s Centre for Autism, receive good and effective support and make good progress. Brampton Primary School - 10

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attitudes to the school The pupils’ attitudes to learning, to school and to each other are good. They try hard and enjoy learning, applying themselves well, often co- operating and learning from each other. Some pupils in Years 5 and 6 show negative attitudes in some lessons. However, new strategies are beginning to have a positive impact on these pupils. Behaviour, in and out of classrooms The standard of behaviour is good. This is helping to create an orderly and positive learning environment. There were four fixed period exclusions last year. Some isolated incidents of unsatisfactory behaviour exists from a small number of older pupils in the juniors. Personal development and relationships This is good. The pupils are independent and show maturity. Relationships are good across the school. Older pupils support younger ones and the pupils co-operate well with others. The pupils in the Autism Centre are fully included in all activities and lessons.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attendance The pupils’ attendance levels are in line with national figures.

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

Quality of teaching Good Good Satisfactory

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

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

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

The teaching is satisfactory overall but it is good in the Nursery through to Year 2 and it is also good in the school’s Centre for Autism which, in a short time, has become an established and successful feature of the school. The amalgamation has brought together two very different schools with the strongest features of the teaching being more evident and consistent in the Nursery, Reception and infant years. The teaching in the junior years varies considerably and ranges between poor to very good. The teaching of English, mathematics and science is good in the Nursery and infant classes and satisfactory overall in the junior classes. Reading is well taught in both the infant and junior classes. However, writing standards vary considerably by the end of Year 6 because of inconsistencies in the past in the way the pupils have been taught. In mathematics, the teaching seen was satisfactory with

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

good features throughout the school. However, evidence from work covered in the past in the junior years, shows that mental arithmetic has not been taught well. Consequently, the older pupils are now catching up on aspects of numeracy which should have been taught in previous years. Standards in mathematics are improving because the teaching is more consistent and is using the Numeracy Strategy systematically across the school. In science and information and communication technology, the quality of the teaching is significantly different between the infant and junior classes. Junior teachers are less secure in their knowledge of both subjects, but there are signs of more effective teaching in some junior classes. Consequently, standards are improving and the headteacher and curriculum co-ordinators have put in place appropriate training for teachers in science and information and communication technology. Geography teaching is unsatisfactory in the junior years. There has

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

Brampton Primary School - 11 been insufficient coverage of the geography curriculum in the past and the junior pupils have little knowledge or enthusiasm for the subject.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Satisfactory overall. It is very good in the Nursery and Reception classes. Teachers provide a good range of practical and relevant tasks but more attention should be given to improving the pupils’ writing skills in the juniors. There are good opportunities for the pupils to use information and communication technology in the infants but less so in the juniors. The geography curriculum is unsatisfactory in the junior classes. Provision for pupils with special educational needs The pupils receive good support. They are identified early and make good progress. Provision for the pupils in the Centre for Autism is good and enables the pupils to be fully integrated into the school and its curriculum. This is an increasingly strong feature of the school’s work. Provision for pupils with English as an additional language These pupils make good progress because good assessments of their

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Aspect Comment

needs are made and they are supported well in lessons and when they are withdrawn for specialised language support.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Provision is good and is supported by a good range of activities in school and outside school times. These include music, singing, sport, dance and drama, which make a significant contribution to the pupils’ moral and social development. Good provision is made for the pupils’ personal development. How well the school cares for its pupils There is a good level of care provided for all the pupils. However, the school has unsatisfactory procedures to assess how well the pupils are doing. This makes it difficult for teachers to use the information gathered after testing pupils to inform their planning or set attainment targets for every pupil.

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Aspect Comment

The parents are pleased with the school and the activities it provides but would like to be better informed about the progress their children are making in lessons and in tests. Brampton Primary School - 12

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The headteacher provides good and effective leadership. Since the amalgamation of the two schools she has managed to bring together two diverse schools in different stages of development. This has been done with the minimum of disruption to pupils’ learning and has been well supported by the staff and parents. The deputy headteacher leads by her good example in the classroom and the senior management team is clearly focused on improving standards and developing the teaching. How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities The governing body provides satisfactory support. They work closely with the headteacher and have a clear understanding of their role and the strengths and weaknesses of the school. The school’s evaluation of its performance This is satisfactory. The governors and staff have worked together to bring about the amalgamation. More now needs to be done to set out

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Aspect Comment

school improvement priorities that are focused on improving the consistency of teaching and learning across the new school. Although this is planned, and it involves senior staff and governors, there needs to be sharper focus on improving the teaching. The school’s capacity to succeed and improve is good. The strategic use of resources This is satisfactory. There are targets which are matched to spending priorities and grants have been well used to improve provision, for example, the work of the Centre for Autism and community related projects that will allow parents to use the school premises. The school manages its finances satisfactorily ensuring value for money when committing the school’s funds.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s accommodation is well maintained and is satisfactory overall. Good use is made of outdoor play areas in the Nursery. The administrative and clerical assistants are efficient and make themselves available to parents and visitors.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Their children make good progress. • The teaching is good and the pupils are well behaved. • The school expects their children to work hard. • The school is well led and managed. • The school is helping their children to become mature and responsible. • The amount and consistency of homework provided by the school. • The information provided about how well their children are getting on. • The range of activities provided outside school hours. Brampton Primary School - 13 Inspectors agree with most of the views of parents but have identified some aspects of the teaching which need improving. Although some parents would like to see more activities outside school hours, inspectors believe that the school’s provision for extra-curricular activities is good. However, inspectors agree with parents that there could be better information provided for them about their children’s progress and that homework could be more consistent across the school.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. Assessment and inspection evidence shows that on entry to the Nursery the majority of children are of well below average attainment. The children make good progress in the Nursery and by the time they enter the Reception year their attainment is below average. The good teaching throughout the Foundation Stage (Nursery and Reception) ensures that the children make good progress. By the time they start Year 1 the proportion of the children reaching the early learning goals in communication, language and literacy, mathematics, creative development and in knowledge and understanding of the world has improved so that their overall attainment is in line with national expectations. By the start of Year 1, the pupils also reach the standards expected for their age in their physical, personal and social development. They continue to make good progress because the teaching is effective in the infant years. Standards by the end of Year 1 in English, mathematics and

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

science are in line with those expected.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. The inspection evidence confirms that standards at the end of Year 2 are above those expected in mathematics and in line with national expectations in English and science. Reading standards by the end of Year 2 are above average. However, standards by the end of Year 6 in English, mathematics and science are below those expected. In the juniors, standards could be higher but there are positive signs that standards are improving. English standards show particularly good improvement in 2002, where a much larger proportion of pupils achieved or exceeded the levels expected for their age in the tests. In mathematics and science there are more gaps in the junior pupils’ learning. Reading is well taught throughout the school so that standards are above those expected by Year 2 and in line with expectations by Year 6. However, writing standards vary considerably in the junior classes, reflecting inconsistencies in the way the pupils have been taught to write in the past.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. The inconsistencies that are clearly evident between the infant and junior classes reflect the two different traditions and the comparative effectiveness of the two former infant and junior schools. The basic skills of speaking, listening, writing and numeracy have been taught more effectively in the infant years. From the evidence seen in Years 3 and 4, standards are rising as the pupils feed through from the infant school. The greatest inconsistencies exist in writing, numeracy and science work, and these are more evident in Years 5 and 6 where the pupils have experienced a variety of approaches to teaching and learning in the past. Currently, the teachers are catching up on work that should have been covered in previous years. This is especially the case in numeracy, where the pupils lack basic mental and oral arithmetic skills. Science standards are below those expected in the juniors because of a lack of teachers’ subject knowledge. The teaching of science varies

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

considerably in junior classes so that the work that pupils cover and the extent to which it meets the standards required for their age depends on the effectiveness of individual teachers.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. The pupils with special educational needs make good progress. This includes those in the Centre for Autistic pupils, who are being supported by skilful teachers, teaching assistants and specialists such as speech therapists and integration assistants who work alongside these pupils. Throughout the school, the progress of pupils with special educational needs is being managed effectively. The pupils are developing their basic literacy and numeracy skills well and make good gains in their learning towards their individual learning targets. In addition, the school has an effective policy towards supporting the pupils who are learning Brampton Primary School - 15 English as an additional language. A teacher with responsibility for supporting those in the early stage of English language acquisition works closely with these pupils and their families. As a result, the pupils make good progress and are fully integrated into mainstream lessons

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

as well as being supported individually or with their parents and carers who are also invited to work alongside their children as part an effective bi-lingual approach to learning English.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. Standards in information and communication technology (ICT) are in line with those expected by the end of Year 2 but below those expected by Year 6. The pupils make good progress in the infant classes because they are well taught and ICT is linked to the work the pupils do in other subjects. However, the pupils in the juniors make unsatisfactory progress in most strands of ICT. Generally there is a lack of expertise and knowledge of the ICT curriculum amongst the junior staff. The teaching is unsatisfactory overall in the juniors and since the amalgamation of the two schools there has been insufficient staff training to address this. The school recognises this and has already put in place plans to introduce staff training and work on the whole school development of ICT so that it builds on the good work done in the infant years. The recent introduction of an ICT suite has improved resources

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

but the problems are mainly associated with a lack of expertise amongst some junior staff.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. The pupils make satisfactory progress in religious education and achieve standards that are in line with those expected by the end of Year 6, with particularly good work being covered on the impact that faith and belief have on society. Educational visits and the use of artefacts are positive features of religious education and these are having a positive impact on the pupils’ learning. In other subjects, the pupils achieve standards that are in line with those expected for their age by the end of Year 2 and Year 6, except in geography, where standards are below those expected by Year 6. The geography curriculum is unsatisfactory in the junior years because there is inconsistent coverage of the programmes of study and the topics being covered do not adequately meet the needs of pupils in the junior years.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

7. The good practice established in the infant school prior to amalgamation has been extended to the junior school. Much of this good practice places an emphasis on the pupils’ personal development and as a consequence they have good attitudes and behave well.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

8. The parents’ pre-inspection questionnaire indicated that the vast majority of pupils enjoy school. This positive attitude is most evident in the Nursery and Reception years through to Years 2 to 4. Here, the pupils show high levels of interest and enthusiasm for lessons. However, when the teaching lacks pace and is less stimulating the older pupils in Years 5 and 6 quickly lose interest. Some poor behaviour was observed in the few unsatisfactory or poor lessons. In some of these lessons matters were compounded by teachers having insufficient strategies to maintain good behaviour. The reasons for this poor behaviour, and its prevalence in some of the pupils in Years 5 and 6, is being addressed by the new school.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

9. Despite these isolated incidents of poor behaviour, in the vast majority of lessons the pupils’ behaviour is good or better. It is also good at other times outside lessons, particularly the corridors, dining hall and playgrounds. At lunchtimes, the pupils wait their turn to be served food, hold doors open, play well with one another and share games equipment. The good behaviour of the majority demonstrates that the school’s positive behaviour management code is having an impact. This is to the school’s credit, as is the fact that there are currently no exclusions. No incidents of bullying were observed and the pupils and parents are confident that when they occur they will be dealt with quickly and effectively. Brampton Primary School - 16 10. The pupils’ personal development and relationships are good. In the early years in the Nursery and reception years, the pupils are beginning to develop personal responsibility by

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

self registering, hanging up their own coats and storing their bags. As the pupils get older they learn to co-operate with one another such as in a Year 3 information and communication technology lesson when two pupils shared the responsibility for amending a piece of text on the computer. At lunchtimes, the pupils were observed talking together in a sociable way and Year 6 teachers address the pupils in a more adult way. By this age some pupils have developed mature speaking and listening skills. Overall relationships in the school are good. Conversations with a range of pupils confirmed that they have many friends. For example, in the after school gymnastics club it was gratifying to see how warmly the pupils applauded the performances of their peers. The presence of autistic pupils and their inclusion in the every day activities of the school has a very positive impact with much care and understanding shown towards them.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

11. Attendance is satisfactory. However, unauthorised absence rates are slightly higher than the national average because some families take extended holidays during term time. There are also a small number of parents who do not ensure that their children attend regularly and the school is keeping a constant record of this so as to improve attendance rates further. The headteacher and administrative staff, together with teachers and officers of the Local Authority, work hard to ensure that all parents play their part in ensuring that their children attend school. This is successful in ensuring that attendance rates are satisfactory and in line with national averages, but a few parents are persistently not living up to their responsibilities and this affects the school’s overall attendance rate.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

12. The teaching is satisfactory and ranges from poor to very good. It is good in the Nursery, Reception and in Years 1 and 2. It is satisfactory overall in the junior years but this is where the greatest inconsistencies exist. Twenty-three per cent of the lessons seen were very good, mostly in the Nursery and Reception classes. Seventy-three per cent of lessons were good or better with the larger proportion of good teaching in the Nursery, Reception and infant classes. Eight per cent of the lessons seen were unsatisfactory and these were mainly in some junior classes. Unsatisfactory or poor lessons are mainly as a result of a lack of teachers’ subject knowledge and in their expectations of the pupils. The more effective lessons have good pace and set much higher expectations with a secure knowledge of what is being taught and how the pupils are going to acquire knowledge and skills. As a result of the good leadership and effective management of the teaching

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

standards are improving, expectations are becoming more consistent in the junior classes and the work being planned for the pupils is being planned more systematically. More now needs to be done to improve the way teachers assess how well the pupils are doing so they can set more challenging targets, particularly in the junior years, and use this information to inform their planning further.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

13. The teaching in the Nursery and Reception years is good overall with many very good features. This high standard is strong feature of the school’s provision. Nearly six out of ten lessons seen in the Foundation Stage were very good. The children learn to settle quickly to routines and make good progress in their personal and social development because adults respond very well to the children providing them with a very good and structured curriculum with rich and stimulating activities. The adults work hard to provide resources and plan activities for all the children that challenge, stimulate and evoke language. There are a few occasions, however, when some children would benefit from more opportunities to explain what they have learned so that adults can intervene more directly when the children struggle with more complex ideas or concepts. Lessons provide both the teachers and Brampton Primary School - 17

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

learning assistants with opportunities to support individuals and groups in the acquisition of early language and numeracy skills. The children sing rhymes and count, follow shapes and choose to match shapes with numbers or pictures to letter sounds. During water play, they communicate with each other, sharing tasks, and talk about emptying, filling, splashing and building together. Effective learning is taking place because adults are continually monitoring, assessing and supporting the children. An increasing number of children enter the school who are learning to speak English as an additional language. These children are fully integrated and well provided for. The staff are always on hand to support them and the school is adapting its resources to provide, for example, more bi-lingual books, tape recordings and other resources to support those pupils in the early stages of English language acquisition.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

14. The teaching in Years 1 and 2 is good. One in five of the lessons observed were very good and nearly six out of ten lessons were good or better. The teachers plan their lessons carefully so that pupils in all year groups have work that is matched to their capabilities. The pupils listen carefully to instructions and during class discussions they offer thoughtful answers and responses. They persevere with tasks, for example, when investigating electric circuits in science in Year 2 and then checking to see how they make a light bulb light and why in some circumstances it does not light. The teaching is having a positive impact on the pupils’ attitudes to learning and their behaviour. There are clear rules and classroom routines. The introductions to lessons make it clear what is expected and the learning objectives are always shared with the pupils, for example, in mathematics lessons where

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

counting skills are reinforced regularly at the beginning of each lesson. However, in some lessons teachers missed opportunities to extend the pupils’ thinking further because the activities provided were too easy or not challenging enough. In a mathematics lesson for example, the introduction and planning were good but the main activity and discussion did not extend the more capable groups of pupils when investigating multiplication facts. In an infant English lesson, although the planning and the teacher’s focus was appropriate, some groups of pupils were not given enough attention and this led to them straying off task. In more effective lessons, such as a Year 2 mathematics lesson, the pupils were being constantly challenged because the teacher planned activities that were very well matched to the needs of pupils of all abilities. The most effective lessons in the infant classes set more challenge in the middle part of the lesson with demanding writing or mathematics tasks.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

Good use is made of computers to support the pupils’ learning and this is being extended when the pupils are timetabled to work in the ICT room.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

15. In the junior classes, the teaching is satisfactory overall, ranging from poor to a small number of very good lessons observed. Approximately half of the lessons observed were good or better. The teachers often prepare tasks that motivate and sustain the pupils’ concentration but some lessons have over-long introductions or the pupils are required to listen for too long so they become passive and not involved in the discussions. The more effective lessons are more practical, active and evoke thoughtful discussions from the pupils with more searching questions asked. On the whole, most of the lessons seen in the junior classes did not sufficiently challenge the higher attaining pupils and the planning was greatly affected by the expertise of teachers in particular subjects. The school does not keep a register of gifted and talented pupils so that it is difficult for teachers to identify those with potential in

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

particular subjects. In some lessons seen, there was a good structure so that time was provided for the pupils to ask questions and explain their methods, as for example, in a very good Year 4 English lesson, where the teacher provided very good opportunities for the pupils to read and use the dialogue from the text to improve the pupils’ understanding of the use of punctuation and speech marks. In a very good music lesson, the teacher’s secure knowledge of the subject matter had an immediate impact on the pupils’ learning and their progress. However, by contrast, in a poor science lesson, the teacher was less secure in her Brampton Primary School - 18 knowledge of the science curriculum and this affected the pace and impact of the lesson on the pupils’ learning. Problem solving in mathematics is less secure in the junior classes and this has been recognised as an area for development and improvement by the headteacher

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

and staff. In most of the mathematics and science lessons seen in the junior years, teachers do not leave enough time to improve the pupils’ thinking and problem solving skills.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

16. Teachers do not use systematic assessments to monitor the pupils’ progress. The marking of pupils’ work in the infant workbooks usually includes helpful comments to help the pupils improve or correct their work but this is less evident and consistent in the juniors. Work is usually marked up to date but it is not always clear to the pupils how they can improve their work further. There is also a lack of consistency in the assessment procedures applied to most subjects. Some teachers keep good records having tested what the pupils know but this is not systematic enough across the school for it to have an impact on standards in English, mathematics, science and ICT by the end of Year 6. Individual learning targets are sometimes vague or too generic so that it is not clear how teachers are going to pan work that matches the specific needs of pupils of different abilities. The pupils learning English as

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

an additional language are being closely monitored and supported by a teacher with the specific responsibility for the progress of these pupils. This is effective and combines a small amount of withdrawn and specialised support for those in the early stages of English language acquisition.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

17. The teaching of pupils with special educational needs is good. This includes the provision made for those in the school’s centre for autistic pupils. Teachers are sensitive to the pupils’ individual needs. They plan individual and group work carefully and they use the information gained through detailed assessment of their progress in literacy and numeracy to plan the pupils’ next stage of learning. For example, pupils with special educational needs in Year 4 worked with their teacher to extend their understanding of the order of number. This was planned as a result of the teacher’s assessments of the pupils’ progress. Skilful intervention by learning assistants ensures that each pupil is challenged appropriately through careful use of questions appropriate to their individual understanding.

p.18

TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

18. The school provides a very good range of learning opportunities in the Nursery and Reception, a good range in the infant years and a satisfactory range in the juniors. The curriculum is satisfactory overall. It is broad and balanced and meets the statutory requirements to teach all National Curriculum subjects, although there are some gaps in geography for junior pupils. Religious education meets the requirements of the locally agreed syllabus. National guidelines have been adopted for all subjects and these are being progressively and suitably adapted to meet the needs of the pupils. Skills are being developed systematically in most subjects with the exception of geography and information technology in the juniors where a lack of teachers’ subject expertise affects how well and how consistent these are taught. In literacy, the school has sound strategies for teaching the basic skills. In mathematics, although the school is implementing the National Numeracy

p.18

TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

Strategy, the junior pupils’ workbooks show gaps in their learning, reflecting an unsatisfactory mathematics curriculum in the past. Consequently, the work being done now is aimed at catching up on work that should have been covered previously and this has led to the low standards in last year’s national tests for Year 6 pupils. Evidence from more recent work shows that standards are rising but there is still some way to go in the junior years, especially for Year 5 and 6 pupils.. Brampton Primary School - 19 19. The school provides a good range of activities outside normal lessons for both infants and juniors that not only enriches their learning but also makes a good contribution to their personal and social development. Activities include drama, football, gymnastics, recorders and clay work. Educational day visits to places of historical interest, and visits to places closer to the school, such as a local supermarket, also enriches the curriculum and extends

p.18

TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

20. There is a good commitment by all the staff to ensure that all pupils have equal opportunities to learn and improve. Staff work hard to ensure that all pupils understand what is happening in the classroom and this helps the pupils to be interested and take a full part in all activities whatever their ability.

p.19

TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

21. Provision for pupils with special educational needs is good throughout the school. The ethos for accepting and including pupils with learning disabilities, physical disabilities and behaviour problems is good. The atmosphere within the school is welcoming, warm, positive and supportive. The pupils are identified early and a structured work programme set up. Individual education plans for these pupils are written collaboratively by the teacher and special educational needs co-ordinator. The learning support assistants are very experienced and have good understanding of the needs of the pupils. They work alongside teachers to plan lessons specifically covering the targets within these individual plans and progress is reviewed daily. In a good English lesson in the juniors, two pupils from the attached autism unit were able to be part of the lesson and join in activities suitable for their abilities. The school has successfully incorporated the pupils from the autism centre into its

p.19

TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

mainstream curriculum as well as providing specialised support for them in the centre.

p.19

TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

22. The school has very good links with a range of special educational needs support agencies particularly the educational psychology service. The overall progress of the pupils identified with special educational needs is reviewed each term and the school psychologist advises teachers and helps set up new learning programmes for those pupils with the greatest need. The school works well with the Local Authority’s behaviour support team and manages some difficult pupils very effectively. Staff have received training in autism and behaviour disorders and all pupils have a full entitlement to the curriculum.

p.19

TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

23. The school has good links with the local and wider community and its partner institutions and uses them effectively to enhance the curriculum. The school is widely used by a number of local organisations, such as the Brownies, Scouts and church groups. A particularly good feature is the Family Literacy Project that supports some parents and their children in improving their bi-lingual skills and this includes the pupils who are in the early stages of English language acquisition. There are links with a primary school in Namibia and the pupils exchange e-mails. The school has developed good links with the three local secondary schools, not only to ensure the smooth transition of the pupils, but also to enhance the curriculum. This has involved using the sporting facilities and the setting up of a “Buddy Reading” system whereby pupils from the secondary schools come and support pupils at Brampton. For some time the staff in the infants have worked with a local university on a

p.19

TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

research project into language and questioning skills. Many students from the local further education college work regularly in the school. Students from local training institutions regularly use the school for teaching practice.

p.19

TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

24. The provision made for personal, social and health education is good. The school has appropriate arrangements for sex education and drugs awareness education. It has good links with the school nurse and drug awareness team who all make a valuable contribution to the curriculum. The school effectively encourages pupils to take responsibility through systems such as the weekly classroom forums which ensure that the pupils are actively Brampton Primary School - 20 involved in the life of the school. A school council has just been elected. The school has sought to improve the pupils’ social development through the “Playground Buddies” scheme. Older pupils have been trained so that they are able to support and help other pupils at play times

p.19

TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

25. The school’s provision for spiritual, moral, social and cultural education is good overall. The provision the school makes for the pupils’ spiritual development is satisfactory. The care and support for pupils with physical or learning disabilities creates a climate within which all the pupils can grow and flourish, respect others and be respected. They are encouraged to develop a sense of empathy with others and show concern and compassion. Assemblies give pupils an understanding of their own feelings and emotions and their likely impact. The local vicar takes an assembly each week with the juniors in which he tries to help the pupils consider values from different points of view.

p.20

TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

26. The school provides effectively for the pupils’ moral development and promotes positive attitudes and values. The warm and caring approach of the staff provides good role models for the pupils. All the pupils are taught how to distinguish right from wrong and most teachers expect and receive good behaviour from their pupils. There are clear moral codes of conduct and rules are displayed prominently in each classroom. These are formulated with the help of the pupils. Rewards and sanctions are used effectively. There are various incentives presented in the celebration assembly such as certificates and gold awards. The gold award book is kept in a prominent position for anyone to read. The school is an ‘Eco School’ and pupils are encouraged to care for their local environment.

p.20

TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

27. The social development of the pupils is good. They contribute actively to the life of the school. They are very respectful and tolerant of each other including those pupils who have physical or learning needs and those from ethnic minority communities. The rich diet of extra-curricular activities provides the pupils with opportunities to socialise away from lessons and with pupils of other ages. The opportunity to join clubs and compete against others is available to everyone. The school has gained awards for its anti-bullying strategies. Playground ‘buddies’ are pupils trained in school. Their job is to identify and support pupils having problems in the playground. There are class councils while the residential trip and other visits also contribute to the pupils’ social development and to their awareness of what it means to be a good citizen. There are home/school projects organised through the

p.20

TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

specially funded ‘Sure Start’ programme. This is aimed at developing parenting skills at home buy providing expert advice and support in school for parents. This is staffed by trained personnel from a local college and is grant funded.

p.20

TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

28. The provision for the pupils’ cultural development is satisfactory. The pupils are taught to appreciate their own cultural traditions and those of other cultures through art, music and literature. The pupils visit the Pomegranate Theatre in Chesterfield and take part in music concerts at the ‘Winding Wheel.’ Raymond Otto has visited the school and run a dance workshop. There are strong links with the Muslim community, mothers and children having shared a learning course in school together.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

29. Overall the steps taken by the school to ensure that it cares for its pupils are satisfactory. Teachers form good relationships with the pupils and provide good support and guidance when necessary. The pupils with special educational needs and those learning English as an additional language are well supported. However, the procedures for checking on the pupils’ academic performance are unsatisfactory. Brampton Primary School - 21 30. The headteacher is the designated person in charge of child protection and she is well versed in the procedures outlined in the school’s child protection policy. She has also received training on the recent procedural changes and knowledge of her role amongst all the staff is good. The school’s health, safety and welfare policy is implemented effectively and the Governing Body’s premises committee ensure that a safe environment is maintained.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

31. Procedures for monitoring and improving attendance are satisfactory. Registers are taking according to statutory requirements, but the school operates a system where they stay in the classroom all day. Written notices of absences are seen by the class teacher but will only be relayed to the secretarial staff at the end of the week when the registers are returned to them. No first day telephone call is carried out if a child is absent. Certificates are awarded termly for full attendance and this has helped to improve attendance rates. More rigorous monitoring of attendance, particularly on the day of absence, together with a first day call will improve the efficiency of the school’s monitoring procedures.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

32. Procedures for monitoring and promoting good behaviour are good. The school’s behaviour management policy, in conjunction with a comprehensive personal, social and health education programme, provide an effective steer to the school’s work. The headteacher and staff ensure that the pupils are required to take responsibility for their actions and this begins with them drawing up their own class rules. Behaviour is managed using a positive approach with the pupils being awarded a range of stickers and certificates for good behaviour. Mid-day supervisors have received training in dealing with challenging behaviour and they also have responsibility for awarding certificates. Where behaviour is unacceptable, the pupils are entered onto the schools behaviour support programme and parents are informed. Much effort has been put into anger management, and the school has been well supported by Derbyshire’s Behavioural Support Team. In the last twelve months

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

the school took the bold step of training twelve Year 6 pupils to become playground buddies and they have proved to be a great success. Where once hardly a playtime passed without the headteacher needing to resolve an issue she is now very rarely called upon. Exclusion is used only as a very last resort and only for the most serious offence. The four fixed term exclusions last year were in that category. The school has been involved with the formulation of the Local Authority’s Anti-Bullying programme which involved both staff and parents being trained to deal with bullying and has received an award for its work in this area.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

33. The school’s arrangements for assessing and monitoring the pupils’ attainment and progress are unsatisfactory. There is a policy in place but this has not been applied consistently throughout the school. The school is starting to develop a satisfactory range of assessment tools to set improvement targets. These include the statutory tests together with nationally provided optional tests. Standardised reading and spelling tests are also given, as are in- house tests. However, these have not been in place long enough to have had an impact on target setting and standards. The in-house mathematics tests provide little useful assessment information. Opportunities are used to moderate assessments in literacy and these are used to annotate and allocate National Curriculum levels to pieces of work, but this is not completed consistently. All the pupils have assessment folders, but these serve little

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

purpose except for the storage of test papers.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

34. A useful start has been made in tracking the pupils’ progress from their initial assessments in the Reception year, but a coherent system is not in place to use the information strategically to identify the achievement of different groups of pupils. For instance, although test papers are analysed and strengths and weaknesses are identified, the process is not used effectively Brampton Primary School - 22 to identify changes that might positively raise standards of attainment. Equally, while group targets are now set for the pupils, especially in mathematics and literacy, these are not to plan the pupils’ learning and ensure that the pupils know how they might work towards them both on a day-to-day basis. While individual pupil assessment data is now available, this is not being used routinely to set individual targets in literacy and numeracy.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

35. Effective arrangements are in place to identify pupils with special educational needs. Useful plans with clear targets to aim for are drawn up in response to their individual needs. The pupils with Statements of Special Educational Needs have detailed individual education plans which are effectively used by teachers and the teaching assistants working with them. This enables them to make good progress towards their targets.

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

36. Procedures for monitoring the pupils’ personal development and the guidance offered to pupils are good. The school’s well developed personal, social and health education programme in which circle time during lessons plays a prominent role is used to good effect. In these sessions the pupils can discuss issues which concern them and the process has been good in deflating much of the anger that a small number of older pupils have. Good acts, be it for work or behaviour, are entered into the school’s golden book and these are acknowledged at the weekly celebration assemblies.

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

37. The school has worked hard at creating an effective partnership with parents and is successful in this. The majority of parents have very positive views of the school, feeling that it provides a good standard of academic and personal education. The parents of children in the centre for autism are delighted with the provision made and the quality of education. Much of the credit for the improvement is down to the staff but particularly the headteacher who has spent a lot of time developing positive links with the parent body. As a consequence, a very good relationship now exists between the school and parents, which is a major factor during the difficult period leading up to and during the amalgamation of the two previous schools.

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

38. Parents returning the questionnaire and those attending the pre-inspection meeting agree that the school promotes good attitudes and behaviour amongst pupils who are keen to come to school. Interviews during the week of the inspection confirmed that the headteacher deals well with their concerns and follows these through. Parents raised three areas of concern relating to the amount of homework which is set, the information about the progress their children are making and the range of extra-curricular activities. The inspection found that their views were unfounded in relation to homework and extra-curricular provision but upheld their concerns over the information they receive, particularly about their children’s academic performance and progress.

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

39. The links which the school has with parents are very good. Parents are encouraged to bring their children into the classroom at the start of the day and this gives them an opportunity to meet with teachers. The headteacher makes herself available in the playground before and after school to meet with parents on an informal basis. Parents are encouraged to attend class assemblies and it was good to see so many turning up to the Year 1 assembly during the week of the inspection. The work of parent helpers is acknowledged at the annual thank you assembly when they receive a gift from the school.

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

40. Between ten and fifteen parents help out in school on a regular basis. A number of them have been trained as better reading partners and this enhances the support they can give to reading. Parents were invited to contribute to the Anti-Bullying Project and support for this Brampton Primary School - 23 was very good. In addition, events such as the sports day and outside visits are always well supported as are the twice yearly sponsored events which raise money for the school and for other charities. The money raised for the school has been used to buy a television, and video and computers. In conjunction with Chesterfield College the school is playing a leading role to train parents for Supporting Children’s Learning in the Classroom. Of the thirteen parents who attend the course, four have children at Brampton Primary School. Once trained, they will provide a valuable additional resource to the school.

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

41. The quality of information provided for parents, particularly about their children’s progress, is unsatisfactory because they are inconsistent across the school. There are two parent consultation evenings a year. Support from infant parents and those in Years 3 and 4 is good, but it is less regular in Years 5 and 6. Annual reports sent to parents about their child’s progress are inconsistent in their quality and the specific information they provide. Some contain too little information and some have no targets set with little indication of the level each pupil is working at.

p.23

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

42. The contribution of parents to children’s learning at school and home is satisfactory. Support for homework is mixed. In Year 2 it is good. The pupils take home reading books and spellings and the parents ensure that work is done. Support is more mixed from parents of pupils in Year 6. Overcoming this is a difficult task for the school but it is one which the headteacher and staff intend to deal with in a positive and supportive way. Curriculum events have been held for literacy and numeracy at which the turnouts were good. This term the school has introduced homework diaries and the initial signs are favourable. These positive aspects are offset by parents’ support for extra-curricular activities. Whilst the take up and enthusiasm on the part of pupils is high, only a third of parents are currently prepared to let their children attend these activities.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

43. Before the amalgamation of the infant and junior schools in January 2001, the headteacher was in charge of the former infant school. National test results show that the infant school was successful and the pupils were making good progress and achieving well. However, test results for junior pupils showed low standards by Year 6, reflecting a less effective school with very different needs. The task of bringing these two very different schools together was a challenging one. The headteacher has managed this very well and shows good and effective leadership.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

44. The senior management of the school, together with the governors and with the support of the Local Authority, have begun to tackle the most important priorities facing the new primary school. Consequently, staffing is much more stable compared with the high turnover of staff that was evident in the junior school. The monitoring of teaching and learning, mainly carried out by the headteacher, is bringing about greater consistency so that the work being done in the infant years is being built upon in the Years 3 and 4. New appointments to the teaching staff have brought a welcome stability and improved the subject expertise of staff in most subjects. However, the headteacher and governors recognise that there is still some way to go to improve expertise in science, ICT and geography in the junior years.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

45. Raising standards in the junior years and particularly by the end of Year 6 has been the main focus for development. Together with an effective deputy headteacher who leads by her very good example in the classroom, the headteacher continually re-appraises and evaluates the impact of the many initiatives that have been introduced to improve teaching in the juniors and raise standards. There has been good improvement since the amalgamation Brampton Primary School - 24 because the school is extremely well focused on improving learning, especially as a large number of pupils have special educational needs and an increasing number joining the school are learning English as an additional language. The personal commitment of the headteacher and her staff to the needs of the pupils is very good. All the staff and adults who have day to day contact with the pupils, reflect the school’s stated aims well. They

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

support and are committed to maintaining strong working relationships with all pupils in all activities. This commitment to an inclusive education is clearly reflected in all the work done in the school. The introduction of the school’s centre for autistic pupils is testimony to this aim.

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

46. The headteacher and senior staff have a good grasp and understanding of how to measure and improve the effectiveness of the teaching. However, more needs to be done to improve the systematic assessment of the pupils by teachers and others which will enable them to measure the impact that the teaching is having on standards. Some co-ordinators monitor lessons and teachers’ planning as well as pupils’ work to assess how well they are doing but this is not so in all subjects. The staff and governors are greatly influenced by the headteacher’s leadership and enthusiasm to succeed and improve the school further. However, there are some areas where the necessary management tools or procedures are lacking. For example, teachers do not set accurate and realistic learning targets for the pupils to help them monitor progress. Some teachers are not certain about what they are going to teach and what they are aiming for because there are gaps in their knowledge in

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

some subjects, for example, science, geography and ICT. Some curriculum co-ordinators prepare good reports on their subjects which feed into an audit of resources and staff training needs. These are reflected in the school development plan, but this good practice is not evident in all subjects. These discrepancies are largely as a result of the amalgamation and of the difficulties of bringing together the two schools and their resources. Resources have improved well since the development and extension of the building and the greatly improved access between the two parts of the school.

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

47. The governors are experienced and committed to the needs of the school and its pupils. They provide satisfactory support and help the headteacher to manage the school well. Formal monitoring procedures are in place so that governors are invited to see lessons, discuss progress with curriculum co-ordinators and see pupils’ work. However, the focus of this monitoring is not targeted on areas where there is greatest need for improvement. The headteacher ensures that governors are kept well informed and they have a good understanding of the school’s needs, strengths and weaknesses. However, the school development plan lists a large number of areas for improvement and does not place these in an order of importance. This does not provide a clear enough steer to governors as to which priorities are to be tackled first and to assign resources appropriately. The governors’ annual report to parents is satisfactory and covers all the statutory requirements except that

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

the school does not specify how it identifies gifted and talented pupils nor is a register of such pupils kept.

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

48. There is a good mixture of experienced and well-qualified teachers and support staff. The latter are effectively deployed, working in close partnership with teachers in supporting pupils’ learning. The staffing for pupils with special educational needs is good. The careful deployment of special educational needs specialists and teaching assistants ensures that pupils with special educational needs are well supported individually or in groups in both class and withdrawal settings. This includes the centre for pupils with autism. The staff in the centre are well briefed on the role they are expected to play and they know the pupils individually and meet their needs effectively. There is very good communication between the professionals who work with these pupils. There are very good induction procedures for Brampton Primary School - 25 new staff and newly qualified teachers. These help the staff to fit in quickly to the routines

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

49. The co-ordinator for special educational needs is successfully developing the leadership role by building on the well-established practices that were evident in the infant school prior to amalgamation. The co-ordinator has already begun monitoring the provision for special educational needs pupils by checking the individual learning targets, the activities provided and the involvement of outside agencies. The co-ordinator makes the professional assessment of each pupil identified on the school register and makes the professional link with support that can be accessed form outside the school. Resources for pupils with special educational needs are very good. Pupils can access a good range of classroom resources. When withdrawn to specialist teaching areas for small group work, such as that for additional literacy support, there is good access to a range of suitable materials.

p.25

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

50. The school’s finances are soundly managed. There are satisfactory procedures in place to track spending and determine priorities for resources in the school’s management plan. The increase in the school’s carry forward budget has been assessed by the headteacher and governors and will largely be spent on the expected increase in refurbishment following the building work and reorganisation after amalgamation. Specific grants are used well for their intended purpose and the headteacher and governors monitor spending closely. The headteacher reports on the effectiveness of spending and the priorities set in the school development plan. In this way the school is committed to establishing best value when committing resources but the governors have been very much wrapped up in the logistics of amalgamation and building work for a clear picture of school improvement and spending priorities to emerge. The new ICT room is well equipped. The accommodation is spacious

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

and in sound repair. It is satisfactory overall in relation to the needs of the pupils and the curriculum. The teachers make good use of all the available space. The two halls provide good space for physical education sessions. There are several small rooms used for small group support, the library, music lessons and for housing the computers. The junior library is under-used and many books are need of replacement. The classrooms vary in size but most are a reasonable size for the number of pupils. The schoolyards and grassed areas are adequate in size. The separate Nursery building has a well equipped playground. The Reception children regularly use this also as their own playground has no large scale play equipment or direct access from their classrooms. Brampton Primary School - 26

p.25

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

51. The headteacher, staff and governors should now:

p.26

information and communication technology by:

- providing greater consistency in the way the pupils are taught to write. This should build on the good start made in the infant years so that the teaching of writing in the junior classes improves handwriting, spelling and punctuation. More opportunities should also be provided for the pupils to write at length and to develop the pupils’ writing in all subjects;

p.26

information and communication technology by:

- providing the pupils with the appropriate skills and understanding for them to improve their computation skills in mathematics and, in particular, the mental and oral strategies to improve arithmetic skills;

p.26

information and communication technology by:

- more opportunities should be provided in science lessons for the pupils to organise and plan investigations, to record results and be taught the necessary skills to draw conclusions from their findings;

p.26

information and communication technology by:

- improving teachers’ subject knowledge in science and information and communication technology through an effective programme of training. (Paragraphs: 2-3; 5; 18; 46; 78-89; 90-96; 97-104; 128-132)

p.26

matches that of the best seen in the school by:

- improving the teaching of geography so there is progression and continuity for the pupils from Year 3 through to Year 6;

p.26

matches that of the best seen in the school by:

- ensuring that high expectations are set throughout the junior years and that the work provided for the pupils is better matched to their needs and abilities; (Paragraphs: 3; 8; 12; 14-16; 44-45; 62; 83; 91; 93; 98; 102; 120-123)

p.26

better informs teachers’ planning and provides more accurate learning

targets for the pupils. (Paragraphs: 16; 33-34; 41; 46; 94; 98; 146)

p.26

(4) Ensure that a register is kept of gifted and talented pupils and staff are clear

about how their needs should be met. (Paragraph: 47) Brampton Primary School - 27

p.26

their children’s progress, ensuring they all include targets for improvement and information

about areas of work that need improvement.

p.27

their children’s progress, ensuring they all include targets for improvement and information

(Paragraph: 41) Brampton Primary School - 28

p.27

THE CENTRE FOR AUTISTIC PUPILS

52. The centre opened in September 2001 and can accommodate up to eight primary age pupils from across the county who have ‘Autism Spectrum Disorders’. The centre has a full-time and experienced teacher in charge and two full-time learning support assistants. It also benefits from the support of a specialist speech and language therapist for two-and-a-half days a week, and a music therapist for one-day-a-week. The aim of the centre is the inclusion of their pupils into mainstream classes and to prepare to be re-integrated into full- time mainstream education.

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THE CENTRE FOR AUTISTIC PUPILS

53. Although the centre is in the early stages of its development, it is successfully improving the pupils’ social interaction and communication skills, and is developing their inclusion into mainstream classes. This success is because of the good quality of teaching and support within the centre, and the commitment and support that the school gives. The centre is a well-organised and stimulating environment, and has a good level of appropriate resources.

p.28

THE CENTRE FOR AUTISTIC PUPILS

54. Within the centre the good teaching and support is well directed towards the individual needs of the pupils. Lessons are well planned to meet the pupils’ individual targets, as well as their general social, behavioural and academic needs. Within this environment the pupils make good progress in their learning. The pupils are well managed and the staff use varying techniques to deal with difficult and challenging behaviour. The staff use high levels of immediate verbal and visual signals to praise and encourage good behaviour and responses. The staff tell pupils why they are being praised to reinforce the desired responses. This means that for much of the day the pupils behave well and show increasingly positive attitudes to their tasks. There is an appropriate emphasis placed on learning and practising everyday routines and skills that most other pupils in mainstream classes learn incidentally.

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THE CENTRE FOR AUTISTIC PUPILS

The staff form good relationships with their pupils and are aware of their individual differences and needs. They work well as a team and demonstrate good examples of social interaction and communication for their pupils to learn from.

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THE CENTRE FOR AUTISTIC PUPILS

55. Those pupils who are included for part of the week within the school’s mainstream classes are well supported by a learning support assistant from the unit. The class teachers differentiate work to match the pupils’ abilities and opportunities are given for the pupils from the centre to work in groups alongside other pupils. At the moment however, there is no specific formal planning designed to progressively extend the social interaction and communication skills of the pupils from the centre while they are in the mainstream classes. The class teachers in the rest of the school involve the pupils from the centre in class discussions. This was seen in a Year 3 numeracy lesson where the teacher asked a pupil to report back to the class what work he had been doing and what he had found out. This, with the help of his learning support assistant, he did with confidence. The staff of the school have benefited from some training, but the headteacher and the teacher in charge of the

p.28

THE CENTRE FOR AUTISTIC PUPILS

centre realise that more specific training is still essential for all school staff.

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THE CENTRE FOR AUTISTIC PUPILS

56. The centre is well led and managed and there is a clear vision of what it is trying to achieve. Assessment and recording systems are developing well. The teacher in charge realises that further details, concerning the different learning styles of the pupils could be kept. This would help provide valuable information for mainstream class teachers. The continued development of the centre and its links to the main school are seen as very important by the headteacher. This commitment, the positive support of the local education authority, and the good results so far achieved show that there is very good potential for further improvement. Brampton Primary School - 29

p.28

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

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

p.29

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

p.29

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

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

p.29

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6

p.29

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 49 352

p.29

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 0 61

p.29

Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6

p.29

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 2 18

p.29

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 3 53

p.29

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.29

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 22

p.29

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.29

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 33

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 37

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Attendance

National comparative data 5.6 National comparative data 0.5

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Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Brampton Primary School - 30

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2001 33 24 57

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

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

Boys 30 31 30 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 22 22 22

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

Percentage of pupils School 91 (n/a) 93 (n/a) 91 (n/a) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (83) 86 (84) 91 (90)

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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

Boys 31 30 33 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 22 21 21

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

Percentage of pupils School 93 (n/a) 89 (n/a) 95 (n/a) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (84) 89 (88) 89 (88)

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

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

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2001 25 27 52

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

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

Boys 12 9 19 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 21 15 20

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

Percentage of pupils School 63 (n/a) 46 (n/a) 75 (n/a) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 71 (72) 87 (85)

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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

Boys 13 16 15 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 17 16 16

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

Percentage of pupils School 67 (n/a) 64 (n/a) 84 (n/a) at NC level 4 or above National 72 (70) 74 (72) 82 (79)

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

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Brampton Primary School - 31

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

White – any other White background 2 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Mixed – any other mixed background 0 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British - Pakistani 6 0 0

p.31

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi 4 0 0

p.31

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black or Black British – Caribbean 0 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black or Black British – any other Black background 4 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

The table refers to pupils of compulsory school age only. It gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded. Brampton Primary School - 32

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 11.8 Financial year 2001/2002

p.32

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 29.8

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 873,283

p.32

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 11 Total expenditure 938,011

p.32

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 239 Expenditure per pupil 2,339

p.32

Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: Nursery Balance brought forward from previous year 93,936

p.32

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 1 Balance carried forward to next year 29,208

p.32

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 37

p.32

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 3

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 65

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 7.0

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 6.2

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Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 1

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of a term or more (FTE) 1

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) 1

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Recruitment of teachers

FTE means full-time equivalent. Brampton Primary School - 33

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

p.33

Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

p.33

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 50 48 1 0 1

p.33

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 45 51 2 0 2

p.33

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 31 48 15 1 5

p.33

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 38 45 12 2 3

p.33

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 72 25 2 1 0

p.33

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 64 34 1 0 1

p.33

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 36 52 8 0 3

p.33

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 62 36 2 0 0

p.33

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 57 40 2 0 1

p.33

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 22 46 10 2 19

p.33

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Parents are pleased with the way the school supports their children and the progress they make but some would like to be informed about the topics to be covered each term so they can support them at home. They would also like to be better informed about their children’s progress. Brampton Primary School - 34

p.33

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

57. The children are admitted part time to the Nursery at the beginning of the term which follows their third birthday. Before they start there is a programme of visits where the children are introduced to the school routines and classroom activities. At the beginning of the term in which they become five, they transfer to a full time place in the Reception year. On the basis of the assessments carried out at the beginning of the first term their attainment is judged to be below average. They make good progress in all the areas of learning. By the end of the Reception year most of the children are likely to attain the goals for all the areas of learning and about a quarter are likely to exceed them. This includes those children who have special educational needs or who are learning English as an additional language. These standards are achieved by good teaching, careful linking of all the areas of learning with the

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

provision of opportunities for independent learning and decision making. There are good procedures for assessing, recording and keeping the parents informed about the children’s progress.

p.34

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

58. The Foundation Stage is well managed by a co-ordinator who is a Reception teacher and particularly knowledgeable about the children’s individual learning styles. The teachers are supported by a team of nursery nurses. They are well briefed and provide good support for the children. During the inspection the number of students in the Nursery was creating extra management responsibilities for the Nursery teacher.

p.34

Personal, social and emotional development

59. The school makes good provision for the children’s personal, social, and emotional development. The children make good progress. By the end of the Reception year most are likely to attain and some will exceed the expected learning goals. The teaching is good overall with very good teaching seen in the Reception classes. This area of learning is well managed and the children are well supported as the teachers understand the needs of young children and their stages of development.

p.34

Personal, social and emotional development

60. The classroom routines are carefully organised and the children settle quickly because the teachers promote their self-esteem and develop their confidence. They are confident about approaching adults for help and support. The fact that they settle well into the Nursery and deal with the transfer to the Reception classes is testimony to the secure environment created by the staff. By using a balance of praise and encouragement to take responsibility for aspects of their learning, the teachers show the children that their contributions are valued. The teachers record the small steps in learning and include the parents and the other children in celebrating achievements. The children are beginning to understand the consequences of their actions and most demonstrate co-operative and considerate behaviour.

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Personal, social and emotional development

61. The children are eager to be involved in the wide range of activities and they know that the teachers will listen to them and help them. In the Nursery they take responsibility for initial registrations and for choosing many of the daily experiences in all the required areas. The children in the Reception classes help each other with outdoor and physical education clothes and tidy away any equipment they have used. The majority develop sufficient self-control to take turns to speak, wait a turn and share resources. They have many opportunities to work together and there are numerous examples of children co-operating and asking and answering questions. The children develop positive attitudes to their learning because the Brampton Primary School - 35 teachers successfully create the conditions and ethos that they need to become effective learners.

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Communication, language and literacy

62. Most of the children start the Foundation Stage with below average levels of attainment. They make good progress and by the end of the stage most are likely to attain and some will exceed the expected learning goals. The teaching is good overall with very good teaching seen in the Reception classes. This area of learning is well managed with carefully planned and supervised activities. In the Reception classes, the teachers introduce elements of the National Literacy Strategy through the daily literacy lesson. In the planning, the teachers identify what they want the children to learn and provide work that is challenging. They explain the purpose of the activities so that the children understand what is expected of them. The teachers focus on what the children are learning and this enables them to assess what has been achieved and what to plan for the next stage of the learning. The children are given

p.35

Communication, language and literacy

opportunities to discuss what they have done but they are not always given opportunities to discuss what they have learned.

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Communication, language and literacy

63. The skills of speaking and listening are developed well in teacher directed activities. This is evident in the discussion that takes place in the Nursery when the children are encouraged to join in discussions about what they have enjoyed doing at the weekend and in Reception when they talk about what makes them happy or sad. They begin to speak with confidence to adults and in front of the class. They listen carefully to the teachers, answer questions and express their point of view. When they talk to each other or to the adults they enjoy using the vocabulary used by their teachers. During imaginative play they enjoy talking ‘like a grown up’ and can adapt their speech to the role of parents or shopkeepers as well as Red Riding Hood, Grandma and the wolf.

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Communication, language and literacy

64. The children are keen to learn to read and their early reading skills are developed through the sharing of books and stories. In the Nursery and Reception classes they handle books carefully and they know that they can get information from the pictures and the words. When they share the reading with the teacher they can predict events, how the characters might react and what they might do in similar circumstances. When they have finished the story they can re-count the events in sequence. The children read every day and in the Reception classes they have regular individual reading sessions. Through the phonics sessions the children learn the letters of the alphabet and the sounds that they make. Many can use this information when they meet unfamiliar words. They begin to build a vocabulary of familiar words and by looking at the sense of a whole sentence some can guess the meaning of unknown words. The Reception children’s home-school reading diary provides

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Communication, language and literacy

information for the parents and suggests ways in which they can provide appropriate support.

p.35

Communication, language and literacy

65. The teaching of writing skills is good with a wide range of activities to develop hand-eye co- ordination and pencil and crayon control. The Nursery children can trace and copy letters. The Reception children learn the correct letter formations. They know that words are made up of letters and that they have to leave a space between words. When they are “working” in the Nursery ‘office’ they can explain that the marks they have made are the writing for the orders that they have taken over the telephone. In the Reception classes, they are writing for different purposes and explain that when they are writing a story they have to write from left to right and remember the capital letters and full stops. When they are writing a shopping list for ‘treats’ for Red Riding Hood’s Grandma they explain that the words go underneath each other.

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Mathematical development

Brampton Primary School - 36 66. There is good provision for the children’s mathematical development. The children make good progress and by the end of the Foundation Stage most are likely to attain and some exceed the expected learning goals. In the Reception classes the teachers introduce elements of the National Numeracy Strategy with a daily mathematics lesson and in both the Nursery and Reception classes there are numerous individual opportunities for developing and consolidating mathematical skills. The teaching is good overall with some very good teaching in the Reception classes. The teachers are clear about what they want the children to learn. They plan opportunities for them to talk about how they work things out but they do not always provide them with opportunities to discuss what they have learned. There is a good range of practical activities to promote the children’s understanding of numbers. In the

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Mathematical development

Nursery, they enjoy helping the teddy bear to jump up and down the number ladder and many can identify the numerals that correspond to their counting. Most can count accurately to 20 and some beyond. In Reception, the children are confident in using mathematical language which they learn through stories, rhymes, games and their outdoor activities when they can keep the score of the times they kick the balls into the net or how many times they can jump the circuit of hoops. They can work out the difference between two numbers and they know that addition means the combination of sets of objects and that subtraction means that objects are removed. They can use the signs for addition and equals. All the children recognise squares, circles, and triangles.

p.36

Mathematical development

67. The Nursery children enjoy using mathematical language to talk about shape, size and position of objects. They can count, match, sort, and order objects according to shape, size and colour. The teachers make good use of registration and snack time to consolidate these skills. The children are involved with identifying any difference in the daily totals. In the Nursery they can count the number of beakers needed for milk and comment on the size, shape and colour of their snacks.

p.36

Knowledge and understanding of the world

68. The children enter the Foundation Stage with limited general knowledge but they are keen to learn and make good progress in this area of learning. There is good provision and most will attain and some will exceed the expected learning goals. They make good progress in learning about why things happen, how things are made and why changes occur because of the good range of activities planned for them. The children’s learning is supported by the good teaching seen overall and the very good teaching in the Reception classes. The teachers are skilled at questioning and make effective use of the children’s answers to assess their understanding and to help them to think for themselves. The teachers make effective use of this time to develop the children’s language skills and increase their vocabulary but they do not always provide them with opportunities to discuss their learning.

p.36

Knowledge and understanding of the world

69. The children are keen to learn about their surroundings. In the Reception classes, the current theme of Red Riding Hood is being used to introduce the children to maps, routes and directions. They have been learning about people who work in and around the school. Through these visits and talking to visitors the children know about the equipment used in the school office, the police and fire stations and the work of the crossing patrol, the school nurse and dentist. The visits to a local retirement home have increased their understanding of the changes that occur to people over time and the types of housing in the area. The visit of the guide dog handler has introduced them to the idea of the different ways in which people deal with their lives.

p.36

Knowledge and understanding of the world

70. Throughout the Foundation Stage the teachers encourage the children to talk about family events and celebrations both now and in the recent past. By listening to stories and talking about relatives the children are developing an understanding of past and present. Through Brampton Primary School - 37 stories and pictures the teachers provide the children with opportunities to learn about people who live far away and those who lived long ago and they are beginning to develop and understanding of the past and an appreciation of the wider world. Through taking part in events such as the Harvest Festival, Christmas, Diwali and Chinese New Year celebrations, they are beginning to understand the variety of religious and cultural beliefs and celebrations.

p.36

Knowledge and understanding of the world

71. The children can solve simple problems by making and modifying models and can use a variety of construction kits to make decisions such as the journeys taken by the toy cars and the number of cars that can be parked in the ‘multi-storey’ car park. The Nursery children discuss how they can make the soap bubbles in the water tray appear bigger when they blow into the pipe and the reasons why this happens. They are learning about safety procedures and how some equipment is powered by electricity and some by batteries. In the Nursery, the children learn how to operate the tape recorder and computer mouse. They become increasingly confident in clicking on icons when using programs related to the current themes of colour. The Reception children know how to click, drag and bin. When they are investigating switches they can explain how to use the control box to change the direction of the programmable robot called “Roamer”. The teacher uses this session to develop the

p.37

Knowledge and understanding of the world

children’s mathematical skills by encouraging the children to program the Roamer to move forwards and backwards and calculate the differences in the number of the movements they have chosen. In the Nursery the children are beginning to offer explanations about the changes that occur in containers when water and coloured oils are mixed together. When they are creating collages they are conscious of the safety rules for using scissors and glue.

p.37

Physical development

72. There is good provision for the children’s physical development and the children make good progress. By the end of the Foundation Stage most are likely to attain and some exceed the goals for early learning. This area of learning is well managed. The teaching is good overall with very good teaching in the Reception classes. The activities are carefully planned and supervised. The teachers challenge the children effectively but do not always give them the opportunity to talk about their learning. The Reception children’s own outdoor area has no direct access from the classrooms but the children often use the very well equipped area adjoining the Nursery and one of the halls in the main school building. The three teachers make effective use of these facilities and the Nursery children quickly develop a good degree of body control.

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Physical development

73. Most of the children have an awareness of space so that they can make complex manoeuvres deftly so as not to collide with other children. They learn to be aware of their own safety and the safety of others. They make good use of the apparatus, wheelbarrows, tricycles and scooters and to push, pull, climb, slide and balance. They develop the skills of throwing, catching and kicking and also the use of mathematical language as they talk about over, under, high and low. In the Reception classes, they learn about the importance of ‘warming up’ before vigorous exercise and they demonstrate their poise, their ability to balance on different parts of the body and to change and control the level, speed and direction of their travel. They use the tools carefully as they dig and fill containers in the sand tray. They develop their manipulative skills when they use small equipment such as scissors and brushes when they paint, cut, fold and glue and when they connect and

p.37

Physical development

assemble jigsaws and construction kits and when they work together to build large-scale models. They have the physical skills to control the computer cursor and the Reception children have acquired good control of the switch box for the programmable Roamer. The quality of the children’s drawings and the skills with which they use malleable materials indicate that they quickly develop their hand-eye co-ordination and the pencil control needed to write letters and numbers. Brampton Primary School - 38

p.37

Creative development

74. There is good provision for the children’s creative development. They make good progress by expressing their feelings in a good range of well resourced creative activities. By the end of the Foundation Stage most are likely to attain and some will exceed the expected learning goals.

p.38

Creative development

75. The teaching is good overall with some very good teaching in the Reception classes. This area of learning is well managed. The activities are worthwhile and carefully planned and supervised. The teachers know what they want the children to learn. They have good understanding of the stages of development and match the tasks well to the children’s individual needs. Their questioning skills are good and they make effective use of the children’s answers to assess what they understand but they do not always provide them with the opportunity to talk about their learning.

p.38

Creative development

76. The children are provided with opportunities to express their feelings and ideas in a wide range of activities such as role-play, painting, drawing, modelling, dancing and singing. They make good use of these opportunities to explore sound, colour, texture, shape, form and space. They represent aspects of the natural world when they paint pictures of plants and when they draw from their observations and their imagination. In exploring the man-made world they draw and paint to create a collage of the vehicles and equipment seen at the fire station. They learn to choose and control the materials to create their desired effect such as in the nursery where they are learning the techniques of how to mix paint and how to create ‘red’ pictures with fabric and paper of different textures.

p.38

Creative development

77. The children enjoy stories and listen carefully to them. They are keen to enter into the world of traditional tales. They enjoy the opportunities to engage in imaginative play and the reception teachers have provided a good range of costumes and resources for Grandma’s cottage. There are also opportunities for imaginative play with puppets, in the nursery home corner and in the ‘office’. These current topics are a rich source of conversation and the children adopt the voices and mannerisms of the characters. They are developing a good sense of rhythm and tempo. The Reception children can clap the beat and identify the sounds that are high, low, loud or soft. They identify the ways in which percussion instruments are played and the sounds that they make and can create a musical accompaniment when the teacher tells the story of Red Riding Hood. They have built up an extensive repertoire of songs and action rhymes and can respond to the mood and

p.38

ENGLISH

78. Standards of attainment are variable across the school. They are in line with the national average by the end of Year 2 but below average by the end of Year 6. However, in the full year since the schools amalgamated significant progress has been made in raising attainment in Year 6, particularly in the proportion of the pupils achieving the higher level (Level 5).

p.38

ENGLISH

79. Throughout the school, the pupils are making good progress in speaking and listening and standards are good. They are encouraged to discuss their ideas in literacy lessons and listen attentively to the contributions of others. They are keen to answer questions and offer their ideas and do so sensibly, as when for example, Year 1 pupils were comparing characters in the story of the Little Red Hen. As they move through the school they gain in confidence. By Year 6 many pupils, particularly the more able, can discuss in considerable detail how a Brampton Primary School - 39 story set in Victorian times could be updated in terms of both characters and plot, highlighting both similarities and differences.

p.38

ENGLISH

80. In reading, standards by the end of Year 2 and Year 6 are in line with those expected and the pupils are making at least satisfactory progress. In the infants, most pupils in Years 1 and 2 have a good grasp of sounding out unfamiliar words. The more able pupils use this well when, realising they have made a mistake, they attempt to correct it. The more able are beginning to read with a suitable degree of expression and are keen readers. The implementation of the National Literacy Strategy and, in particular, the word and sentence work has provided a good framework for the pupils to develop their word recognition skills. By Year 6, the more able pupils read fluently and expressively and are independent though not avid readers. Their knowledge of authors, other than those met in literacy lessons, is not wide. For boys especially, there is not a big enough range of books to interest and motivate

p.39

ENGLISH

them and this hinders their development as keen readers. The lower attaining pupils generally have the necessary skills for sounding out unfamiliar words and use these satisfactorily. Most pupils understand the difference between fiction and non-fiction and are able to use the contents, index and glossary to help them find information.

p.39

ENGLISH

81. Standards in writing are in line with those expected by the end of Year 2 and the pupils make satisfactory progress. Spelling is satisfactory and reflects the secure understanding of phonics and that of the most frequently used words built up through word work in lessons. Most of the pupils are developing sound story writing skills. The stories of the more able show a clear start, middle and end and some of their writing is very imaginative and holds the reader’s interest well. The stories are punctuated correctly. Handwriting is generally neat and fluent with examples of a good joined up style.

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ENGLISH

82. By the end of Year 6 standards in writing are below average. In Year 5, a significant number of pupils are also below what is expected for pupils of their age. This contrasts with Years 3 and 4 where standards are in line with expectations and the pupils’ progress is satisfactory. However, unlike Years 3 and 4, a significant number of pupils in Years 5 and 6 have gaps in their phonic knowledge and writing skills, such as re-drafting a piece of writing, that hinders their attainment. There is a lack of fluency in too much of the writing and the stories are mundane. The writing lacks imagination; characters and plot are not developed sufficiently; spelling and punctuation are not accurate enough. Too much of this writing is not long enough to enable the pupils to develop and refine their writing skills. Across the juniors handwriting is too variable. There are some very good examples but too few pupils

p.39

ENGLISH

are using a neat, joined up style other than in handwriting practice. Too often they revert to a print style which is not commented upon by teachers.

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ENGLISH

83. The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall with good features in both the infants and the juniors. The teachers have a good subject knowledge. Planning is to the point and reflects the structure of the National Literacy Strategy. However, in Years 5 and 6 there are not enough opportunities for the pupils to develop sustained pieces of writing and practise their writing skills. All lessons begin with a clear explanation about the focus of the lesson and what the pupils are going to learn. In most lessons reference is also made to what was learnt in the previous lesson and this helps to enhance the pupils’ understanding, building on what has previously been learned. In a minority of lessons, however, insufficient time is left at the end of the lesson to show whether the learning intentions have been achieved and to assess the pupils’ understanding.

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ENGLISH

84. Relationships and classroom management are good. Praise is often used well to enhance the pupils’ self-esteem and keep them on task. Behaviour management is a strength of most Brampton Primary School - 40 teachers and very challenging pupils are handled skilfully ensuring that lessons take place in an atmosphere conducive to learning with the minimum of distractions.

p.39

ENGLISH

85. Teachers mostly provide good opportunities for pupils to develop their speaking and listening skills and understanding, as for example in a Year 5 lesson about Robinson Crusoe, when the meaning of the word ‘salvage’ was explored fruitfully and in considerable depth. Questioning is used effectively in most lessons to aid the pupils’ learning and assess their understanding. However, in one lesson, in Year 1, the pupils were not given enough time to answer the questions and develop their ideas, the teacher almost answering the questions for them.

p.40

ENGLISH

86. Teachers make good use of resources such as Big Books and other reading materials to gain pupils’ interest. They use these materials appropriately to provide an effective basis for developing vocabulary, phonics, grammar, punctuation and style. In the best lessons computer programs are used well to reinforce learning and test understanding, as was the case in a Year 4 lesson about identifying verbs. However, in a number of lessons, particularly in the junior classes, the potential of computers to enhance the pupils’ learning is missed, such as, using word processing for drafting or presentation of work.

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ENGLISH

87. The teachers and teaching assistants work effectively together ensuring that the pupils with special educational needs and those who are at an early stage of English language acquisition make good progress. Across the school, work is marked regularly with comments that are both supportive and encouraging but which rarely say how the work might be improved or whether the learning target has been achieved. Also, there is little evidence from the pupils’ work and teachers’ planning of staff using the information from daily lessons to plan the next stages in learning. There are no regular or systematic records kept of pupils’ attainment and levels of understanding as they complete each unit of work. Although the school uses the optional National Curriculum tests to assess the pupils’ progress, the results are not yet having much impact on planning and in targeting particular pupils. Where targets are evident

p.40

ENGLISH

some are too general, such as “Write better sentences.” There are individual pupil portfolios of work but they are not as useful as they could be as most samples of work lack a description about what they show and what needs to be done to achieve the next step. However, there are some examples of good practice to build on.

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ENGLISH

88. In the juniors, classroom libraries are poorly organised and have few attractive books to invite the reader. The school library, based in the junior block, contains too many books that are in need of replacing and the range also needs improving. During the inspection there was little evidence of the library being used to develop research and reference skills.

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ENGLISH

89. Until the start of this term, the subject leadership was shared. The current subject co- ordinator offers sound leadership, has a clear idea of what is need to improve the subject and is a good teaching role model. She is involved in monitoring teachers’ planning and has started monitoring some work but has not monitored teaching yet. The school has no register identifying gifted and talented pupils.

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MATHEMATICS

90. Standards attained by the end of Year 6 are below those expected and ought to be higher. Standards attained by the end of Year 2 are above those expected and the pupils have made good progress in the infant years. The trend in standards has been upward since the new school opened. Teaching in mathematics varies from very good to satisfactory with one unsatisfactory lesson seen and is good overall for Years 1 and 2 and satisfactory for Years 3 to 6. There has been some improvement in standards this year, although by the end of Year Brampton Primary School - 41 6, this is still below what is expected of pupils at this age. While pupil mobility, staffing difficulties and the formation of a new school have partly accounted for some lack of progress, historically, the incomplete implementation of the National Numeracy Strategy in the junior years has meant that pupils have not made enough progress from Year 3 to the

p.40

MATHEMATICS

91. In the lessons where teaching was satisfactory or better, teachers used the National Strategy of a three-part lesson model for teaching numeracy. The oral and mental starter is generally effective in giving every pupil time to rehearse, sharpen and develop their mathematical skills. In the most effective of these lessons, the pace is very brisk and uses a variety of techniques and all the pupils are engaged and invited to respond. The pupils find this part of the lesson stimulating and they are eager to participate. The oral and mental starter is particularly effective in the infant classes. In the main part of the lessons there is clear, focused teaching followed by an opportunity for groups of pupils to work on related tasks. These tasks are targeted at the needs of the pupils and are based on the teaching points covered. This approach is a strength in all the lessons seen and in the best lessons, the pupils

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MATHEMATICS

are able to work unaided so that the teacher can provide a quality teaching input to small groups of pupils. During this time, teaching assistants working in the classroom are well deployed so that they are able to support other groups. In all the lessons observed, the teaching assistants are very effective and have been well briefed by class teachers. The plenary is also a strength of most lessons. Here the main teaching points are reinforced and there were opportunities to explore and correct misconceptions.

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MATHEMATICS

92. In the lessons which were judged to be good or better, the teachers created a very supportive atmosphere where pupils felt confident to have a go and try answers. Different answers were explored and discussed, as were the methods of achieving the answers. In these lessons the pupils were able to explain the methods used and compare the different ways of working out. The level of enjoyment in these lessons was particularly high with pupils having a good sense of achievement. Pace was good and was often very good. Teaching was interactive and used a range of resources to engage different learning styles. In one lesson, small cakes were cut up to show fractions of a whole one. This had a far greater visual impact than using pictures and enabled the teaching point to be put over in a manner which engaged the interest of all pupils. As a result, the pupils made good progress in this lesson. The key vocabulary that the pupils need to be familiar with is included in the

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MATHEMATICS

weekly planning in these lessons. Several terms are emphasised in each lesson so that teachers help the pupils to develop a shared understanding of mathematical terminology over time. This key vocabulary is emphasised during the most effective lessons and is revisited during the plenary.

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MATHEMATICS

93. From a review of pupils’ work over a period of time it is evident that the National Numeracy Strategy has not been fully implemented, and particularly in the junior classes. Techniques for computation have been taught, but these have not been taught systematically. In learning methods of calculation, the pupils have developed a range of mental calculation strategies from Year 3 to Year 6. They have not had the opportunities to develop their own range of mental methods. Neither have these mental methods been developed over time and linked to the work on learning formal written methods of computation, particularly in Years 5 and 6. As an example, in Year 5 the pupils were learning to double large numbers by partitioning, splitting up the hundreds, tens and units, and then doubling each separate number. This was a new method for the pupils but one that should have been learned in earlier years in the

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MATHEMATICS

school. However, instead the pupils have been taught to calculate this as a formal sum, a task they could only just do but with a lack of understanding. One Year 5 pupil enjoyed using partitioning, quickly understood the process and became more confident in calculating doubles. Brampton Primary School - 42 94. Teachers’ planning has relied upon a commercially published scheme and lacks the continuity and progression in developing concepts and understanding in numeracy. This is particularly the case in junior classes. Another weakness in the planning is the lack of effective assessment so that it is difficult for teachers to monitor the progress that pupils make. As a result, expectations of what the pupils should be able to achieve in Years 3 to 6 are too low, and especially for the more able pupils.

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MATHEMATICS

95. Problem solving has been recognised as a weakness by the school and has been addressed in some classes by regularly timetabled lessons with a problem solving focus. In the lessons observed however, problem solving was not a strength as teachers did not regularly provide problem solving opportunities as part of their normal teaching. The use of information and communication technology (ICT) in numeracy is also a weakness with junior pupils having little opportunity to extend their mathematical thinking through the use of ICT during daily mathematics lessons.

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MATHEMATICS

96. The mathematics co-ordinator has recently taken over the responsibility for both infant and junior classes. She is aware that standards by the end of Year 6 need to rise and has developed an action plan for mathematics to address the issues. She has begun to recognise that some of the structures and strategies put into place when the school opened are not having the impact expected but she has a sound understanding of what needs to be done to improve. Teachers have had the opportunity to observe each other teaching and to observe leading mathematics teachers in other schools. The Local Authority support in developing the Numeracy Strategy throughout the school has had some impact on improving numeracy standards and this is reflected in the slightly improved test results by Year 6 pupils in 2002. However, more needs to be done to raise standards, especially in improving the proportion of pupils who have the potential to exceed the levels required for their age.

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SCIENCE

97. The standards achieved by the pupils at the end of Year 6 are below those expected for their age. The first national tests last year show that standards were well below the national average. There was also a well below average proportion of more able pupils achieving the higher level (Level 5) in the tests. The inspection evidence confirms this picture, although indications are that standards are improving with a larger proportion of pupils reaching or exceeding the levels expected by the end of Year 6. The standards achieved by the pupils at the end of Year 2 are in line with the national average and a well above average proportion of pupils exceed the standards expected for their age. The inspection evidence confirms this, reflecting the fact that science has been well taught in the infant years in the past.

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SCIENCE

98. Some teachers in the junior classes lack subject knowledge so that the objectives of science lessons and the learning focus and management of scientific enquiry or investigation are confused. This leads to inconsistencies in expectation between year groups and a lack of continuity for the pupils because learning is not based on previous knowledge gained or work covered. There is no systematic assessment of the pupils in the junior years which affects how well the teachers track pupils’ progress and this leads to a lack of effective target setting. There is inadequate provision made for above average attaining pupils and for lower attaining pupils. The subject is not adequately monitored to check standards of teaching, attainment and progression.

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SCIENCE

99. Year 1 pupils are able to talk about their own development from a baby, to a toddler, child, teenager and adult. Year 2 pupils know that electricity can give heat, light, sound and movement, but they are also aware it is dangerous. They have experience of making simple Brampton Primary School - 43 circuits. The most able pupils are able to compare the speed at which ice cubes melt in different locations over twenty minutes. They can chart the results and independently reach the conclusion that ice melts in warmer places.

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SCIENCE

100. Year 3 and 4 pupils are studying the properties of materials. The standards, however, are low with pupils using low level scientific language. For example, the outcome of analysing the properties of a glove are that it is squashy, soft, stretchy and spongy rather than considering properties such as flexibility, flammability, thermal effectiveness and elasticity. There is satisfactory work, however, when pupils study forces. They know about friction and air resistance and are able to use simple charts to interpret data. In Years 5 and 6, the pupils understand the water cycle of evaporation and condensation and some pupils understand that the larger the surface area, the quicker the evaporation. Most pupils have some knowledge of a fair test and are able to make predictions or form simple hypotheses.

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SCIENCE

101. Teaching is good in the infants. Pupils are given opportunities to further their knowledge and understanding with well planned investigations. Some pupils write up the results independently and experiment with use of language. However, introductions to lessons are often too long so that the momentum and pace of the lesson is lost while pupils become restless as a result.

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SCIENCE

102. In the juniors the teaching ranges from good to poor but is satisfactory overall. Where good teaching is seen the teacher has good subject knowledge and is confident in using the correct scientific language and guiding pupils through more advanced concepts with clarity. For instance, the pupils are amused when ‘Wanda’ the water molecule has life changing experiences as she evaporates and condenses. In these lessons the pupils understand the learning objective and through repetition and action rhymes scientific principles are firmly embedded. In a poor lesson, the investigation was not well planned and the teacher did not think through the whole lesson properly. Other evidence shows that in lessons where the learning objective is to test which paper is best for absorbency, no equipment or procedures are in place to enable the pupils to actually measure the difference and therefore the learning

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SCIENCE

objective cannot be met. Behaviour during some investigations is poor with pupils receiving very little guidance or having the skills to conduct a meaningful exercise. No recording of results or measurements is expected during the experiment and so outcomes are very low. There are missed opportunities for worthwhile investigation such as how the fibrous properties of different papers may explain the level of absorbency. There are occasions when variations in teachers’ subject knowledge means that expectations and achievement are inconsistent from year to year. Much of the work in the pupils’ science books is copied or taken from work sheets. This means the pupils are not confident in writing their own procedures or conclusions. They lack the ability to use previous learning or become confident in applying scientific concepts and language by themselves. Information and communication technology is not an integral part of science teaching in junior classes.

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SCIENCE

103. The lack of structured assessment and tracking of pupils’ progress means teachers are not targeting particular groups of pupils and planning to meet their needs. There are no targets set for the National Curriculum tests in Year 6 and therefore teachers’ lack a focus in the challenge to raise standards. There is no register identifying gifted or talented pupils and this affects how well teachers are able to track those who have the potential to exceed the standards expected for their age.

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SCIENCE

104. The subject co-ordinator has clear vision for the development of the subject. She has already identified some of the problems. She is aware of the teachers lack of subject knowledge and is producing skill lists to enable teachers to check they are teaching to the correct level. She is adapting the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority scheme of work Brampton Primary School - 44 to ensure there is continuity of both knowledge and understanding and investigation skills. Some simple assessment data is in place. There is still a need, however, for challenging targets especially for the most able and lower attaining pupils. Much higher expectations must be set in lessons in all junior classes, especially in preparing the pupils to engage in the skills of accurate, disciplined investigation and enquiry. The standards within year groups and the continuity and progression from year to year need rigorous monitoring as this has

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SCIENCE

been lacking. Little money is available for resource development though the school does benefit from a generous local high school which is willing to lend some apparatus. The school has won an Eco Award and the co-ordinator is the Chesterfield representative for the East Midlands network of the ‘Global Perspective in Schools’ initiative. The pupils visit Carsington Water and enjoy doing aspects of recycling such as water filtration. The Quantum Science Theatre Company visit the school regularly and this makes a good contribution towards enhancing the science curriculum for the pupils.

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ART AND DESIGN

105. It was not possible to observe any infant lessons during the inspection so judgements are based on observations of work displayed around the school, completed work in the pupils’ portfolios and evidence from two junior lessons. Discussions were held with the pupils and their teachers and teaching plans and school documents were also studied.

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ART AND DESIGN

106. Standards in art and design are in line with those expected nationally at the end of Year 2 and Year 6. All the pupils make satisfactory progress including those with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language. Standards achieved amongst boys and girls are similar.

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ART AND DESIGN

107. The teaching is satisfactory overall. Lessons are well managed and the resources are well prepared. The teachers have a sound knowledge of the subject which enables them to provide appropriate guidance about the techniques and suggest how the work might be improved. The pupils are encouraged to develop independence in terms of the techniques and materials used. The teachers’ explanations are clear so that the pupils understand what they have to do and how they are expected to behave. They are given opportunities to express their opinions about the work completed in the lessons but they are not given the opportunity to discuss what they have learned or how they might improve their own work.

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ART AND DESIGN

108. The infant teachers give the pupils a wide range of experiences to develop their knowledge and their skills. They successfully encourage the pupils to explore and develop their own ideas. The pupils investigate and use a variety of tools, techniques and media such as pencils, paints, clay, paper weaving and fabric collage to communicate their ideas. They use their skills to illustrate their work in other subjects such as English and history. They develop their observational skills by drawing and painting portraits, buildings and flowers. They make satisfactory progress, successfully build on their skills and improve their pencil control and representational drawings.

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ART AND DESIGN

109. The junior teachers ensure that the pupils develop further their knowledge of colour texture, pattern, line, tone, shape and form and how to combine them in different ways. They show increasing attention to detail and experience a widening range of media. The Year 4 pupils are investigating the use of colour washes to enhance their pencil sketches of images portraying relationships. Through this they are developing a good knowledge of the possibilities and limitations of different types of paints and techniques. Their still life sketches demonstrate their understanding of proportion and perspective whilst those of haunted houses show their understanding of shading to create mood and atmosphere. There are many Brampton Primary School - 45 examples of the pupils’ work displayed around the school. This often supports their work in other subjects. Notable examples are the decorations on the Roman gladiators’ shields, the

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ART AND DESIGN

Egyptian mummy cases and the hieroglyphics on the royal seals. In connection with their studies of Ancient Egypt, the pupils have produced clay models of the creatures guarding the pyramids and the studies of the Victorians has inspired them to design fabrics and wallpaper in the style of William Morris

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ART AND DESIGN

110. Most of the pupils are enthusiastic about their work and take pride in the finished product. In lessons they are very well behaved, share the resources and show appreciation of and support for the work of the other pupils. The subject promotes their personal development well by providing them with the opportunities to explore values and interpret and express ideas.

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ART AND DESIGN

111. The teachers’ make appropriate use of art and design to promote the pupils’ cultural development. Much of this is through studying the work of famous artists such as Monet, Cezanne, Kandisky and Klee and producing their own pictures and collages in their styles. The school has a limited collection of good quality books, prints and posters to develop this aspect and to extend the children’s understanding of a wider range of cultures.

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ART AND DESIGN

112. There is an art club that meets during one of the mid-day breaks and the pupils are currently decorating clays pots they have made. The co-ordinator took up the post at the beginning of the term and has re-written the policy from the National Curriculum guidelines. She has not yet had any opportunities to check on the quality of teaching and learning in the school but she sees the teachers’ plans and has identified the need for the pupils to have more opportunities to create large scale three-dimensional work. The evidence of the work shows the progression in skills but the pieces are not annotated and she is aware of the need for a formal assessment system. She has a clear view of what needs to be done to keep track of the pupils’ progress and this puts the school in a good position to raise standards further.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

113. It was not possible to observe any junior lessons so judgements are based on observations of work already completed and evidence from parts of two infant lessons. Discussions were held with the pupils and their teachers and photographs, teaching plans and curriculum documents were studied.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

114. Standards in design and technology are in line with those expected nationally at the end of Year 2 and Year 6. All the pupils make satisfactory progress including those with special educational needs or have English as an additional language. There are no differences between the attainment of girls and boys. The pupils are developing the knowledge, skills and understanding necessary to design and to work with a range of materials and components. They develop an understanding of control systems, energy and structure. Photographs and conversations with pupils and staff are evidence of a co-operative approach to the learning.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

115. The infant pupils are undertaking tasks that clearly identify the stages of the designing, making and evaluation process. Work samples show that the pupils are developing an understanding that two-dimensional patterns can be used to mark out the shape of pieces to make a three-dimensional product. In the parts of the lessons observed, a story had been the stimulus for designing and making a ‘Magic Coat for a Magic Grandad.’ The pupils are able to explain how they collect ideas for different designs and investigate textile textures and a range of patterns and joining techniques before transferring their designs to the production of a fabric coat. They are also able to explain how they use computer tools such as ‘filler’, Brampton Primary School - 46 ‘brush’ and ‘spray’ when experimenting with their designs. In these ways they are developing their understanding of the importance of the design process as well as develop the

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

skills and techniques involved in the making of the product. The story of ‘Billy Goats Gruff ‘ was the stimulus for their project on ‘Bridges’ supported by the Construction Industry Training Board and students from a local college. Through this work they are developing their understanding of identifying a need, developing ideas and using materials and components.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

116. The junior pupils begin to make more sophisticated use of the design process as evident in their project of ‘Houses and Homes’. This was done with support from the Construction Industry Training Board and they were involved with drawing and reading plans, sketching and modelling. The visits by a bricklayer, architect and estate agent develop the pupils’ understanding of the planning and time scale of the designing and making processes as well as the specialised skills needed to ensure that the finished product is ‘fit for the purpose.’ They are able to explain how they translate their sketches of Tudor and Victorian houses into models and the difficulties they encounter with strengthening the corners of their models and working out how joists and beams are laid before roofing can be done. They are also able to explain how they work out the designs for paper and cardboard packaging for presents and

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

117. The teachers use a design template to guide the pupils through each stage of the process. This works well and helps the pupils to work things out in a logical and ordered way. Through guided questions the teachers ensure that the pupils recognise the need to produce models that resemble the original design. A Year 2 pupil was able to identify that his ‘Magic Grandad’ coat was going to be similar to his design because the spacing of the pattern was identical but that the fabric patches were not the same shade of red as the paper patches in the design.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

118. Pupils are taught to use tools safely and competently. They learn the technical terms and can explain words such as reinforce and assemble when they talk about their work. Infant pupils are given opportunities to talk about their work, show it to others and to make and accept helpful criticism. The teachers ensure that this is done in a sensitive way so the pupils value their classmates’ opinions and gain confidence in talking about their work. Throughout the school they have positive attitudes to their learning and are particularly enthusiastic about the opportunities to work with other pupils in identifying and solving the problems. The school has been raising funds for large-scale playground equipment and all the junior pupils are currently submitting their own designs for the layout of the equipment.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

119. The co-ordinator has very recently undertaken the role as he was previously subject leader for the junior department. He has used National Curriculum guidelines in the preparation of the policy and schemes of work, looks at the teachers’ plans and the pupils’ work and has observed a few lessons. He has rightly identified the need to monitor teaching in a more systematic way and to record what the pupils can do and how they develop their skills. He is right to consider that a more structured programme of work is the next step to improving teaching and learning in the subject.

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GEOGRAPHY

120. During the inspection it was only possible to observe one geography lesson. Evidence is based on the scrutiny of pupils’ books, displays and documentation and discussion with staff and pupils. The pupils make satisfactory progress in the infants but unsatisfactory progress in the juniors. There is insufficient coverage of the geography curriculum in the junior years and, consequently, the pupils have little enthusiasm for the subject. There are few Brampton Primary School - 47 opportunities for the junior pupils to experience geographical enquiry or to further their fieldwork skills. Standards by the end of Year 2 are in line with those expected but by Year 6 they are below national expectations.

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GEOGRAPHY

121. In Year 1, the pupils study their immediate locality. They are able to recognise the streets around their school and are able to locate both human and man-made features such as the church, sweet shop, the park playground and specific trees. They can plot their route to school on a map. The pupils in Year 2 are able to compare man-made and natural features in St. Lucia and have written letters to pen friends. They are able to locate symbols on a map using two co-ordinates. The pupils in Years 3 to 6 study the rainforests and rivers. Years 5 and 6 pupils research a river of their choice and create a database of information. Years 3 and 4 study the settlements along the River Severn and the uses of the water such as for the power station and irrigation. However, despite ‘rivers’ being the main study last year, the pupils cannot define an estuary, do not know what is meant by the source of a river

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GEOGRAPHY

and do not know the meaning of ‘meander’. The pupils are not able to recall geographical work completed in previous years and show little interest in the subject. There are some links with the science ‘Eco’ project in connection with recycling and some pupils can recall this work.

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GEOGRAPHY

122. The teaching is satisfactory in the infants but unsatisfactory in the juniors. Where teaching is satisfactory, there is secure subject knowledge in developing the pupils’ skills of geographical enquiry and knowledge and understanding of places. Work is set to interest the pupils and the school locality is well used to support map work and visits organised to promote fieldwork skills. The pupils in the juniors are not given a broad and interesting curriculum. During the work on rivers for example, no local streams or watercourses were visited to enliven the study or to further fieldwork skills outside the classroom. Much of the work scrutinised is from photocopied work sheets. Some are poorly presented, with odd loose sheets in folders slipped amongst several other subjects. Occasionally work is repeated at the same level in different year groups. For example, the water cycle is taught at the same level in Years 3

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GEOGRAPHY

and 4 as well as in Years 5 and 6 as well as being taught in science. The range of work covered is insufficient especially when comparing different localities in Britain or the acquisition of map reading skills. The Internet is used for research but often the data is just printed out rather than being used as a source for further information or investigation.

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GEOGRAPHY

123. The co-ordinator from the infants is now assuming responsibility for the juniors also. There has been some initial liaison and monitoring but development of the subject is still in an early stage. The Qualifications and Curriculum scheme of work underpins the curriculum content but is not yet fully adapted to cover whole school progression and ensure sufficient time allocation. There is no assessment in place and resources are limited. There are few visits made to places of geographical interest. The school does have some interesting visitors, however. An exchange teacher came in to talk about caring for animals on the Etosha Wild Life Park and some Baka people from the rainforests brought in instruments including those used for playing tunes on the water in rivers.

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HISTORY

124. The pupils make satisfactory progress in history and enjoy learning about the past. The standards they attain by the end of Year 2 and Year 6 are in line with those expected nationally. The school is using the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority scheme of work well to help guide teachers’ planning. However, there is no assessment, resulting in a lack of progression in the work between some year groups. There is a good range of visits to museums and places of interest. Brampton Primary School - 48 125. In Year 2, ‘Magic Grandad’ helps pupils visit the past. They enjoy learning about Florence Nightingale and there are geographical links when they trace her journey to Scutari. They are able to recognise differences and similarities between the past and present when comparing Victorian hospitals or the seaside. They have some awareness of chronology and changes in lifestyle, for example, realising a Victorian street would not have cars, electric

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HISTORY

lights, television aerials or satellite receivers. They understand accounts of events are sometimes written at the time, such as Samuel Pepys’ Diary during the Great Fire of London. When studying portraits of Boudicca, Year 4 pupils understand that some source evidence can give contrasting points of view depending on the background of the artist. In Years 5 and 6, the pupils study Victorian Britain. They are able to ask sensible questions such as ‘Would children travel to school by stagecoach?’ and are able to define the meaning of the ‘Object Lesson’ listed as a subject on a Victorian school timetable. There are good opportunities for extended writing when pupils pretend they are a Victorian chimney sweep or a maid. One girl wrote her autobiography as if she was orphaned showing a good knowledge of many aspects of Victorian society and lifestyle. The school has a rich resource in its own original Victorian Log Book written by the Head Teacher on a daily

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HISTORY

basis. The original inspection report on the school, written in 1900, amused all concerned!

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HISTORY

126. The quality of teaching seen is good. Teachers have good knowledge of the subject areas and are enthusiastic about history. The pupils particularly enjoyed the lesson where the teacher and her assistant dressed up in Victorian costume and the classroom was transformed into a Victorian classroom. The pupils enjoy writing with quills and ink resulting in an abundance of blots and inky hands!! There is great hilarity at the ‘dunce in the corner’ and the ‘NO USE OF THE LEFT HAND’ ruling. Occasionally, however, introductions to lessons are too long and the pupils become restless. These lessons lack variety and pace. Some modules have insufficient depth due to time constraints and occasionally there is a lack progress with different age groups doing work at the same level. The pupils use the Internet but it is mostly to retrieve information without further investigation or enquiry.

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HISTORY

127. A new whole school co-ordinator is taking over the management of history. The subject has been satisfactorily managed to date but there is now a lack of continuity between the infant and junior stages and a lack of artefacts and source material. There is no assessment in place. Planning is monitored by co-ordinators but there are few opportunities for the new subject leader to evaluate and get to grips with whole school issues. The pupils have many opportunities to visit places of interest. These include the infants visiting Sudbury Hall as part of ‘childhood’ study and the juniors visiting Hardwick Hall to enhance their study of the Tudors. The Sheffield museum offers an Egyptian drama day whilst Chesterfield museum lends artefacts to the school. Visitors into school include a grandmother who talked to infant pupils as part of their ‘toys’ study and an antique dealer who brought a wealth of Victorian

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HISTORY

artefacts for the pupils to observe. The subject makes a good contribution to the spiritual and cultural development of the pupils.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

128. Standards in information and communications technology (ICT) are below those expected by the end of Year 6 and are in line with expectations by the end of Year 2. ICT in the infant classes is well established, reflecting the fact that this is well taught and supports the pupils’ learning in many subjects. Standards are lower in the junior classes because the teaching is unsatisfactory and there is an inconsistency in the level of subject expertise amongst junior staff. The new computer suite came into full use recently and is already having a positive impact on standards, but the older pupils are still in the process of “catching up”. Infant pupils are achieving well and make good progress. Junior pupils in some classes where the teacher is more secure with ICT are making satisfactory progress but overall this is not Brampton Primary School - 49 enough so that by the end of year 6 the pupils have not achieved enough in terms of all the

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

National Curriculum strands of the ICT programme. The pupils with special educational needs and those who are learning English as an additional language make satisfactory progress when they are adequately supported.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

129. By Year 2, the pupils can use the keyboard and mouse with confidence to operate drawing programmes and access games, stories and information. For example, they can find out about animals and their habitats. They can control programmable toys such as the ‘roamer’ and make them move in different directions. Infant pupils find working with computers exciting and stimulating. By Year 6, the pupils can search the Internet for relevant information on a specific topic and also retrieve information from CD ROMs but this is not being used to extend their learning further. They can use a graphics program to construct coloured patterns, which they are then able to copy, repeat and rotate but many pupils need support or forget how to use the relevant tools to be able to repeat the process when they return to their saved work. Year 5 pupils were observed using a program that combined text and graphic to plan and design a classroom. The pupils used the appropriate tools to modify

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

their saved plans of their classroom but many needed help with some basic commands. Year 3 and 4 pupils could import saved art files from one program into another but many did not understand the process fully and needed a lot of support from adults.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

130. The pupils have satisfactory attitudes to ICT and they enjoy working in the computer suite and also using the machines in their classrooms. The youngest children in the Reception classes are making a good start and also have access to the ICT suite. The pupils generally behave well and they respect the equipment, but there is sometimes noisy or excitable behaviour. All the pupils take pride in the work they complete and print out.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

131. In the lessons observed, together with observations of ICT used in classrooms, and the scrutiny of the work saved in pupils’ files or printed and displayed around the school, suggest that the teaching is good in the infant classes but is unsatisfactory in the juniors because of a general lack of subject expertise. The school does not yet have an interactive whiteboard on which to demonstrate to the class, and teachers need to make and use more visual aids to ensure that all pupils can see what they are demonstrating. There has been basic training for staff and their confidence is increasing as they use the facilities. Further training and experience is planned and the school has appointed a part-time technician to help the staff when using the new ICT suite.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

132. The teacher co-ordinating the subject is moving the subject forward satisfactorily, but still has much to do. A schemes of work is in place and the recording of pupils’ work on disks has begun and this will form a basis for assessing skills and progress. Resources are good and the school needs to ensure that they are used to the full. The use of the ICT suite is adequate but the timetable needs to be refined so that the pupils have regular opportunities to be taught basic skills.

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MUSIC

133. Throughout the school the pupils reach the standards expected for their age and progress is good. Infant pupils talk confidently about their experiences of music making and know the name of many untuned instruments and some tuned ones. In a good lesson in Year 2, the pupils show a clear understanding that sounds can be represented by symbols and vary their high and low sounds and their duration well in response to a variety of symbols using both their voices and tuned instruments. In a Year 1 lesson, the pupils, after enjoying listening to an extract from Tubular Bells, can suitably describe how sounds vary using terms, such as, loud, soft, high and low. They can also name some of the instruments producing the sounds Brampton Primary School - 50 and can give suitable reasons as to why they like a piece of music. In the juniors, Year 4 pupils use their imagination well to create percussion parts to go with animal movements and

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MUSIC

perform confidently in front of the rest of the class. Across the school, the pupils sing enthusiastically and well, most singing in tune and the pupils have a secure sense of rhythm. They handle instruments with care and are developing suitable playing techniques.

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MUSIC

134. The quality of teaching and teachers’ knowledge are good and this, together with the good structured approach to teaching music, accounts for the good progress the pupils make. The pupils with special educational needs are fully involved in the lessons which make a good contribution to developing their self-esteem. Relationships are good and good behaviour is insisted upon and obtained. The main points of the lesson and what is to be achieved are clearly explained. Lessons are well planned and provide a good variety of activities that maintain the pupils’ interest and enthusiasm. Through the use of group tasks in many lessons and the way pupils are encouraged to comment on their work and that of others, a good contribution is made to the pupils’ personal development. A good feature of all the lessons seen is the correct use of musical terms promoted by teachers and the use of them made by

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MUSIC

the pupils. In a good lesson, music was used effectively to reinforce the pupils’ literacy skills when vowel sounds, such as ‘ee’, ‘oe’ and ‘igh’, were used to practise different high and low sounds. Teachers offer regular feedback and use praise and encouragement well to help the pupils improve their performance, technique and confidence. However, there is no systematic assessment and recording of the pupils’ attainment and this affects how well teachers track how well the pupils are doing.

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MUSIC

135. The curriculum and the pupils’ learning is enriched through good extra-curricular provision including a choir, recorder club and keyboard club and visits to and taking part in concerts and music festivals. A suitable variety of music covering different musical traditions is played in assembly. Although this is making some contribution to the pupils’ cultural development, the opportunity to broaden the pupils’ understanding and appreciation of the music is missed as little explanation is given about the music and its significance. There is suitable range of instruments to support the curriculum. However, there are too few tuned percussion instruments and the range of untuned percussion needs improving further. The subject manager is knowledgeable and enthusiastic and is providing good leadership. She has a clear view of what the future needs of the subject are and how these can be achieved.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

136. The pupils make satisfactory progress in their skills in physical education in the junior and infant classes. Standards are in line with those expected by the end of Year 2 and Year 6. The pupils with special educational needs and those learning English as an additional language make good progress in relation to their prior learning and achieve well over time.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

137. Whilst it was not possible to observe all elements of the physical education (PE) curriculum within the period of inspection, teachers’ planning for the subject indicates that pupils are given the opportunity to make satisfactory progress overall and to work towards developing all the skills and knowledge required in the subject. In Year 2, the pupils were seen to be making satisfactory progress in basic gymnastic skills as they focussed on using different methods of travelling using a variety of body shapes and styles. The lesson was well planned, with the teacher expecting the pupils to link movements to form a sequence. However, some pupils were confused when attempting to link balances and movements together.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

138. The pupils in Year 3 displayed satisfactory control during a games lesson. They could bounce, aim and catch a large ball. Most pupils could aim the ball at their partner who Brampton Primary School - 51 received the ball, dodged and passed back. Movements were quite fluent and the task was performed with reasonable control. The pupils in a good Year 4 lesson were being taught to use basketball skills well. The teacher showed good control and knowledge of the subject and expected the pupils to work hard and improve their ball control and accuracy when passing to a partner. It is clear from the evidence of the few lessons observed that the pupils in the junior classes respond well to high expectations and secure knowledge of the subject matter from the teacher. As in all other lessons, the pupils displayed an effective understanding of the importance of physical activity in a healthy life-style.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

139. Junior pupils attend the local swimming baths where qualified instructors teach them to swim. However, the majority of the pupils by the end of Year 6 can only just swim 25 metres with reasonable control so that standards are only just in line with those expected nationally in swimming. In all the PE lessons seen, the large majority of pupils displayed positive attitudes towards their work, though occasionally a small minority of pupils wander off task when they are not directly involved with practical activities. Good collaborative learning takes place with the pupils refining their skills through repetition and practise.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

140. The quality of teaching throughout the school is satisfactory with some good features. Lessons are well planned, organised and resourced, with teachers sharing lesson objectives with the pupils. Teachers focus on health and safety issues and provide appropriate warm- up and warm-down activities at the beginning and end of lessons. Teachers give good individual demonstrations of the skills to be learned, and provide opportunities for the pupils to demonstrate good practice. Praise is well used to promote the pupils’ self-esteem and confidence in their abilities. However, the final part of lessons is not always used in an effective manner to review, to share and to celebrate by showing what has been learned in the lesson. There are no formal or systematic arrangements in place to assess and record how well the pupils are doing and this is left largely to individual teachers.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

141. The subject is managed well and the co-ordinator ensures that teachers’ plans are monitored for consistency and progression. There is a policy for the subject and a useful scheme of work which guides teachers in their planning. Resources for the subject are good. The school has access to two halls but very little access to grassed playing fields. There is a good range of extra-curricular sporting activities including football, hockey, basketball and athletics. Pupils are also given the opportunity to take part in inter-school competitions. The schools’ commitment to promoting physical activities and school sport is reflected in its involvement in the national ‘Top Sport’ project and it has received additional resources for this. With its emphasis on inter-active work and team building skills the subject makes a valuable contribution to pupils’ personal and social development.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

142. During the inspection, it was only possible to see three religious education (RE) lessons, two in the junior classes and one in the infants. Other evidence was collected from workbooks, discussions with pupils and staff, planning documents, photographs and displays. The pupils’ attainment in religious education throughout the school meets that required by the Local Education Authority Agreed Syllabus. All the pupils make satisfactory progress, including those with special educational needs and those learning English as an additional language.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

143. The pupils in the infant classes are introduced to the idea of ‘Special Things’. This leads them into thinking about special people with whom they come into contact, both at school and at home. Through looking at ‘mum’, as a special person in their lives, they then give thought to Mary, as the special mother of Jesus. The unit of work finally contemplates the uniqueness of all people in the eyes of God. From Year 1 onwards, the pupils hear stories Brampton Primary School - 52 about the early life of Jesus, and look at moral values, artefacts from different world faiths, festivals, sharing, celebrating and helping. Story and drama is used well where appropriate. Year 1 pupils were observed preparing for a school assembly which was to be performed in front of other infant pupils and parents. The class performing the assembly worked very hard and had prepared for the assembly by learning rhymes, songs and poems by heart at

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

home. There was a good cultural theme as the pupils investigated and discussed why we all have the same needs but may look and behave differently.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

144. In Year 5, an RE lesson looked at the social and moral implications of the work of the nineteenth century philanthropist Lord Shaftesbury. This was a good and effective lesson because the pupils had clearly grasped how deep religious principles can stir some individuals to support the plight of poor labourers in Victorian society. The pupils could see and understand that these principles led to social and political changes with good links made to British history when talking about how parliament acted to change the working conditions of miners and factory workers as a result of Shaftesbury’s concerns for the poor in society. In Year 6 the pupils are studying a unit about ‘belief and behaviour’ which builds on the work done in Year 5 so that the pupils learn to appreciate how faith motivates individual and groups of people into social and political reform. In the lesson observed the pupils were

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

studying the work of Elizabeth Fry and how this led to prison reform in nineteenth century Britain. The focus was very much on the religious convictions of individuals and how these can change the world we live in. Evidence from the pupils’ workbooks shows that the pupils study other world faiths, for example, Hinduism, Islam and Judaism, as well as studying Old testament and Christian stories, parables and beliefs. In the lessons observed the teachers generated much discussion and interest. In this way, religious education contributes significantly to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

145. The teaching observed ranged from satisfactory to good and is satisfactory overall. Teachers know what they are doing, are confident and well prepared with difficult and challenging material and they teach the pupils to value and respect people, their faiths and customs. Lessons are carefully planned and clear teaching points are made. Good questioning skills enables the pupils to reflect on what they are learning. However, the lessons tend to lack pace, and although interesting discussions are sensitively managed, some pupils can lose interest if class discussions are too long or they are expected to listen for extended periods of time. The school has established good links with the local vicar and now wishes to extend this to include different places of worship, with the view of taking pupils to visit them. High quality displays add to the pupils’ learning.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

146. There is satisfactory leadership by the co-ordinator who ensures that the curriculum for religious education is well supported. Resources are available to support the teaching. There is a clear understanding of the aims of the subject and how to develop it further. The school uses a structured scheme which is helping to maintain continuity and progression as the pupils move up the school. Although the planning is secure, assessment procedures are not and have yet to be fully and consistently implemented by all teachers across the school.

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