Greenfield Primary School

GREENFIELD PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 30 th September – 3 rd October 2002

p.1

GREENFIELD PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

p.1

GREENFIELD 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. Greenfield Primary School

p.2

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Gwendoline Drive Countesthorpe Leicestershire

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mrs Barbara Keen

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: Not applicable – Greenfield Primary opened in January 2001 as a result of the amalgamation of Beechwood Infant School and The Linden Junior School Greenfield Primary School

p.3

Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Mr Doug Hayward Registered inspector Information and communication technology What sort of school is it? How high are standards? How well are pupils taught? Mrs Helen Barter Lay inspector Attitudes, behaviour and personal development Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Mrs Jackie Cousins Team inspector Design and technology History Special educational needs How well is the school led and managed?

p.4

Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Mrs Katherine Spencer Team inspector Mathematics Art and design Music Monitoring pupils’ academic performance and personal development Mrs Gail Robertson Team inspector The Foundation Stage Religious education How well does the school work in partnership with parents? Mr Rob Isaac Team inspector English Geography Staffing, accommodation and resources

p.4

Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Mr David Matthews Team inspector Science Physical education How good are curricular and other opportunities?

p.4

Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

TWA Inspections Ltd 102 Bath Road Cheltenham GL53 7JX

p.4

Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

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

p.4

Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

p.4

Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Greenfield Primary School

p.4

PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

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

p.5

HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 10

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

p.5

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Greenfield Primary is a very large school attended by 507 pupils in the village of Countesthorpe, about five miles south of Leicester. The school was opened as a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in January 2001. It was formed as a result of the amalgamation of the separate infant and junior schools. The school is shortly to undergo a substantial building programme to replace the ‘mobile’ classrooms. There has recently been considerable staff change at the school. Since the amalgamation, 12 new staff have been appointed to replace those who have left.

p.6

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Almost all pupils are white and all speak English as their first language. Most of the pupils live in privately owned housing and a smaller than average proportion of the pupils are eligible for free school meals. A significant number of pupils move into and out of the school each year. About 20 per cent of pupils, below the national average, have additional support for their special educational needs. This range of needs includes physical, emotional, behavioural and specific learning difficulties. At 2 per cent, the proportion of pupils with Statements of Special Educational Need is above the national average. Children enter the reception class in September or January in the year in which they become five. Attainment on entry is as expected at that age.

p.6

HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Greenfield is an improving school. Very strong leadership and good teaching are helping it to become increasingly effective. Since the amalgamation a great deal has been achieved that is helping to raise standards. There is a clear commitment to making sure that pupils’ education continues to improve. The school provides satisfactory value for money.

p.6

HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What the school does well • The headteacher provides very good leadership and has a clear idea of what needs to be done to improve still further. Senior managers and subject co-ordinators are playing an increasingly important part in managing their responsibilities. • Teaching is at least good in 60 per cent of lessons, and very good in almost a quarter of them. Teachers are enthusiastic and work well as a team. Pupils say, ‘Teachers are really nice. They help you with your work’. • It provides a good start to children’s education in the reception class. • It helps pupils with special educational needs to make good progress. • It forms strong links with parents. Parents like the school and think that it does a good job. They feel that the school provides them with good information about their children. • It provides a very wide range of activities outside lessons.

p.6

HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What could be improved • Standards in English throughout the school, especially in basic skills, for example spelling and handwriting. • Standards in mathematics, science and geography for infants, in design and technology for juniors and in art and design throughout the school. • The way in which the school tracks pupils’ progress to make sure that they do as well as possible. • The use of information technology in other subjects, for example mathematics and science. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

p.6

HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

This is the first inspection since Greenfield Primary was established. The school is well placed to make progress in future. Greenfield Primary School STANDARDS The table shows the standards achieved by pupils at the end of Year 6 based on average point scores in National Curriculum tests.

p.6

HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

p.7

HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

English n/a n/a C E well above average above average A B Mathematics n/a n/a B C average below average C D Science n/a n/a B C well below average E

p.7

HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

Only the results of pupils in Year 6 in national tests since the amalgamation are applicable. In the most recent 2002 tests, results for 11-year-olds at Greenfield are higher in English, almost exactly the same in science and slightly lower in mathematics than those in 2001. In the 2001 tests for 7-year-olds, results were well below average in writing and below average in reading and mathematics compared with those in all schools. In the 2002 tests, results were much better in writing and slightly improved in science. There was hardly any change in results in reading and mathematics. Many infant pupils are not attaining the standards they should, especially in the 3Rs, although improved results this year in writing have shown the impact that focused leadership, teaching and monitoring have on pupils’ attainment. Most children achieve the Early Learning Goals by the end of their reception year. Because the inspection

p.7

HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

was so early in the autumn term, inspectors looked at the books of pupils in last year’s Year 6 and Year 2 classes. Based on this evidence, standards for 7-year-olds were lower than expected in English, mathematics, science, and art and design. Standards for 11-year-olds were lower than expected in art and design, and design and technology. They were average for 7 and 11-year-olds in geography, history, information and communication technology, music, physical education and religious education. As teaching improves and expectations of what pupils can achieve get higher, the school’s targets for pupils’ attainment at 7 and 11 years of age are set to become increasingly challenging.

p.7

PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attitudes to the school Pupils say, ‘Children care about this school . We are proud of it’. Pupils generally settle quickly to their work and work well together. Almost all parents agree that their children like school.

p.7

PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Most pupils behave well in lessons and around the school, for example in assemblies. Almost all parents think that behaviour is good. A small number of pupils do not always meet the school’s high expectations of behaviour. During the inspection there was no evidence of any bullying.

p.7

PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Personal development and relationships Pupils get on well with each other. They learn to take responsibility for their work and duties around the school, for example as monitors and members of the school council.

p.7

PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attendance Attendance is better than in most other primary schools. Greenfield Primary School

p.7

TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

p.8

TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

p.8

TEACHING AND LEARNING

During the inspection 89 lessons were inspected and only four were unsatisfactory. In 60 per cent of lessons teaching was good and in just under a quarter it was very good and occasionally excellent. The teaching of literacy and numeracy is good overall. In the past, the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies have not been implemented consistently or fully and this has affected pupils’ standards. Now teachers are planning lessons as they should and this is having a positive impact. Teachers have good relationships with their pupils. In the best lessons, teachers plan their work at just the right level for pupils to succeed. This means that pupils find their work interesting, concentrate well and are keen to do well. When teaching is sound, but not as effective, teachers’ expectations of what pupils can do should be higher to maintain their interest, and some lessons last too long. The work that the school has done to

p.8

TEACHING AND LEARNING

make teaching more effective is paying off, especially in terms of improved planning.

p.8

OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The quality and range of the curriculum Low standards in some subjects show that the school has not planned a broad enough curriculum in the past, but this has now been rectified. It now rightly emphasises the importance of English and mathematics, as well as subjects such as science and history. There is a good range of visits and visitors to make subjects more interesting. There is a very good range of after-school clubs.

p.8

OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good. Pupils’ work is well planned to ensure that they make good progress. They have lots of good support from the co-ordinator for special educational needs, class teachers and teaching assistants.

p.8

OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils’ personal development, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development The school is working hard to develop pupils’ respect for each other and to promote co-operation and teamwork. There are good opportunities for them to form positive links with the community and to learn about their own and other cultures.

p.8

OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

How well the school cares for its pupils The school is a caring place. Pupils say, ‘It is kind and friendly’ . They are confident that adults will look after them and support them. The school is working hard to improve the way in which it assesses pupils’ work to help them make progress.

p.8

OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Links between the school and parents are good. Parents feel welcome in school and think that it looks after their children well. It is significant that, despite the upheaval of amalgamation, the parents’ response to the school in their questionnaires, at the pre-inspection meeting and during the inspection is very positive and supportive. Greenfield Primary School

p.8

HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The headteacher provides very good leadership. She has worked very hard and successfully to develop the standing of the new school in the community and to improve standards of work and behaviour. Staff work well to develop their management responsibilities and support the headteacher and school.

p.9

HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Governors are knowledgeable and supportive and fulfil their legal responsibilities. They are very involved in judging whether the school spends its budget well and play a full part in acting as ‘critical friends’ .

p.9

HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The school’s evaluation of its performance It is only recently that the school has started to use pupils’ results from national tests to decide whether or not they are doing as well as they can.

p.9

HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The strategic use of resources The school uses its budget well to support pupils’ learning.

p.9

HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Accommodation, staffing and resources are satisfactory. Pupils say that making the playground larger has had an immediate beneficial impact on playground behaviour. The new building project offers considerable potential for improved classrooms and facilities, for example a new unit for young children and a spacious computer suite.

p.9

PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

p.9

PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

• Most parents say that their children like school and feel that they make good progress. • Most parents think that teaching is good. They are happy with the school’s ‘open door’ policy that offers them opportunities to discuss any problems at short notice. • They feel that the school is well managed and led and helps their children to become mature and responsible. • Some parents are unhappy with the amount of homework that is set. • Some parents feel that they are not well informed about how their children are doing. • Some parents would like the school to provide a more interesting range of subjects outside lessons.

p.9

PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

The inspection team fully supports parents’ views that the school is well managed and that teaching is good. Having scrutinised pupils’ work and listened to them read, inspectors feel that a significant number have not reached the standards they are capable of, and this has affected pupils’ results in national tests in the past. Inspectors feel that parents receive good information about their children’s progress and that the school provides a very good range of extra-curricular activities (see paragraph 40 of the main report). Homework generally supports the work that pupils do in school. Greenfield Primary School

p.9

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. The inspection took place in the fourth full week of the autumn term when pupils had been in their new classes for only a very short time. It is not possible to predict, therefore, what standards they will achieve in nine months when they are at the end of their time in the infants and juniors. Consequently, the inspectors’ scrutiny of standards of work in pupils’ books in Years 2 and 6 was carried out mainly on the work completed in the previous academic year, although work from current classes was also scrutinised. In addition, inspectors looked carefully at the work pupils completed last year in Year1 and Year 5. These pupils are now in the current Year 2 and Year 6 classes. Work was scrutinised to gauge the progress they made last year and to judge the range of ability in those classes.

p.10

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. The school was amalgamated in January 2001 from the separate infant and junior schools on the present site. A single door joined the schools, although there was little liaison between them. The standards currently attained by older pupils in the infants, and pupils in the juniors, are, to some extent, the result of the quality of teaching and the breadth of the curriculum in the previously separate schools.

p.10

Children in the Foundation Stage

3. Children join the reception class in September or January of the year in which they have their fifth birthday. Usually there are two or three classes, but numbers in the village are falling and currently there is only one class. Early assessments of children’s attainment in language, mathematics and social skills in past years have shown them to be below the level expected at this age. Assessments of the children who started last year and those currently attending the reception class show their attainment to be improving, to match expectations for children at the same age. The majority of children make sound progress and are expected to attain the Early Learning Goals 1 by the end of the reception year.

p.10

The infant classes (Years 1 and 2)

4. The results of the 2001 tests and assessments for 7-year-olds show that the percentage of pupils attaining Level 2 2 was below average in reading and mathematics, and well below average in writing and science. Results at Greenfield, in comparison with those in similar schools, were well below average in reading and mathematics, and very low in writing. This placed 7-year-old pupils’ results in writing in the bottom 5 per cent in the country, compared with those in similar schools. The percentage of pupils attaining Level 3 was well below average in reading, writing and mathematics, and average in science.

p.10

pupils’ performance from 1997 to 2001, but even so, results were no better than

below average in 2001 and many pupils made unsatisfactory progress. The school’s results in the most recent 2002 test for 7-year-olds show that the percentage of pupils attaining Level 2 is the same in reading. It has fallen slightly in mathematics and risen in science and writing, where there is significant improvement. This shows the

p.10

impact that focused leadership, teaching and monitoring have already had on

1 Early Learning Goals – these are targets for children by the end of the reception year. They refer to personal, social and emotional development, communication, language and literacy skills, mathematical development, knowledge and understanding of the world, and physical and creative development.

p.10

impact that focused leadership, teaching and monitoring have already had on

2 Levels – by the end of Year 2 pupils are expected to attain Level 2 in reading, writing, mathematics and science. Those who attain Level 3 are, therefore, attaining above nationally expected levels. By the end of Year 6 pupils are expected to attain Level 4 in English, mathematics and science. Those who attain Level 5 are, therefore attaining above nationally expected levels. Greenfield Primary School pupils’ attainment . A scrutiny of work in pupils’ books confirms the low attainment of many 7-year-olds last year. Standards were below those expected of pupils In English, mathematics, science, and art and design. They were in line with those expected of 7- year-old pupils in design and technology, geography, history, information and communication technology, music, physical education and religious education.

p.10

The junior classes (Years 3 to 6)

5. The results of the 2001 tests for 11-year-olds show that the percentage of pupils attaining Level 4 was in line with the national average in English, and above average in mathematics and science. Most pupils made at least sound progress in all three subjects, although their achievement was not as good as it could have been. This is evident when pupils’ results are compared with those in similar schools, and especially so in English. Results at Greenfield were well below average in English, and average in mathematics and science. The percentage of pupils attaining the higher Level 5 was below average in English, average in science and above average in mathematics. In the most recent 2002 tests, results were the same as last year in mathematics and science, and very slightly higher in English. The percentage of pupils attaining Level 5 was lower than the previous year in all three subjects. Since 1997 there has been a very gradual

p.11

The junior classes (Years 3 to 6)

improvement in results in English and mathematics and a more marked improvement in science.

p.11

The junior classes (Years 3 to 6)

6. A number of pupils move into and out of the school and the village of Countesthorpe. For example, at the end of the 2002 summer term, 26 of the Year 6 pupils had moved into and out of that school year from the time they started in the reception class until the time they left. That is a mobility rate of 28 per cent. This figure is not consistent from year to year; for example, in the last academic year overall there was only a 7 per cent mobility rate throughout the whole school. Unfortunately, Greenfield has had to start collecting data on the pupils’ progress from the time of amalgamation, as no information was previously held. It is not in a position to judge, therefore, whether mobility was a factor in the most recent tests for 11-year-old pupils. This is particularly unfortunate, considering the pupils’ low results in reading, writing, mathematics and science for 7-year-olds, because it is difficult for the school to work out whether it helped pupils to make progress.

p.11

Across the school

7. There has been significant low attainment for infant pupils over a number of years, which has not been completely addressed as they have moved through the infants and then into the juniors. There are a number of reasons for this, some of which are common for all three core subjects, but others which are specific, for example:

p.11

English

attainment in English tests at the end of the juniors is lower than in mathematics or science because of: • a lack of thorough teaching of the sounds of single letters and groups of letters; • not implementing the full National Literacy Strategy.

p.11

English

8. The results of these are evident in the following weaknesses. Many junior pupils have an erratic approach to trying to read words that they do not recognise. Because they have not been taught phonics thoroughly enough as infants, they do not know how to ‘break down’ words into smaller parts to try to ‘sound them out’ . This also affects their fluency in reading and their understanding of books; for example, pupils who find difficulty reading words tend to read slowly and, because their reading does not ‘flow’, they have difficulty in working out the main ideas. Greenfield Primary School 9. Because the National Literacy Strategy had not been fully implemented, pupils were not systematically learning skills in reading, writing and grammar. Although schools are not bound to adopt the strategy, there should be good evidence that their skills are being developed methodically by whatever system the school uses instead. However,

p.11

English

inconsistency in learning basic skills in the infants, combined with a heavy reliance on English workbooks in the juniors, meant that opportunities were limited, for example in writing in a wide range of genres. This meant that average and more able pupils were often not achieving their potential in English.

p.12

English

10. On amalgamation, the early identification of weaknesses in the teaching of reading and writing led to an immediate uptake of the National Literacy Strategy and an emphasis on learning phonics in the infants. The result is that pupils in Year 1 already have a good understanding of letter sounds and a much more systematic approach than many pupils older than them to reading words that they do not immediately recognise. Omissions in planning still reveal themselves among older pupils, for example in careless spelling and basic grammatical errors.

p.12

Mathematics

11. The school did not fully implement the National Numeracy Strategy until just over a year ago, when it was amalgamated. The previous lack of planning documents and an over- reliance on published workbooks for pupils, particularly in the infants, meant that there were inconsistencies in the curriculum between classes and within years. This resulted in large gaps in pupils' knowledge and understanding as they moved through the school. Intensive support and training from the local education authority have led to the full implementation of the National Numeracy Strategy, and teachers now have a much better understanding of what to teach in numeracy and how to teach it. Clear and comprehensive planning documents are now in place and consistently good and very good teaching enables pupils to make good progress in lessons.

p.12

Mathematics

12. The above average results achieved by pupils in Year 6 in the 2001 national tests was more to do with the higher ability of that particular cohort of pupils and not the quality of the curriculum at that time. The percentage of pupils attaining the higher Level 5 in that cohort was above average. In the most recent 2002 tests, the percentage of pupils attaining Level 4 is almost the same as in 2001, but the percentage of pupils attaining Level 5 is lower. The school has now addressed many outstanding issues, and evidence during the inspection suggests that standards are beginning to rise. The school understands that it will take further time for the broader curriculum and better teaching and management to start improving standards in mathematics.

p.12

Science

13. Standards in science for 7-year-olds were extremely low in 2001, based on teachers’ assessments. They rose slightly in the most recent 2002 assessments, reflecting the school’s hard work in a short time, although they are still below the national average at Level 2 and no pupil attained Level 3. This indicates under attainment among more able pupils. In the past there has been insufficient attention to planning thoroughly to ensure that all elements of the National Curriculum are taught, for example materials and their properties and physical processes.

p.12

Science

14. The most notable weakness in attainment generally is pupils' limited ability to make decisions about their scientific investigations, including the choice of suitable methods of recording their findings. There has been too little attention paid to teaching pupils how to carry out enquiry and investigation. As a result too much time has been spent teaching pupils what happens in experiments, but not enough time giving them the chance to find out for themselves. This is true of pupils of all ages in the school. Pupils in last year’s Year 6 cohort talked at length about how to make a test fair when discussing the blackout qualities of curtains, for example ensuring that the experiments were carried out at the Greenfield Primary School same time of day or the importance of accurate measuring of light released into the room. Despite being able to talk at length about ‘variables’ and ‘fair testing’ , they pointed out

p.12

Science

that this knowledge had not been gained at first hand. Instead, they had learned it by listening to explanations and watching science videos.

p.13

Science

15. The school has now set about raising standards by insisting on better planning to ensure full coverage, and emphasising the importance of planning regular opportunities for pupils to carry out scientific investigations. These have not been developed systematically and although there are signs of improvement this is slow in some cases because recently improved teaching and planning have not yet fully impacted on learning .

p.13

Foundation subjects

16. The lack of a broad and balanced curriculum has led to weaknesses in pupils’ attainment and progress in certain subjects (see paragraph 37). A scrutiny of pupils’ books from last year, and discussions with pupils themselves, reveal significant omissions in what they have learned in certain subjects. In art and design this is the case for both infants and juniors. They have not been taught basic skills methodically or regularly and the lack of opportunities to develop art skills in the infants has hindered what they are able to achieve in the juniors.

p.13

Foundation subjects

17. In the infants, standards are below those expected in art and design. In the juniors they are below the standards most 11-year-olds achieve in art and design and design and technology. The school has made successful staffing appointments, which have had an immediate impact on the management and development of subjects such as English and information and communication technology. Early indications are that more recent appointments have already been beneficial to subjects where standards are weak.

p.13

Foundation subjects

18. Many pupils with special educational needs make good progress overall as a direct result of the good support and carefully planned work they receive in small groups. Much of this is due to the good organisation of the co-ordinator for special educational needs. Pupils’ individual education plans are well thought out. They contain targets for literacy, numeracy and behaviour and are easily measurable so that pupils, parents and teachers can see how much progress has been made. This means that pupils’ work is set at an appropriate level to challenge them and where they can experience success. It also helps to raise pupils’ self esteem.

p.13

Foundation subjects

19. Pupils with special educational needs also receive positive support from learning assistants in classes. They work closely with these pupils, explaining details about their work and ensuring that they stay on task. In many classes they make detailed observations about how pupils respond, for example the number of times they answer questions and whether they disturb other pupils. These assessments are invaluable to the co-ordinator for special educational needs and to class teachers, but are not carried out by all learning assistants in all classes. The revised Code of Practice has been well introduced. Pupils with special educational needs regularly review their targets with the co-ordinator and teachers are now assessing pupils under the categories from the new code of practice.

p.13

Foundation subjects

20. The school identifies talented and able pupils and is currently addressing the need to ensure that able pupils of all ages are challenged in lessons. There is now an emphasis on thorough planning that is shared by all teachers in each year group. This means that there is equal provision between classes in almost all years, rather than allowing teachers to plan separately within the same year, resulting in different provision. Classes organise their teaching groups for core subjects in ability groups in the older year groups and this has a positive impact. There is a narrower range of ability to plan for and work is more focused on helping pupils of different abilities to make progress. Greenfield Primary School 21. There are no pupils with English as an additional language and only three pupils from minority ethnic groups. They are fully included in all school activities. Since amalgamation the school has placed considerable emphasis on ensuring that pupils are

p.13

Foundation subjects

challenged, that they make steady progress from year to year and that they achieve the highest standards they are capable of. This is combined with better planning to ensure equal provision within year groups and the implementation of national strategies. All these measures indicate a firm desire to include all pupils fairly in all aspects of the school’s work. This is also evident in the added challenge in the school’s targets for pupils’ results in future.

p.14

Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

22. Pupils have satisfactory attitudes to their learning and most show interest and involvement in the activities provided for them. Pupils’ behaviour, personal development and relationships with one another are sound, although, when not managed well, a small number of pupils can be disruptive. Most pupils with special educational needs behave well in lessons and break times. Those that find it hard to behave co-operatively have behaviour targets and try hard to achieve them. Although parents recognise, ‘that there’s always a few’ , almost all parents think that behaviour is good and that their children are being helped to become mature and responsible. They say that behaviour is good on school trips, particularly the residential visits. Parents feel that any incidents of bullying are usually dealt with well.

p.14

Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

23. Pupils’ attendance is very good and is better than in most other primary schools. Levels of attendance are well above the national average and there is very little unauthorised absence. The school has high expectations of pupils’ attendance and almost all parents agree that their children like school. With few exceptions, pupils come to school on time and lessons start promptly. This is beneficial to pupils’ learning as there is very little disruption.

p.14

Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

24. Pupils generally settle quickly to their work and work well together. When they are provided with interesting work and activities, they are enthusiastic and involved in what they are doing. They concentrate on their tasks, maintain good levels of interest and listen well to their teacher. In a history lesson in Year 3, pupils looking at Egyptian artefacts were very keen to volunteer answers due to the teacher’s enthusiasm. They behaved very well and listened carefully to the teacher’s questions because of her good behaviour management and expectations. Pupils respond particularly well to lessons with good pace and are keen to get going with their individual work because the teacher motivates them.

p.14

Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

25. Overall, pupils’ behaviour throughout the school is satisfactory. In lessons, teachers mostly have good expectations of pupils’ behaviour and manage them well. As a result, behaviour is usually good. In fact, it is good in almost 60 per cent of lessons and very good in almost a quarter. Most pupils try their best, work hard and co-operate well with each other. They respond quickly to instructions and are careful with the school’s resources. There are some pupils, however, who do not always meet the school’s expectations of behaviour. They are noisy in lessons and call out without putting up their hands. When the pace of the lesson slows, pupils can be fractious and restless and talk over the teacher to each other. Most pupils behave well around the school, for example in assemblies and at lunchtime. In the playground, pupils play well with each other and there are few serious incidents between them. There was no evidence during the

p.14

Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

inspection of any bullying and there have been no exclusions from the school in the past year, although a few pupils have recently been withdrawn at lunchtimes in order to emphasise that their behaviour is not acceptable. Greenfield Primary School 26. Pupils are making satisfactory progress in their personal development and relationships. They generally get on well with each other and with their teachers. Pupils usually work well together and are learning to co-operate with others, for example when devising an Egyptian dance in a physical education lesson. Pupils are learning to take responsibility for their work and duties around the school, for example as monitors, road safety officers and members of the school council in Year 6. Through the school’s programme for personal and social education, pupils are learning to appreciate that others may think differently from themselves and to value their opinions. Most pupils appreciate how

p.14

Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

people relate to one another and know the value of friendship.

p.15

Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

27. There are no significant differences between the attitudes and behaviour of different groups of pupils. Pupils say that boys and girls are treated equally and fairly and that they all have the same opportunities to participate in activities. Pupils say, ‘C hildren care about the school’. Pupils in Year 6 said that they are proud of ‘ friendly’ Greenfield School where there are ‘ nice teachers’, ‘a variety of things to do’ and ‘groups of people who play together’ and where ‘ it’s fun’.

p.15

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

28. During the inspection, 89 lessons were observed and only four of them were less than satisfactory. In those lessons the main weakness was teachers’ inability to manage pupils’ behaviour well. Lessons were not challenging enough to keep pupils interested. Consequently, their behaviour deteriorated and they did not make progress. In lessons that were sound, but not as effective as good and very good lessons, there were a number of areas for development. For example, lessons sometimes lasted too long. This meant that not all pupils could sustain good behaviour for the whole time and lost interest, sometimes distracting others. This is also true of lessons where the pace of teaching dropped, for example because questioning was not ‘sharp’ enough to make all pupils aware that they might have to answer a question. In the computer suite, factors such as the limited space available made effective teaching difficult to achieve.

p.15

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

29. There have been many changes in teaching staff since the amalgamation. In fact, 12 new staff have been appointed to replace those that have left. Since amalgamation, the headteacher has quickly addressed existing weaknesses in the quality of teaching that centred on a lack of planning and the failure to fully implement national strategies. Staff morale is high now, and the introduction of shared planning and a new management structure has helped to develop strong bonds within year teams. The appointment of staff with specific subject expertise has also helped to build staff confidence in subjects where standards needed to be raised.

p.15

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

30. During the inspection teaching was at least satisfactory in 94 per cent of lessons. It was at least good in 60 per cent and very good and occasionally excellent in 21 per cent. Improvements since amalgamation are due to changes in staff and regular monitoring by the headteacher, local education authority adviser and co-ordinators in core subjects. Strengths in teaching during the inspection included planning, class management, relationships with pupils and the teaching of pupils with special educational needs. The quality of teaching is never less than good in the Foundation Stage, where children’s work is well planned and relationships between staff and children help them to settle quickly into school. In both the infants and juniors there were examples of good and very good teaching.

p.15

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

31. Teachers’ planning has improved considerably in a short time. As well as introducing the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies, the headteacher has introduced a system of planning within year groups, rather than individually as before. This means that teachers are teaching the same topics and that pupils in each class have the same opportunities as those in other classes, which is good practice. Planning is usually thorough and Greenfield Primary School appropriate for the ability range of the pupils. Teachers usually share the learning objectives with pupils and in the best lessons they check to see whether they have been achieved at the end of the lesson.

p.15

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

32. Good planning depends on teachers’ ability to make accurate on-going assessments about how much progress pupils are making. In good and very good lessons there is a brisk introduction, where teachers ask a good range of questions to recap on previous work and to find out how much pupils know. The best questioning involves a mix of ‘open ended’ questions, for example ‘What would you do to solve this problem? ’ and direct questions to specific pupils to ‘draw’ them into discussion, for example ‘Have you got a different system?’ or ‘What do you think?’ The plenary sessions at the end of lessons provide good opportunities to find out in a variety of ways how much pupils have learned. For example, at the end of a very good mathematics lesson the teacher asked pupils whether they understood what the learning objective was. In a very good literacy lesson, the teacher gave pupils the opportunity to reflect on the work of others. In these and

p.16

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

other good and very good plenary sessions, pupils’ success in meeting the learning objectives is clearly established.

p.16

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

33. A strength of teaching is the range of strategies that teachers use to maintain good behaviour. They start lessons with high expectations of good behaviour. They give clear instructions so that pupils listen carefully, know what to do and want to please. In most lessons pupils respond well to teachers’ high expectations, but there is a small, significant number of pupils who are difficult to manage and who pose challenging behaviour, no matter how experienced the teacher. On those occasions teachers do not confront pupils. They use a range of clever ways to ‘defuse’ potentially difficult situations in a firm but fair way. For example, in a very good lesson the teacher realised that a pupil was not listening to her but was talking to a pupil he was sitting next to. The teacher quietly said to the pupil, ‘Why don’t you come over here and tell the rest of the class about your ideas? , immediately removing him from a situation where he would probably end up ‘in

p.16

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

34. Teachers have good relationships with pupils. They use praise very well to reward them for correct answers or for effort. Pupils respond well to teachers’ praise and positive feedback. Teachers’ comments such as, ‘Wow! That’s fantastic!’ are genuinely valued by pupils and motivate them to do even better. When teachers draw in pupils with special educational needs by using praise it raises their esteem among the remaining pupils in the class, who take pleasure in the success of others.

p.16

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

35. The teaching of pupils with special educational needs is good. Many of them benefit from very high quality teaching from the co-ordinator. Teaching assistants are deployed well in the main part of the lessons, but they do not consistently record assessments of pupils’ knowledge and understanding during the introductions and endings to lessons. Teachers treat all pupils equally. They are careful to include all pupils in discussions and encourage those who are less confident to contribute in lessons.

p.16

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

36. The school’s arrangements for setting homework are sound and support the work that pupils do in school. In some cases, homework plays an important part in pupils’ learning (see paragraphs 110, 113). Sometimes pupils seize the initiative to do additional research at home, for example by using the Internet. The majority of parents feel that the school sets the right amount of homework, although at the pre-inspection meeting some felt that there were inconsistencies between classes in its amount and frequency. These issues have already been addressed at the start of term. Teachers’ marking is inconsistent. Their comments do not always provide pupils with a clear idea of how to improve. Greenfield Primary School

p.16

PUPILS?

37. Big gaps in the numeracy and literacy curriculum in the past have contributed to low standards in mathematics and in English. Since its amalgamation, the school has successfully improved its plans to develop pupils' learning year by year in all subjects. As a result it now gives them a broad and balanced curriculum with several good features, and two notable weaknesses. The recent improvements in planning have had insufficient time to make a measurable impact on pupils' learning. Training and better planning have improved the way the school organises its teaching of literacy and numeracy. These measures have led to sound strategies for teaching numeracy skills. The weaknesses that are currently constraining pupils' learning most are: • planning. In the past it did not ensure pupils' continuous progress in some literacy skills, as they move from reception to Year 6, notably in spelling and handwriting.

p.17

PUPILS?

This has had, and continues to have for older pupils, a negative impact on their attainment in English; • teachers do not systematically plan to incorporate information and communication technology in the teaching of other subjects. This omission means that they miss opportunities to extend pupils' learning across the curriculum, for example in mathematics and science.

p.17

PUPILS?

38. The curriculum now meets the expectations of the National Curriculum, the Early Learning Goals for children in the Foundation Stage and the requirements of the agreed syllabus for religious education. The school enriches the curriculum in a number of ways. For example, there are a good range of visits and visitors that make subjects more interesting. Residential visits in Years 2, 4 and 6 extend pupils' experiences well beyond the confines of the school. Teachers add further to the richness of the curriculum by using people in the community to visit the school and share their expertise. For example, local professional sports clubs improve the pupils' skills in football and rugby. Parents offer valuable help in a number of ways, as was seen in two science lessons when several parents helped with the organisation of equipment and encouraged the pupils.

p.17

PUPILS?

39. All pupils, including those with special educational needs, have access to the full range of learning opportunities. Teaching support staff make a significant contribution to the work of groups and individuals who experience a range of difficulties. The school monitors different groups of pupils and identifies those who have particular needs, gifts or talents. The school ensures that all pupils, whatever their ability, gender, special need or ethnic background, have equal access to its curriculum.

p.17

PUPILS?

40. There is a very good range of activities outside normal lessons, contrary to the opinion of a number of parents. Several specialist music teachers provide pupils with specific skills on a range of instruments. Clubs include a wide variety of activities, for example sporting and musical opportunities, French, chess and the Internet. The school's plan for future development indicates a very clear commitment to ensuring the richness of after-school clubs. Many pupils benefit from joining in these activities.

p.17

PUPILS?

41. The school caters well for pupils' personal, social and health education. It has recently adopted a scheme of work for this aspect of pupils' development and it ensures that all teachers allocate time to this area of the curriculum. There are effective plans for sex education. Teachers make good use of an annual focus on drugs education to supplement its programme for pupils from the age of five onwards to learn about drugs. There is a strong emphasis on health education. Teachers in physical education lessons help the pupils to understand the benefits of exercise on their bodies and the school organises a health and fitness week to focus on this important element of pupils' awareness. A sponsored ‘keep fit’ reinforces this work well. Greenfield Primary School 42. There are fruitful links with other organisations. For example, pupils in Year 5 wrote to the local council and as a result they were invited to an exhibition on traffic calming. The

p.17

PUPILS?

school has strong associations with the local family of schools and this leads to pupils participating in a range of sporting, dance and musical activities. The staff who teach the youngest children meet with colleagues in similar schools. This benefits Greenfield, for example in the sharing of resources. The teachers of the pupils in Year 6 meet with the teachers at the next school to ensure pupils' smooth transfer.

p.18

PUPILS?

43. The provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is satisfactory overall. The school has a good commitment to developing a ‘whole-school’ ethos where pupils’ respect for one another is developed and where there are opportunities for them to learn co-operation. There are good opportunities for pupils to form positive links with the local community and to learn about their own and other cultures. All pupils benefit equally from the school’s provision for spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

p.18

PUPILS?

44. Although there is no discrete, planned spiritual development across the curriculum, teachers take opportunities well when they arise. For example, children in the reception class shared a magical moment when they all laughed at the ‘squeaky house’ together. There was a real sense of ‘awe and wonder’ when pupils watched their teacher convert data information into graphical form on the screen in an information technology lesson. There are occasions when weaknesses in behaviour management in lessons have a negative impact on pupils’ spiritual development because they are noisy and have a lack of respect for others. Assemblies and religious education help towards the sound spiritual development of pupils. Themes are suitably planned to reinforce the school’s values. Most encourage pupils to reflect on their own lives, set standards of behaviour and promote a sense of respect. Recognition of pupils’ contributions to school life and

p.18

PUPILS?

certificates and rewards for achievement for work and improvement raise pupils’ self- esteem and set an example for all to follow. Pupils show pride in their achievements and are pleased for others whose achievements are celebrated. The tree statue in the foyer, carved by every pupil in the school, sends out a strong message about working together to build a new community.

p.18

PUPILS?

45. The provision for pupils’ moral development is also satisfactory. Most classrooms have a display of agreed classroom rules and some classes have begun to share the new behaviour management policy with its clearly stated rewards and consequences. This is not yet consistent across the school, however. Pupils are developing an understanding of right and wrong, the importance of listening to others’ views and accepting their differences. For example, pupils in Year 1 said of others, ‘He is kind and helps me’, ‘She is good at literacy’ and ‘He is very shy’. A warm feeling developed in the class as pupils talked about their partners. Some pupils do not yet show this understanding or the expected levels of respect for their teachers and visitors to the school.

p.18

PUPILS?

46. Pupils are provided with good opportunities to further their social development. Older pupils particularly appreciate the opportunity to work and play with younger pupils in the school. Pupils are encouraged to take initiative, such as organising a calendar of fundraising events for charity, and show empathy for those less fortunate than themselves, for example collecting goods for Operation Christmas Child for children in Romania. Through the development of the school council, pupils in Year 6 are learning about aspects of citizenship such as voting, listening to others’ views and making compromises to reach a decision. There is an established range of opportunities for pupils to develop socially outside school through residential visits, clubs and sports matches and contributing to events in the local community, such as maypole dancing demonstrations. Pupils speak very positively about these activities as being a ‘fun ’ part of

p.18

PUPILS?

school life. Greenfield Primary School 47. Pupils’ cultural development is promoted well through studies in the curriculum, particularly in history where they learn about Victorian, Tudor and Egyptian life and culture. There is a good range of activities and educational visits that promote pupils’ cultural development, such as studies by some pupils of France, India and Japan as part of the Healthy Schools Initiative. The school is aware of the need for pupils to learn more about a range of cultures that are not naturally represented in the community and arranges visits for pupils with two Leicester schools which have a higher number of pupils from minority ethnic groups. Events such as ‘India Week’ and ‘W orld Book Day’ are regular events that are enjoyed by staff and pupils. The school has a well-established place in its local community, which gives pupils a good sense of their own identity and

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

48. Until a year ago there was very little information kept about the progress and attainment of individual pupils. Where information was collected it had little impact on planning future work for pupils, based on their individual needs. This is one of the reasons why standards in the past have not been as high as they could be. Whilst the current procedures for assessing what pupils have learned are still unsatisfactory, there has been considerable development in this area of the school's work. For example, pupils' writing is assessed every half term and a National Curriculum level is awarded. Teachers also identify targets for improvement from this piece of work. The degree to which these targets are shared with pupils varies. In the best examples, they are kept inside the front cover of pupils' literacy books, which means they are easily accessible to pupils when they are writing and to teachers when they are marking the work.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

49. Most of the recently introduced planning documents now identify opportunities for teachers to record pupils' attainment in different subjects. This procedure has yet to be adopted consistently throughout the school so that all teachers are using the information to plan the next stages of pupils' learning in every subject. A useful computer program has been introduced which aims to track and monitor each pupil's progress over time. At present, the way in which the information is stored means it is difficult to gain a concise overall picture of individual pupils and especially groups of pupils.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

50. The school uses National Curriculum tests for 7 and 11-year-olds on an annual basis and this year for the first time voluntary National Curriculum tests have been used throughout the juniors. This means that teachers are developing a clearer understanding of what pupils can do. There is currently a duplication of test information being collected, but the school is now in a good position to decide which information it needs and which it can usefully discard. There have been considerable discrepancies between teachers' own assessments of pupils and National Curriculum test results in both the infants and the juniors. This is because teachers have not previously had enough secure evidence about pupils' performances to base their judgements on. The school recognises the need to increase teachers' awareness of National Curriculum levels by carrying out training in agreeing on what level of work pupils have achieved.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

51. The school provides pupils with a caring environment, which has a positive impact on their learning and their lives at school. All pupils are cared for well whatever their gender or background. Pupils say that the school is ‘kind and friendly’. They are confident that adults will look after them and support them. Parents say that they are welcome in school and can discuss any concerns that they may have about their children’s welfare. They think that the school looks after their children well, deals properly with any bullying and helps pupils who are new to the school to settle in well.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

52. There are good procedures in place to ensure pupils’ health, safety and well-being. Since amalgamation, the school has systematically reviewed and updated its policies relating to Greenfield Primary School health and safety, accidents and fire procedures. There is very good expertise on the governing body to ensure that regular checks and risk assessments are carried out on the buildings and that statutory requirements are met in all areas of health and safety procedure. The school is kept clean and well maintained by the premises officer and his staff so that staff and pupils work in a safe and pleasant environment. The school is aware of the need to maintain high standards of health and safety when extensive building works commence shortly.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

53. Staff have a good understanding of pupils’ lives outside school and correctly follow procedures relating to child protection. The headteacher, as designated child protection co-ordinator, has had up-to-date training in matters relating to pupils’ welfare, including those who are in public care, and shares this information regularly with staff. There is a good number of staff trained in first aid, who are caring and sympathetic towards pupils. Midday supervisory staff care satisfactorily for pupils at lunchtime. The recently appointed midday manager has plans to work closely with them to ensure consistency in practice between the upper and lower school and consistency in behaviour management and to encourage a more active engagement in pupils’ play at lunchtimes.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

54. The procedures for monitoring and improving attendance are good. The school has strong expectations that pupils will attend school whenever possible. It uses computerised registration systems well to monitor patterns of attendance and to identify where there may be problems. Records of telephone calls from parents and pupils who are late for school mean that the school is able to account for pupils’ whereabouts and can follow up any unexplained absences quickly.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

55. The school’s behaviour policy is currently in draft form and is still being discussed by staff and governors. It clearly sets expected standards of behaviour throughout the school and is based on well-structured and explicit systems of rewards and consequences. Most staff are beginning to apply this policy well, making clear to pupils what their expectations are and they are consistent in their approach to any lapses. Where this is the case, pupils behave well and are clear about what is expected of them. The systems are not fully in place yet. In some classes, rules are clearly displayed and pupils are made aware of the school’s behaviour policy and encouraged to do well through strategies such as ‘Star of the W eek’ , smiley faces and star charts, depending upon the age of the pupils. This is not the case in all classes, however, and there are times when pupils call out and are noisy because the expectations of them are inconsistently applied. Pupils do not

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

respond well to the frequent use of ‘Sshh’ by one or two teachers. The school is aware of these problems and is giving appropriate support to those staff who need help in achieving a more consistent approach to behaviour management.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

56. Although there are a number of staff who are new to the school, they are getting to know the pupils well and support their personal development through the school’s programme for personal and social education. The school is working towards the Healthy Schools Initiative and has identified where it needs to promote areas such as pupils’ understanding of responsibility, awareness of others and involvement in the school community. The school recognises that monitoring pupils’ personal development through records is not yet used consistently throughout the school and does not yet involve pupils fully in evaluating their own personal development.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

57. The school has a good up-to-date policy for staff about Internet safety. Currently it does not send this home to parents to explain the school’s approach and to emphasise the part that parents can play .

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

58. Pupils with special educational needs and those with statements of special educational needs are well supported both academically and socially by skilled teaching assistants Greenfield Primary School and teachers. Assessment is used satisfactorily to identify and set individual education plans for pupils with special educational needs.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

59. The school’s links with parents are good. Parents have positive views of the school. Considering the loss of separate infant and junior identities it is to the school’s credit that parents are so positive about Greenfield. Parents make a worthwhile contribution to all that the new school strives to achieve and they support their children’s learning well. It works very effectively with them and they, in turn, support the values it promotes. Parents’ views of the school, expressed at the pre-inspection meeting and through the inspection questionnaire, were that they have confidence in the headteacher, feel that their children make good progress and think that the teaching is good.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

60. There is a close partnership with the parents, which begins before children start school. The school provides a good range of information for the parents of children starting in the reception class. A welcoming introduction pack and a programme of visits help the parents and children to familiarise themselves with school routines and organisation. The school prospectus is comprehensive. A good section on the curriculum summarises what is taught in each subject and concludes with the annual report of the governing body. Parents and the local Countesthorpe community appreciate the regular, well-written and professionally produced newsletters.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

61. Pupils’ annual progress reports meet statutory requirements. They cover all subjects and provide clear information on what pupils know and understand and how they can improve further. They also include helpful comments about pupil’s emotional and social development. Parents value the consultation meetings to discuss their children’s progress and appreciate the use of the reading record diary. It enables parents to know what their child should be reading and to make helpful comments on the work they do together at home. Some parents thought the use of homework was inconsistent last academic year. This autumn, they were pleased to receive information that tells them when their children will be given work to do at home. Discussion with the pupils and teachers shows that the school regularly sets homework and that the liaison between the school and home is of a good standard. The inspection team found that homework

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

generally supports the work that pupils do in school.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

62. The school is responsive to the parents and prides itself on giving immediate feedback to their concerns. The staff and headteacher are accessible and frequently meet the parents before and after the school day. Parents appreciate the concern that the staff and headteacher take if their children are experiencing difficulties. Parents of pupils with statements of special educational needs are invited to attend annual reviews of their children’s progress. Parents have opportunities to discuss individual education plans at parents’ evenings and at meetings to review the school’s provision. However, they do not always sign individual education plans.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

63. Parental support for children’s learning at school and home is good. There is an active parent teacher association whose efforts are successful in providing substantial funds. These are put to good use for the benefit of the whole school. Many parent volunteers come into school to help and support its various activities. They contribute, for example by helping the pupils with their reading. This has a good impact on the pupil’s attitudes. Parents who assist in school are well briefed by teachers and their support is highly valued. Parents are suitably involved in decision making through representation on the governing body.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

Greenfield Primary School 64. The leadership and management of the headteacher are very good and give the school clear direction for improvement. The headteacher was appointed 18 months ago and quickly identified the school’s priorities, based on an accurate analysis of its strengths and areas for development. This is shown by the similarities between the school’s priorities and those highlighted by this inspection. The school’s development plan is a highly professional document. It very clearly explains what aspects are to be improved and how they will be achieved and evaluated.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

65. A great deal has been achieved in the short time since the infant and junior schools amalgamated. For instance, the headteacher has worked effectively to train subject co- ordinators so that they are knowledgeable about their roles. She has begun to set up systems and raise expectations of what pupils can attain.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

66. The headteacher is dedicated to achieving the vision for the school to ‘ Inspire with the joy of life long learning’. Throughout the day she is always available to staff and pupils with her positive approach. The headteacher’s vision is well shared by staff and all are committed to raising standards. She has established a good, positive team spirit amongst the staff. Her deputy headteacher, year group leaders and curriculum leaders give her effective support. This ensures that the values of the school are well reflected in its work and that the school is a secure community where all pupils are fully included in activities and lessons.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

67. Overall, the leadership and management of the school are good. There is a very clear management structure. Curriculum groups are responsible for developing particular subject areas and year group leaders have regular meetings to ensure that teachers’ planning is consistent in classes. Staff with management responsibilities make a good contribution to improving the curriculum for their subject. Co-ordinators have created effective action plans to achieve this. The subject co-ordinators have monitored teachers’ planning and pupils’ books. Their files give a good outline of the activities undertaken and often hold examples of pupils’ work. Co-ordinators have not received any training to carry out lesson observations and most have not yet monitored the quality of teaching or standards in their subjects, although an effective programme has been started to monitor and evaluate the quality of teaching in the school.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

68. The school’s inclusion policy is currently being written in full consultation with staff, governors and the special educational needs co-ordinator. The school demonstrates a good awareness of the importance of providing equal access and inclusion for all its pupils. It monitors different groups of pupils appropriately to ensure that all are making appropriate progress according to their needs and abilities.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

69. The leadership and management of special educational needs are good. The co- ordinator works diligently to assess the individual needs of pupils academically and emotionally. Monitoring and evaluation of pupils with special educational needs are carried out well through reviews of individual education plans. The co-ordinator carefully monitors the success of these pupils to see how many achieve average standards in national tests. A considerable number do so in science. Currently the co-ordinator and governor with responsibility for special educational needs do not monitor whether parents have signed a copy of their children’s individual education plans as they are required to do.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

70. The governing body is an established and hard working team, who have managed the amalgamation effectively. They play a strategic role in shaping the future of the school. The governors are clear about the school’s strengths and development areas. The chairman and vice chairman meet the headteacher every fortnight. The governor with responsibility for literacy regularly monitors teaching and the curriculum. The governors fulfil their statutory responsibilities. There are committees and established roles for Greenfield Primary School governors that develop and take care of all aspects of the school. For example, the health and safety governor has been into the school regularly during the recent building work. This governor has worked conscientiously to ensure that staff and pupils are safe.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

71. The financial planning follows the school’s educational aims and priorities. The governing body, guided by the headteacher, is fully involved in the decision-making processes. The school development plan identifies costs linked to improvement targets. There are well- organised systems to manage the school’s funds and the headteacher receives a weekly report on the financial situation from the bursar. The school makes appropriate use of funds to support pupils with special educational needs. The principal of best value is very well understood. The office staff ensure that best value is achieved for the school when purchasing items. The headteacher and subject co-ordinators meet regularly with local colleagues and discuss the best ways to develop their school’s standards. The governors compare the ways other schools manage change and evaluate large spending suggestions carefully. Information and communication technology is used satisfactorily

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

within the school to monitor spending patterns.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

72. There is a good match of teachers and support staff to the demands of the curriculum. The school has a well-qualified group of teachers. Twelve new teaching appointments have been made in the last two years in a period of great change for the school. The headteacher is very supportive to teachers joining the school, enabling them to quickly make a full contribution to maintaining and enhancing standards. The school’s induction procedures are good. All staff have undergone training in the use of computers in lessons, as well as a range of other relevant courses, for example the teaching of literacy.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

73. Overall, the accommodation is satisfactory, although it is better for infant pupils. Plans show that the building programme will provide considerably enhanced teaching areas. The school benefits from a number of specialist rooms, such as the computer suite, a drama room and two halls. There are some weaknesses in the accommodation, for example the computer suite, (see paragraphs 141-142) and the lack of an outdoor play area for children aged under five. Outside, the enlarged playground has had an immediate impact on lunchtime and playtime behaviour. Pupils say that there is now room to play and this means that there are fewer squabbles. The main school building has been suitably modified to provide access for disabled pupils, staff and visitors. However, until the new building works are complete, some classrooms are currently inaccessible as they are located in ‘mobile’ classrooms with entrance steps. Learning

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

resources are good overall. There has been considerable investment in improving computers and the library. After considerable recent investment, the current book stock is large and up to date.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

74. Taking into account: • the very strong leadership and good teaching that is helping the school to become increasingly effective; • improvements in planning since the amalgamation that are helping the school to raise standards; • the shared commitment to making sure that the pupils’ education continues to get better; the school provides satisfactory value for money.

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER

75. In order to consolidate the improvements already made and to raise attainment still further, the governors, headteacher and staff should: Greenfield Primary School

p.23

technology by:

• ensuring that the headteacher, governors and subject co-ordinators regularly monitor standards of work, the implementation of the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies and the quality of teaching and planning throughout the school; • ensuring that pupils have regular planned opportunities to carry out scientific investigations; • ensuring that planning in foundation subjects complies with statutory requirements;

p.24

well as possible by:

• using a common form of assessment that takes full account of National Curriculum levels; • analysing the information provided in national tests and assessments and other non-statutory tests to identify strengths and weaknesses in pupils’ learning; • reviewing the school’s target setting arrangements to ensure that they are challenging, consistently used and reviewed regularly; • ensuring that teachers use information from assessments to plan their lessons so that work is closely matched to what pupils need to learn next;

p.24

ensure that information and communication technology is used effectively by:

• planning its use in other subjects, for example mathematics and science; • regular monitoring by the subject co-ordinator in lessons.

p.24

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 31

p.25

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very poor

p.25

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Percentage 2 19 38 36 5 0 0 The table gives the number and percentage of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about teaching. Care should be taken when interpreting these percentages as each lesson represents more than one percentage point.

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 507

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 13

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 12

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 69

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 0

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 30

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 7

p.25

Attendance

National comparative data 5.6 National comparative data 0.5 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Greenfield Primary School

p.25

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

Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2001 40 31 71

p.26

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.26

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

Boys 25 23 38 Numbers of pupils at NC Level 2 and above Girls 26 26 28

p.26

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

Percentage of pupils School 72 (n/a) 69 (n/a) 93 (n/a) at NC Level 2 or above National 84 (83) 86 (84) 91 (90)

p.26

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.26

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

Boys 25 35 29 Numbers of pupils at NC Level 2 and above Girls 26 27 27

p.26

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

Percentage of pupils School 72 (n/a) 87 (n/a) 79 (n/a) at NC Level 2 or above National 85 (84) 89 (88) 89 (88)

p.26

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

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

p.26

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

Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2001 36 36 72

p.26

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.26

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

Boys 27 28 33 Numbers of pupils at NC Level 4 and above Girls 26 27 33

p.26

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

Percentage of pupils School 74 (n/a) 76 (n/a) 92 (n/a) at NC Level 4 or above National 75 (75) 71 (72) 87 (85)

p.26

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.26

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

Boys 26 23 27 Numbers of pupils at NC Level 4 and above Girls 27 25 28

p.26

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

Percentage of pupils School 74 (n/a) 67 (n/a) 76 (n/a) at NC Level 4 or above National 72 (70) 74 (72) 82 (79) Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Greenfield Primary School

p.26

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.27

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

White – any other White background 0 0 0

p.27

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Mixed – any other mixed background 0 0 0

p.27

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British - Pakistani 0 0 0

p.27

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi 0 0 0

p.27

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.27

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black or Black British – Caribbean 0 0 0

p.27

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.27

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 21 Financial year 2001 / 2002

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 24

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 1,004,696

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 22 Total expenditure 1,062,725

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 380 Expenditure per pupil 1,990

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance brought forward from previous year 71,285 FTE means full-time equivalent. Greenfield Primary School

p.27

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 12

p.28

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.28

Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 1

p.28

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.28

Recruitment of teachers

Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) 0 FTE means full-time equivalent. Greenfield Primary School

p.28

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

p.29

Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

p.29

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 58 38 3 0 1

p.29

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 39 52 5 1 3

p.29

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 27 54 17 1 1

p.29

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 39 45 14 1 1

p.29

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 60 36 2 2 0

p.29

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 50 46 1 0 3

p.29

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 39 47 9 1 4

p.29

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 41 44 7 2 6

p.29

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 46 48 2 0 4

p.29

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 31 45 14 2 8

p.29

Results of the survey of parents and carers

PART D: THE STANDARDS AND QUALITY OF TEACHING IN AREAS OF THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES Greenfield Primary School

p.29

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

76. The quality of education for children in the Foundation Stage is good and provides them with a good grounding for the next stage of education. Children enter school in the year in which they are five, starting in the reception class in September or January depending on their date of birth. All children transfer to the infants in the following September. Currently there are 30 children in one reception area.

p.30

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

77. The induction into the reception class is a very good feature of the school’s work. Children and parents are well prepared for starting school. Meetings and visits to the school are well organised and purposeful. Staff visit all children in their pre-school nursery or playgroup setting. Once the children are settled into routines parents are invited to an open day to take part in activities to help them understand what their children do at school. Consequently, children and parents have the confidence to come and begin the home-school partnership necessary for successful learning.

p.30

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

78. Children enter the reception class with attainment expected for children of their age. They make sound progress and the majority of children are on course to achieve the Early Learning Goals in all areas of learning by the time they enter the infants.

p.30

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

79. Teaching in the reception class is good. The teacher, nursery nurse and classroom assistant have a good understanding of the learning needs of young children and a very good knowledge of the requirements of the Foundation Stage curriculum so that all children are provided with a rich and stimulating learning environment. Every opportunity is taken to extend children’s knowledge and understanding. Children are supported well to develop their confidence and independence and to have good attitudes to learning. Provision is good overall. The one weakness is the lack of an outside play area. This is planned into the new building programme. The reception class provides a very caring supportive environment in which young children feel safe and learn well. Procedures for observation and assessment are sound. Staff are still developing assessment procedures and are constantly looking for better, less time consuming ways of recording

p.30

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

80. The Foundation Stage co-ordinator has ensured that all elements of the Early Learning Goals are planned for and follows the recommendations of the new guidance. The learning opportunities across all areas for children of this age are broad and balanced. Links between the reception and Year 1 curriculum are in the process of being developed.

p.30

Personal, social and emotional development

81. Children’s personal and social education skills are those expected for children of this age when they enter school. They make sound progress and the majority are likely to achieve the Early Learning Goals because of the good experiences offered.

p.30

Personal, social and emotional development

82. Provision is good. Parents are encouraged to help settle their children when they bring them in the morning. All children are clear about routines and know what is expected of them. They answer the register politely, understand the system of taking the register to the office and are confident and happy to do so. Relationships between children and adults are very good. Children happily choose from a range of activities, showing a good degree of independence. The teacher ensures that activities encourage children to co- operate and share. Very good adult intervention encourages less confident children to join in play. A number of children find it difficult to concentrate and listen for any length of time, some becoming restless in whole-class activities. Generally, though, they behave well and try hard to achieve the tasks. They show good attitudes when engaged in Greenfield Primary School

p.30

Personal, social and emotional development

practical tasks, for example working in the water and in the role-play area ‘ going on a jungle expedition’ . Children are well aware of the reasons why they should wash their hands before lunch and tidy away their belongings. They can make an orderly queue and walk sensibly to the infant hall, walking quietly so they do not disturb others. Lunchtime and snacktime routines are well known. Children have many opportunities during the day to talk about their feelings. There are good opportunities to learn about the beliefs of others, for example through sharing Diwali celebrations.

p.31

Communication, language and literacy

83. Children enter the reception class with attainment expected for children of this age. By the time children enter Year 1 the majority are likely to have achieved the Early Learning Goals. A small number of children of below average attainment are being monitored for special educational needs and are unlikely to achieve the Early Learning Goals.

p.31

Communication, language and literacy

84. Children’s speaking and listening skills are sound and they respond well to the good teaching. There are good opportunities to develop their communication skills in whole- class discussion, where the teacher uses very good questioning skills to encourage children to share their knowledge and experience. The nursery nurse and classroom assistant are skilled at encouraging children to talk and express their opinions. There is very good adult intervention in their play in the ‘ Jungle Gym’. One was overheard saying ‘ Come on we must find the bugs. Lets go on the expedition. I’m the photographer ’. The teacher replied, ‘ What equipment are you going to take with you?’ There are many good experiences where children can contribute and develop their ideas.

p.31

Communication, language and literacy

85. Many children are able to write their own names and are beginning to form letters correctly. The above average ability children are beginning to write simple words and they use some correct letters in their independent writing. There is a good emphasis on the development of narrative and children contribute to class books, which are illustrated with drawings, paintings and photographs. Children also write for different purposes. They make out flight tickets to take you to the jungle and write what they are hoping to see there. There is a broad range of writing experiences.

p.31

Communication, language and literacy

86. Children develop their knowledge of sounds well. There are regular daily sessions in which children show that they recognise their names. The teacher says, ‘ I wonder who is going to be today’s helper?’ as she holds their name cards. There are also daily sessions in which children name initial letter sounds. They enjoy these phonic activities and learn a great deal. Children take books home and read regularly with their parents and carers. All children are keen to read and talk about their books; some use the picture clues to join in familiar phrases, very few children use initial letter sounds to help them with the text.

p.31

Mathematical development

87. Children’s knowledge of mathematics on entry is that expected for their age. By the end of the Foundation Stage most children are likely to achieve the Early Learning Goals. There are many good opportunities for children to develop mathematical awareness through many suitable activities. Most are able to count well beyond ten. Children make repeating patterns with sponge shapes when printing. They throw two dice, counting the dots to help a bug travel faster than the spider, and use game cards to make pairs. They solve problems to decide how many more or less people they need to go on an expedition ‘bus’ that can only accommodate six of them. Adult support is good and very good questions help children to learn well. Children know names of common shapes such as , ‘triangle’, ‘circle’, ‘square’ and ’rectangle’ . They begin to use non-standard measures in capacity. Essential mathematical vocabulary is emphasised to ensure that

p.31

Mathematical development

children can apply their knowledge well in other situations. Greenfield Primary School

p.31

Knowledge and understanding of the world

88. Children’s attainment in this area of learning on entry is that expected for their age. The majority are on course to achieve the Early Learning Goals because of the good quality of provision. Children observe, explore and describe the world around them through well- planned topics. Staff provide a wide range of interesting and different challenges throughout the week and this encourages children to be alert and eager to find out something new. Break times are used well as opportunities to talk about families, homes and past and present activities in their lives. Children show a developing understanding of the wider features of their community, for example the local shops. They learn to explore their world. Through very good use of the role-play area children learn about other countries as they plan expeditions in the jungle to look for gorillas, bugs and other creatures. Children use the computer confidently and operate the mouse satisfactorily to

p.32

Knowledge and understanding of the world

click on icons in order to play computer mathematical games or ‘paint’ . A range of visitors comes to talk to the children, for example the local policeman.

p.32

Physical development

89. Children are well developed physically and most on entry to the school are on target to reach the expected levels. Children do not have immediate access to an enclosed outside area, but staff take children into the playground as often as possible and take part in the school physical education programme. The children’s ability to control their limbs and movements is well developed and staff provide good experiences for them to jump and run. By the time they are five, most children can run, jump, climb and skip safely and confidently. They are aware of space and do not bump into each other. Most show reasonable control of small equipment such as balls and ropes. Children carefully try to use scissors and different materials and equipment to finely join paper and other materials together, although their hand control for writing and for intricate creative activities is less well developed. The majority of children will attain the expected levels

p.32

Creative development

90. Children’s attainment is that expected nationally on entry to the reception class. They explore sound, listen to instruments being played and to the teacher sing. Children love singing and join in the actions, although this proves too much of a challenge for them as the rhythm and pace quickens. In a range of creative activities, children show evident enjoyment and developing skills in their responses to what they see, hear, touch and feel. They explore a wide range of materials, for example sand, paint, crayons, materials and glue, when they draw, colour and stick. Children use their imaginations and colour boldly in their pictures. There are many opportunities for children to experience role-play and they do so imaginatively, often reflecting stories they have heard. The role-play resources are excellent. Children take photographs on the expedition with real cameras and hunt for ‘ treasure’ in the playground. All children are on target to attain the expected

p.32

Creative development

levels by the time they transfer to the infants. Greenfield Primary School

p.32

ENGLISH

91. An early analysis of the results attained in 2002 shows a very slight improvement in results for juniors, compared with the previous year, and a significant improvement in writing results for infants. Junior pupils have made better progress that infants, but their standards in spelling and handwriting are unsatisfactory because little attention has been paid to these skills in the past. Many junior pupils also have limited knowledge of sounds made by groups of letters, which hinders their ability to read words that they have not come across before. The school is well placed to raise standards higher in the next few years, given the good planning for literacy that has now been implemented. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress because they are taught well. More able pupils, including those who are gifted or talented, have under-achieved because they have not been set sufficiently challenging work.

p.33

ENGLISH

92. Most infant and junior pupils listen carefully, concentrate well in lessons and respond appropriately to the questions or instructions they are given. Many infant pupils have a limited vocabulary and are hesitant in giving answers. Most juniors adapt their speech to suit formal and informal occasions. Through effective teaching they learn to show an awareness of the needs of the text and their audience. Pupils enhance their listening skills when using headphones and tape recorders or when watching educational videos. A key factor, which helps raise standards in speaking, is the emphasis that the school gives to drama. Pupils get good opportunities to discuss their views and listen to the opinions of others in debates and drama lessons. They learn to respect the views of others by following the example set by their teachers. Pupils develop confidence and skill in performance through various planned activities, for example history and personal and

p.33

ENGLISH

social development lessons, school assemblies and drama lessons, educational visits arranged by teachers, school performances and visits to school by actors.

p.33

ENGLISH

93. Standards in reading vary widely but are improving. They are below average by the age of 7 years and average by the age of 11 years. Teachers place an appropriate emphasis on reading and give pupils opportunities to read by themselves, in groups and to the teacher. This helps them to make progress. Some become independent readers by the age of 11, with informed opinions about specific authors and types of genre, but a significant minority remains hesitant when reading. Those pupils with special educational needs are learning to use appropriate strategies such as picture or contextual clues with good help from learning support assistants. A few above-average pupils in Year 5 and Year 6 enjoy reading, read fluently and talk about plot and character with ease. They can predict outcomes, recognise errors quickly and are eager to learn the meaning of new words. A few pupils have read a wide range of stories by different authors. Teachers

p.33

ENGLISH

help pupils to improve their reading standards by using educational games on the internet but information and communication technology is not used enough to help raise standards.

p.33

ENGLISH

94. Many pupils have sound research skills. They use indexes to locate and use information for their topic work. Older junior pupils use skimming and scanning techniques when searching for information in non-fiction books. Most have a good understanding of the features of reference books, for example glossaries, contents pages and indices. They have a sound understanding of the classification of books in libraries and of how to search for particular books. Most pupils understand how to use a thesaurus. By the age of 11 many pupils use dictionaries effectively to correct their written work. A few can use spellchecking software to remove spelling errors in their word-processed work. A minority of pupils improve their standards at school by reading regularly at home. Teachers boost the home-school partnership by working closely with parents to help children learn to read. Standards in reading and research work are being raised through the

p.33

ENGLISH

improvements to the school library. Greenfield Primary School 95. Standards in writing are below average by the age of 7 years. Only a few pupils write stories and descriptions with any real flair and individuality. Most pupils in Year 2 write in sentences that start with a capital letter and end with a full stop, but many pupils have difficulty with spellings and syntax. Standards in writing are average by the age of 11 years. Pupils learn to write in a range of formats including reported speech, instructional writing, stories, persuasive writing and poetry. Many pupils are able to draft and redraft their writing, but only occasionally using a computer. They recognise the importance of using adjectives and adverbs to give their writing interest and colour. Throughout the school pupils improve upon their standards in handwriting very slowly. By the age of 7 a large minority has learned to join their letters and by the age of 11 most pupils write in a

p.33

ENGLISH

neat script. Most older junior pupils write using a pencil, when they should be using a pen. Overall, standards in handwriting are unsatisfactory for infants and juniors. Standards in spelling are also unsatisfactory and even in Year 6 many pupils have poor spelling, for example writing ’ fersd’ f or ‘ first’ .

p.34

ENGLISH

96. Most pupils have an increasingly good vocabulary and write using correct grammar. The more able pupils write confidently using striking, alliterative imagery to enliven their work; for example:

p.34

ENGLISH

‘ A lanky-legged spider bought a rusty broken bicycle…. He started off along the dirty dusty road With a cranky little earwig on his soft furry back’.

p.34

ENGLISH

Pupils have also written about, ‘ the soft touch of warm chinchilla in summer ’ and, ‘ the taste of sugary jam spreading on my teeth ’. Some of their shared poetry writing is very good, such as in a poem about a rainbow, ‘ I am royal and exquisite with my extravagant brightness highlighting the dusty courtyards ’. More able pupils have recently written well about subjects such as the Moon: ‘ As cold as ice She glitters and gleams She is pockmarked by impact craters And she shines like a diamond She sparkles like an orb of soft silver She glows like an ember from a long-lost fire’.

p.34

ENGLISH

97. Pupils develop their skill in using language to a limited degree through their work in other subjects. Pupils in mathematics describe number concepts using mathematical words well. Infant pupils are articulate in describing features of Countesthorpe in geography lessons. However, teachers do not consistently highlight the use of specific subject language. As a result pupils have a satisfactory vocabulary, but it is not as rich as it could be.

p.34

ENGLISH

98. The quality of English teaching is good overall in infant and junior classes. The planning to implement the National Literacy Strategy has now been put in place and plays an increasingly important role in raising standards. Where teaching is effective, lessons start briskly, pupils listen carefully from the start, respond accurately and make steady progress. Teachers plan lessons thoroughly and make their learning objectives clear, verbally and written on the whiteboard. Consequently, pupils know what is expected of them and classroom activities are purposeful. In good lessons, teachers check learning and develop pupils’ thinking with probing questions. They have high expectations and encourage pupils to aim high. Lessons develop at a good pace. They encourage pupils to evaluate their written and spoken work and that of their peers through useful plenary sessions. Teachers are building a good knowledge of how to teach English consistently,

p.34

ENGLISH

with expert guidance from the subject co-ordinator, but it has not been taught consistently until this term. As a result, standards have been lower than they should be. When Greenfield Primary School teaching is occasionally very good, the teacher’s confident and knowledgeable approach, coupled with a detailed understanding of what pupils can do, helps the class to learn rapidly.

p.34

ENGLISH

99. Teachers help pupils to view learning as an enjoyable task and they have fun in their studies. Pupils with special educational needs have good support through individual tuition provided by a specialist teacher. Teachers and speech and language therapists give informed and effective help to those with special educational needs. Classroom assistants provide good support in many classes.

p.35

ENGLISH

100. Most pupils behave well, have sound attitudes to learning and behave in lessons. They co-operate well with each other and their teachers. A minority is poorly behaved when lessons do not fully capture their interest or when work is not planned at the right level for them.

p.35

ENGLISH

101. The subject is very well led by an able co-ordinator, who plans, monitors, evaluates and guides the work of the school very effectively. Her leadership has had a positive impact on work throughout the school, for example, this year, on standards in writing in the infants. She has drawn up much needed detailed planning for teaching the National Literacy Strategy. Teachers assess pupils’ work regularly in reading and have just started to test them in the juniors, using optional national tests. Because these are very recent initiatives, they do not yet have a good enough knowledge of how well pupils are doing, and marking does not give pupils sufficient guidance on how to improve their work. The book days and book fairs are popular and enable parents to become more involved in their children’s learning.

p.35

MATHEMATICS

102. Standards of attainment for pupils in Year 2 last year were below average. They were in line with nationally expected levels at the end of Year 6. Children leave the reception class with average levels of attainment in mathematics. After two years their attainment has dropped to below average. The reason for this is because the school had not implemented the National Numeracy Strategy until just over a year ago. The previous lack of planning documents and an over reliance on published workbooks for pupils, particularly in the infants, has meant that there are large gaps in pupils' knowledge and understanding throughout the school. This lack of curriculum provision has led to inconsistencies in results over time. The above average results achieved by pupils in Year 6 in the 2001 National Curriculum tests are more to do with the higher ability of that particular cohort of pupils than the quality of the curriculum at that time. The school has

p.35

MATHEMATICS

now addressed many of these issues and evidence during the inspection suggests that standards are beginning to rise.

p.35

MATHEMATICS

103. Intensive support and training from the local education authority has led to the full implementation of the National Numeracy Strategy and teachers now have a much better understanding of what and how to teach numeracy. Clear and comprehensive planning documents are in place and consistently good and often very good teaching enables pupils to make good progress in lessons. In mathematics lessons during the inspection, attainment was at least average for infant and junior pupils.

p.35

MATHEMATICS

104. There is a strong emphasis on improving pupils' mental calculations throughout the school. The first part of the daily mathematics lesson is used successfully for this purpose and quick fire questions and counting are regular features. Teachers make sure they involve all pupils in order to maintain their interest in learning, such as with the use of glove puppets in Year 1 and paired discussions in Year 6. Good behaviour management in most lessons means that pupils' learning is effective. Teachers praise pupils regularly for their efforts which, in turn, motivates them to persevere with their work. Teachers are Greenfield Primary School keen to develop pupils' mathematical vocabulary and often identify key words at the beginning of a lesson. For example, pupils in Year 2 making a photograph frame for 'Barnaby Bear' use words such as 'longer', 'shorter', 'bigger', 'smaller' and 'perimeter'

p.35

MATHEMATICS

when cutting their strips of paper. Pupils in Year 3 accurately describe the number of 'lines of symmetry' of different shapes and letters. In Year 6 they are confident about using the terms ' numerator' and ' denominator ' when talking about fractions. In a very good lesson in Year 4, pupils were learning to describe the properties of regular and irregular shapes. Good emphasis was placed on developing the vocabulary of all pupils, but especially for pupils with special educational needs.

p.36

MATHEMATICS

105. Teachers use the beginning of lessons effectively to recap on previous work and find out how much pupils have remembered. At the end of the lesson they refer to the learning objective and judge pupils' success at meeting it. Skilful questions such as 'What would you do to solve this question? ' stimulate pupils' thinking and encourage them to investigate different strategies to carry out a calculation. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress because they are supported both in and out of lessons. Classroom support assistants are well briefed and have a clear understanding of what each pupil's target is.

p.36

MATHEMATICS

106. Mathematics skills are used satisfactorily in a number of lessons. For example, pupils in Year 4 in a physical education lesson used their knowledge and understanding of three- dimensional shapes to form a square based pyramid. The use of information and communication technology to support learning in mathematics has been limited so far. Regular numeracy lessons in the computer suite are now planned and are beginning to have a positive impact on pupils' progress. For example, in a good lesson in Year 2, pupils worked together co-operatively to produce graphs about the information they had collected. They were planning on using this form of recording to compare it with hand- written graphs the following day to decide how they think information could be best and most effectively displayed.

p.36

MATHEMATICS

107. Assessment procedures for finding out what pupils have learned and planning the next stages of their learning are still at an early stage of development. The lack of information in the past about pupils' progress is one of the reasons why standards have not been higher. Annual targets for mathematics have not been met in the National Curriculum tests for 11-year-olds because there has been insufficient information kept about pupils to accurately base predictions on. Co-ordinators for mathematics and assessment have begun to analyse these tests and identify weaknesses. They plan to develop this procedure with other tests carried out throughout the school. The school is now in a good position to begin to use this information to accurately target different groups of pupils and raise their levels of achievement.

p.36

SCIENCE

108. Standards in science are below expected levels for 7-year-old pupils currently in Year 2. This is an improvement on pupils' recent attainments by the end of the infant stage. For example, in 2001 their overall performance was well below the national average and in 2002 no pupil reached the higher Level 3. The school is raising standards through: • better planning; • trying to improve how it teaches pupils about science investigations. Some teachers are better at this than others and pupils' skills of investigation are still generally poor in Year 2 as they have had very little experience.

p.36

SCIENCE

109. By the end of Year 2 most pupils know the difference between living and non-living things. From studying the life cycle of a sunflower all pupils recognise that living things grow and most know the main parts of a plant, including flower and leaves. All pupils have a clear understanding of the need for a healthy diet and most know that exercise is Greenfield Primary School important for good health. Pupils have a sound understanding of electric circuits and forces such as ‘push’ and ‘pull’ . Although some pupils know that certain materials bend, most pupils have limited ability to describe the similarities and differences between materials. Many have too few skills in suggesting how they might find things out, carrying out tests with some independence, and recording observations in a range of ways.

p.36

SCIENCE

110. Standards for 11-year-olds in the current Year 6 classes reflect those expected nationally. Because the inspection took place very early in the school year this judgement is based mainly on the work that these pupils did in Year 5. However, in 2001 the performance of pupils at the end of Year 6 was above the national average, and the results of the 2002 tests were similar. Pupils’ attainment in Year 6 is set to rise because: • the good teaching seen effectively increased pupils' levels of science knowledge, notably by using homework well. It also fostered pupils' good attitudes to learning science information; • the school ensures pupils revise their science learning.

p.37

SCIENCE

111. By the end of Year 6 most pupils can make generalisations about forces such as , ‘Objects usually had less force in water than in air’ . Pupils of all levels of ability know about solids, liquids and gases from their work in Year 5. Higher attaining pupils know and use words such as, ‘habitat’ and ‘consumer’ when they talk about animals and plants. All can plot points to form simple line graphs to show patterns, though some do not always complete their work. The most notable weakness in attainment generally is

p.37

pupils' limited abilities to make decisions about their scientific enquiry work,

including the choice of suitable methods of recording their findings.

p.37

pupils' limited abilities to make decisions about their scientific enquiry work,

112. Pupils of all levels of ability, including those with special educational needs and higher attaining pupils, make good progress in the juniors, except in their investigation skills. The latter weakness is because teachers do not always build enquiry skills carefully and systematically from year to year. Pupils make unsatisfactory progress over time in the infants for the same reason, and also because recently improved teaching and planning have not yet fully impacted on learning. However, this picture is now improving and the new science co-ordinator is aware of the need to monitor, extend and support these improvements. She is too new to the school to have made an impact on the quality of teaching and learning. However, she has good enough levels of subject knowledge and strengths in her own teaching to enable this to happen.

p.37

pupils' limited abilities to make decisions about their scientific enquiry work,

113. Teaching is good in the juniors. It is satisfactory in the infants, where it is becoming more effective as teachers gain confidence in using the new planning. Notable strengths in teaching throughout the school are that most teachers have a good knowledge of the subject; for example, this enabled a teacher to help pupils in Year 4 to understand what ‘tendons’ do. Teachers plan lessons carefully and they explain to pupils what they are expected to learn. This involves pupils well in their learning. Most teachers use methods that ensure pupils' good learning of science knowledge and correct science terms; for example, pupils in Year 3 were encouraged to use the scientific terms ‘attract’ and ‘repel’ when working with magnets. Other strong features are that many teachers use time well and make good use of voluntary helpers; for example, parents in Year 5 helped the pupils to appreciate the need for a balanced diet. Teachers use homework well to extend

p.37

pupils' limited abilities to make decisions about their scientific enquiry work,

learning. Teaching in Year 6 was particularly effective in this respect. Not only did it use homework to enrich pupils' knowledge of a range of creatures, it significantly enhanced their attitudes. Pupils of all levels of ability were interested and involved, wanting to gain new knowledge.

p.37

pupils' limited abilities to make decisions about their scientific enquiry work,

114. One weakness in teaching is that some teachers are not as good as they could be at teaching pupils the skills of investigation. As a result, some pupils in Year 6 who were growing plants were unsure about whether they were testing soil types or something else. Teachers sometimes miss opportunities for pupils to be more involved when recording Greenfield Primary School what they find out, for example in a Year 1 lesson about waterproof materials. There are generally too few opportunities for pupils to develop their independence in deciding about what they want to find out, how they will go about it and the best way to record their findings. Despite these shortcomings, there are some good examples of teaching science enquiry skills. These include investigating magnets in Year 3 and devising a balanced diet for a celebrity in Year 2. In these lessons, teaching promoted pupils' social development well by encouraging them to work together and co-operate. Importantly too,

p.37

pupils' limited abilities to make decisions about their scientific enquiry work,

pupils had positive attitudes to the practical nature of these lessons and their behaviour was good.

p.38

pupils' limited abilities to make decisions about their scientific enquiry work,

115. There is no agreed system that teachers use to assess pupils' work, including marking, to give them useful information for planning the next step in pupils' learning. As a result, the work that some teachers give to pupils of different abilities is not always accurately matched to their needs so that they make best progress. Additionally, information and communication technology is not systematically planned to extend pupils' learning in science, for example in recording findings in a variety of ways.

p.38

ART AND DESIGN

116. Standards of attainment are below expectations for pupils at 7 and 11 years of age and pupils make unsatisfactory progress. The school has, quite rightly, prioritised literacy and numeracy over the past year for immediate attention and improvement. A lack of attention to developing pupils' art skills over recent years has, therefore, led to a decline in standards. Although artwork is linked adequately to other areas of the curriculum such as history, geography and science, pupils' work is heavily biased towards the content of those topics rather than developing specific art skills.

p.38

ART AND DESIGN

117. Pupils' skills at observing objects for drawing and sketching are immature for their ages. Pupils in Year 2 are now beginning to show satisfactory progress in this area through good teaching. They use natural materials and paint to create images of trees that give an effective three-dimensional effect. Sketchbooks have just been introduced and are used to investigate ways of drawing facial features in preparation for self-portraits. However, many current pupils in Year 6 have made little progress in developing these skills. They are not very good at drawing and sketching; for example, they draw trees that have rectangular trunks and circular branches. Pupils have had few opportunities to experiment with colour mixing. Only a small number of pupils in Year 6 were able to carry out this task effectively, with many choosing to use large quantities of paint to alter the shade, which had very little impact on changing the colour. Work on display shows pupils

p.38

ART AND DESIGN

have little experience of this skill. Older pupils are developing a sound understanding of the work of other artists and during the inspection used the Internet to find out about the works of Monet and Van Gogh. The school has little evidence of information and communication technology being used to support artwork.

p.38

ART AND DESIGN

118. The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall. Where teaching is at its most effective, teachers intervene at the right moments to direct and guide pupils work, identifying good examples of work within the class, and provide pupils with the opportunity to discuss and investigate their ideas. They develop techniques well, such as the use of viewfinders in Year 6 to focus pupils' attentions to detail. Where teaching is less effective, the teacher dominates the lesson too much, learning new skills is rushed, and pupils are not given sufficient opportunities to experiment with different ideas. There is a lack of resources for developing the subject effectively, with teachers in different classes having to share basic equipment such as sketching pencils. There are limited opportunities for pupils to choose the size or type of paper or media to work with.

p.38

ART AND DESIGN

119. Visiting artists support the curriculum. During the amalgamation of the two schools every pupil had the opportunity to work with a sculptor on a very effective piece of work that is Greenfield Primary School on display. During 'arts week' and 'India week' pupils have good opportunities to work together collaboratively and junior pupils recently produced attractive mosaic tiles, which they fired in the school kiln and glazed. Planning shows a bias towards topic-related activities rather than skills development. Assessment procedures are weak. The newly appointed co-ordinator has only recently taken responsibility and has not yet had sufficient time to improve the subject.

p.38

DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

120. Standards meet those expected of pupils in Year 2, but are below expectations in Year 6. Since its amalgamation, the school has correctly concentrated on raising standards in literacy and numeracy, with the result that there has been little development in design and technology in the junior department. Pupils in the juniors do not spend enough time developing designing and evaluating skills. Some classes only carry out one project a year. All pupils are satisfactorily included in the topics studied. Pupils of all abilities, including those with special educational needs, make satisfactory progress in the infants, however they make insufficient progress in the juniors. This is because the organisation of the timetable allows too little time for teachers to teach basic skills in the subject.

p.39

DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

121. In Year 2, the teaching promotes effective designing skills. This was evident from the designs for ‘Joseph’s Coat’ . The lantern designs are labelled satisfactorily. More able pupils in Year 2 write detailed materials lists for the masks they are making. Although pupils’ planning is held in design and technology books in the infants, it is not in the juniors. Pupils in Year 6 draw labelled diagrams of the slippers they are going to make. However, standards of designing are below national expectations in Year 6. Evidence of planning was very limited in the juniors. There are no examples of written step-by-step guidance on how pupils were going to make products. Lists of materials and tools to be used are not recorded.

p.39

DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

122. The products made by pupils in Year 2 were of a satisfactory standard and demonstrated accurate cutting and joining skills. A significant strength of pupils’ work is in their skill using fabric. Their beautifully sewn ‘Jacob’s Coats’ incorporate a wide variety of materials such as felt, fabric, sequins and thread. Vegetables are accurately and safely cut up to make a vegetable soup. Patterns are used satisfactorily in Year 6 to make slippers out of fabric. Pupils in Year 5 make moving puppets using recycled materials and wood. Tudor houses are constructed using wood and cardboard satisfactorily. The products made demonstrate a rather limited use of mechanisms. Pupils in Year 6 barbecue food, however they do not plan or evaluate this activity. In the juniors pupils do not have sufficient opportunities to use their numeracy skills and measure out materials accurately. The use of information and communication technology is underdeveloped to

p.39

DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

123. The evaluation of pupils’ products is carried out satisfactorily in the infants. There is evidence of pupils writing suitable evaluations of products, for example ‘ I like the soup because it is nice’. There is no evidence of pupils writing evaluations of their Viking helmets or long boats. Opportunities to use literacy skills to evaluate work are under- developed in the juniors.

p.39

DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

124. The quality of teaching seen in the infants is satisfactory. However, teaching in the juniors is unsatisfactory because too few topics are planned and basic designing skills are not well taught. Effective features of high quality teaching include: • good teaching methods using a variety of resources; • the positive use of praise; • good use of technical vocabulary; • teachers’ effective demonstration of how to use tools. Greenfield Primary School 125. Pupils enjoy the practical activities in this subject and work sensibly and safely together due to teachers’ good management and organising skills. In one good lesson seen in Year 2, the teacher effectively developed literacy skills when pupils used bullet points to organise their planning. Teaching assistants were well used to support the learning of pupils with special educational needs. The end of the lesson was well used when pupils evaluated their successes in planning. Less effective features of teaching include the

p.39

DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

lack of feedback for pupils about their finished items and no planned extension activities for pupils that are more able.

p.40

DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

126. Since the amalgamation the co-ordinator has been effective in many ways. The co- ordinator file demonstrates that photographs are used well to record projects undertaken by pupils. A whole-school scheme of work has been adopted. The co-ordinator has created a plan that maps out topics for the year. An action plan has been drawn up to develop the subject throughout the school. Resources have been improved and several construction kits and tools have been bought. However, little monitoring and evaluation has been undertaken to assess standards in the junior department. The quality of teaching has not been monitored for this subject. Assessment guidance is not being used consistently to assist teachers to judge pupils’ standards. The pupils do not regularly reflect and evaluate their work in the juniors, and all these things are having a detrimental impact on standards.

p.40

GEOGRAPHY

127. Overall, standards are in line with expectations by the ages of 7 and 11 years. By the age of 7, pupils have developed a sound understanding of their local surroundings and learned through a series of practical experiences. They have studied some facts and figures about other places, such as Kaptalamwa and Senegal in Africa, and Chembakolli in India. Pupils make simple drawings of the coast with labels of features such as rivers, beaches and caves. Their cultural development is supported through discussions about the travels of ‘Barnaby Bear’ . Pupils have used maps of Countesthorpe to locate their home and their school, and some manage to colour in the route. Pupils have walked around the village and then drawn maps of the locality, identifying key landmarks accurately.

p.40

GEOGRAPHY

128. By the age of 11, pupils attain levels that are in line with national expectations. They can identify some basic characteristics of different countries, such as variations in temperature or rainfall. They develop their knowledge of human activities in these countries. Pupils explain the principles of the water cycle. Pupils have produced some interesting work on India, including graphs of rainfall in different regions of the sub- continent. Pupils’ map-drawing skills, for example of the River Severn from source to estuary, are sound. They remember that some rivers, like the Severn, are tidal and that water comes back from the sea, periodically. Some pupils know that the beginning of a river is called its source . In debates about the advantages and disadvantages of industrial development they develop convincing arguments to support their points of view. They use terms such as ‘ meander ’ and ‘ tributary’ in the correct context. Pupils gain a

p.40

GEOGRAPHY

greater awareness of other cultures through studies of places such as the Okavango delta in Botswana. Displays of work on classroom walls show pupils have made detailed studies of West Runton, near Cromer in Norfolk.

p.40

GEOGRAPHY

129. Most pupils are well behaved and have good attitudes, but a number do not behave well in lessons. There is some provision for pupils’ spiritual development when infant and junior pupils develop a sense of community as they discuss local and global environmental issues. In their work on river settlements, they discover the way in which settlements have occurred and grown and how they have affected the land and the water. Greenfield Primary School 130. The overall quality of teaching is good. Teachers encourage pupils to develop their observational skills and relate these to map work. They improve pupils’ knowledge of more distant places and cultures through studies of a range of countries around the world. Introductions to lessons are clear and teachers make good use of maps and wall displays to provide a point of reference for pupils. Teachers use questions effectively to help pupils demonstrate their understanding. Their reinforcement of key words helps

p.40

GEOGRAPHY

pupils to be fully involved in lessons. Less attention is paid to the needs of the more able, who in some classes work on tasks that are the same as the rest of the class. Pupils are patient, wait their turn and share resources. Staff are usually enthusiastic and good humoured. This conveys itself to pupils, who enjoy lessons and respond well to prompting from teachers.

p.41

GEOGRAPHY

131. The geography curriculum is broad but not well balanced. Teachers’ planning is satisfactory, but the links between what is taught in the infants and juniors and from year to year are weak. As a result, some topics are taught too many times; for example, the water cycle is taught to infants as well as to pupils in Year 4 and Year 6. Information and communication technology is rarely used in geography. The newly-appointed subject co- ordinator provides sound leadership and year-group leaders are well placed to remove such duplication of effort and streamline whole-school planning. At present staff do not always record progress towards specific geography targets. Assessment is too vague and pupils’ strengths and weaknesses are left unidentified and all this has a detrimental impact on progress and standards.

p.41

HISTORY

132. Standards in history meet those expected of 7 and 11-year-old pupils. Standards are sound because the school uses objects, books and photographs well to develop pupils’ basic skills. All pupils, including those with special educational needs, make satisfactory progress in their learning about the past. Boys and girls achieve similar standards.

p.41

HISTORY

133. In Year 2, standards are average. The majority of pupils begin to place events and objects in order and demonstrate their understanding of how things have changed in the last century. Pupils in Year 2 add names accurately to a time line, for example Florence Nightingale and Queen Elizabeth II. All pupils in Year 2 colour a suitcase of Victorian objects and draw the contents of their own suitcase to show the differences between then and now. Pupils write about famous people from the past well. Pupils satisfactorily record the events of the ‘Fire of London’ using their literacy skills effectively.

p.41

HISTORY

134. In Year 6 standards are average. Most pupils describe periods of history clearly. They have a good understanding of life during World War II. Pupils write appropriately about the problems faced in England at the end of the Second World War and more able pupils demonstrate thoughtful understanding of the conditions suffered by people. For instance, they write moving stories about being caught in an air raid. One more able pupil wrote, ‘ I was just off to bed when I suddenly heard that dreadful sound, it drowned out everything else. It was the sound of the air raid. I was panic stricken’. Pupils do not often compare and contrast life in the past with present times.

p.41

HISTORY

135. The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall. Teachers have good subject knowledge and understanding, which enable pupils to learn about past events. The best teaching in the school offers the following aspects: • effective learning methods where real life objects are studied; • good use of resources, including books and photographs; • effective sharing of learning objectives with pupils; • well planned lessons; • good use of challenging questioning. Greenfield Primary School In one good lesson, open-ended questioning was used particularly effectively when Victorian objects were given to the pupils and the teacher asked, ‘What do you think it is and what is it used for?’ The positive use of praise about behaviour means that pupils behave well and concentrate on the tasks set. Teachers’ interest in history ensures that pupils have positive attitudes when learning about the Victorians. All pupils, including

p.41

HISTORY

those with special educational needs, are included well in lessons due to the effective use of teaching assistants.

p.42

HISTORY

136. Teaching is never less than satisfactory, but less successful teaching includes the following weaknesses: • no setting of time limits so that pupils know how long they have to achieve tasks; • little specific feedback for pupils, which enables them to understand what they have done well; • lessons that are too long. . 137. The co-ordinator has worked hard since the amalgamation to develop the subject. Good leadership and management have made a considerable number of improvements. An action plan has been prepared to develop history throughout the school. A map of topics means that the co-ordinator is clear about what is being taught. However, the quality of teaching and standards have not been monitored or evaluated. Only Year 4 teachers have started to use guidance on standards to assess pupils’ work attainment. Several non-fiction English texts are based on history topics and allow pupils to use literacy skills

p.42

HISTORY

while developing history understanding. Numeracy skills are satisfactorily developed for instance when pupils order events on a time line. The use of information and communication technology is underdeveloped at present. Opportunities for cultural development are good. Pupils learn about the Tudors, Vikings and Celts. There are good opportunities for spiritual development in history. There are many topics that allow pupils to reflect and develop understanding of the past. For example, pupils reflect about living in the past when they spend a day as a ‘Tudor person’ .

p.42

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

138. Standards in information and communication technology are as expected for 7 and 11- year-old pupils. All pupils, including those with special educational needs, make satisfactory progress. Since its amalgamation, the school has made considerable progress in improving pupils’ skills, in developing staff expertise and confidence and in providing modern hardware. Much of this improvement is due to the expertise and enthusiasm of the current subject co-ordinator. A great deal of money has been invested in the development of pupils’ skills and understanding in information and communication technology.

p.42

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

139. About half the pupils use computers at home for research or for e-mailing friends and relatives. A higher proportion is familiar with other types of technology, for example DVD- players and video cassette recorders, and say that they are confident to program these themselves. Few pupils have access to their own personal computers. The school has a number of digital cameras that pupils use effectively. There are many examples of digital photographs on display around the school that pupils have taken themselves.

p.42

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

140. By the time they are 7, pupils use keyboard and mouse controls confidently. They are able to 'log on’ and ‘log off’ independently, save their work to disk and print their results. They have experience of a range of different programs and of using computers for different purposes, for example word processing, data handling and graphics. By the time they are 11, many pupils have well-developed skills. As well as loading and retrieving programs, they access the Internet to try to find information about specific topics. Early in Year 6 they attend a residential centre for a week. Half the time there is spent using different computer programs. They are able to experience a greater range of Greenfield Primary School sophisticated software that the school does not yet possess. Although pupils now experience the full National Curriculum, there has been inconsistent provision in the past and this slows their progress. There is limited evidence of information and

p.42

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

communication technology being used in other subjects, for example word processing in English or history, and data handling in mathematics and science. Although pupils’ skills have developed satisfactorily, their application of information and communication technology in other subjects has not.

p.43

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

141. The main problem that the school faces is one of teaching in a very cramped computer suite, which is a temporary measure until the new, air-conditioned, spacious suite is built. Teaching was sound overall. Teachers’ personal knowledge of the computer hardware and software is very good and, they say, has improved considerably with school-based training. They use a tutor machine very effectively to make teaching points on all pupils’ computers. They are very familiar with the programs and know what it is they want pupils to learn. However, the suite is extremely warm and some computers are hardly accessible, thus limiting the help that teachers can provide to some pupils.

p.43

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

142. Pupils’ attitudes and behaviour are satisfactory overall, although not improved by cramped conditions. Usually pupils work in pairs and it is difficult for teachers to monitor if they all have equal opportunities to input information. Not all pupils make optimum use of the time available in the suite and for those who are easily distracted it is not the best working environment.

p.43

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

143. The school has worked very hard and successfully to improve facilities and teaching in a very short time. The co-ordinator’s own skills have been of considerable help to colleagues and pupils. The school’s decision to employ a full-time technician to ensure that hardware is reliable has given teachers confidence. The school is now addressing the issue of how the suite can be used most effectively, for example by organising smaller groups and using computers in classrooms to complement work in the suite.

p.43

MUSIC

144. Standards in music are in line with those expected at the end of Year 2 and Year 6 and all pupils, including those with special educational needs, make sound progress. Pupils in Year 2 develop their understanding of rhythm work. They associate words and phrases with rhythmic patterns, which they clap with increasing accuracy. They learn to accompany simple songs and rhymes with musical instruments and work co-operatively to produce music for the 'class band' . They are given good opportunities to listen and respond to the music of others. In describing an extract of music one pupil said, 'It makes me feel sad', whilst another said, 'It makes me think of ballroom dancing ’. Pupils in Year 4 devise interesting ways of recording the sounds they have produced using a 'graphic score' . They are increasing their understanding of technical terms associated with music such as 'pulse', 'rhythm' and 'ostinato' . Pupils in Year 6 use their literacy skills well to

p.43

MUSIC

write a verse for a harvest song to be shared with the rest of the school. They use their knowledge of the way in which songs are written, having listened to a variety of different styles.

p.43

MUSIC

145. The quality of teaching is good overall. In one particular lesson in Year 2 teaching was very good. The reason for this is because the teacher has a very strong musical background and a clear understanding of how to develop pupils' musical skills. All pupils were given opportunities to participate fully in this lesson, which was kept lively and interesting throughout. Pupils were very well motivated and, therefore, learning was very effective. The use of the school hall added to the effectiveness of the lesson because there was plenty of room for pupils to move about to the music and sit in a position where they could all see each other as they played their instruments. Teachers' planning is generally good, although an over-reliance on schemes of work from the Qualifications Greenfield Primary School and Curriculum Authority (QCA) in some year groups means that teachers have not adapted plans for their own use or the needs of the class.

p.43

MUSIC

146. Co-ordination of the subject is sound overall and is improving with the assistance of a ‘shadow’ co-ordinator. The co-ordinator has written an action plan for the subject, which identifies areas for further development. There is a good range of resources for the teaching of music. Their range and availability enhance the effectiveness of lessons. Extra-curricular activities contribute well to the music curriculum in the school. A wide range of instrumental teachers visits the school on a regular basis. There are good opportunities for pupils who learn to play an instrument to join the school orchestra. The skills these pupils have acquired in learning to read music is evident in their performance.

p.44

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

147. Pupils make satisfactory progress through the school and they reach expected standards of attainment by the end of both the infant and the junior stages. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress because teachers, fellow pupils and support assistants ensure that they are fully involved in all activities.

p.44

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

148. The standards that pupils reach in Year 6 are better in games than in gymnastics because the school emphasises games. It offers pupils a wide range of opportunities to take part in sporting activities outside normal lesson times and it makes good use of visitors to help pupils to develop their games skills. As a result many pupils have good levels of skill, for example when controlling a ball in rugby or netball.

p.44

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

149. Another reason is that pupils in Year 6 do not always challenge themselves enough in gymnastics, because teaching is not demanding. Consequently, many pupils choose movements that are too easy for them, such as hopping. As a result, standards are not as high as they could be in gymnastics.

p.44

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

150. Teaching is satisfactory overall. Some notable strengths in teaching are that in games lessons in Year 6 teachers challenge pupils well. As a result, they quickly learn new skills and most develop them rapidly through clear coaching points and practice. In good lessons, the teachers involve pupils well in evaluating the way others perform; for example, in a lesson where pupils were ‘curling up’ , one said ‘He could put his head in more’ . This encouraged all pupils to focus on how to improve their movements . Teachers are good at helping pupils to understand the value of exercise and they explain, for example, why warming up is important. This effectively enables pupils of all ages to learn how exercise affects the body. In good lessons teachers clearly explain what they intend pupils to achieve and they often demonstrate what they want pupils to do, sometimes using pupils' good performance as an example. This approach fosters pupils'

p.44

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

attitudes effectively so that most listen and respond well while enjoying the activity. Where teaching interests and engages the pupils, such as in a dance lesson in Year 3, it results in pupils' very good attitudes and behaviour.

p.44

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

151. When lessons are not as effective, some teachers do not provide enough opportunities for pupils to talk about their own performance and that of others and to use what they learn from discussion to improve their movements. Sometimes teachers do not demand enough from pupils, for example in some junior gymnastics lessons and some Year 2 games. As a result, pupils, particularly the more able, do not achieve the higher levels of control and accuracy that they could.

p.44

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

152. The co-ordinators provide sound leadership. The small number of lessons that they have seen led to useful targets to improve teaching. As yet, there is no clear policy about whether pupils should have bare feet or footwear for dance and gymnastics. Parents appreciate the school providing swimming for pupils in all the junior classes. Greenfield Primary School

p.44

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

153. Pupils’ attainment at the end of the infants and juniors is in line with the requirements of the Leicestershire Agreed Syllabus. Most pupils are developing a good understanding of Christianity as well as of other world faiths such as Judaism and Islam, and the effects these have on everyday life. They begin to show respect and interest in the beliefs of others.

p.45

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

154. In the infants pupils are aware of special events in other people’s lives. They are beginning to be familiar with some Bible and other stories, which enable them to talk about their experiences and ideas. They identify many aspects of Christianity and have an increasing awareness of other religions. Pupils in Year 2 know that Jews celebrate Shabbat. They write, ‘ It starts at sunset on Friday with a very special meal’ . In the juniors, pupils begin to understand the importance of belief and how it affects their lives. Pupils in Year 6 discuss issues in a mature and sensitive way. They discuss ‘ fear’ after watching part of a video featuring CS Lewis’ The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe . Fear is described as, ‘ monsters in dreams’ , ‘ rock climbing at Kingswood’, ‘going down a tunnel’.

p.45

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

155. Teachers expect pupils to think for themselves, to make connections with stories heard and to share their own experiences in class discussion. Pupils respond to these expectations and generally concentrate well and learn as much as they can, particularly in Year 5 and Year 6. Teaching is satisfactory overall. No unsatisfactory teaching was observed. Teachers plan lessons and work in pupils books show that teachers provide a balanced curriculum for religious education. The lessons in the infant classes are, however, too long to keep pupils’ interest and attention focused on what is to be learned.

p.45

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

156. In lessons, pupils understand routines, know what they are doing and keen to participate. In some lessons, however, teachers have to spend too much time correcting pupils who do not behave well. Teachers make effective links with literacy, but use computers for research infrequently.

p.45

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

157. Subject co-ordination is sound. Assessment procedures are weak and work is not yet monitored and levelled to ensure that pupils make consistent progress. School assemblies contribute well to pupils’ knowledge of religions and contribute satisfactorily to pupils’ spiritual development.

p.45