St Botolph's C of E Primary School

ST BOTOLPH’S CE PRIMARY SCHOOL

Inspection number: 248972 Full inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 This report may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that all extracts quoted are reproduced verbatim without adaptation and on condition that the source and date thereof are stated.

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ST BOTOLPH’S CE 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. St Botolph’s CE Primary School - 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Rookery Avenue Sleaford Lincolnshire Postcode: NG34 7FE

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The Governing Body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mr G.R.Prentice St Botolph’s CE Primary School - 5

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

6327 Dr J.N.Thorp Registered inspector Information and communication technology; History; Music What sort of a school is it? The school's results and pupils' achievements How well are pupils taught? How well is the school led and managed? What should the school do to improve? 19419 S.E.Boyle Lay inspector Equal opportunities Pupils' attitudes, values and personal development; How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? 17456 A.G.Smithers Team inspector The Foundation Stage curriculum; English; Physical education; Religious education How good are the curricular opportunities offered to pupils?

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

20297 J.Evans Team inspector Special educational needs; English as an additional language; Mathematics; Science; Art and design; Design and technology; Geography

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Full Circle

35 Trewartha Park St Botolph’s CE Primary School - 6 Weston-Super-Mare North Somerset BS23 2RT Any concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be raised with the inspection contractor. Complaints that are not satisfactorily resolved by the contractor should be raised with OFSTED by writing to:

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Full Circle

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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Full Circle

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE St Botolph’s CE Primary School - 7

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 7

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 12

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

This is a new primary school located in the Quarrington district of Sleaford. Replacing the old infant school some distance away, the school now serves a wider community, including an area of housing development about a mile from the town centre. The school building is attractive and modern in design. The school is growing steadily, admitting additional year groups of pupils each year until it reaches its full size as a primary school in 2005. There are currently 213 pupils on roll organised into 8 classes. Pupils are admitted into the school at the age of four. Attainment on entry varies considerably, but overall is broadly average. A very small number of pupils speak English as an additional language, which is low compared with other schools. 10% of pupils are entitled to a free school meal, which is below the national average. There are two pupils with a statement of special educational need, which

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

is below the national average. In total 17% of pupils are on the school's special educational needs register, which is broadly average compared to other schools nationally; most of these have learning difficulties.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a good school. Although very new, the headteacher, staff and governors have developed the school rapidly and it already has some considerable strengths. The excellent provision for ICT has enabled the school to improve teachers’ skills and raise standards of pupils’ attainment rapidly in this subject. The headteacher provides strong leadership, ensuring clear educational direction and purpose for the school and the provision of an environment for learning in which all pupils can flourish. Teaching is consistently good and pupils respond most positively, they are keen and want to learn; relationships throughout the school community are very good. The school's considerable strengths far outweigh any weaknesses identified. It serves its pupils and the community well. It provides satisfactory value for money.

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What the school does well

? Provision for ICT is excellent; pupils make rapid progress in developing their skills and achieve standards which are above average ? Standards are above average in reading, science and art ? Teaching is consistently good throughout the school; teachers are skilful and work very hard for their pupils ? There are very good procedures for assessment now in place ? The headteacher and deputy provide very good leadership, enabling the school to develop rapidly ? Governors make a very good contribution to the management of the school ? Pupils’ attitudes to school are very positive; their behaviour is very good ? The range of extra-curricular activities provided is very good ? Parents have a very positive view of the school and make an effective contribution to pupils’ learning

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What could be improved

? Standards in writing at the end of Year 2 ? The use of assessment information to enable teachers plan to meet fully all pupils’ learning needs, especially in Years 1 and 2 ? Progression in the teaching of skills in foundation subjects St Botolph’s CE Primary School - 9 The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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STANDARDS

The table shows the standards achieved by pupils at the end of Year 2 based on National Curriculum test results. compared with

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STANDARDS

Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

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STANDARDS

Reading n/a n/a C C well above average above average A B Writing n/a n/a C D average below average C D Mathematics n/a n/a D D well below average E

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STANDARDS

Although the school opened as a primary school at the beginning of the school year 2001-02, data related to pupils at the end of Year 2 is included because there will be no pupils in Year 6 until 2005. Furthermore, great care needs to be exercised in interpreting this data. It refers to pupils at the end of Year 2 at the time when the school was still located in the old infants school. Since the relocation to the new school building some distance away, a significant number of these pupils have left the school, while others have joined. Unvalidated data for 2003 indicates that results in reading and mathematics are better. This is reflected in the inspection findings, which indicate that pupils achieve standards in reading that are above and in mathematics in line with those expected of children their age. In reading this represents good achievement, since pupils enter the school with attainment that is broadly average.

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STANDARDS

Pupils maintain this good progress in Year 3. In writing however, pupils reach standards by the age of seven that are below average and, although they improve in Year 3, they could do much better. Pupils’ learning in ICT is particularly good, ensuring they make good progress; standards throughout the school are above average. Standards are also above average in science and art. In all other subjects, standards are in line with those expected of pupils their age.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Very good. Pupils like school and enjoy their lessons. They demonstrate an enthusiasm for their work and take a full part in all the activities provided, including the very good range of extra-curricular activities.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Pupils’ behaviour is very good in and around the school, even in situations where the teacher does not directly supervise them. They are polite to adults and to each other. They play well together.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Good. Pupils enjoy taking responsibility and willingly help their teachers. They share well and take turns appropriately. Overall relationships are good. Most pupils are very sensitive to the needs of others, but some are not always as sympathetic to other children as they might be. St Botolph’s CE Primary School - 10 Attendance Very good and above the national average. Pupils arrive at school punctually.

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

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

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

Overall teaching is good. In lessons seen during the inspection teaching was never less than satisfactory; in around three-quarters teaching was good or very good. Teaching in most literacy and numeracy lessons is good. Teachers are enthusiastic and well organised, lessons usually move at a brisk pace because resources are well prepared, routines are well established and explanations and instructions are clear. As a result pupils are engaged in learning right from the start of lessons. Teachers make very good use of questions to engage their pupils, to consolidate or extend their learning and to assess their understanding. Teachers have very good relationships with their pupils and manage their behaviour very well. Some teachers, especially in Year 3, challenge their more able pupils effectively. Overall pupils’ learning is satisfactory, although in Year 3 it is good. In the very few lessons where teaching is less effective, teachers do not explain the learning objectives in ways pupils

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

can understand. At times, particularly in Year 2, the direct teaching parts of lessons are too long, with too much teacher talk. There is a lack of consistency in teachers’ marking of pupils’ work across the school.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Satisfactory overall; provision for ICT is excellent. Extra- curricular provision is very good. Provision for pupils with special educational needs is good. The Foundation Stage curriculum does not provide sufficient opportunities for children to develop independence. Teachers’ planning is inconsistent across the school. In some lessons the activities provided do not always meet the learning needs of all the pupils. Not enough attention is given to ensuring that pupils build on their skills progressively in foundation subjects other than ICT.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good. Support staff develop very good relationships with pupils. The curriculum is appropriately adapted to their particular needs. Pupils’ individual education plans concentrate on literacy, so there are too few targets for numeracy and other aspects of their work.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Good. Pupils have good opportunities to talk about feelings and emotions. Lessons in religious education and collective worship reinforce the positive, caring ethos; there is a strong sense of the school as a community. Lunchtimes do not provide many opportunities for pupils of different ages to mix. St Botolph’s CE Primary School - 11 How well the school cares for its pupils Good. Liaison with outside agencies is a strength. The monitoring of attendance is very good. The school places great emphasis on health and safety and on child protection and procedures are good. The use of assessment information to inform teachers’ planning is not as good as it could be.

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Aspect Comment

The school has developed a very good partnership with parents, who have very positive views about the school. The interest and support from parents for learning is very good.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Very good overall. The headteacher provides strong leadership, ensuring clear educational direction and purpose for the school. There is a firm focus on raising standards. There is a strong sense of teamwork amongst all the staff. The deputy supports the headteacher very well indeed; his leadership and management of ICT is first class, but the contribution of other subject co-ordinators to the monitoring, evaluation and development of teaching is not yet fully developed.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Very effective overall. The governing body fulfils its responsibilities well and has made a significant contribution to establishing a successful, well run school. The Chair of Governors has played a most valuable part in establishing the school. Individual governors are linked with specific subjects and aspects, but they have not yet fully developed their roles in evaluating the effectiveness of the school.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Good. Senior managers have a clear understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school; there is a clear plan for school improvement. There is a comprehensive system of assessment. The monitoring, evaluation and development of teaching in ICT is very good, but this is not yet fully established in other subjects.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Good. The school’s finances are well managed; the headteacher and governors are well supported by an independent consultant. They maintain effective day to day financial control. There are some uncertainties in budget allocation because not all the implications of the PFI 1 arrangements have been sufficiently well thought out by the Local Education Authority.

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Aspect Comment

There are sufficient appropriately qualified teachers to teach the curriculum. Support staff are valued as members of the team and play an important role in raising standards. The school’s very capable and

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Aspect Comment

1 PFI or Private Finance Initiative is a scheme by which new school buildings and ICT facilities are provided in partnership with private enterprise St Botolph’s CE Primary School - 12 efficient administrative staff provide good support for the headteacher and staff. Some aspects of the school’s accommodation are very good, but the absence of a nursery means the school cannot provide fully for children in the Foundation Stage and the poorly designed community room means its use is restricted to out of school hours. Poor ventilation restricts the use of some rooms.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

? Children are happy to come to school ? Children gain in confidence and they do well ? Teachers settle children into the school very well ? Teachers are very good at providing extra help where it is needed ? Behaviour is very good ? There is a well balanced programme of homework ? There are good links with the church ? Children are taught about other cultures ? Some parents would like longer clubs for older pupils ? Some parents would like to see the outcomes of completed homework

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

Inspectors agreed with the many positive comments parents made about the school; they are right to be pleased with many aspects of the school’s provision. Inspectors also agreed that it would be valuable for parents to understand the outcomes of any homework their children had completed. Inspectors did not agree however that clubs were too short for the ages of pupils currently in the school; the range of opportunities provided for pupils is very good. St Botolph’s CE Primary School - 13

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

Strengths: ? Standards in reading are above average ? Pupils make good progress in ICT and achieve standards that are above average ? Standards in art and science are above average ? Pupils with special educational needs make good progress Areas for improvement: ? Standards in writing are not high enough at the end of Year 2

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1 Test results in 2002, which are the only ones available for this new school, indicate that standards in reading and writing were average when compared with all schools nationally, but the standards in mathematics were below average. When compared with similar schools however, pupils similarly achieved standards in reading in line with others, but in both writing and mathematics they achieved less well. In teacher assessment of science, standards were in line with those achieved by pupils in other schools. Great care needs to be exercised in interpreting this data however, since it does not accurately reflect standards of pupils currently in the school. It refers to pupils at the end of Year 2 at the time when the school was still located in the old infant school. Since the relocation to the new school building some distance away, a significant number of these pupils have left the school while others have joined. Unvalidated data for 2003 indicates that results in reading and mathematics are

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2 Since results are only available for 2002 it is not possible to assess trends in pupils’ attainment. However, the available results do indicate that girls outperformed the boys in reading, writing and mathematics. The school’s assessment co-ordinator is making good use of an analysis of the results of these tests to set challenging targets for improvement.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3 The consistently good teaching across the school is having a positive impact on pupils’ learning and on improving standards. The school is making appropriate efforts to improve standards in literacy. This has been successful in raising standards in reading, but there is still room for improvement in overall standards of writing which are not high enough by the end of Year 2. Younger pupils in particular frequently form their letters poorly and this often restricts the speed at which they write as well as limiting the progress they can make towards an appropriate joined script. Inspection evidence indicates that pupils make good progress in Year 3, by the end of which their reading is above average and they have caught up with their writing so standards are in line with those expected. Generally pupils are attentive and the quality of their learning is good. Throughout the school standards in speaking and listening are broadly in line with those expected; pupils make satisfactory progress in

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

acquiring an appropriate range of vocabulary. Pupils are taught to listen carefully and to respect what others have to say and as a result, most feel confident to express their ideas and feelings openly.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4 Inspection evidence indicates that standards in mathematics are better than suggested by the results of assessment in 2002. They are in line with those expected of pupils at the end of Year 2 and Year 3. Pupils’ learning in Year 3 is good; evidence indicates that the better progress they are making St Botolph’s CE Primary School - 14 is resulting in pupils beginning to achieve higher standards. Pupils in Year 2, however, need more opportunities to experience mathematical investigations and to use and extend their mathematical vocabulary. At times in Year 2, pupils lack appropriate concentration on the tasks set and this restricts their learning and the progress they can make. There is some evidence of mathematics being used across the curriculum, for example, in science and design and technology, but generally insufficient opportunities are provided for pupils to use their mathematical skills in solving problems.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5 There is an appropriate emphasis on all aspects of science, including investigative and experimental science throughout the school and this is contributing to the good progress pupils make in this subject in both key stages. By the end of Year 2 and Year 3 pupils’ knowledge and understanding in science is above average compared with that expected for their age. Pupils make good progress in developing their investigative skills; they are taught to plan and organise investigations and understand the idea of a fair test.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6 Standards in information and communication technology (ICT) are above average and sometimes well above average, throughout the school. Provision in this subject is excellent, but the approach to developing both teachers’ and pupils’ skills has also been first class and this has contributed most positively to raising standards. Pupils’ learning is consistently very good, enabling them to make very good progress.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7 Attainment in art and design is also above average, while in all other subjects – design and technology, geography, history, music, physical education and religious education – standards are in line with those expected of pupils by the end of Year 2 and Year 3.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

8 Pupils with special educational needs in literacy learn well in both key stages and make good progress towards the appropriate targets that the school sets for them. However, pupils’ special educational needs are not clearly identified in numeracy or other areas and this restricts the progress these pupils can make. Overall the school’s approach to educational inclusion is appropriate and often good, so pupils with special educational needs are fully involved in the work of their classes and are well supported and helped by support staff. The progress made by pupils with high levels of need is noticeably better in lessons where they get support from assistants. The few pupils who speak English as an additional language make good progress overall and achieve well. They reach standards that are similar to their classmates.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

9 Pupils’ attitudes to school and to learning are very good; their behaviour is very good. Pupils’ personal development is good.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

Strengths: ? Pupils enjoy lessons and participate fully in extra-curricular activities ? Pupils behave very well in and around the school, even in situations where the teacher does not directly supervise them ? They are polite to adults and to each other ? They play well with together; they share and take turns well ? Pupils enjoy taking responsibility and willingly help their teachers Areas for improvement: St Botolph’s CE Primary School - 15 ? Sometimes some do not concentrate quite as well as they could ? Some pupils are not always as sympathetic to other children as they might be

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

10 Pupils like school. They come cheerfully into school at the start of the day, and are ready and prepared to work. They enjoy their lessons and show great commitment by listening and by sharing their ideas. These contributions are often carefully thought out, such as, a pupil in Year 1 who, during a lesson about managing anger, said , “You could tell someone very quietly that they had made you cross ”. This pupil had clearly thought hard about what she could do, suggesting something that might work and something that no one else had thought of. The pupils’ very good attitudes stem from the parents’ very positive views of the school. The school’s system of rewarding pupils for their efforts also helps to foster these positive attitudes, along with the provision for extra-curricular activities, and parent teacher association initiatives such as the cinema club.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

11 Sometimes pupils do not concentrate in lessons quite as well as they should, and they become fidgety and easily distracted. Teachers are quick to spot this and mostly deal with it effectively.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12 Pupils’ behaviour in and around the school is very good. There have been no exclusions for bad behaviour. Pupils are encouraged to be polite and are helped in this by the model set by the staff. They are polite to each other, most remembering to say thank you to the pupils who hold open the doors to allow the class to pass through. They play well with each other, sharing the playground toys such as the balls and hoops, and using the climbing frames safely. They know that they must wait their turn, for example to use the monkey pole, and queue very sensibly and patiently without any pushing. When pupils are given responsibility to handle equipment they use it very sensibly even without being overly supervised, and so demonstrate that they can be self-disciplined. For example, they handle equipment such as the video cameras well and, although they are excited at the prospect of taking their own films, they behave sensibly. At other times pupils are trusted to work outside the classroom and

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

they do this well. However, some school routines do not give pupils sufficient opportunity to exercise self discipline, for example, lining up to go into the classroom or when moving around the school.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13 Pupil’s personal development is good. They enjoy the responsibility of helping their teachers; this is particularly evident in situations such as the after-school clubs where some children are expected to get out the equipment for sports activities. They work well together, for example collecting the equipment from the store and taking it outside. Pupils share well; there were very many good examples of this seen when pupils were using the computers. They organise themselves well and recognise that they have to take turns when, for instance, using the mouse.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14 Pupils sometimes show great awareness and sensitivity towards the needs of others. A very good example of this was during a reading buddy session when the Year 3 pupils were paired with children from the Foundation Stage. Some of the older pupils showed, in their attitude and manner, great appreciation of the particular needs of some of the younger children. However, although this is generally the case there are very occasionally times when some pupils do not appear to be quite as sympathetic as they might be. For example, when a child falls over in the playground and other pupils seem unsure what to do and walk away or when some pupils are not as sensitive as they might be when others are talking about things that concern them. In some classes, routines do not always promote pupils’ personal development as well as they could, as when unnecessary distinctions are made based on gender, for example when pupils sometimes have to line up in separate boy and girl

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

lines. St Botolph’s CE Primary School - 16 15 Attendance is very good. Attendance rates at the school are above the national average. Pupils arrive at school on time.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

16 The overall quality of teaching across the school is good.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

Strengths: ? Teachers are enthusiastic and well organised ? Resources are well prepared and clear routines are well established so lessons move with a brisk pace ? Teachers have very good relationships with pupils and manage behaviour well ? Teachers make very good use of questions to promote learning and assess understanding Areas for development: ? In some lessons teachers do not explain clearly to pupils what they are going to learn ? Tasks set are not always sufficiently demanding for all pupils ? At present pupils’ individual education plans focus only on their needs in literacy ? In the direct teaching parts of some lessons teachers talk for too long ? The quality of marking is inconsistent across the school

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

17 Teachers have embraced the change and challenges presented by this new school with enthusiasm and have worked exceedingly hard to ensure the school has so quickly become established. The impact of their work in ensuring that pupils have settled so quickly should not be underestimated. They are fully committed to the school and very willing to take on new ideas; many have made very good progress in acquiring new ICT skills to enable them to use the new technology available confidently and competently. They provide very good role models for their pupils.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

18 Teaching in the school is consistently good; teachers are highly committed, very hard working and skilful. The quality of teaching observed during the inspection was good or better in more than 7 out of 10 lessons and satisfactory in the rest. In around 2 out of 10 lessons teaching was very good. The quality of teaching was particularly good in Year 1 and Year 3. The quality of teaching of ICT was consistently high. Such effective teaching has a considerable impact upon pupils’ attitudes learning and to the progress they make.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

19 The teaching of children in the reception year is good. Appropriate attention is given to meeting their specific needs, with an emphasis on extending both their social and academic skills as children are encouraged to listen carefully to their teachers and to each other. In one good session, for example, the teacher led circle time 2 discussion well. She was very sensitive to the children’s needs, she spoke to them quietly and calmly and the very effective relationship she had with the children

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

2 C ircle time – is an opportunity for the class to discuss and reflect on a range of issues, often relating to pupils’ personal and social development. St Botolph’s CE Primary School - 17 ensured they all felt comfortable and able to contribute to the discussion. The teacher achieved a good balance in the session, following up this discussion with a story, The Princess and the Frog , gathering the children around her she very effectively drew them into the story, involving them well. The teacher had a delightful manner with the children and this ensured they were fully engaged throughout. Both teachers at this stage use appropriate strategies to manage these young children’s behaviour and ensure their co-operation. They consistently reinforce their expectations of how children should respond in lessons, discussions or snack times, ensuring that children develop their skills of listening, which contributes positively to the progress they make. In both classes teachers and classroom

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

assistants use language carefully as they work to develop children's speaking skills. Teachers make use of the available resources to enable these young children to learn through play and practical activity, although some areas indoors are unnecessarily duplicated and generally too little provision is made for learning outside. Children have too few opportunities to develop their independence.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

20 Teaching in Years 1 and 2 is good overall. It is particularly effective in Year 1 where the teaching of basic skills is good; in Year 2 this is satisfactory. Teachers are able to draw on a range of strategies to manage their pupils well and mostly they are insistent in communicating what they expect. Teachers plan carefully and thoroughly, indicating what are the learning objectives for each lesson, but they do not always explain them clearly in language that ensures pupils understand. They generally provide a good variety of activities to develop pupils’ knowledge, understanding and skills. At its best, as it was in a literacy lesson with Year 1 pupils, for example, the teacher was lively and engaging, ensuring her pupils were fully involved in the lesson, which reinforced their understanding of long vowel sounds effectively. She was fully aware of all pupils’ needs, picking up on individual difficulties

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

very skilfully she managed the whole class so effectively she was able to focus her attention on these individual needs to ensure that learning was good. The teacher made very good use of questions to prompt, involve or remind pupils and her positive response to their efforts was constantly reassuring and encouraging. She consistently reinforced what she expected and so pupils were clear about what they had to do and were fully involved throughout. The lesson was managed with good pace and this also ensured pupils were fully engaged. In a very good science lesson with a Year 2 class, the teacher’s lively and purposeful teaching moved pupils’ learning on at a good pace. There was a clear indication of how the lesson was building on what pupils had done earlier which set the pace and mood. In observing plants the teacher encouraged pupils to look carefully, with good use of appropriate vocabulary as they named parts of the plant. There was good use of whole class discussion as well as

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

opportunities for individual work and a moment of real awe and wonder as pupils excitedly uprooted a potato plant and discovered potatoes. Throughout the lesson the teacher’s lively and engaging manner with her pupils ensured their response to the lesson was very good. Such skilful teaching has a positive impact on pupils’ learning and the progress they make. At times in some lessons in this key stage, teachers talk for too long, taking too much time in direct teaching which leaves pupils with too little time for their individual or group tasks. Also in some lessons at this stage, the needs of all pupils are not sufficiently carefully addressed, because not enough use is made of assessment information to ensure that activities are appropriately demanding and well matched to pupils’ learning needs.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

21 Teaching in Year 3 is good. Teachers consistently provide appropriately challenging tasks for pupils; their lessons are interesting and demanding and enable pupils to make good progress. Such effective teaching is characterised by planning which is thorough and imaginative. Teachers identify specific learning objectives for each lesson and communicate these clearly and effectively, frequently displaying them throughout the lesson as a reference for pupils as they work. Teachers demonstrate good knowledge in most subjects themselves and they communicate their enthusiasm directly to their pupils, which contributes positively to the effectiveness of their teaching. In a good history lesson observed, for example, the teacher used some Viking artefacts well to promote learning, providing St Botolph’s CE Primary School - 18 good opportunities for pupils to handle and discuss them. The pace and management of the lesson was

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

good. In a very good literacy lesson with another Year 3 class, the teacher’s good planning ensured a variety of activities on prefixes moved pupils’ learning on effectively. The teacher constantly probed well with questions to ensure that pupils understood what the prefix was doing and this ensured their learning was good. In the plenary part of the lesson there was very good review of completed work that also reinforced pupils’ learning well. In this key stage teachers’ planning and the marking of pupils’ work is more consistent and this contributes to the quality of pupils’ learning and to the progress they make.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

22 The focus on learning throughout the school is ensuring a positive response from pupils who are keen to learn more. Pupils enjoy their lessons and participate fully. Teachers use a variety of teaching techniques and approaches to enhance pupils' understanding; questioning skills are used most effectively to extend their thinking and ensure they are fully engaged. Teachers' monitoring of pupils' learning during many lessons also contributes to the effectiveness of their teaching. Teachers also have a clear commitment to their own learning; they are making good progress in developing their own ICT skills, enabling them to make good use of the resources available in their classrooms and ICT suite.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

23 Throughout the school, teachers work well with their teaching assistants and this close partnership makes a significant difference to the attainment and progress of pupils. Support staff are valued as members of the team; they develop very good relationships with pupils who have special educational needs, which they manage very well and they contribute significantly to the progress that these pupils make. Pupils with special educational needs benefit from a curriculum that is appropriately adapted for their needs. Individual education plans (IEPs) are regularly reviewed and new targets are set. Most IEPs concentrate on targets for literacy and behaviour, but too few targets are set in numeracy. However, the school is aware of the need to include numeracy targets where appropriate, according to pupils’ needs.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

24 The school is sensitive to the needs of pupils who speak English as an additional language; teachers clearly value the contribution they make to the school community. Teachers successfully include these pupils in lessons; they benefit from the same quality of teaching as other pupils and receive an appropriate level of challenge. Where necessary they receive appropriate extra help.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

25 A variety of interesting displays of pupils’ work and other stimulus displays enhance the classrooms and other shared areas. These create an attractive and stimulating environment for learning in which pupils can see that their work is valued or encourages them to find out more.

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TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

26 The overall quality and range of learning opportunities offered to pupils is satisfactory and meets statutory requirements; provision for ICT is excellent.

p.18

TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

Strengths: ? The provision for teaching and learning in ICT is excellent ? Extra curricular provision is very good ? Provision for pupils with special educational needs is good ? There is good equality of access and opportunity ? The community makes a good contribution to pupils’ learning St Botolph’s CE Primary School - 19 ? There is good provision for pupils personal development, including the spiritual, moral, social and cultural aspects

p.18

TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

Areas for improvement: ? The Foundation Stage curriculum does not provide sufficient opportunities for children to develop their independence ? Medium and short term planning is inconsistent across the school ? In some classes the activities provided do not meet the needs of all the pupils ? Not enough attention is given to ensuring that pupils build on their skills progressively in subjects other than ICT ? Curriculum time is not always well balanced

p.19

TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

27 The curriculum for children in the Foundation Stage, the reception class, takes account of the required areas of learning for children of this age and is satisfactory. It provides a range of activities to develop their communication, literacy and language skills, their mathematical development and their understanding and knowledge of the world. It provides opportunities for both creative and physical development. Visitors, such as the paramedic who talked to the children about his uniform, work and ambulance, enhance the curriculum. A varied range of activities supports the good direct teaching but the organisation of resources is cluttered and children are usually directed to tasks. The secure outdoor area is not set up as a continuous extension of the classroom. These factors inhibit opportunities for children to learn how to be independent. This is compounded as pupils move through Years 1 and 2.

p.19

TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

28 The curriculum is broad, balanced and relevant. The school has put in place policies and schemes of work, which take account of national guidance. The National Strategies for Literacy and Numeracy have been implemented. Long term planning provides a satisfactory framework, showing what pupils will learn throughout their years in school and in particular year groups. Currently, however, there is an inconsistency in the medium and short term planning across the school. For example in literacy, Year 2 use a published scheme whereas Year 1 and Year 3 make greater use of national guidance. In Year 3 good reference is made to assessment information and so short term planning is well targeted to pupils’ needs. All teachers identify the learning objectives within individual lesson plans but these are often generic rather than specific. They do not always provide pupils with a clear understanding of the specific learning intention for the lesson in a language that is appropriate to

p.19

TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

the age of the pupils. As a result, pupils do not always know what they must do to achieve success and take some responsibility for their own learning. Occasionally, pupils’ work is usefully marked to indicate whether they have been successful in achieving the objective but this is not common practice and does not yet impact on teaching and learning.

p.19

TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

29 Planning for ICT is very good. It clearly indicates a progression of skills as well as the development of knowledge within the subject and this enables teachers to carefully build on pupils’ prior understanding. The planning for the foundation subjects of the National Curriculum; art and design, design technology, geography, history, music, and physical education is satisfactory and follows national guidance. However, it takes less account of the specific skills that need to be developed over time in these subjects, depending on the age and needs of the pupils. Planning for religious education follows the locally agreed syllabus. The time allocation for each subject is appropriate, however it is not always delivered. Frequently, when pupils gather together in the school hall for collective worship the time allocated over runs and this takes time away from other subjects. In addition, the balance of

p.19

TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

time within lessons is not always appropriate; some teachers talk for too long and so pupils do not have sufficient opportunity to consolidate their knowledge and practise their skills for themselves. Cross- St Botolph’s CE Primary School - 20 curricular links are being developed and English and mathematics are used across the curriculum. Pupils write in a variety of ways and for different audiences in history, for example, and they record their science in tabulated form. They use skills learnt in mathematics to measure in geography and design technology lessons. The use of ICT across the curriculum is very good.

p.19

TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

30 There is a very good range of additional opportunities offered to pupils through clubs, visits, visitors and special events. There is an interesting range of clubs for pupils to attend. These vary at different times of the year and are open to all pupils. They enjoy roller- blading, they are enthusiastic about gardening and through this take a pride in their environment. They are fascinated by the language and customs of France. They enjoy sport and are developing their rugby skills very effectively. Both boys and girls play netball. The school organises a range of visits to interesting places connected with the topics being studied. For example, Year 3 pupils visited the Museum and Archaeology Centre in Lincoln and Year 1 take a Spring walk around the neighbourhood. A range of people visit the school including a group from the Pakistan Embassy and a representative of the RAF. There is a residential visit planned in the autumn term for pupils who will be in Year 4.

p.20

TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

31 There is a good ethos of inclusion within the school and all pupils are well cared for. All pupils have full access to the curriculum and all aspects of the school. The accommodation provides well for pupils with physical disabilities.

p.20

TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

32 Pupils are taught values and knowledge which prepare them effectively for the future, enabling them to make decisions appropriate for their age. There is no direct teaching of sex education, as is appropriate for pupils within Years 1 to 3, but aspects of the reproduction of plants and animals are covered within the science programme. They are taught about the dangers of some drugs and the advantages of medicines. They learn about a balanced diet and how to look after their bodies. They learn safety procedures on the roads. They have some opportunities to discuss issues during their learning in a supportive environment.

p.20

TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

33 There are good links with the community. As it is a new school, leased from a private contractor and with sponsorship from a major company for its ICT provision, there have been lots of visitors. They are interested in the new development but also contribute to the school. People who live in the neighbourhood attend open days at the school as well as the parents’ association events such as the Family Barbecue and Fair. A Squadron Leader from the RAF makes a very good contribution to the mathematics curriculum. The local vicar regularly conducts the collective worship and there are good links with the local church. The school has maintained its links with the pre-school settings and local infant schools and is gradually developing new links within its primary remit.

p.20

TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

34 The provision for pupils spiritual, moral social and cultural development is good. Pupils are given opportunities to explore values and beliefs and the way in which they impact on people’s lives through the Religious Education curriculum. They are encouraged to talk about feelings and emotions and how these impact on their friends and how an understanding of them can be helpful. The positive caring ethos of the school encourages respect for others and is enhanced by the very good class assembly when the teacher draws pupils’ attention to the feelings of a disabled person. All the adults are very good role models. There are opportunities in assemblies for quiet reflection and prayer. Learning encourages pupils to be aware of some of the wonders of the world around them. For example, looking at pictures of waterfalls, lakes and mountains at sunrise and sunset while listening to music. St Botolph’s CE Primary School - 21

p.20

TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

35 There is a clear moral code as a basis for behaviour. Pupils are encouraged to think through the consequences of their own and others’ actions. There is an open and safe learning environment in which pupils can express their views. There is a strong sense of the school as a community with common inclusive values.

p.21

TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

36 Social development is good. There are opportunities for pupils to discuss their ideas with partners during learning. Older pupils help younger ones read and are their reading ‘buddies’. There are ‘friendship posts’ in the playground to encourage pupils to help one another while at play, which many pupils use appropriately. The organisation of school lunches does not provide many opportunities for pupils to mix with other year groups and develop their social skills.

p.21

TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

37 Pupils are made aware of western and other cultures through the curriculum and a variety of visits and visitors. In art and design pupils meet and work with a local sculptor who has created a magical creature carrying a child on an adventure as a sculpture for the wall of the school. Pupils listen to music as they arrive and leave assemblies. There are talks by parents about cultural events such as the Chinese New Year. A visitor shows pupils’ how a Hindu dance tells a story. There is a good range of musical instruments from a variety of countries. The provision is good.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

38 Personal support and guidance for pupils is good.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

Strengths: ? Liaison with outside agencies is a strength ? The monitoring of attendance is very good ? The school places great emphasis on health and safety and on child protection and procedures are good Areas for improvement: ? The use of assessment information to inform teachers’ planning ? The occasional inconsistencies in the approach to behaviour management

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

39 The school places great emphasis on the welfare of its pupils. It has been very thorough in its approach to health and safety and is fortunate to have a governor who has particular expertise. In the short time since it opened, the school has already established very effective links with services such as the school nurse and educational welfare officer. The school works well with these agencies in areas such as child protection, and this multi-agency approach helps to ensure that concerns are picked up quickly and families are given the appropriate support. However, because of all the additional time involved in setting up a new school, it is now some time since staff have had training in child protection. This is something the school plans to rectify in the very near future.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

40 Support for pupils is good overall. Pupils record their own targets for their academic and personal achievements, which they discuss with their teachers. Together with the certificates awarded to pupils for achievement and for social skills, these help teachers to monitor pupils’ development effectively. Registers are checked very regularly and systematically, and this rigorous approach means that any unexplained or unusual absences are picked up and the relevant procedures are put in place. St Botolph’s CE Primary School - 22 41 There is very good information available for monitoring pupils’ academic performance, because the co-ordinator has developed very good procedures for regular assessment in half-termly assessment weeks. Individual subject co-ordinators negotiate assessment tasks, the outcomes of which are recorded in pupils’ individual record folders and this provides detailed information with which

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

teachers and co-ordinators can track progress. The analysis of the outcomes of statutory assessment is also used effectively to inform targets. Although these procedures are very good and the data collected substantial, teachers are not yet making the best use of it to inform their planning for further learning effectively. Analysis is underdeveloped so they are not always able to identify areas where pupils need further practice to reinforce understanding.

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

42 Teachers generally manage behaviour well. The behaviour policy clearly sets out the school’s philosophy, and helps promote the very good behaviour. The head teacher manages pupils in a positive and supportive way and is a good role model in this, setting a good tone for relationships. There are generally high expectations for behaviour, but this is not consistent across the school. Most teachers have good relationships with their pupils and expect them to behave well, although this does vary as not all teachers have the same high expectations. Most staff are very positive in their approach, others on occasion have a tendency to be negative, whilst others can at times appear brusque.

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

43 Pupils get on well with each other and learn about friendship. This means that incidents of bullying are extremely rare but if any incidents of oppressive behaviour do occur they are dealt with quickly and effectively.

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

44 The school has developed a very good partnership with parents, who have very positive views about the school.

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

Strengths: ? Parents’ views of the school are exceptionally positive ? The school is open and welcoming ? There is a committed and hard working PTA ? The interest and support from parents for learning is very good ? The information for parents is generally of a good quality Areas for improvement: ? Pupil annual reports are inconsistent, especially regarding progress in foundation subjects ? There is scope to consult parents more and involve them more in the life of the school

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

45 Parents’ views of the school are outstandingly positive; it is a great credit to the headteacher, staff and governors that they have managed the transition from the old to the new school with parents being so supportive.

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

46 The links with parents are very effective. They feel the school is open and friendly and find staff approachable. Information for parents is generally of a good quality and is attractively presented. The prospectus is comprehensive with lots of useful information about the life and work of the school. Parents have good opportunities at parent teacher consultation evenings to talk with teachers about the progress their child has made. The written information in pupil annual reports is satisfactory overall. A notable feature is the pupils’ own comments about their work and their targets for improvement. However, the quality and the amount of information in the reports varies. All have information on what St Botolph’s CE Primary School - 23 pupils can do well, but some are not as clear about what pupils need to do next. Most refer to the progress pupils have made and have targets to help pupils improve their work, but there is sometimes

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

an over-emphasis on pupils’ attitudes to work, particularly when reporting about subjects other than English and mathematics. Reports generally do not say how well pupils have achieved in other subjects.

p.23

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

47 School events are very popular. Parents show their interest and support for their child’s learning by coming to parents’ evenings and by attending curriculum events in large numbers, such as the workshop on reading. They are very good at helping with homework by listening to their children read, for example, or by taking one of the school teddy bears on holiday and then writing about it for the class. This supports the work done in geography very effectively.

p.23

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

48 The parent teacher association is making a significant impact on the life and work of the school. It has dedicated itself to organising events specifically for the pupils and in pursuit of that aim has already raised sufficient money to buy the small playground equipment and a DVD player. The cinema club is proving extremely popular with about one hundred and fifty pupils attending each session.

p.23

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

49 A good number of parents help in school but there is less support for initiatives such as the walking bus which, despite all the efforts on the part of the organisers, struggles to recruit volunteers. The day to day organisation of the school means that although parents feel confident to go into the school at any time they do not routinely go into the classrooms. This is a missed opportunity for parents to see the classroom environment and gain further insight into their child’s learning.

p.23

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

50 The school is good at consulting parents about their educational needs and as a response has organised various classes, for example on web site access. It has yet to consult parents in policy making or future developments for the school.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

51 Overall leadership and management are very good.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

Strengths: ? The headteacher provides strong leadership, ensuring clear direction and purpose ? Leadership in ICT is first class, providing a model for curriculum management and development in all subjects ? Governors make a very good contribution to the development of the school ? The school’s finances are well managed; an independent consultant provides good support Areas for improvement: ? Opportunities for co-ordinators to monitor, evaluate and develop teaching ? Governors role in monitoring and evaluating aspects of the school ? Procedures for evaluating the impact of planned developments on standards of attainment

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

52 The substantial task over the past two terms for the headteacher, staff and governors has been to manage the transfer and establishment of the school in its new building. That this has been achieved so smoothly and effectively, while simultaneously constituting structures and procedures to manage the school in its very different circumstances, is to everyone’s credit. The school has a St Botolph’s CE Primary School - 24 positive ethos; its aims and the values it promotes are clear. The font and stained glass windows, brought from the old infant school and displayed so effectively, provide not only continuity and links with its past, but also symbolise the school’s Christian ethos and values. The emphasis given to the caring side of its task has been retained and there is a strong recognition of the need to raise standards. It is fully committed to equality of opportunity for all its pupils; those with special

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

educational needs and those who speak English as an additional language are fully included in all aspects of the school's work. Relationships throughout the school are very good. The school is making good progress towards achieving its aims.

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

53 The headteacher provides strong leadership, which is effective in ensuring clear educational direction and purpose for the school, firmly focused on raising standards. She is very well supported by her able deputy and both work together very well indeed. They have an accurate understanding of the existing strengths and weaknesses of the school and what needs to be done as it continues to grow and develop, which they communicate effectively to staff and governors. Such effective leadership has helped foster a strong sense of teamwork amongst all the staff, even though some of them have been in post for only two terms. This is enabling the school to move forward purposefully and has already brought significant improvements over the short time of its existence.

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

54 Although the school has not yet reached its full capacity, effective delegation ensures that all staff contribute to the management of the curriculum. Individual co-ordinators are fully aware of their responsibilities in relation to the development of their particular subjects, which they undertake appropriately. However, in most subjects there have been insufficient opportunities for them to monitor the quality of teaching and contribute towards its further development. The focus of attention on the development of ICT during the school’s first year in its new building was absolutely the right decision. Leadership and management of ICT has been first class, ensuring that both standards and the skills and confidence of teaching staff have been improved significantly; it provides an excellent model for the development of curriculum leadership roles in all subjects.

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

55 The overall effectiveness of the governing body is very good; it fulfils its responsibilities well and has made a significant contribution to establishing a successful, well run school. Individual governors have valuable experience in management and finance and they bring a good balance of skills to their roles. They are fully committed to the school and know and talk about relevant issues with confidence and good understanding. The Chair of Governors has been particularly supportive and played a most valuable part in the ongoing discussions with the local education authority and the providing partners involved in setting up the school under this private finance initiative. His help has been invaluable in clarifying responsibilities and establishing the routines necessary for the successful practical management of the school under these very different arrangements. Governors are appropriately involved in strategic planning; they discuss priorities for further development because

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

they have an understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school, although this is largely based on information they receive from the headteacher. Governors discuss the school development plan and contribute towards establishing priorities, but as yet have not fully developed their roles in monitoring the effectiveness of actions taken in implementing these plans, which would enable them to act effectively as critical friends. Nevertheless a good start has been made with the linking of individual governors to specific subjects. Governors are aware that their roles will change as the school grows and of the need for further training to enable them to contribute fully in school improvement, particularly in developing procedures for monitoring and evaluating the quality of the work of the school. St Botolph’s CE Primary School - 25 56 There is an effective management team, which is increasing in size as the school grows. The

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

inclusion of key stage co-ordinators is effective in ensuring that agreed action is implemented across the whole school. The assessment co-ordinator has developed a comprehensive system, providing detailed information for monitoring standards and tracking pupils’ progress. As yet there is limited data available and individual subject co-ordinators are at an early stage of developing procedures for making use of this information to provide an accurate picture of the impact the school is having on standards. Systems to monitor the quality of teaching and learning across the school are also at an early stage of development, although there are effective systems in place for performance management in relation to which the headteacher and deputy have been able to monitor teaching. In ICT the organisation of teaching and learning during the past two terms has enabled the co-ordinator to obtain a clear view of

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

the quality of teaching and teachers’ needs in terms of further professional development and has provided the opportunity to address them. This has included very valuable after school training sessions. In other subjects such development has been slower, although setting up procedures for monitoring teaching and learning is included in some subjects’ development plans.

p.25

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

57 The leadership and management of special educational needs has been effectively but temporarily undertaken by the headteacher; a new special educational needs co-ordinator takes up her post at the start of the new year when the school increases further in size. As co-ordinator, the headteacher has ensured that the requirements of the Code of Practice for special educational needs have been successfully implemented. Systems for identifying and monitoring the progress of pupils requiring additional support in literacy are good and clearly understood by teachers. Pupils receive effective support from teachers and well-qualified teaching assistants. Resources and accommodation for special educational needs are good.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

58 There are good procedures for the induction of new staff. The school’s only newly qualified teacher has been well supported during her first year by her school mentor; there has been an appropriate programme of further training organised through the local education authority. Other teachers new to the school have been effectively inducted and have already made a significant contribution towards further development. There are clear plans in place for induction when more teachers are appointed as the school grows, particularly to ensure that they are fully able to use the school’s considerable ICT resources.

p.25

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

59 The school’s finances are well managed. The headteacher and governors receive good advice and support from an independent consultant. They maintain effective day to day financial control; funding is appropriately allocated and kept under constant review. However, the school is the first provided through such a private finance initiative in this local authority and this has resulted in some uncertainty regarding its budget, since not all the implications of funding have been sufficiently well thought out by the LEA and agreed with the school. For example, the impact on the budget of a very large increase in the rates bill for the new school, as yet with only just over half of its full complement of pupils, has not been properly considered in terms of the negative impact this has on the quality of education provided for those pupils. Similarly, the full implications of the operational costs of running

p.25

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

the advanced ICT resources have not been thought through. Specific grants available are used appropriately for their intended purposes. That for special educational needs, for example, is used to provide well-qualified support assistants who are effective in helping pupils to make good progress. The school has a clear understanding of the principles of best value. However, systems to monitor the effect of those spending decisions over which they have control, on the standards and the quality of education provided, have not yet been clearly established. St Botolph’s CE Primary School - 26 60 The school provides good teaching and a good range of curricular opportunities. As a result it is becoming increasingly effective, since pupils achieve satisfactorily and standards are rising. Taking account of the attainment of pupils on entry and general social and financial factors, the school provides satisfactory value for money.

p.25

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

61 There are sufficient appropriately qualified teachers to teach the curriculum. There is a good balance of expertise covering most areas of the curriculum, which is being added to as new teachers are appointed. The school’s very capable and efficient administrative staff provide good support for the headteacher and staff. They ensure parents and visitors to the school are welcome. Administrative procedures are efficient and effective, so the school runs smoothly. ICT plays an important role in managing information and is used very well for general administrative tasks.

p.26

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

62 While some aspects of the school’s accommodation are very good and its provision for ICT is excellent, in other respects this new school building represents a limited vision of education in the 21 st century. The absence of a nursery means the school cannot provide fully for children in the Foundation Stage and the poorly designed community room means its use is restricted to out of school hours. The large hall divides usefully in two; it provides good space for indoor physical education, whole school collective worship and dining. Classrooms and other shared areas are spacious, supporting teaching and learning effectively, but poor ventilation restricts the use of some rooms for other activities. The partnership with the providers is not yet working as effectively as it might to ensure the flexibility required to enable the school to function completely successfully. The school has not yet been able to

p.26

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

use the playing field, which has inhibited the development of its physical education curriculum and the provision of undersized netball courts will restrict opportunities for the school to arrange matches with other schools. The lack of appropriate markings on the playground outside and on the hall floor limits opportunities to teach or promote pupils’ games. The lack of a shaded seating area on the bare playground is a weakness. Where there are deficiencies they are beyond the school’s control however; the school is disadvantaged because it does not have funding through the capital development formula to address them.

p.26

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

63 Overall, the range and quality of learning resources are good. They are well organised and accessible. Resources for ICT are excellent, with an exceptionally high proportion of computers to pupils and interactive whiteboards in each classroom. However, money has been wasted in providing resources for classrooms which are not yet in use. Classrooms and other areas of the school provide stimulating and interesting environments for learning. Attractive displays of pupils' work and informative stimulus displays promote interest and support pupils’ learning effectively.

p.26

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

64 Considerable work has already been done to establish this school over the short period since its opening and rapid progress has been made. To improve the school further, the headteacher, staff and governors should:

p.26

1 Raise the standards of pupils’ writing, particularly in Key Stage 1, by:

(a) setting appropriate individual targets for pupils to improve their writing (b) teaching skills of planning, drafting and re-drafting and providing more opportunities for pupils to draft and re-draft their work using the computers St Botolph’s CE Primary School - 27 (c) providing more opportunities for pupils to develop and improve their writing skills in other subjects (d) making sure pupils have opportunities to write in a variety of forms for a wide range of purposes and audiences (e) creating stimulating writing areas in the classrooms where pupils can go to write for different purposes (f) providing opportunities for writing in role play (g) teaching children to form letters correctly from the outset (h) modelling writing of different kinds

p.26

2 Ensure that all pupils’ learning needs are fully met, by:

(a) analysing available assessment information to identify areas of learning in which pupils’ understanding is less secure (b) using this information about what pupils know, understand and can do to plan for different groups in the class and to provide pupils with specific activities to meet their individual learning needs (c) identifying specific learning objectives for each lesson which address pupils’ individual learning needs and communicate them clearly so all pupils understand them (d) developing consistency in teachers' marking to ensure they provide a clear indication to pupils of ways in which they might improve or develop their work (e) extending the range of targets in the individual education plans of pupils with special educational needs, to include numeracy (f) monitoring teachers’ planning and their lessons to ensure that pupils’ learning needs are consistently met

p.27

2 Ensure that all pupils’ learning needs are fully met, by:

( Paragraphs: 20; 23; 28-29; 41; 73; 77; 91; 133 )

p.27

extending pupils’ knowledge, by

(a) using national guidance to identify specific skills in each subject (b) devising long and medium term plans which include the progressive development of these skills (c) monitoring teachers’ planning to ensure continuity and progression in the development of these skills is included (d) enabling individual subject co-ordinators to provide further guidance or training where this is needed (e) tracking pupils’ progress in developing these skills

p.27

extending pupils’ knowledge, by

( Paragraphs: 119; 126; 129; 146; 152 ) St Botolph’s CE Primary School - 28

p.27

inclusion in the action plan:

? The provision of more opportunities for pupils to develop independence ( Paragraphs: 19; 27; 67) St Botolph’s CE Primary School - 29

p.28

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 36

p.29

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

p.29

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

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

p.29

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 213

p.29

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 19

p.29

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 2

p.29

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 37

p.29

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.29

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 3

p.29

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.29

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 21

p.29

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 10

p.29

Attendance

School data 4.6 School data 0.2 St Botolph’s CE Primary School - 30 National comparative data 5.4 National comparative data 0.5

p.29

Attendance

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

p.30

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2002 36 31 67

p.30

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.30

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

Boys 23 30 30 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 31 31 30

p.30

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

Percentage of pupils School 81 ( n/a ) 91 ( n/a ) 90 ( n/a ) at NC level 2 or above National 84 ( 84 ) 86 ( 86 ) 90 ( 91 )

p.30

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.30

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

Boys 27 31 31 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 31 31 31

p.30

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

Percentage of pupils School 87 ( n/a ) 93 ( n/a ) 93 ( n/a ) at NC level 2 or above National 85 ( 85 ) 89 ( 89 ) 89 ( 89 )

p.30

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

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

p.30

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

p.30

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage Black – African heritage 0 0

p.30

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 7 Other minority ethnic groups 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

This table refers to pupils of compulsory school age only. This table gives the number of exclusions of pupils of compulsory school age, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded. St Botolph’s CE Primary School - 31

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 10 Financial year 2002 –

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 21.3

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y3 Total income 460 525

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 7 Total expenditure 513 525

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 140 Expenditure per pupil 2 837

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance brought forward from previous year 65 000

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 12 000

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Recruitment of teachers

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

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 10

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Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

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Recruitment of teachers

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

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Recruitment of teachers

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

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Recruitment of teachers

FTE means full-time equivalent. St Botolph’s CE Primary School - 32

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 68 30 2 0 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 54 42 0 0 4

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 46 44 7 0 3

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 50 45 3 0 2

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 59 37 4 0 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 61 37 0 0 2

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 45 43 8 0 4

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 41 50 1 0 8

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 53 42 1 0 4

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 37 41 6 3 13 St Botolph’s CE Primary School - 33

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

65 The provision for children in the Foundation Stage, the Reception classes, is sound overall.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Strengths: ? The provision for ICT is very good ? The direct teaching of the knowledge content of the curriculum is good ? Children enjoy coming to school and are very receptive to learning ? Behaviour management is good Areas for improvement: ? Assessment is undertaken regularly but it is not used effectively to plan tasks which closely match the needs of individual children ? There are insufficient opportunities for children to be independent ? The outdoor area is not used as a continuous extension of the classroom

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

66 When children enter school at the beginning of the year in which they are five years old their attainment is what would be expected nationally for their age. They make satisfactory progress in the Reception year and by the time they move to Year 1 the majority will have achieved the levels expected, the Early Learning Goals. A significant minority will be working at the level expected for Year 1 pupils.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

67 There is an appropriate emphasis on whole class teaching. The national guidance for teaching literacy and numeracy is followed and direct teaching of the knowledge children need to acquire to read, write and undertake calculations is taught well. However, children are not given sufficient opportunities to be independent, to initiate and take responsibility for their own learning. As a consequence the more able children acquire a good range of knowledge, but average and lower attaining children are not provided with sufficient opportunities to practise their skills incrementally, their understanding is less secure and this impacts on their achievement. For example a significant majority of children write simple sentences but expectations that they form their letters correctly are not high enough and this will impact on their standards in writing as they move through the school.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

68 Regular assessment is undertaken by observing how successfully children undertake a task but it does not address how well children are developing skills and understanding. It is not used effectively to plan the next step the child needs to achieve. The learning environment is cluttered and, although much of the teaching is undertaken as team teaching and children move freely backwards and forwards within the whole room when directed, there are frequently two areas to cater for one purpose. For example there are two role-play areas. The secure outdoor area is under utilised as an environment where children can undertake activities within each of the areas of learning throughout the day.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

69 The support staff are well qualified and their role has a very positive impact on children’s learning. Although this is a new school, there is no nursery provision and so children receive only one year within the Foundation Stage of their education and this has an impact on their progress. St Botolph’s CE Primary School - 34

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Personal, social and emotional development

70 Children achieve the Early Learning Goals in their personal, social and emotional development. Relationships are good and children play and work well together. Children know right from wrong behaviour. They are keen to please and do as they are asked. Most children follow the school routines well; they put up their hand before answering questions and line up quietly. Due to the lack of opportunity however, children do not take sufficient responsibility for getting things out and putting them away.

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Personal, social and emotional development

71 The quality of teaching is sound. All the adults are caring and look after the children’s personal needs and welfare appropriately and relationships are good. Classroom rules are evident. Children are encouraged to work together, share and take turns. Nevertheless there is not enough attention given to planning activities which help to develop pupils’ autonomy. Children are provided with opportunities to meet adults from the community and so increase their confidence in talking with adults. For example a member of the RAF talked with the children about his uniform and work.

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Communication, language and literacy

72 In communication, language and literacy, children attain the Early Learning Goals and many manage the early stages of the National Curriculum. More able children can write a simple sentence using a capital letter and full stop correctly and are aware of the need to space words so they can be read. They know common phonemes and are writing using phonological spelling. They are beginning to understand that stories have a beginning, middle and an end and the good direct teaching gives them opportunities to practise this concept by sequencing events in pictures. They read simple words, phrases and sentences and enjoy books. Higher attaining children read simple books well. All children have good communication skills and most can pose and respond to questions. Average and lower attaining children are not achieving as well however, as the tasks do not always match their abilities. For example while writing the names of colours some children were having difficulty completing the

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Communication, language and literacy

73 The quality of the direct teaching is good. Children are taught phonics and currently staff are engaged in their own development in order to improve the way this is taught. Children are given opportunities to write for different purposes. There are appropriate expectations that the more able children produce work of a good standard. Regular assessment is undertaken although it is not sufficiently analytical and does not identify which aspects children are unable to do; for example, whether children respond to questions with single words or longer phrases. As a consequence adults do not have information that can be used as targets for achievement in subsequent sessions. Direct teaching resources are used very well, for example, all the children could see the pictures and text of the story of Elmer the Elephant while the teacher read the story as it was projected on the interactive white board.

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Communication, language and literacy

74 By the end of the Reception class children have a sound knowledge of number, shape and space. They attain the Early Learning Goals and make satisfactory progress. Children know the names of shapes such as circle, square and rectangle and higher achievers can comment on their differences and can name a greater range of shapes. The majority can identify the longest and shortest objects from three and understand the difference between longest to tallest. They participate in the production of a pictogram showing different door colours. St Botolph’s CE Primary School - 35 75 The quality of direct teaching is good. Children are provided with opportunities to develop and extend their factual knowledge through practical application, for example, selecting the longest and shortest of 3 brightly coloured scarves and making the tallest building out of newspaper and sticky tape. They are given opportunities to apply their ICT skills while counting. Teaching takes account of

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Communication, language and literacy

national guidance and there are opportunities for children to engage in simple calculations orally as well as record their work. Investigations are used well, for example, in finding out who was the prince and who was Cinderella from their shoe size.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

76 The majority of children enter school with good general knowledge and attain the Early Learning Goals by the end of the Reception year. Their knowledge and understanding of ICT is very good for their age. They are very confident and use the mouse skilfully, selecting programmes and completing the tasks. They can drag and drop pictures into the correct colour, number or phonic box. Higher attainers are able to identify which materials are waterproof through their investigations and know that rubber gloves keep out the water whereas woolly ones do not. The majority of children are aware that an address is needed when you send a letter so that the postman knows where to deliver it. They are creative when they devise imaginative addresses for fairy tale characters, for example, Princess Cinderella, Fairytale Street and The Three Bears, 3 Bear Road. Children are aware of the difference between the past and present. For example, while studying clothes they look at uniforms

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

past and present and find and discuss similarities and differences.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

77 The quality of direct teaching is good. Planning takes account of the national guidance and children have early experiences in science, geography, history and ICT. However, some objectives are too complex and do not clearly identify suitable learning outcomes for the age and ability of the children. Factual information is taught well; for example which materials are resistant to water. However, children do not have enough opportunities for independent activity within a purposeful framework. Assessment is not used effectively to plan how the skills, children will need for the next stage of their education, will gradually be acquired. Good use is made of visitors to help children to gain a greater understanding of the world around them. For example, a paramedic showed children his uniform and an ambulance and talked about his work.

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Physical development

78 Almost all children have good manipulative skills; they build appropriately with construction kits and they can cut with scissors. Outside they move with confidence and show an awareness of the space around them, not bumping into other children while moving. They have great fun and are very adventurous while climbing over the ‘trim trail’. The majority hold their pencil correctly but some do not and the importance of developing these fine motor skills is not emphasised enough and so these children continue with this habit as they move through the school.

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Physical development

79 The accommodation and resources are good. There are opportunities for children to develop their gross motor skills both indoors through formal sessions and outside. Outdoor sessions are less well planned with insufficient opportunity for children to engage in purposeful physical activities throughout the day, using the outdoor area as an extension of the classroom. St Botolph’s CE Primary School - 36

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Creative development

80 Children enjoy being creative and achieve some good results. They enjoy selecting and playing musical instruments and make up simple compositions. They select collage materials from a range and stick them to a pre-drawn shape of Elmer the elephant providing him with a multicoloured skin. They paint their own pictures. They are imaginative in their role-play.

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Creative development

81 An appropriate range of activities is provided. Children are taught the skill of tie-dyeing and make coloured tee shirts and also learn about how people dyed their clothes in the past. They love the colours that make up an African shirt and from it learn something of the clothes of other cultures. There are role-play areas and these are constructed to support other areas of learning, for example a post office so learning about posting a letter is extended. However, these areas are under developed. There is insufficient adult interaction within them to model language development and encourage greater creativity.

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ENGLISH

82 Provision for English is satisfactory overall.

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ENGLISH

Strengths: ? Standards in reading are above average throughout the school ? Assessment procedures are very good ? The interactive white board is used very effectively as a resource to support learning ? Behaviour management is very good Areas for improvement: ? The very good assessment procedures are not used effectively to plan for tasks which meet the needs of all pupils on a day to day basis ? Pupils are not always given sufficient time and support resources to complete the writing tasks ? Short term planning is inconsistent across the school

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ENGLISH

83 Pupils attain standards in speaking and listening in line with those expected nationally of 7 year-olds. Standards in reading are above the national average. However, standards in writing are below average overall. Higher attainers achieve good standards in writing but standards are not as high for average and lower attaining pupils. There is no significant difference between the achievement of boys and girls. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress. The majority of pupils make satisfactory progress. All pupils are interested and motivated in all they do. Relationships between teachers, support staff and pupils are good

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ENGLISH

84 Year 3 pupils make good progress and standards in writing are gradually improving and are at least in line with those expected with a significant majority achieving higher standards in some aspects. Standards in reading are good. Pupils with English as an additional language and those with special educational needs make good progress.

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ENGLISH

85 Pupils of all ages are confident speakers and attentive listeners. Year 2 pupils participate as speakers and listeners within small and large group tasks. They listen attentively to stories and talk about them. They answer questions in response to the teacher, but they are less inclined to ask St Botolph’s CE Primary School - 37 questions as they are given few opportunities to engage in this kind of dialogue. Year 1 pupils enjoy describing an event and respond well to instructions. They are able to devise questions about mini- beasts using appropriate vocabulary. The skills of Year 3 pupils are increasing and they participate more fully in discussion. Very able pupils are able to debate issues, for example they give reasons for and against the closing of Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory and at times persuade their friends to change their views through the logic of their debate.

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ENGLISH

86 Pupils of all ages have very positive attitudes to reading. Their achievements are at least satisfactory and many pupils achieve well. Year 2 pupils are able to talk about their favourite authors and books. Particular authors pupils enjoy are Dick King-Smith and Roald Dahl. Most pupils have well developed reading habits at both home and school, and the support given to them at home is a very positive factor in raising standards.

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ENGLISH

87 By the age of seven pupils are reading at least at the expected level and a significant number are achieving higher levels. Many use good strategies for decoding words and also use context cues. Higher-attaining pupils read fluently and with very good expression. They are aware of conventions such as alphabetical order, contents, index and glossary, and all know the difference between fiction and non-fiction books. Year 3 pupils read a good range of literature. Good readers make the story come alive with their intonation and expression. They are able to access information using CD ROMs and the internet.

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ENGLISH

88 Standards in writing are good for the higher attainers at the age of 7 years, but average and lower ability pupils do not make sufficient progress and standards are below those expected. More able Year 2 pupils can put together a leaflet advocating the need to take sensible care on the road as part of their learning about road safety. They know the conventions of short, sharp phrases and big, bold print, in this type of writing. They are aware that illustrations are often more effective if they are simple and striking. Progress is better in Year 1 and Year 3. The majority of Year 1 pupils can pose questions using the appropriate vocabulary. The lovely illustrations provided as a stimulus for the task excite the pupils into devising interesting questions about the mini-beasts they see, like how many legs does a spider have? Year 3 pupils understand the conventions of formal and informal letter writing,

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ENGLISH

they can plan their letter using note form and then write in paragraphs about each of the points identified.

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ENGLISH

89 Spelling is given high priority and the majority of Year 2 pupils learn and correctly spell a good range of words for the weekly test. Spelling within writing is less accurate and pupils are not given any indication when they incorrectly spell a word that they knew by rote several weeks earlier. For example, a higher attaining Year 1 pupil spells ‘does’ as ‘dus’ in his writing. Overall expectations of spelling are not high enough. The majority of pupils write legibly although a significant number do not form the letters in the conventional way and this makes it harder for them to join their letters into a cursive script.

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ENGLISH

90 The quality of teaching is sound overall with some very good features. Where teaching is very good there is a clear structure to the lessons. For example the Year 3 sessions helping pupils to write letters in different styles for different purposes and audiences started by identifying the styles and then gradually progressed so that the pupils had a clear structure to use as models for their own attempts. Behaviour management in all classes is very good. All staff have made very good gains in their own knowledge and understanding of how to make best use of the new technology they have available. They use it well to support learning. Good teaching excites pupils’ interest in literature; Year 2 pupils are enthralled by the story of The Hodgeheg as the teacher reads it with very good expression. She St Botolph’s CE Primary School - 38 cleverly uses grammar from the story to develop the use of prefixes such as ‘un’ and ‘dis’ to give the

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ENGLISH

negative meaning later in the session. Where teaching is less effective pupils do not have long enough to practice their skills and consolidate their understanding by undertaking good quantities of work for themselves and this is having a direct impact on standards. The tasks provided in some classes are not well matched to pupils’ abilities. Some tasks are too simplistic for the higher achieving pupils and some tasks do not have enough support to enable the lower attaining pupils to be successful.

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ENGLISH

91 The school makes use of the national guidance for teaching literacy and this is gradually providing a progression to pupils learning. Currently planning is inconsistent across the school with Year 2 staff making use of a published scheme, which is not used in other year groups and at times this leads to a lack of consistency. Short term planning identifies the learning objectives for the session but these are often generic and not sufficiently focused. In addition, the lesson objectives are not always shared with pupils in a language which allows them to understand fully the purpose of their learning or if they have been successful in achieving it; for example, when Year 2 pupils were asked to ‘evaluate the usefulness of a text for its purpose’. Writing links across the curriculum are being developed but at times pupils are not given sufficient autonomy to phrase their ideas in their own way as the format provided by the teacher is too restrictive. The assessment procedures in place are very

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ENGLISH

good and provide information which is analysed carefully to track pupils’ progress over time. Ongoing assessment is less effective and is not always used effectively to inform teachers’ day to day planning.

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ENGLISH

92 The library accommodation is very good and at the centre of the school. It is well organised and resources are good for the age and number of pupils currently in the school. There are insufficient opportunities for pupils to use it independently to find out things for themselves. There is a good range of reading books available for individual and group reading.

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ENGLISH

93 The co-ordinator manages the subject very effectively and provides good leadership. She has a clear understanding of the strengths of the teaching and learning and where it needs development to improve. The local educational advisory staff are involved in an initiative to support improvement.

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MATHEMATICS

94 Overall provision for mathematics is satisfactory.

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MATHEMATICS

Strengths: ? Pupils in Year 3 make good progress ? There are good procedures for assessment ? The subject is well managed Areas for improvement: ? In Key Stage 1, there is too little emphasis given to investigative mathematics and pupils have too few opportunities to explain their thinking using the correct vocabulary ? Information gained from assessment is not yet used to best advantage

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MATHEMATICS

95 Standards are average by the end of Years 2 and 3. Pupils in Year 3 are making good progress and there are signs that standards are beginning to rise. Pupils in Year 2 need more opportunities to experience investigative mathematics and to use and extend their mathematical vocabulary. St Botolph’s CE Primary School - 39 96 In Year 1, pupils make good progress in lessons as they learn about money. In classroom activities, when buying two items such as an apple (5p) and a banana (3p), most are able to add the amounts together and give the correct money to the ‘shopkeeper’. The most capable understand the concept of giving and receiving change, and are able to perform simple transactions accordingly. Most are becoming familiar with the idea that coins have value. In Year 2, pupils learn how to add together a group of three two-digit numbers, for example, 23+34+11. Most use apparatus to help them and

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MATHEMATICS

make sound progress in their work. The most capable attempt similar calculations mentally, but in some lessons they don’t make as much progress as they could because they do not concentrate on their work sufficiently. In another lesson seen, the same pupils were observed making good progress, when a higher rate of work was expected of them and they responded by concentrating well. In another Year 2 lesson, the whole class made good progress in subtraction, for example 26-13, 36-13, 46-13, although in this lesson, there were too few opportunities for pupils to explain their methods and to use mathematical words in the context of their work. A review of past work shows that pupils have covered all the expected aspects of the curriculum, but that there are relatively few opportunities for them to experience investigative work.

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MATHEMATICS

97 In Year 3 pupils are making good progress in all aspects of the curriculum, including investigative work, and there are indications that overall standards are beginning to rise above the average. Pupils are given good opportunities to explain mathematical ideas. They respond well to this, using the correct vocabulary. One very good example of this was when a Year 3 pupil said, ‘A circle has an infinite number of lines of symmetry’. Pupils experiment by folding geometrical shapes, and discover lines of symmetry, for example in an equilateral triangle. They learn to use the words regular and irregular correctly when describing shapes. Past work shows that pupils have enjoyed a balanced curriculum, which includes a good amount of investigative work, and that they tackle increasingly difficult work with an improving degree of accuracy.

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MATHEMATICS

98 Teaching is usually good. Some lessons in Year 2 are satisfactory. There is no unsatisfactory teaching. Where teaching is most effective, planning is very thorough and ensures that pupils are given opportunities for mathematical discussion and investigation. This was seen particularly in Year 3, but also in Year 1. Assessment is used well in Year 3, for example to identify weaknesses in pupils’ understanding and to plan effective lessons to remedy this. In one less effective lesson, the rate of work expected of more capable pupils was too slow, and in another, the teacher’s explanation lacked clarity and depth, meaning that pupils were insufficiently prepared for a task. Where teachers use mathematical language well, pupils benefit and quickly learn to use the words in the correct context. For example, in a lesson on shape, the teacher’s good use of the word diagonal meant that pupils quickly learnt how to describe some of the lines of symmetry in a square. Teachers and pupils use

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MATHEMATICS

interactive whiteboards very well in many lessons. For example, Year 3 pupils quickly identified four- way patterns of symmetry, and others quickly drew regular and irregular shapes. In some lessons at Year 3, groups of pupils benefit from working with a Royal Air Force officer who visits the school regularly as part of a numeracy development project. This work helps to give relevance to the curriculum, for example when considering the amount of fuel required by an aircraft and how much it weighs.

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MATHEMATICS

99 Pupils with special educational needs make good progress in lessons as a result of well- matched work and good quality support and supervision from adult assistants. In some lessons where there is no extra support available for them, progress is noticeably slower. The very few pupils who speak English as an additional language match the progress made by their classmates and show confidence in learning. St Botolph’s CE Primary School - 40 100 The National Numeracy Strategy is established and contributes to the standards achieved by pupils. In most lessons teachers make effective use of the recommended teaching methods and lesson structure. Pupils use their numeracy skills well in other subjects, for example in science where Year 3 pupils used their number and measuring skills to record how much their plants had grown.

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MATHEMATICS

101 The subject is well managed and staff share a strong commitment to help pupils to achieve their best. The co-ordinator has produced a well-considered action plan, which clearly identifies appropriate points for development, for example, the introduction of monitoring of the teaching and learning.

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MATHEMATICS

102 There are sufficient resources of good quality for the teaching of the curriculum. Good use is made of ICT resources. Examples of this include the very effective use of interactive whiteboards and the use of suitable software by Year 1 pupils when learning about money.

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MATHEMATICS

103 The next steps for the school are to implement the action plan; to ensure that assessment information is used effectively when planning lessons; to achieve better consistency in curriculum planning so that all pupils have enough opportunities for investigative work and mathematical discussion; and to implement plans for the monitoring of teaching and learning so that best practice can be shared.

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SCIENCE

104 The quality of provision for science is good.

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SCIENCE

Strengths: ? Standards of attainment area above average throughout the school ? Quality of the curriculum is good ? Quality of teaching is consistently good

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SCIENCE

Areas for improvement: ? As yet there is relatively little use of ICT to support learning

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SCIENCE

105 Standards are above average by the end of Years 2 and 3 and pupils make good progress. Good curriculum planning combined with good and often very good teaching accounts for this.

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SCIENCE

106 Pupils in Year 1 made very good progress in learning about the conditions that plants need for growth. Their teacher used well chosen open questions, which required pupils to think hard about the different conditions that their seedlings had been kept in. This led to pupils exclaiming, for example, There’s no sunshine in the cupboard and they don’t grow as well! and In the fridge it will not grow because it’s too cold . Pupils were clearly delighted with their discoveries and enjoyed learning. In a very good Year 2 lesson, pupils shouted “ Potatoes !” showing great excitement, surprise and awe as they discovered that potatoes grew under the ground and were attached to the plant’s root system. In the same lesson, pupils showed very good levels of concentration as they made careful observational drawings of plants. Year 3, pupils employed their numeracy and literacy skills well as they recorded the results of their experiments on plant growth. When discussing the need for fair

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SCIENCE

St Botolph’s CE Primary School - 41 testing, they show good understanding and are able to make statements such as For it to be fair, you have to have the same amount of water, but it doesn’t matter who waters the plants. When one pupil asked if the size of the pot mattered, others immediately came up with good ideas for how to conduct an experiment to find out. Past written work, and the above examples, show that pupils enjoy a good quality curriculum which builds systematically on their previous knowledge, and which develops their scientific skills well. Pupils do use ICT to support their learning, such as when Year 3 pupils made on-line searches to find out more about plants, but there is a need to develop this further, for example by providing more software to help with research and by making more use of ICT for recording

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SCIENCE

107 Pupils with special educational needs achieve well, particularly when supported by additional adults. The few pupils who speak English as an additional language make good progress.

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SCIENCE

108 It was possible to observe only three lessons during the inspection. Two were of very good quality and the other was good. A review of pupils’ past work indicates that teaching is of consistent quality in all classes and that teachers’ marking is often constructive and helpful to pupils improving their work. A common feature in the best teaching was the extent to which pupils enjoyed their work. Teachers skilfully achieved this by creating opportunities for fun and excitement in lessons, which were directly linked to pupils’ learning. Teachers plan well and create plenty of opportunities for investigative work.

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SCIENCE

109 The co-ordinator manages the subject effectively and is well informed. An action plan has been produced which includes appropriate points for future development. These include the further use of information gained from the recently established assessment system, and the monitoring of teaching and learning. Resources for the subject are sufficient and are of good quality.

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ART AND DESIGN

110 The quality of provision for art and design is good.

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ART AND DESIGN

Strengths: ? Standards of attainment are above average across the school ? Teachers plan a good range of activities ? Teaching is consistently good Areas for development: ? Further development of curriculum planning to ensure a progression of skills. ? Further use of ICT

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ART AND DESIGN

111 Pupils reach above average standards of attainment in Years 2 and 3 in all parts of the curriculum. These good standards are attributable to the good quality teaching and curriculum that pupils enjoy. Pupils of all capabilities achieve well, including those with special educational needs.

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ART AND DESIGN

112 In Year 1, pupils explore and develop their ideas as they make a 3D home for a mini-beast, using a wide range of materials, including paper, card and straw, to good effect. The results are interesting and imaginative. Year 2 pupils make good still life drawings of fruit and vegetables, using oil pastels. They refine their techniques, for example, by using a white pastel to represent light falling on the surface of grapes. Others carefully make good quality prints on paper using a range of vegetables and fruit. They spontaneously discuss amongst themselves which fruits produce the most interesting St Botolph’s CE Primary School - 42 images and they experiment freely with colour. Pupils with special educational needs achieve well. For example, a Year 1 pupil using pastels created a well-observed drawing of a paw-paw fruit. Year 2 pupils have produced striking images of sunflowers, having studied the work of Van Gogh. They used

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ART AND DESIGN

pastels, paints and ICT equipment to good effect. Year 3 pupils thoroughly enjoyed their work as they produced collages representing the landscape in the “Bear Hunt” story. They behaved very well and showed good levels of responsibility when choosing and using different materials. Pupils who speak English as an additional language achieve well; for example, a Year 3 pupil working carefully on his collage used his English well as he explained the ideas he had explored in his work. Displays of work show that Year 3 pupils have attained good standards in their work inspired by Cézanne. The work shows a close attention to detail and good use of pastels and charcoal. Pupils in several lessons used their speaking and listening skills well as they discussed methods and materials, and evaluated their own and others’ work.

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ART AND DESIGN

113 Teaching is of consistently good quality. Lessons are well planned and prepared for, and good quality resources are used effectively. For example, the beautiful fruit and vegetables that inspired Year 2 pupils to observe closely, and the wide range of materials that enabled Year 1 and 3 pupils to explore and experiment so well. Teachers manage pupils well and clearly expect high standards of behaviour. Pupils respond positively to this, showing very good attitudes to work and obvious enjoyment of it.

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ART AND DESIGN

114 The subject is effectively managed by the well-informed co-ordinator. The curriculum is well covered, but there is scope for planning to be more clearly defined in order to ensure that there is a good progression of skills as pupils move through the school. ICT is used well, for example by pupils to produce images and by teachers to exhibit examples of artists’ work, but the school recognises that there is a need to develop this further to get the best use from the resources available. The curriculum is enhanced by the after school art club which is held weekly for Year 2 and 3 pupils. Pupils have produced some very colourful and carefully made masks in these sessions. The school has strong links with a local artist who has created an inspirational sculpture of a winged hare carrying a child, which is displayed prominently on the outside wall of the school building. The subject clearly makes a very

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ART AND DESIGN

positive contribution to pupils’ cultural development as they learn to appreciate the work of different artists.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

115 Overall provision for design and technology is good.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

Strengths: ? Standards are at the expected level in Years 2 and 3 – pupils attain good standards in the design aspects of the curriculum. ? Year 2 pupils are able to evaluate their work well in lessons ? Pupils of all capabilities achieve well, including those with special educational needs Areas for improvement: ? Monitoring planning to ensure it provides for the progressive development of pupils’ skills

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

116 Only one lesson was seen during the inspection. Judgements are based on this observation and on a review of pupils’ past work. St Botolph’s CE Primary School - 43 117 Year 2 pupils concentrate as they continue a series of lessons in which they produce a repeating pattern for a coat. Pupils evaluate their work well and identify difficulties that they have faced, suggesting ways of tackling them. They are proud of their achievements. Some pupils produce intricate patterns. Past work shows some thoughtful designs, for example when designing a vehicle for a particular purpose. Pupils have also made bookmarks decorated with embroidered patterns. Those with special educational needs make valuable contributions, for example, by sharing their expertise in sewing with their classmates. Year 3 pupils have designed and made photograph frames, having first looked at commercially available examples to see which materials have been used and how they have

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

been constructed. This information was used well when designing their own frames. They have also used their design skills effectively in creating a favourite sandwich, bearing in mind the need to eat healthily. Pupils use their literacy skills well when evaluating their sandwiches, as one pupils said for example, The baguette’s texture is crispy on the outside and soft inside. It is white, the salad is colourful, it looks nice to eat .

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

118 The lesson seen was of good quality, featuring good management and organisation, effective questioning which caused pupils to think carefully about their work, and good opportunities for pupils to evaluate. These factors combined to create a lesson in which pupils made good progress. A review of pupils’ work indicates that they benefit from teaching which is at least satisfactory. The co-ordinator explained that the school values the particular contribution that the subject makes to pupils’ personal and social development. The effect of this was clearly seen in the above lesson, where pupils’ attitudes to work and their behaviour were excellent. Teachers make good links with other subjects, for example, pupils have been learning about aerial views in geography. This learning was reinforced by work in design and technology, when pupils drew the plan and side views of a ruler standing on edge on a flat surface.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

119 The subject is well managed. The co-ordinator has had the opportunity to monitor a little teaching and learning which has helped to inform her view of the subject. The curriculum is satisfactory, but planning is not yet sufficiently clear to ensure that there is a good progression of skills and knowledge as pupils move through the school. There are sufficient resources to meet the demands of the curriculum. Good use is made of ICT equipment, examples of this include research into different kinds of vehicle and the use of film to record and evaluate finished work.

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GEOGRAPHY

120 The quality of provision for geography is satisfactory.

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GEOGRAPHY

Strengths: ? Use of ICT to support learning ? Curriculum relevance Areas for improvement: ? Planning to ensure progression of skills ? Opportunities to use geographical vocabulary in lessons

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GEOGRAPHY

121 Standards are average in Year 2 and Year 3. Pupils of all capabilities achieve appropriately. Pupils with special educational needs learn well. The few pupils who speak English as an additional language achieve sound standards. St Botolph’s CE Primary School - 44 122 It was possible to observe only two lessons in geography, both in Year 2, during the inspection. Judgements are based on these observations and on a review of pupils’ earlier completed work.

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GEOGRAPHY

123 As part of their work on comparing their local environment to a seaside location, Year 2 pupils learn to identify human and physical features in an aerial photograph of the seaside. Nearly all pupils understand that some features of the landscape are natural and that others have been built or shaped by man. They give examples such as trees, beach, fun fair and houses and classify them correctly. Pupils look carefully at oblique aerial photographs and then attempt the challenging task of drawing a map of the same landscape, using the information from the photograph. The majority succeed, but some have difficulty in understanding that only the top of objects are visible if the viewer is immediately above them. Year 3 pupils have investigated different occupations in the local area and have looked at local environmental issues such as rubbish and noise. Pupils make good use of their numeracy skills. For example, they analysed the rubbish collected in the classroom over a week and

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GEOGRAPHY

classified it as recyclable or not and then presented the information as a graph. Pupils have come up with ideas to improve their local environment, for example by providing more facilities for sports.

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GEOGRAPHY

124 One of the lessons seen was of good quality and the other was satisfactory. The distinguishing factor was the level of expectations of work and behaviour. In the more effective lesson, pupils of all abilities made good progress but in the less effective lesson a few of the more capable pupils lacked concentration and made less progress than they could have done, though the rest of the class did make good progress. In this lesson the teacher made good use of the interactive whiteboard to show images of different coastlines in quick succession to illustrate human and physical features. Due to technical difficulties, this technology was unavailable in the other lesson but the teacher coped well with the more traditional resources. In both lessons there were relatively few opportunities for pupils to use geographical vocabulary to explain their understanding.

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GEOGRAPHY

125 Teachers succeed in making the curriculum relevant. This is achieved by choosing activities that pupils can relate to their lives and by encouraging pupils to consider what it is like to be in other locations. To help them with this, the school has provided several toy bears that are available to accompany pupils, staff and governors on trips and holidays. The “bears” are then expected to report back on where they have been and what they have seen. This has proved very effective in raising interest levels and provides a good opportunity for pupils to use their writing skills. A governor who has taken one of the bears to several exotic locations has produced some high quality books, featuring the bears, which are a unique and valuable addition to the school’s resources.

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GEOGRAPHY

126 Resources are sufficient and of satisfactory quality. ICT is beginning to be used well, for example by using digital images from a rapidly growing collection, to make teaching points. The subject is managed well by the co-ordinator who actively promotes geography in the school, for example by organising the travelling bears. The curriculum is still in the process of development. As it develops, the next steps are: to see that planning ensures a good progression of geographical skills from year to year; to provide more opportunities in lessons for pupils to extend their geographical vocabulary; and to continue to develop the use of ICT to support learning.

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HISTORY

127 Overall the quality of provision in history is good.

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HISTORY

Strengths: St Botolph’s CE Primary School - 45 ? Good use of sources, particularly artefacts and oral history ? Opportunities provided for discussion and framing historical questions ? Teaching is consistently good, effectively promoting pupils’ interest

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HISTORY

Areas for improvement: ? Pupils’ writing skills in history ? Completion of planning for the whole of Key Stage 2 curriculum ? Monitoring the quality of teaching and supporting its further development

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HISTORY

128 Pupils achieve standards in history which are in line with those expected in both key stages. The planned programme of work is ensuring that pupils make satisfactory progress throughout the school in extending their knowledge and understanding of the past.

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HISTORY

129 Pupils successfully extend their knowledge and understanding of periods in the past through the range of study units covered and the range of carefully planned activities with objects, pictures or people. In addition there is a clear emphasis on the continued acquisition of appropriate historical vocabulary. Pupils make satisfactory progress in developing their understanding of chronology, at times supported by the use of simple timelines both within the topic studied and over a longer timescale. More could be made of a variety of timelines to further this understanding. Pupils demonstrate their knowledge of some famous men and women from different walks of life in the past, including Boudicca, Guy Fawkes and Florence Nightingale, which helps them begin to understand that famous people and events from history have an effect on people’s lives, and that things change over time.

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HISTORY

130 Good opportunities are provided for pupils to work with a range of sources, like artefacts, pictures and photographs, which is effective in promoting their understanding of the past. In one good lesson observed with Year 3, continuing their work on the Vikings, pupils had the opportunity to handle some interesting objects. They understand what an archaeologist does and that the objects they find can tell us a great deal about the past. Pupils were confident to discuss the artefacts they handled, understood that the materials of which they were made were important clues about their age and were able to speculate about their usage. Good use is also made of oral history, to promote pupils’ understanding of change, since their grandparents were children for example.

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HISTORY

131 Pupils have good opportunities to extend their literacy skills in their work in history. They learn to search for information, for example, using reference books, the Internet and other materials. Speaking and listening skills are frequently promoted, when pupils work with their talking partners, for example, when they are involved in group discussions responding to a question like Why are Roman roads so straight? or when they are asked to frame their own questions about the objects they handle. There is a clear emphasis on ensuring pupils understand appropriate vocabulary like invasion, conquer, settle . Pupils’ ability to discuss various aspects of the topics of history they study and to communicate their knowledge and understanding orally is better than the work in their books suggests, because their writing skills are not as well developed as they could be.

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HISTORY

132 Teaching in history is consistently good in both key stages. It is clear that teachers have good knowledge and interest and as a result they successfully communicate a genuine enthusiasm for the subject. This is evident in the excellent displays of work in history around the school, which are most effective in stimulating pupils’ interest and indicative of the wide range of work done on the Romans and on holidays recently. In the lessons seen, teachers were lively and interesting and engaged pupils in effective learning activities, extending both their knowledge of history and their skills in thinking St Botolph’s CE Primary School - 46 about and finding out about the past. Teachers build very effectively on what pupils have done previously and they use their own subject knowledge well to provide additional challenge and spur pupils on. In one good lesson observed with a Year 2 class, for example, the teacher made good use of

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HISTORY

what older pupils had done as they studied the Romans as she prepared the class for a visit to Lincoln.

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HISTORY

133 Leadership and management of history are effective in moving the subject forward. The co- ordinator is enthusiastic and knowledgeable and has identified clear priorities for development as the school grows. Planning for Years 1 and 2 is generally good, but planning for all the study units required in Year 3 onwards is not yet complete. Further useful work on the local aspects of the various units is being undertaken. The use of a special days board, recognising such significant days as Remembrance Day or St George’s Day for example, is valuable in further promoting pupils’ interest and knowledge about the past. While she already monitors pupils’ work and the results of the end of unit assessment tasks to track progress, as yet there has been no opportunity to monitor and evaluate the quality of teaching and support its further development.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Strengths: ? Pupils make good progress; standards are above and sometimes well above average ? Teaching is consistently very good ? Teachers make good progress in developing their own skills ? Leadership and management are excellent Areas for development: ? Provision of more opportunities for pupils to work with the computers in other subjects away from the computer suite

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

135 Pupils make good and sometimes very good progress in developing their skills in ICT so, by the end of both Year 1 and Year 3, standards are better than those normally expected of pupils at the ages of seven and eight. Some aspects of pupils’ work are well above average. The excellent provision made throughout the school and the high quality of the teaching contribute most positively to pupils’ achievement.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

136 By the end of Year 2 pupils have a good knowledge and understanding of ways in which ICT can support their learning. They use the computers confidently and by Year 1 have developed good control of the mouse, to click on selected words in a word bank program. They can use a range of the tools in Granada Colours, which they can manipulate effectively to create their own pictures; they can add labels to their pictures of flowers. In Year 1 pupils learn about switches and they use this understanding as they work on their group recordings and play them back. By the time they are in Year 2 pupils can not only create an illustration, they can also add text. In using word processing software, they can choose a font, change its size and colour and use text tools. At this stage pupils can use the Internet to find information and download pictures as they create a factsheet about Sleaford, for example and as they search for answers to specific questions posed for them

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

137 In Year 3 pupils successfully extend their skills. They can use the computer effectively for data handling, inputting data and interrogating it, with questions they have devised. As they work with St Botolph’s CE Primary School - 47 various programs they show they can access the dropdown menus and choose appropriately from the range of options. In using word processing software they use punctuation appropriately, they can highlight words in the text with bold and import word art to highlight the title, as they did in an extended piece called Perfect Pig for example. They can retrieve and store their work appropriately. Pupils can send e-mails, responding to one sent to them; some can add attachments. Some can successfully create a PowerPoint presentation about themselves, in which they use text, word art, photographs and clip art. They can create a leaflet about the school, using Publisher, which includes text, photographs

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

and pattern to enhance the design. Pupils in Year 3 are learning to make their own video film and then edit it.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

138 Pupils’ response to information and communication technology is very positive and this contributes to their good learning and progress they make. They approach the computers with confidence, show they are well able to work independently with them and manage the various programs for themselves. The majority of pupils observed working with the computers concentrated intensively, they were able to work co-operatively in pairs or small groups and were usually engrossed in the tasks set.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

139 Teaching is consistently very good. The co-ordinator works with each class twice a week in the computer suite. In one lesson he takes the lead, observed by the class teacher and in the other he supports the teacher working with her class. This has contributed most positively not only to the good standards achieved by pupils but also to the good progress teachers have made in developing their own skills, which in turn enables them to use the ICT equipment confidently and competently, including interactive whiteboards in each classroom. It is a first class model for further professional development, which has been very successful and which will serve the school well as it develops its curriculum in other areas. Lessons in ICT are very well thought out, clearly planned and structured and build very effectively on pupils’ learning. The ICT suite is used very successfully, with well established and effective routines; the co-ordinator and other teachers manage pupils’ learning very well. This

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

very good teaching pupils receive contributes very positively to the good and very good progress they are making in this subject.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

140 Teachers throughout the school make good use of ICT to support pupils’ learning in other subjects. All teachers use the interactive whiteboards very effectively to enhance their lessons. Pupils have some opportunities to use the computers in the shared areas between classrooms for small group work or to investigate aspects or complete work in other subjects. Older pupils would benefit from more opportunities to present their work using the computers in all subjects.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

141 Leadership and management of ICT are excellent. There has been considerable and very successful development of the subject since the school opened. The co-ordinator has ensured there is a clear statement of approaches to teaching and learning that underpin practice across the school and produced guidelines on various aspects to support the teachers. This includes advice about the use of ICT to support teaching and learning in other subjects. There is a clear Internet access policy. Resources for ICT are very good indeed and the co-ordinator has been instrumental in ensuring that all staff acquire the skills to use them effectively. Planning has been carefully thought out and this ensures the progressive development of pupils’ skills. Because the co-ordinator works so closely with all staff he is well aware of their further development needs. Priorities for further development are included in a comprehensive development plan. The school’s website is under construction.

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MUSIC

St Botolph’s CE Primary School - 48 142 Overall the quality of provision in music is satisfactory.

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MUSIC

Strengths: ? Teachers communicate an enthusiasm for music which successfully interests and engages their pupils Areas for improvement: ? Pupils’ singing ? Opportunities for pupils to work independently, on their own compositions for example ? Planning for breadth and balance in the music curriculum

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MUSIC

143 Standards of attainment in music are in line with those expected of pupils their age in both key stages. Pupils sing songs from memory and join in action songs appropriately. Singing is generally tuneful and in some lessons pupils sing with gusto, as Year 3 did unaccompanied with I once saw an elephant in one good lesson. However, at other times, including collective worship, a significant proportion of pupils show a lack of enthusiasm or willingness to join in. Pupils are introduced to simple rhythm patterns, with an interesting range of songs and games used to develop their skills and understanding. This ensures they are developing an appropriate understanding of rhythm. In Year 2, for example, pupils understand that the names of various foods can be used to represent different rhythm patterns and they use these to work out sequences and then tap the rhythms showing they can keep a steady pulse. They can also add appropriate accompaniment to songs using body percussion.

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MUSIC

As yet pupils have too few opportunities to compose their own pieces since much of their work is done with the whole class; pupils do not have enough time to explore sounds for themselves, both around them in the environment and the sounds made by tuned and untuned percussion instruments.

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MUSIC

144 Music is used effectively to create an appropriate atmosphere at the start of collective worship. Useful information about the particular piece heard, or the instruments played is displayed in the hall. During the inspection pupils listened to Simple Solitude , a piece played on panpipes. Although good use is made of such pieces to encourage listening and there was good information on display, the opportunity to discuss the music played was missed. There was no attempt to draw out some of the characteristics of this music or to compare it with other pieces heard and so enhance pupils’ skills of appraising what they heard. However, very good use was made of music to enhance the story told during one assembly. Elton John’s Funeral for a Friend was very effective in providing a suitable atmosphere to the story told and as a result pupils listened intently and were engrossed.

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MUSIC

145 Although there were few opportunities to observe music lessons, in those seen, the overall teaching was good. Lessons are well organised and clearly thought out. Teachers are lively and communicate an enthusiasm that is engaging and generally ensures an enthusiastic response from pupils. They use the available resources well. Good opportunities are taken to link music with work in other subjects, such as learning We’re all going on a summer holiday linked to their work in history for example. Teachers observed were confident and their musical knowledge and understanding had a positive impact on their pupils’ work, enabling them to make progress in developing some of their own musical skills. In one good lesson with Year 2 pupils, for example, teaching was lively and engaging and enabled the teacher to manage her pupils very well. As a result their response was good, they tried hard, were fully attentive and consequently they achieved well in the lesson. This effective

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MUSIC

teaching was successful in moving pupils' learning on. Teachers’ warm response to their pupils' efforts is clearly encouraging and motivating, but more could be done to improve pupils’ singing. In some lessons pupils are given too few opportunities to work independently or in small groups which is inhibiting the progress they can make in developing their own compositional skills. In all the lessons St Botolph’s CE Primary School - 49 seen teachers manage their classes well, lessons proceed at a good pace and this ensures that pupils are kept actively engaged, interested and focused on the tasks in hand.

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MUSIC

146 Leadership and management of music are satisfactory. In the short time the school has been open, the co-ordinator has undertaken an audit of existing provision and identified clear priorities for development. There has been some monitoring of teaching in music and the procedures for further professional development he has devised in ICT will provide an excellent model as the co-ordinator works to develop teaching across the school. The curriculum is not yet fully in place, nor a clear indication of how pupils skills in music are to be progressively extended, but there are plans to continue its development as the school grows.

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MUSIC

147 Pupils already have some opportunities to learn to play an instrument, in the after school guitar, handbell or recorder clubs for example. Further opportunities for peripatetic tuition are planned for next year. At times there are opportunities for pupils to sing and perform in a choir. Resources for music are good, with an appropriate range of new tuned and untuned percussion instruments carefully stored and readily accessible.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

148 During the inspection only games lessons were observed. This indicates pupils attain standards that would be expected for their age. The provision is satisfactory.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Strengths: ? Extra curricular activities make a very good impact on the provision ? There are examples of high expectations ? The accommodation and resources are set to be very good Areas for improvement: ? There is no guidance on a progression of skills ? Assessment is not having an impact on improving teaching and learning

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

149 At the age of 7 years pupils have good co-ordination while throwing and catching a ball, they rarely drop the ball while throwing it to a partner a short distance away. They have techniques for dodging their partner and can use these skills while throwing and catching a beanbag. They have the opportunity to attend five sessions of swimming during Year 2 and at this early stage, the majority are confident in the water with a few more able pupils beginning to swim without support although a small group still lack confidence.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

150 All pupils make satisfactory progress. Year 1 pupils love playing with the parachute and are able to run over and under it. They sensibly play games of cat and mouse, catching one another. They are able to co-ordinate their movements to lift the large parachute into the air. They have good control while trying to strike a target with an object, throwing bean bags into a hoop, knocking down skittles and bowling a ball along a line. Year 3 pupils are keen and competitive while playing a basic game of netball. They know the three main passes for sending the ball to other members of the team. They are beginning to understand the concept of marking a partner but are not yet using positional places within the court. They have good co-ordination while hitting a ball with a bat to one another as a start to playing tennis and concentrate well to consolidate their skills. St Botolph’s CE Primary School - 50

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

151 The quality of teaching is sound overall with some good features. Where teaching is good there are high expectations pupils will concentrate hard and fulfil the task. For example, all but a very small minority of Year 2 pupils skip continuously with a rope and their catching and throwing skills are of a high standard. The organisation of the session ensures that all pupils participate, as the teacher rotates the groups and pupils have the opportunity to strike a variety of targets by throwing. Where teaching is less effective teachers do not fully understand the importance of the warm up session and whereas they allow pupils to increase their cardiovascular activity they do not always systematically warm up the different muscles of the body. There is very little evidence to show teachers are aware of the need to allow the body to come slowly back to rest after exercise. Throughout all sessions

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

behaviour management is good. This was particularly noticeable when pupils got excited while using the parachute and the teacher managed a good balance between ensuring safety and letting pupils enjoy themselves.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

152 The curriculum is effectively managed but within the timescale of the new school, it has rightly not been a priority. Currently assessment is not well developed but as more use is made of video cameras by the pupils there is the intention that this will play a valuable part in analysing performance. At the time of the inspection the school field was not in operation, as the seeding had not fully matured. However, once the grass is established the school will have very good accommodation and resources for the subject both indoors and outside. Currently only Year 2 go swimming but the intention is that Year 4 and Year 6 pupils will have the opportunity to develop their skills as they become established in the school. The curriculum takes account of national guidance but currently teachers do not have support in ensuring that skills are progressively taught. The curriculum is enhanced through activities

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and clubs after school, for example, boys are beginning to learn rugby skills and boys and girls netball skills, or pupils can choose to rollerblade.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

153 Overall provision is good; the curriculum follows the locally agreed syllabus.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

Strengths: ? The school has strong links with the local church ? Staff are knowledgeable about the Christian religion

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

Areas for development: ? Assessment procedures are in place but not yet impacting on teaching and learning ? Learning objectives are not always shared with pupils in a language they find easy to understand.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

154 By the age of seven years pupils are aware of some of the values and beliefs of the Christian religion and are beginning to have a little understanding that there are other faiths, and what they mean to different people. They know that the Bible tells the stories and development of the Christian religion and it is a very important book to Christian people. They realise that the Torah plays a similar role in Judaism and the life of Jews. They know the story of the birth of Jesus and some of the other stories the Bible tells from both before and up to his death.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

155 All pupils make satisfactory progress through the school. In Year 1 they enjoy learning about the ceremony of baptism within the Christian religion. They contribute cards and a gown from their own celebration. They are able to make suitable wishes as gifts for a baby on this special day, for example love, friendship, happiness. Year 2 pupils consider appropriate behaviour before their visit to a St Botolph’s CE Primary School - 51 church. They recognise some of the artefacts to be found in a church. Pupils in Year 3 are gaining a wider insight into the similarities and differences between their own lives and those of Hindu children. They are aware that frequently Hindus have shrines in their own homes as well as visiting temples to worship. They learn the stories told about Hindu gods and continue to gain a wider knowledge of the stories contained in the Christian Bible. They compare and contrast ceremonies important to both

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religions, celebrating a Harvest festival at the local church and Diwali, the festival of light.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

156 The overall quality of teaching is sound with some good features. In very good aspects of teaching a spiritual dimension is brought to a session whereby pupils look at wonders of the natural world and the magnificence of a waterfall at sunrise and water at sunset and enhanced by a background of music. The very good use of resources further enhances learning. Good teaching is evident in the series of planned events surrounding the christening ceremony. Pupils watch a video of the event, discuss and act out the event in their own classroom and consolidate their knowledge by role playing the family gathering with the vicar officiating at a later session. Where teaching is less effective learning objectives are written and shared with pupils in a language more suitable for adults than pupils. Sometimes in such lessons the constraints put upon pupils, through the expectations of conforming to a specific style of response, are too restrictive. This results in them concentrating on

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

part of the objective i.e. how to behave rather than how to show respect for special places and things.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

157 Pupils are very responsive to the good teaching. They are well behaved throughout all lessons and relationships are good. When they are given the opportunity to be creative they achieve well.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

158 The co-ordinator is very knowledgeable about the Christian religion and works hard to provide support for colleagues and ensure they have a good bank of resources. There are some assessment procedures in place but these are not consistent across the school and are not yet having an impact on teaching and learning. Visitors and visits to places of interest enhance the curriculum. The local church is used very regularly and Year 2 pupils visit the cathedral in Lincoln. Older pupils are fascinated by the Hindu dances as demonstrated by a visitor and enjoy listening to stories related to the dance. Assemblies play an important part in the curriculum and frequently tell relevant stories. For example the youngest pupils hear the story of The Lost Sheep and older pupils consider the feelings of disabled people after an appropriate story.

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