Cherrywood Community Primary School

SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 4 th to 7 th November 2002

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SCHOOL

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

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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. Cherrywood Community Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Mayfield Road Farnborough Hampshire

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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 D Woolford

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: Not applicable Cherrywood Community Primary School - 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

20007 Mr T Neat Registered inspector Design and technology Physical education What sort of school is it? The school’s results and pupils’ achievements How well are pupils taught? How well is the school led and managed? 9614 Mrs C Webb Lay inspector Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? 32361 Mr M Loveys Team inspector Mathematics Art and design Religious education

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

28088 Mrs C Raymond Team inspector Science Foundation Stage 24758 Ms D Townsend Team inspector Geography History Music How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils? 10355 Mr J Vipond Team inspector English Information and communication technology Equal opportunities Special educational needs English as an additional language Cherrywood Community Primary School - 5 The inspection contractor was:

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Full Circle division of Parkman 35 Trewartha Park Weston-Super-Mare North Somerset BS23 2RT

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Cherrywood Community Primary School - 6

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 7

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 12

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Cherrywood Community Primary is a newly-created school which opened in September 2001. It was set up following the closure of an infant and a junior school that shared the same site. Both these schools and a unit serving pupils with special educational needs on the same campus closed in July 2001. There are 313 full-time pupils on roll, of whom 159 are boys and 154 girls. Almost a third of pupils are known to be eligible for free school meals which is above average. The attainment of most pupils joining the school in reception is below the level normally found.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

The school operates in an area of significant social deprivation. The housing within the area served by the school was built as an overspill estate for the Greater London Council. A housing association now runs it. Some of the housing nearest to the school is used by the social services for families moving out of bed and breakfast accommodation and for families at risk. As soon as they can, many families move out of the area. The number of pupils moving into and out of the school part way through the school year is much higher than in most other schools. This proportion is rising.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

The percentage of pupils with special educational needs is well above average. About half the pupils are currently identified as having special learning needs. A high proportion of these have emotional and behavioural problems. Others have complex needs affected by medical conditions. The percentage with statements of special educational needs is broadly average. Currently, 37 pupils do not speak English as a home language and ten of these are at an early stage of learning English. The main languages spoken by these pupils are Nepalese, Chinese and Portuguese. Thirteen of the pupils for whom English is an additional language also have special educational needs. The proportion of families from minority ethnic groups, especially Nepalese, is rising. Recruiting teachers is difficult because of the high property prices in the wider area.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Cherrywood is an effective and improving school, which provides a caring and secure environment in which pupils can learn. Thanks to the good leadership and management of the headteacher, the serious problem of poor behaviour, prevalent among older pupils when the new school opened, has been largely overcome. The strong commitment of the staff to bring about improvement, together with the effectiveness of most of the teaching, ensures that pupils achieve satisfactorily. The school provides satisfactory value for money. Cherrywood Community Primary School - 8 What the school does well • The headteacher provides good quality leadership and management. • The school has a strong influence on pupils’ personal development, especially their social skills. • The checks made on attendance and pupils’ behaviour are good. • Good arrangements are in place to help pupils with special educational needs. • The school works hard and well to involve parents in the education of their children.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

• The teaching of personal, social, and health education is good. • Good quality links with the community add breadth, depth and interest to pupils’ opportunities for learning.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What could be improved • Standards in English, mathematics and science. • Standards of work with computers. • The effectiveness of the governing body. • How well the school assesses what pupils can do and uses the information to plan tasks to match the needs of pupils, especially the more able. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

In addition to the areas for development identified above, the governors should give consideration to including in their action plan the improvement of teachers’ marking, increased provision of outdoor play for reception children and the development of procedures for assessing pupils’ work in those foundation subjects for which none currently exist.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school has not been inspected before.

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STANDARDS

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

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STANDARDS

Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

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STANDARDS

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

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STANDARDS

The table above shows that in the first national tests taken at the school, pupils aged 11 achieved standards in English, mathematics and science that were well below the average for all schools. Compared to schools with a similar percentage of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals standards were below average in English and Cherrywood Community Primary School - 9 mathematics and well below average in science. The results of the tests for seven year olds showed that standards in reading, writing and mathematics were in the lowest five per cent in the country for both all schools and similar schools. Inspection evidence shows that in relation to the levels of attainment when they join the school, most pupils achieve appropriately. There are several factors such as the high proportion of pupils with special educational needs and the above average percentage of pupils who arrive at the school and leave part way through the school year that affect the school’s results

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STANDARDS

adversely. The changes caused by the closure of the original infant and junior schools which this school replaced also had a negative effect on the school’s results.

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STANDARDS

Inspection findings indicate that the work of the current cohort of seven year olds is broadly in line with the level expected of their age group in science but below the expected level in English and mathematics. The standards achieved by pupils aged 11 are broadly in line with the expected level in mathematics and science but below in English. Standards at seven years of age are as expected nationally in art and design, design and technology and physical education but are below the expected level in history. Standards of 11 year olds are in line with expectations in art and design and history. Standards in information and communication technology [ICT] are below the expected level for both age groups. This is because the school opened with little modern equipment. At both seven and 11, pupils achieve standards that are in line with those set out in the locally agreed syllabus for religious education. For other subjects there is

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STANDARDS

insufficient evidence to make judgements.

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STANDARDS

The school set itself challenging targets to achieve in its first year which it exceeded in the face of considerable difficulties.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attitudes to the school Satisfactory. The new school has been successful in promoting positive attitudes to lessons and appropriate values, which parents appreciate.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Satisfactory. Behaviour has improved markedly since the school opened.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Personal development and relationships Satisfactory. Although a significant proportion of pupils are not very mature, and there are many with emotional and behavioural difficulties, most develop responsible attitudes in school.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attendance Good. Cherrywood Community Primary School - 10

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Quality of teaching Satisfactory Satisfactory Satisfactory 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 AND LEARNING

English and mathematics are taught effectively and literacy and numeracy skills are developed satisfactorily, overall. Good teaching of mathematics in the junior part of the school results in pupils achieving well in relation to their prior attainment. Teachers work hard to meet the needs of all pupils including those with special educational needs and those who do not speak English at home. They do not plan consistently to challenge the more able. Most teachers are good at managing pupils and creating conditions in which learning can take place successfully. This has a strong, positive influence on the progress that pupils make. They do not always assess pupils’ work accurately, mark it effectively and use information about learning to adapt their plans. Parents appreciate the hard work of staff in bringing about great improvements in the behaviour of older pupils.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The quality and range of the curriculum Satisfactory. Good links with the community add breadth to pupils’ opportunities for learning. The school has a good programme of personal, social and health education. The provision of extra-curricular activities is less extensive than in most other schools of this size.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good. The school has strongly-developed procedures for identifying pupils with special educational needs early in their school life. The support that pupils require is assessed thoroughly.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Satisfactory. The ethos of the school is one of inclusion. Cultural diversity is recognized, valued and celebrated to raise the self-esteem and confidence of different ethnic groups. As a result, they are integrated well into school life.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Good. The provision the school makes for the social and moral development of pupils is a strong feature. Cherrywood Community Primary School - 11 How well the school cares for its pupils Satisfactory. The health and safety of pupils are high priorities for the school. Good procedures for encouraging attendance have reduced absence. Very effective behaviour management procedures have helped to increase pupils’ opportunities to learn. There are no agreed procedures for judging how well pupils learn in some subjects.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The school makes good provision for working with parents. It provides good quality information for them. Parental support is improving but many remain reluctant to be involved in their children’s lives at school and are not able to help or choose not to help them at home.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The good leadership and management of the headteacher have resulted in the school establishing itself successfully despite considerable difficulties. He is aware of the need to increase the responsibility delegated to other key members of staff.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities The governors are very supportive of the school. They need to develop more effective ways of gathering information and to take greater advantage of training opportunities.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The school’s evaluation of its performance A good start has been made on gathering and collating information about pupils’ attainment that will help the school to judge its overall effectiveness.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The strategic use of resources The school makes effective use of the resources available to it. The headteacher applies the principles of best value well. The school provides satisfactory value for money.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

There are enough qualified teachers and support staff to allow the curriculum to be taught effectively. The present accommodation is spacious but does not allow the school to operate as one unit. Everyone is looking forward to the construction of the new building.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved • The school expects their children to work hard and achieve her or his best. • Their children make good progress. • Their children like going to school. • The teaching is good. • They feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. • The range of extra-curricular activities. • The information provided by the school. • The provision of homework.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

The inspection team endorses the positive views that the majority of parents have of the school. It agrees that a wider range of extra-curricular activities could be provided. Cherrywood Community Primary School - 12 Inspection findings show that the school provides good quality information for parents and the provision of homework is appropriate. Cherrywood Community Primary School - 13

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. The attainment of the groups of children joining the infant school, which closed down to be replaced by Cherrywood Primary School, varied significantly each year, but overall was well below average. The attainment of the current cohort in the reception class was below average when they joined the school, with poorly developed language, personal and social skills. Inspection evidence, limited because it was gathered early in the school year, suggests that children in the reception class are making satisfactory progress thanks to consistently effective teaching. However, most are not on track to achieve the learning goals agreed nationally for this age group.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. The pupils of this newly opened school took the national tests for the first time this year. The results show that the standards of seven year olds in reading, writing and mathematics were in the lowest five per cent in the country when compared with all schools and when compared with those with similar levels of pupils eligible for free school meals. Teachers assessed standards in science as well below average. Records show that the attainment of this group was very low when they joined the original infant school. One of the two classes in Year 2 last year was taught by a newly-qualified teacher and, because of staffing difficulties, the other had a change of teachers. This cohort also had a high proportion of pupils with complex special educational needs as well as children arriving at the school and leaving it, part way through the school year. Further information held by the school indicates that, compared to all the other schools in the county,

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

these pupils made gains that are at least satisfactory in relation to their attainment when they joined the school.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. The national tests of 2002 indicated that the standards in English, mathematics and science of pupils aged 11 were well below average compared to all schools. In relation to schools with similar levels of pupils eligible for free school meals, standards were below average in English and mathematics and well below in science. Compared with schools in the same free school meals category, the more able pupils’ performance in mathematics was average, in English it was well below average, and in science it was below average.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. Taking into account the above average level of pupils with special educational needs - a high proportion of which are emotional and behavioural problems - the above average percentage moving into and out of the school during term time, and the disruption caused by the closure of the two original schools, the inspection team judges that pupils achieve satisfactorily. Ninety five per cent of parents replying to the pre-inspection questionnaire feel that pupils make good progress. Parents at the meeting with inspectors agreed and said that given the problems faced by the school when it opened, it has moved a long way and standards had improved significantly in the course of its first year. Cherrywood Community Primary School - 14 5. The good work done by senior managers to establish accurate pupil attainment records has the potential for helping to drive up standards, by enabling them to analyse how well different groups of pupils learn and to set demanding targets.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. The inspection evidence available, although limited, reflects the results of the national tests for seven year olds and shows that in English and mathematics the standards of the present Year 2 are below the level expected of their age group. In science, these pupils work at a broadly average level. Thanks to good quality teaching, the current cohort of 11 year olds works broadly in line with the levels expected of their age group in mathematics and science, but standards are below average in English.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7. In other subjects a mixed picture emerges, due to the considerable difficulties faced by the school when it opened. In religious education, pupils’ attainment is broadly in line with the standards set out in the locally agreed syllabus at both seven and eleven years of age. Seven year olds achieve broadly satisfactory standards in art and design and physical education. Their attainment in history and ICT is below the level expected for their age group. Pupils aged eleven achieve standards in line with expected levels in art and design and history. In ICT standards are well below the expected level. Work on computers has been badly affected by the lack of suitable equipment when the new school opened. Although the school makes proper provision for teaching all other subjects, there was not enough evidence to make reliable judgements about the standards achieved by the pupils.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

8. Most pupils with special educational needs make satisfactory progress against the targets set in their individual education plans, with some achieving good or very good gains. The skilful work of specialist staff, teachers and classroom assistants, and the good range of equipment and materials available to them contribute well to the progress made. Pupils who do not speak English at home learn at broadly the same rate as other children, partly because the school identifies the problems these pupils face as soon as possible. A clear, well- implemented policy of inclusion also helps to promote their progress. At the time of the inspection most pupils had already learned enough English to allow them full access to all lessons.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

9. The results of the national tests in 2002 show that at both seven and 11 boys did better than girls. This reflects the work that the school had to do urgently, when it opened, to address problems of poor behaviour among the boys by boosting their self-esteem. Inspection findings show that there are now no marked differences in the standards of boys and girls.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

10. The school set itself challenging targets to achieve at the end of its first year. Thanks to the hard work of the headteacher in overcoming difficulties in recruiting teachers and the success of the staff in promoting pupils’ personal development to enable them to learn effectively, these were exceeded.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

11. The new school is fast establishing its own identity and parents are pleased with the attitudes to lessons and positive values their children learn. They are Cherrywood Community Primary School - 15 particularly happy with the improvement in the behaviour at school over the past year. Children and pupils like their school and most arrive on or before time in the mornings. The few regular latecomers are well known. Punctuality is expected and praised. Attendance is now good when compared with the national average for primary schools. Much of the absence can be attributed to one family whose two children’s attendance is poor. Holidays in term time are discouraged but still form part of the absence statistics.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12. Behaviour has improved significantly in the past year and is now satisfactory overall. The school is an inclusive and generally orderly community, with few but effective and well known ‘golden rules’. However, a significant number of pupils throughout the school are not very mature or have problems. Their unsatisfactory behaviour requires constant attention from teaching staff and limits the progress of others in a few lessons. Teachers use positive class management strategies well. The fact that so many pupils remain in class and are included in lessons is due to these well-practised techniques and to the valuable support pupils receive from the well trained and committed classroom assistants.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13. Pupils recognise the need for rules and know what will happen if they do not conform. ‘Time out’ in other classrooms is effective as a cooling-off period and few wish to be sent to see the headteacher in the event of serious misdemeanours. Exclusion has only been used once since February last year. Prior to that date there were eight for a fixed term and two permanent exclusions in the previous academic year. Pupils quickly learn the difference between right and wrong and develop their own strong sense of natural justice as they move up the school. Their moral development is good.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. Outside in the junior playground a lot of ‘letting off steam’ and exuberant, hard- fought ball games were observed but neither malicious nor vindictive behaviour was seen. Those using the well-marked infant playground enjoyed their freedom and were well behaved. They were upset when one of their number was hurt, and accompanied him to the first aid station. During wet playtimes all pupils were delighted to use the special games and equipment provided for this and most behaved well.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

15. Most pupils are interested in their lessons and want to learn, although many can only concentrate for short periods of time. Registration provides a calm and purposeful start to the school day. Pupils in Year 1 enjoyed their physical education lesson when they mimed the actions of fireworks to taped music. Their representations of Catherine wheels faithfully followed those of their teacher. In Year 5, the ‘shooting the sheriff’ mental mathematics session was eagerly contested, with non-combatants trying hard to help those in the firing line. Another good example of pupils’ enthusiasm was when those in Year 4 were writing their own instructions on how to make a paper plane, using their own designs. Great excitement was evident when these flew.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

16. Pupils’ social development is very good. Children quickly develop these skills from the time they arrive in the reception classes where they learn to negotiate, for example, when two wish to use the same piece of equipment. They enjoy sharing their achievements with adults. Teachers provide good role models for pupils to copy. Relationships between pupils and with adults are satisfactory and Cherrywood Community Primary School - 16 improving as pupils settle in their new classes and new friendships are formed. A recent drama workshop on bullying for older pupils resulted in them creating their own scenarios. The majority do not approve of silly or nasty behaviour. Assemblies, personal, social and health education lessons and ‘circle time 1 ’ sessions* give pupils good opportunities to reflect on moral values and social issues and are used well to resolve immediate difficulties that have arisen.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

Pupils who speak English as an additional language and those who have additional education or other needs are supported well both by their peers and by teaching staff, who successfully plan to include them in all activities.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

17. Pupils’ personal development is satisfactory. Teachers appoint weekly monitors for a variety of tasks in each classroom which ensures all have a chance to take responsibility. Pupils enjoy this and most are conscientious in carrying out any task well. Year 6 pupils are designated ‘senior pupils’ and help in assemblies by setting out the chairs, clearing the hall and operating the overhead projector. Those in charge of distributing the registers and any correspondence to go home are careful to sort out the paperwork before entering classrooms in each of the three buildings. They enjoy helping with reception class children. However, there are too few occasions when pupils use their own initiative and they need to be encouraged to do this.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

18. Membership of the new school council is important and the representatives from each class are proud to hold this position. The chair and secretary carry out their new roles with confidence, ably guided from the sidelines by the headteacher. They are excited to be asked for their class ideas on how best to use the courtyard space when the new building is completed. This is a good example of their involvement in school planning and a good opportunity for them to experience democracy at first hand. Pupils are beginning to understand their duties and responsibilities as citizens of Britain’s multicultural society.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

19. Pupils’ cultural development is satisfactory. Music, art and religious education lessons give them a taste of other cultures and traditions as well as their own. They are interested in these lessons but there are missed opportunities throughout the curriculum to expand their multicultural knowledge. For instance, Divali was mentioned in one assembly but its similarity with other religious festivals was not exploited.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

20. Pupils’ spiritual development is satisfactory. They appreciate different experiences as was evidenced during a Year 2 science lesson when pupils, looking through a kaleidoscope for the first time, uttered ‘wow’ when they saw the myriad patterns taking shape and changing form. Assemblies give opportunities for thought as well as for reflection. “Where the world came from” is to be explored during the coming weeks and creation myths from a variety of faiths and traditions will be told. A lower school assembly was received with great interest and wonder by pupils, when the teacher told them the story of Duok, and how he created the peoples of Africa according to the colour of the earth. This finished

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

1 *Circle time sessions provide opportunities for pupils to share feelings, opinions and beliefs with their teacher and their peers. Cherrywood Community Primary School - 17 as one pupil commented “but we are all the same inside” which, as the teacher remarked, summed up her assembly very well. Every Wednesday a community assembly is held and visitors with a variety of interests are invited to speak to pupils. A presentation given during the assembly by staff who run the community computer centre was received with enthusiasm and many pupils spoke of their determination to try this out for themselves.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

21. The majority of teaching is satisfactory or better and results in pupils throughout the school achieving appropriately.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

22. Ninety six per cent of the teaching seen was at least satisfactory, with nearly one lesson in three of good or better quality. The best teaching was found in Years 5 and 6. Lessons in mathematics are better than those found in other subjects, with the majority of good teaching being in Year 5. As a result, pupils in the junior part of the school achieve well in this subject.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

23. Teaching in the reception class creates a calm, caring environment in which children feel safe and are encouraged to be independent. Appropriate activities are planned but not enough attention is paid to identifying precisely what the children are intended to learn.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

24. Skills of literacy and numeracy are taught effectively across the school giving pupils, including those with English as an additional language, access to the other subjects of the curriculum. The teaching of ICT is relatively weak, partly because teachers and pupils have only had access to modern computers for the last few months. Pupils in Year 6 had their first lesson on using the Internet during the inspection. In the unsatisfactory ICT lessons, demonstrations were not effective because many pupils could not see the equipment readily or the class was not managed sufficiently well.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

25. In all classes, including those with teachers new to the job, the members of staff work hard to build a purposeful learning atmosphere. They have done well, especially in the junior part of the school, to manage the poor behaviour inherited as a result of the disruption caused by the closure of the original junior school. Pupils in the vast majority of cases are now motivated to learn and settle willingly to their tasks. Those with emotional and behavioural problems are given sensitive and effective support by both the teachers and the classroom assistants. The management of pupils is a strong feature of the teaching. This, together with the care teachers show for pupils with special educational needs and those who do not speak English at home, results in everyone feeling included. There is inconsistency, however, in the extent to which more able pupils have their needs meet. Some parents who spoke to inspectors said that

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

the school did very well for pupils of lower ability. They hoped that as soon as it was possible those capable of higher attainment could be extended more effectively. Inspection evidence shows that the planning for lessons is not based securely enough on what teachers found out about the learning in the recent past of different ability groups, especially the more able. Not enough tasks are set for more able pupils to challenge them throughout the lesson. Cherrywood Community Primary School - 18 26. Pupils’ personal development also receives a boost from the good quality of teaching in lessons especially timetabled for that purpose. In such a lesson for Year 5, the teacher’s quiet, pleasant manner put pupils at their ease. The teacher provided highly appropriate activities that required that all were involved. Many took the form of games. As a result, the pupils joined in readily and showed much interest. The technique of pairing a pupil with good social skills with one of lower

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

accomplishments worked well and everyone learned how to listen well and about the problems caused by those who do not. In a ‘circle time’ session in Year 3, the skilful use of the teacher’s voice and the good opportunities created for pupils to offer their ideas for improving playtimes helped everyone to feel valued.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

27. The teachers work well with their classroom assistants and brief them effectively about the work in hand. They deploy the assistants well and this, together with the good quality of the assistants’ work, has a positive impact on the progress that pupils make.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

28. The effectiveness of the marking of pupils’ work is inconsistent. There are good examples of comments that encourage pupils, but not enough which show them how they can improve. Teachers’ written comments do not refer sufficiently to pupils’ success or failure in achieving the objectives set for the lesson or the standards they need to reach.

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PUPILS?

29. The curriculum for the Foundation Stage 2 is based securely on the nationally agreed areas of learning for children of this age. It contributes to the children’s satisfactory progress in the reception classes.

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PUPILS?

30. The quality and range of the curriculum for pupils aged five to 11 are satisfactory. The statutory requirements to teach the subjects of the National Curriculum are met as are those regarding religious education and collective worship. The curriculum is broad and generally balanced. Most curriculum policies are currently in draft form.

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PUPILS?

31. The school is implementing the national strategies for improving literacy and numeracy successfully. This has contributed to the good mathematics teaching in the juniors. Teachers use the planning frameworks appropriately. Teachers in the same year groups plan together well to provide equal opportunities for pupils of similar ages in different classes. However, the learning needs of the different ability groups, especially the more able are not consistently identified sufficiently well in planning.

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PUPILS?

32. The school works well to include all pupils. It makes good provision for those with special educational needs. The school works hard to ensure that these pupils take part in all activities. A good number of those with emotional and behavioural problems for whom the school provides good learning opportunities would probably not retain places at other primary schools. Teachers’ planning takes

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PUPILS?

2 *The Foundation Stage is the period of education from three to the end of the reception year. Cherrywood Community Primary School - 19 good account of pupils with special educational needs. In the best lessons observed the work provided for this group was well structured and classroom assistants effectively supported the pupils. Pupils whose home language is not English, have equal access to opportunities to learn. The school makes good use of the help available from the local education authority to assist these pupils. Most make good progress in learning English.

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PUPILS?

33. The school makes good provision for personal, social and health education. The opportunities pupils are given to share their experiences, views and opinions in groups during circle time have strong impact on pupils’ personal development. The school has a policy for the teaching of sex education which is currently in draft form. The community liaison police officer provides drug awareness education working with pupils in lessons and assemblies.

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PUPILS?

34. The school offers limited out-of-school opportunities on a regular weekly basis. These are fewer than usually found in most primary schools of this size. Inspection findings therefore support the views expressed by parents about this issue. Boys and girls have equal access to this provision. Pupils have the opportunity to develop additional skills, for example, learning a musical instrument. This is provided by Hampshire Music Service.

p.19

PUPILS?

35. The school is proud of its community links especially those developed through the ‘parent and toddler group’ and the ‘bumps and babes group’. The school also provides a beginner course ‘computing for parents’. It liaises well with the computer centre provided for the community to encourage pupils to improve their computer skills by using its facilities. Visitors attend the weekly community assembly. Links with local farms, supermarkets and other organizations such as professional football clubs also add breadth and depth to the range of pupils’ learning opportunities.

p.19

PUPILS?

36. Relationships with partner institutions are satisfactory. The school has established effective links with the local nursery and the neighbouring secondary school. These help considerably in the transition from one school to another. The school has well-advanced plans to provide training opportunities for student teachers through their links with the local initial teacher training institution.

p.19

PUPILS?

37. The overall provision for spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. A positive atmosphere is evident throughout the school.

p.19

PUPILS?

38. The provision for spiritual development is satisfactory. The main sources are acts of collective worship and the teaching of religious education. Whole school assemblies provide opportunities for pupils to sing together and to reflect on the planned theme. The provision for moral development is good. Much work is put into teaching the pupils right from wrong, and a system of ‘golden rules’ has been introduced which are displayed prominently around both buildings. The school provides very well for social development. During all lessons and at other times of the day, emphasis is placed upon the encouragement of good behaviour and positive attitudes. An agreed system of rewards and sanctions helps to maintain a consistent approach to upholding the school rules and is clearly benefiting pupils and staff across the whole school. Satisfactory arrangements are made to promote pupils’ cultural awareness and understanding. The work in religious

p.19

PUPILS?

Cherrywood Community Primary School - 20 education lessons increases pupils’ appreciation of other religions and representatives of ethnic groups in the community are regularly invited into school. The lack of faith groups other than Christian in the wider and immediate area makes it difficult for the school to extend its provision.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

39. The new school places a high priority on pupils’ health, safety and welfare. The policy has been reviewed, and a new governor has accepted the responsibility for health and safety. Risk assessments are carried out regularly and logged. Personnel trained in first aid are on site at all times, and procedures are good. Incidents are noted and monitored.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

40. The procedures and guidelines for child protection are good. The headteacher, as the designated teacher, is to update his training in December, and members of staff are due to receive training in child protection imminently. Both the caretaker at the infant school site and the site manager, based in the junior school building, are very conscientious in keeping the interiors well cleaned and the grounds free from litter.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

41. The school has good systems in place to promote and monitor attendance. Registers are scrutinised daily and telephone calls made to homes on the first day of a pupil’s absence if no explanation has been received. These are swiftly followed by a letter if the call is not answered. The education welfare officer is appropriately involved when pupils’ attendance or punctuality is causing concern.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

42. The comprehensive behaviour management policy is implemented consistently by staff, all of whom attended a day’s training at the beginning of this term. The school’s procedures are very effective in containing inappropriate behaviour and encouraging good conduct. Pupils know and discuss the ‘golden rules’ and understand what is expected. They value the stickers, cards, merits and certificates they receive for their achievements, both academic and personal, and look forward to sharing their success in assembly. Pupils accept that any sanctions given are fair.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

43. The school has satisfactory procedures for promoting pupils’ personal development. Teachers know their pupils well and give them appropriate opportunities, such as tidying the books, to take responsibility. All are proud to carry out their allotted tasks. Weekly monitors are appointed in each class and Year 6, as senior pupils, collect the registers from the office and distribute these. They arrange the chairs for assemblies, operate the overhead projector and, at appropriate times, enjoy assisting the teachers with children in the reception classes.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

44. Carefully planned personal, social and health education lessons as well as circle time sessions enable all to discuss moral and social dilemmas and mores. These sessions also serve to resolve more immediate issues arising from playtime or during their lessons. Membership of the newly elected school council gives representatives an opportunity to experience democracy at first hand. Pupils in Years 5 and 6 enjoyed their ‘safety day’ organised by the army and other agencies. As part of this they were placed in a series of scenarios to help them Cherrywood Community Primary School - 21 understand and cope with the difficulties and dangers to be found outside their school environment, as well as to set their minds at rest about transfer to their secondary schools. Pupils are prepared well for the next stage of their education.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

45. Monitoring of pupils’ personal development is satisfactory, although largely informal and recorded mainly in their annual reports. Some teachers set targets for and assess social behaviour on a regular basis and this good practice could be extended to include pupils in all classes.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

46. Statutory requirements are met in both teacher assessment and National Curriculum testing at the ages of seven and 11. Assessment data from national tests is recorded and analysed. This data, however, is not always used to determine what should be taught next or where provision needs to be adjusted to meet the needs of all pupils in order to improve results. The school has recently implemented a system for setting annual targets for year groups and individuals in mathematics and English. This is in the early stages of development.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

47. The school has recently implemented procedures for assessing how well pupils learn as they pass through the school. The quality and practice of assessment by teachers are variable, with some being more skilful than others in judging how well pupils achieve in relation to the standards expected in the National Curriculum. The school is aware of the need to ensure that all teachers assess pupils’ work accurately and consistently and has planned work to bring this about.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

48. The arrangements for assessment have not yet been developed to identify the next steps that pupils need to take in their learning. The school has plans to develop targets set for pupils to achieve over the course of several weeks. It needs to ensure that information about how well pupils learn is used more effectively to make changes in plans, should they be necessary. This information should also be used to decide and when necessary change short-term targets for all pupils to achieve.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

49. There are no formal procedures for assessing gifted and talented pupils. As a result, these pupils are not always set tasks that are matched sufficiently well to their individual needs. However, the learning of pupils with special educational needs or those needing extra support is assessed regularly and teaching adjusted to their needs.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

50. There are no assessment procedures in subjects such as art and design and religious education. This makes it difficult for teachers to plan tasks to meet pupils’ learning needs. The assessment co-ordinator has identified the need for staff training in order to develop assessment policy and practice.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

51. The school tries very hard to involve parents in their children’s lives at school but enjoys only limited success. Links with parents are good but the school’s relationships with them, although improving, are currently only satisfactory. Parents’ support for the school is increasing and those who are in contact Cherrywood Community Primary School - 22 regularly are very pleased with the changes which have taken place. The few who assist teachers are mainly parents of children in the infant classes. The school endeavours to support parents in any way it can and operates an ‘open door’ policy. The family learning courses have now finished but five parents have joined the new ‘SHARE’ project aimed at promoting family learning. Another five are eagerly awaiting their second or third course. Through the community group, parents and toddlers use the community room in school for five sessions each week, and the pre-school group meets on the premises each day. However,

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

many parents either cannot or do not want to be involved with school activities and barely half have signed the home school agreements, which indicates their level of support despite the school’s best efforts to encourage them.

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

52. Parents’ attendance at consultation meetings is low at 73 per cent. Teachers try to contact those who do not attend, for whatever reason, and are available to speak to parents at other times if they have any concerns. Though teachers write useful comments in the home school books on how parents can support their children with reading at home, these are not acknowledged by approximately half of parents and are therefore not an effective means of dialogue between home and school. However, when school productions take place the school is filled to over-flowing with parents and relatives all keen to celebrate what their child can do.

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

53. Parents receive good quality information from the school. News and other letters ensure they are told about future events, sporting and others, and happenings at school. Both the school prospectus and the governors’ annual report for parents contain useful data. The annual reports record pupils’ personal development as well as information about what they have been studying and their achievements, although not all give useful targets on how children can improve. Members of the office staff are always ready to help parents with form-filling as well as to explain any communication sent out. The parents of children with special educational or other needs, as well as those who speak English as an additional language, are informed well and supported well.

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

54. The informal parent teacher association, currently organised by a teacher and relying on a small core of parent volunteers, runs successful, fun and fund-raising events such as the Christmas and Summer Fairs. Discos have not been organised recently due to the silly behaviour of some local youths which resulted in petty vandalism. Events raise significant amounts of money which have been used well to augment school resources and to subsidise some of the educational visits pupils make.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

55. The good leadership of the headteacher has been instrumental in getting this new school off to a successful start, despite the many difficulties it has faced. He identified very clearly the issues that needed to be addressed when the school came into being. The delay in deciding the future of the original infant and junior schools resulted in most of the staff leaving. Only weeks before the school opened the school did not have the full complement of teachers it needed. High property prices in the area make recruitment difficult. His tireless work ensured that all classes had qualified teachers when term began. Cherrywood Community Primary School - 23 56. Behaviour in the junior school that closed had deteriorated badly. The headteacher, supported by senior staff drew up an effective strategy, based on improving pupils’ respect for themselves, to address this. Together with all the staff, he set high expectations of pupils’ conduct and supported teachers in

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

ensuring they were met. This has brought about a significant improvement in the morale of both pupils and teachers, and created a secure atmosphere in which learning can take place.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

57. Little useful planning was inherited from the junior school and a high priority has been put on generating and reviewing the effectiveness of the medium-term plans which guide teachers’ planning of lessons. A sensible system has been put into place to result in the drafting and agreement of policies and programmes of work for all subjects.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

58. The headteacher and deputy headteacher have made a good start in collecting data about pupils’ learning in order to evaluate the school’s effectiveness. This process is already influencing how the school plans for improvement, and has the potential for helping to drive standards up.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

59. Good work to monitor the quality of teaching and learning and to share the results with the teachers has helped to increase its effectiveness. This, together with appropriate guidance for planning lessons and a marked improvement in behaviour, has resulted in the school exceeding its targets for achievement in Year 6. These were challenging in view of the school’s difficult circumstances.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

60. Effective measures are in place to manage the performance of all staff. These are helping to increase the contribution of individuals to moving the school forward.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

61. The headteacher is aware of the need to delegate more responsibility to senior and middle managers. Many subject co-ordinators are new to their responsibilities. Several have been in their posts for only a few weeks. The headteacher has given the co-ordinators clear guidance about how to do their jobs and there are well-advanced, detailed plans to increase their effectiveness in raising standards.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

62. The governors are very supportive of the school and are committed to making a full contribution to shaping the direction it takes. It fulfils its statutory responsibilities and has agreed the scope of the work of its committees. It does not yet have systems in place to gather information to inform its decision making and currently relies too heavily on the headteacher to learn about the school’s strengths and weaknesses. Too few governors have taken advantage of training opportunities to equip them to act more effectively.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

63. The school makes satisfactory use of its resources to improve the quality of education and raise standards. Budget setting is based securely on pursuing the objectives set out in the school’s development plan. Forward financial planning takes full account of future pupil numbers. The financial procedures and financial control are secure. Specific grants are used appropriately and all expenditure is monitored. Cherrywood Community Primary School - 24 64. Subject co-ordinators are appropriately involved in spending plans. They receive an annual ‘maintenance’ amount for their subjects and have to justify their bids for more money. Members of the new finance committee consider the monthly print-outs of expenditure against budget carefully. However, governors do not evaluate sufficiently the impact of their spending decisions on the standards pupils achieve. Day-to-day administration in the office is satisfactory. The clerical

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

staff makes a good contribution to the smooth running of the school. Inspectors judge that the new school is performing effectively in difficult circumstances and gives satisfactory value for money.

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

65. Overall, there are sufficient teaching and non-teaching staff to meet the needs of all pupils in the school. Following the amalgamation of the infant and junior schools in September 2001 only five of the original 16 staff remained in post. The school had difficulty in recruiting teachers and in its first year was staffed partly by temporary teachers. The headteacher and governors have worked hard to attract new teaching staff and this year the school has a full complement of permanent staff. The match of teachers to subjects is not strong, with only the physical education and mathematics co-ordinators having any specialist training in their subjects. However, there are now co-ordinators for all core and foundation subjects and good attention is being given to developing their roles and providing training for them. Procedures for the induction of new teachers are satisfactory.

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

66. The use of non-teaching staff in lessons is a strength, with very good communication existing between classroom assistants and the teachers. However, only one out of 17 assistants has a nationally recognised qualification in learning support and this is an area that requires further development.

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

67. The quality of accommodation is good overall. The infant building is separate from the junior school which makes managing the buildings difficult, as does the fact that the school grounds are used as a thoroughfare by some members of the public. The extensive and good use of displays of pupils’ work and instructional material brightens up rooms, corridors and stairwells and demonstrates that pupils’ achievements are valued. The split site creates other problems, for instance, infant pupils missed a community assembly due to rain and infant and junior staff congregate in separate staffrooms. The new school building, due to be built very soon, has been designed to overcome such problems and will help bring staff from the infant and junior parts of the school together under one roof, thereby creating a greater unity between them. The grounds are attractive and extensive.

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

68. There is a library in each building and the quality of books in each is satisfactory. A computerised lending system allows its efficient use and all pupils use the library at least once per week. Cherrywood Community Primary School - 25

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

69. To consolidate the good work done in establishing the school, the headteacher, staff and governors should now:

p.25

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) raise standards in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science by: [a] ensuring that teachers make consistent and accurate assessments of pupils’ standards in relation to the National Curriculum level descriptions; [See paragraph 47] [b] improving and monitoring the effectiveness of short-term planning in meeting the needs of all pupils, especially the more able; [See paragraphs 25, 77, 86, 93] [c] improving the use of information about how well pupils learn, in order to modify plans and set challenging short-term targets for different ability groups; [See paragraphs 46, 48, 86, 93]

p.25

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

[a] finding ways of creating and sustaining greater interest in reading among pupils and more support from parents for reading at home; [See paragraphs 51, 74, 84] [b] improving the ways in which pupils tackle new words, including their use of phonics; [See paragraph 84] [c] making consistent provision for teaching spelling throughout the school; [See paragraph 87] [d] providing focused programmes of teaching specific literacy skills to groups of pupils; [See paragraph 87]

p.25

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

and specifically in mathematics by raising expectations of teachers about the potential of more able pupils; [See paragraph 93]

p.25

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

and specifically in science by increasing the extent to which pupils engage in investigative and experimental activities; [See paragraphs 97, 99, 102]

p.25

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(2) raise standards in ICT by: [a] planning, implementing and reviewing a full, balanced range of experiences; [b] checking that skills are developed progressively; [c] providing training for teachers in the best use of equipment; [d] planning the use of computers across the curriculum; [See paragraphs 123-127]

p.25

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(3) increase the effectiveness of the governing body by: [a] devising effective ways of gathering information about the strengths and weaknesses of the school’s work; and [b] increasing the amount of training done by its members. [See paragraph 62] Cherrywood Community Primary School - 26 In addition to the areas for development identified above, the governing body should:

p.25

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

[a] ensure that teachers increase the consistency and effectiveness of marking in showing pupils how to improve; [See paragraphs 28, 93, 100] [b] consider including in its action plan the development of effective assessment procedures for those foundation subjects that currently lack them; [See paragraphs 106, 133, 144] [c] provide planned outdoor play opportunities for children in the Foundation Stage during the autumn term, and [See paragraphs 70, 78] [d] address the health and safety concerns brought to its attention. Cherrywood Community Primary School - 27

p.26

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 51

p.27

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

p.27

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Percentage 0 4 25 67 4 0 0 The table gives the number and percentage of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about teaching. Care should be taken when interpreting these percentages as each lesson represents more than one percentage point.

p.27

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6

p.27

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) n/a 313

p.27

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals n/a 83 FTE means full-time equivalent.

p.27

Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6

p.27

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs n/a 4

p.27

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register n/a 151

p.27

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.27

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 37

p.27

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.27

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 49

p.27

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 47

p.27

Attendance

National comparative data 5.6 National comparative data 0.5 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Cherrywood Community Primary School - 28

p.27

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

Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2002 26 19 45

p.28

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.28

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

Boys 15 13 16 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 10 10 9

p.28

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

Percentage of pupils School 56 [n/a] 51 [n/a] 56 [n/a] at NC level 2 or above National 84 [84] 86 [86] 90 [91]

p.28

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.28

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

Boys 15 18 17 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 10 12 16

p.28

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

Percentage of pupils School 56 [n/a] 67 [n/a] 73 [n/a] at NC level 2 or above National 85 [85] 89 [89] 89 [89]

p.28

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

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

p.28

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

Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2002 16 30 46

p.28

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.28

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

Boys 12 9 14 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 20 19 22

p.28

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

Percentage of pupils School 70 [n/a] 61 [n/a] 78 [n/a] at NC level 4 or above National 75 [75] 73 [71] 86 [87]

p.28

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.28

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

Boys 9 8 14 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 18 17 18

p.28

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

Percentage of pupils School 59 [n/a] 54 [n/a] 70 [n/a] at NC level 4 or above National 73 [72] 74 [74] 82 [82] Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Cherrywood Community Primary School - 29

p.28

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.29

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

White – any other White background 1 0 0

p.29

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Mixed – any other mixed background 0 0 0

p.29

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British - Pakistani 3 0 0

p.29

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi 0 0 0

p.29

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.29

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black or Black British – Caribbean 0 0 0

p.29

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.29

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

The table refers to pupils of compulsory school age only. It gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded. Cherrywood Community Primary School - 30

p.29

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 16 Financial year 2001/2

p.30

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 19.75

p.30

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 470,711

p.30

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 18 Total expenditure 470,658

p.30

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 370 Expenditure per pupil 1,475

p.30

Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery Balance brought forward from previous year n/a

p.30

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) n/a Balance carried forward to next year 46,775

p.30

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher n/a

p.30

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff n/a

p.30

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week n/a

p.30

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per FTE adult n/a FTE means full-time equivalent.

p.30

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years n/a

p.30

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years n/a

p.30

Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

p.30

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.30

Recruitment of teachers

Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) 0 FTE means full-time equivalent. Cherrywood Community Primary School - 31

p.30

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

p.31

Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

p.31

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 42 53 4 0 1

p.31

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 22 50 15 1 12

p.31

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 28 54 18 0 0

p.31

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 27 51 20 1 1

p.31

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 40 51 5 0 4

p.31

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 44 51 3 1 1

p.31

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 29 52 15 1 3

p.31

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 34 48 3 1 14

p.31

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 34 54 4 1 7

p.31

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 17 42 26 3 12 Cherrywood Community Primary School - 32

p.31

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

70. Children enter the reception classes at the start of the academic year in which they are five. The attainment varies from year to year. When the children currently in the reception class joined the school, their attainment was significantly below average. However, with consistently satisfactory teaching the majority are expected to achieve appropriately. The limited evidence available to the inspection team suggests that the majority of children will not achieve the goals set for this age by the time they leave the reception class. The school has a secure system of assessment that shows levels of achievement throughout the year. Teachers and support staff plan together and work well as a team to provide a good range of activities. There is appropriate inclusion of all children, including those with special educational needs. Opportunities for physical development outdoors are not planned as part of the curriculum during the

p.32

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

autumn term and at the time of the inspection the outdoor play equipment was used only at playtimes. All children, including those with special educational needs and English as a second language, follow a broad curriculum relating to personal, social and emotional development, communication, language and literacy, mathematical development, knowledge and understanding of the world and physical and creative development.

p.32

Personal and social development

71. Children make satisfactory progress in their personal, social and emotional development as a result of the opportunities provided for them to work and play together. Increasingly they learn to cooperate and help one another, for example, when putting on aprons for painting and using the sand. They begin to take turns at making dinner and using the toy microwave cooker when playing in the home corner. Teachers are effective in encouraging children and, as a result, they start to develop confidence in their relationships with both adults and children. Most play and work together well in a variety of activities, listening to what other children have to say as well as enjoying familiar stories such as ‘Three Little Pigs’. The children are becoming familiar with daily routines, such as answering the register and taking part in snack time. Most take responsibility well, tidying the classrooms at the end of sessions and dressing and undressing themselves

p.32

Personal and social development

72. The teaching and provision for children’s personal, social and emotional development are satisfactory. The adults have established a secure learning environment where children can develop effectively. The members of staff are patient and set a good example to the children showing care and concern for their needs. Children who do not speak English at home and those with special educational needs are fully involved in all class activities supported positively by the teacher and classroom assistant. There are clear routines, which encourage children to learn what is acceptable behaviour. For example, they are taught about taking turns to speak, not calling out, and collecting a coloured band when leaving the classroom to visit the toilets. Teachers ensure that equipment is Cherrywood Community Primary School - 33 easily accessible to the children and in this way encourage independence. They intervene effectively with questions to ensure pupils are challenged.

p.32

Communication, language and literacy

73. Children make satisfactory progress in the development of speaking and listening skills. This is due in part to teachers encouraging the sometimes reluctant speakers to respond by asking direct questions. Children enjoy talking with the staff during snack time and share information with them first thing in the morning. The classroom assistants also contribute well to the development of spoken language. The assistant in one lesson was observed skillfully encouraging a reluctant child to share her book and talk about the pictures in it. She did the same with children playing with dolls in a doll’s house when two boys talked together about a game they were making. Children listen with enjoyment to stories such as ‘The Three Little Pigs’. They join in familiar parts, such as “I’ll huff and I’ll puff”, showing great pleasure. When listening to a story called ‘Come on Daisy’ in which a duckling becomes lost, one child commented: “You must

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Communication, language and literacy

always stay near your mummy and hold her hand.” The teacher used this comment effectively to stimulate further discussion.

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Communication, language and literacy

74. Children make satisfactory progress in the early stages of reading. Opportunities are provided for them to look at books and talk to the adults in the classroom about them. They begin to develop an understanding of the importance and relevance of print, and know that the title of a book indicates what the story is about. The school has set up a link between home and school through a booklet that goes home with a child’s reading book. However, few parents make comments in these books if they hear children read. Children are starting to learn that letters have sounds and names. For instance, they are introduced to ‘s’ and enjoy making the link with ‘sss’ for snake and drawing the shape of the letter They mould it in play dough and make a print of its shape.

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Communication, language and literacy

75. Children have many opportunities to develop writing skills. They find their name on a card and trace carefully over the letters. The home corner is turned into a party room where children are encouraged to write invitations to one another. One child interpreting a series of marks made on her paper explained to the teacher that it said, “I love my baby brother.” Children are given the opportunity to visit the local post office later in the year to buy a stamp and post a letter they have written to a friend in school.

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Communication, language and literacy

76. Members of staff ensure that all pupils are included and regular checks are made of the stages of development. Overall, appropriate activities are provided that help children make progress towards achieving the goals set for this age group. The quality of teaching is satisfactory, but teachers do not give enough emphasis in their day-to-day plans to identifying precisely what they intend the children to learn.

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Mathematical development

77. Teaching and progress in mathematical development are satisfactory, and lessons are planned effectively. Songs are used well to reinforce number recognition. Children show enjoyment and join in happily when singing, “I have Cherrywood Community Primary School - 34 ten little fingers” and “Seven days in a week”. They are able to recognise a triangle, square, circle and rectangle and count the number of corners and edges. During the inspection this learning was reinforced through opportunities such as finding shapes in the sand, selecting squares on the computer and printing them out, and sorting three-dimensional shapes by colour. There is an appropriate range of activities to support learning about space and shape. Children play with different construction equipment to develop their knowledge. The level of work is suited to the needs of most children but opportunities are not always taken to challenge the most able. During the inspection, one teacher

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Mathematical development

created an effective opportunity for children to recognise numbers up to five, by getting children to count and sort teddy bears. Some children are able to count accurately up to ten and beyond.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

78. Children enter the reception class with a basic general knowledge significantly less than that normally found. Effective teaching ensures that they are presented with opportunities to find out about the world in which they live. The teachers work well to ensure that acceptable routines are established which encourage children to understand the importance of good behaviour when working in different places. This allows the teachers to provide a wider range of experiences of the world outside school. Children are given opportunities to visit the local post office to buy a stamp and post a letter. The reception classes visit a local farm where they learn about the care of different animals and experience something of life on a farm. Children enjoy using computers, demonstrating mouse control to select coloured squares. They make a pattern and print out a copy confidently. They join in assemblies where they experience stories from other cultures.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

During the inspection they enjoyed hearing a creation story from another religion.

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Physical development

79. Children make satisfactory gains in their learning as they use tools such as scissors, brushes, pencils and crayons. In one of the lessons observed, the classroom assistant effectively supported a child by showing her how to use training scissors. Most children are quickly developing fine motor skills by controlling the mouse on a computer to select items on a screen and drag them to where they want them. Overall, satisfactory opportunities are provided for children to develop large bodily movements. However, during the inspection no outdoor activities for physical development were planned, although the children used a selection of scooters and tricycles during break times. During a lesson in the hall, children played and enjoyed a variety of class circle games, such as ‘I left a letter for my love,’ which involved running, skipping, taking turns and making choices. Children are also taught how to move physical education mats

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Physical development

and benches safely before using them for balancing and jumping off. Teaching in this area of learning is satisfactory, and members of staff ensure that all children including those with special educational needs are included in every activity. Cherrywood Community Primary School - 35

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Creative development

80. Many opportunities are provided for the children to express themselves creatively. The teaching is satisfactory and the children make appropriate progress. In one lesson children used a jelly to form and print out letter shapes. In another they used paint and straws to represent the fireworks they had seen during the week. Effective opportunities for role play are set up. During the inspection the home corner was turned into a party room decorated with balloons and streamers. Planning indicates that opportunities continue to be provided throughout the year for a variety of role-play situations. The children cut out shapes and manipulate dough, extending and developing their control using modelling materials. After hearing stories about Elmer the Elephant children learn to mix grey to paint an elephant for a classroom collage.

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ENGLISH

81. Overall, standards in English for pupils at age seven and 11 are well below average. In the 2002 tests and assessments for seven year olds the school’s results in reading and writing were well below the national average. The 11 year olds’ results were well below the national average and below the average for similar schools. The evidence gathered during inspection through observing lessons, examining pupils’ books and talking to pupils, shows that the standards of those currently in Years 2 and 6 are below those expected at the age of seven and 11. The majority of pupils enter the school with attainment much lower than that typical for their age group. The inspection team judges that in relation to their prior attainment, pupils achieve appropriately.

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ENGLISH

82. By the age of seven pupils listen carefully and contribute orally in lessons. However, their speaking and listening skills are, overall, below average. Where pupils are required to take part in more extended discussion standards are higher. For example, in a Year 2 class, pupils listened with interest and gave reasoned comments about various accounts of a story about ‘The Gunpowder Plot’. In a Year 1 literacy lesson, the pupils talked well in pairs and there was a good and appropriate level of discussion when helping each other. Most pupils listen well to instructions.

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ENGLISH

83. By the age of 11 standards in speaking and listening are generally below those normally found. Pupils are not always confident in expressing their views. In a Year 5 lesson, the pupils were debating the advantages and disadvantages of homework. Although they made improvement during the lesson, many were hesitant and used disjointed speech in expressing themselves. Pupils in a Year 6 lesson found some difficulty in giving their opinions about how stories were written from differing viewpoints.

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ENGLISH

84. Attainment in reading is below that typically found for pupils who are seven years old. More able pupils read a variety of texts both accurately and with fluency. They understand the main points and can retell stories using their own words. They are able to talk about the characters and the plot. They read fiction and nonfiction books and can express preferences. Average and lower attaining Cherrywood Community Primary School - 36 readers recognize familiar words and some are able to sound out words, but this practice is far from common. Many children are insecure in tackling words which are unfamiliar to them. Pupils show less interest in reading books than is normally found. Although the pupils have home reading diaries, a number of children questioned during the inspection indicated they had limited practice of reading at home. By the age of 11, pupils attain standards in reading that are typically lower than that normally found. Average and lower attaining pupils when

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ENGLISH

recalling a story do so in simple detail. Their reading lacks expression and most have poor skills for dealing with new vocabulary. Most of the older pupils are confident in using books to find information. They can make correct use of contents, index and glossary within a book and know how to use the school library.

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ENGLISH

85. Attainment in writing is below the standard expected from pupils of seven and 11 years of age. By the end of Year 2, more able pupils show an understanding of aspects of speech and grammar in writing. They are able to write in sentences, identifying and using connectives. However, a large number of pupils do not make such progress and their writing is poorly formed. By Year 4, pupils are able to order sentences correctly. This was seen in a piece of work in which they described how to make a paper aeroplane. More able pupils in Year 6 show an understanding of punctuation and spelling, and are able to use it correctly. For example, pupils were observed correcting pieces of writing on a computer using dictionaries and thesauruses to improve the correctness and clarity of the piece. During the inspection fewer examples of extended pupils’ writing were seen than would normally be expected.

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ENGLISH

86. The marking of pupils’ books is inconsistent. Many of the comments give praise for good work but do not offer supportive comments to enable the pupils to reflect on errors and see the next steps they need to make to improve their work. Teachers have well-organized plans for each term showing what the pupils will need to learn and the activities in which they will be engaged. However, many of the day-to-day plans do not always reflect past progress of the pupils. Although the school is now in a position to use test results to support teachers in setting targets for improvements, this is not yet embedded within the planning. The needs of the less able pupils and those with special educational needs are clearly identified. These needs are addressed well in lessons with specific classroom support often provided by effective assistants. The needs of the more able are not consistently well addressed either in the planning or in the

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ENGLISH

87. Overall, the quality of teaching observed in English lessons is satisfactory. The effectiveness of the lessons varied from one which was unsatisfactory to another which was very good. Generally pupils respond well to the teaching and make satisfactory progress. However, in some lessons the teacher has to work hard to ensure that some pupils with behavioural difficulties do not disrupt the progress of the class. Insufficient attention is given to the quality of presentation of work and as a result good quality handwriting is not always evident. Some classes have developed sound strategies for teaching spelling but this is not consistent throughout the school. The National Literacy Strategy for developing pupils’ skills in reading and writing has been established effectively within the school, but Cherrywood Community Primary School - 37 needs to further develop with additional focused programmes for teaching

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ENGLISH

specific literacy skills to selected groups of pupils.

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ENGLISH

88. Overall, resources for English are satisfactory. There are good displays in classrooms to support the teaching of grammar and spelling. The school has a number of good quality ‘big books’ which help the whole class to join in reading stories. This increases pupils’ enjoyment of books and improves their learning. A number of good sets of group reading story books contribute to raising standards in literacy lessons. The joint English co-ordinators are newly in post and are keen, along with the rest of the staff, to improve the quality of teaching and learning and to raise standards. There is little evidence of teachers having the opportunity to make sure they know how to assess pupils’ work accurately and compare their judgements with other teachers. However, the co-ordinators are aware of the strengths and weaknesses in their subject and have produced a comprehensive action plan which, given time, will raise the standards within the

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ENGLISH

school. With the exception of ICT, work in other subjects contributes effectively to the development of skills.

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MATHEMATICS

89. Children join the school possessing mathematical knowledge and skills that are well below average. Results from the national tests show that standards attained at the age of 11 are below the national average, while standards attained at the age of seven are well below the national average. When compared to similar schools, 11 year olds’ standards are below average and seven year olds attain standards well below average.

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MATHEMATICS

90. Evidence from the observation of lessons and scrutiny of work shows that progress in the infant part of the school is satisfactory, and in the junior part it is good. Pupils with special educational needs and those who do not speak English at home make satisfactory progress due to good support and work that is matched well to their needs. Inspection evidence does not indicate any significant difference in the attainment of boys and girls.

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MATHEMATICS

91. The majority of pupils in Year 2 work below the level expected by the age of seven. Most pupils said they enjoyed mathematics and the more able and average pupils are keen to talk about their work. All pupils count up to 20, and some are able to count up to 100 and to count backwards from 50. Pupils add together single digit numbers, but only the more able know subtraction facts for all numbers up to ten. None of the pupils understand the concept of doubling numbers. Pupils are beginning to understand simple place value and the more able can continue a simple number sequence. All pupils name simple two- dimensional shapes, and the more able describe more complex two-dimensional and some three-dimensional shapes.

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MATHEMATICS

92. The majority of 11 year olds work at the level expected for their age. Most pupils order three decimal fractions correctly, but only the more able know how to multiply a decimal number by ten. Most pupils have an appropriate understanding of percentages and know that 50 per cent is the same as a half. The more able know that 25 per cent is the same as a quarter. All pupils know their two, five and ten times tables, whilst all but the less able know their four, Cherrywood Community Primary School - 38 seven, eight and nine times tables. Most can describe a prime number and half the pupils read block graphs. The more able pupils know that division is the inverse operation to multiplication and half the pupils can describe acute and obtuse angles. The vast majority can describe shapes such as equilateral triangles, and the more able and average pupils can explain the concepts of perimeter and area. Pupils read a thermometer and all know that there are 100p

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MATHEMATICS

in £1.00. Most pupils name and describe two-dimensional shapes and the more able explain what circumference and diameter mean.

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MATHEMATICS

93. The teaching of mathematics is satisfactory in the infant part of the school and good in the junior school, especially in Years 5 and 6. This is reflected in the quality of learning across the school. Some very good teaching was observed in Year 5. There was no unsatisfactory teaching. Lessons are organised well and teachers have good subject knowledge. The planning for mathematics is taken from the National Numeracy Strategy and this ensures good coverage of all aspects of the subject. All lessons include mental arithmetic activities and different tasks for pupils of various abilities. The final part of the lesson is used effectively to summarize what has been learned. The provision that teachers make for less able pupils is good. However, it is not always sufficient to meet the needs of the more able. Teachers do not always expect enough of these pupils. The marking of pupils’ work is thorough, but it does not give them a clear idea of

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MATHEMATICS

how to make their work better. There is very little evidence either in books or in lessons of short-term targets being set for improvement.

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MATHEMATICS

94. Good, positive relationships between teachers and pupils enhance learning across the whole school. Where good questioning techniques are employed, pupils with behavioural difficulties are included fully in the lesson and this improves their learning. Pupils feel secure in trying to answer questions knowing that if they make mistakes the teachers will deal with any incorrect answers very sensitively. The teachers and classroom assistants work well together and the assistants make a positive contribution to teaching and learning across the school. The teachers ensure that the assistants are briefed well each day about what they need to do. Regular homework is used to consolidate and extend learning. A good example of helpful marking of homework was observed in a Year 5 class. Teachers use displays of pupils’ work to encourage them and celebrate their achievements. A display of work about ‘time’ in Year 3 engaged

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MATHEMATICS

pupils’ interest well and helped their learning by asking them to set the hands of a clock face correctly.

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MATHEMATICS

95. Despite a larger than normal number of pupils sometimes showing challenging behaviour, learning is aided by good attitudes and behaviour in mathematics. These are maintained by positive behaviour management techniques employed by teachers and good support from classroom assistants.

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MATHEMATICS

96. Mathematics is managed well. The subject co-ordinator has a good understanding of how to develop mathematics in the school and makes appropriate checks that ensure that work is planned effectively in each year group. A system for assessing how well pupils are learning has been set up in the school and its use is clearly contributing to the good progress being made by pupils at the age of 11. However, teachers have not had enough opportunities to practise assessing pupils’ work accurately and compare their assessments with Cherrywood Community Primary School - 39 other teachers. Annual tests set by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority are used in Years 3, 4 and 5, and the analysis of the results of the national tests for seven and 11 year olds ensures that, if necessary, changes are made to what is taught. There is little evidence to indicate that numeracy skills are developed in other subjects or that computers are used in mathematics.

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SCIENCE

97. Statutory teacher assessments in science last year show that the standards achieved by seven year olds were well below average. The results of the national tests show that the standards of pupils aged eleven were well below average. Observations of science lessons and scrutiny of pupils’ work made during the inspection suggest that the standards of those pupils who are currently aged seven and 11 are broadly in line with the levels expected for their age. However, pupils lack sufficient opportunities to develop skills in planning and carrying out investigations. Most pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and those who do not speak English at home, achieve satisfactorily. This is not always the case for potentially more able pupils as they are not always challenged effectively. There is no evidence during the inspection of a difference in the attainment of boys and girls.

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SCIENCE

98. By the age of seven, pupils’ knowledge and understanding of science are satisfactory. Discussions with pupils reveal that they can explain that when a bulb is planted in different growing mediums and conditions, the one in soil that received sunlight and water grows the best. They remember that magnets attract some metals but cannot identify which they are. Pupils by the age of seven know that electricity is needed to light up a bulb, and that light comes from the sun. They can classify man-made and natural materials. Pupils respond to ways suggested by the teacher of finding things out but do not yet make suggestions of their own. The teachers provoke thought by asking, for example, “Can you make a shadow move?”, but do not give pupils enough responsibility for asking questions to develop investigations themselves.

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SCIENCE

99. Pupils aged 11 have appropriate knowledge and understanding of living processes. For example, they know that micro-organisms are living organisms that are too small to be seen and that they may be beneficial or harmful. Year 4 pupils find out the differences between liquids and solids. They achieve appropriately in understanding reversible changes such as melting and freezing and also learn that some changes are irreversible. Talking to pupils and looking at their work show that there are limited opportunities for pupils to plan and carry out fair tests. During a controlled investigation Year 6 pupils are asked to predict what may happen to fruit and vegetables left for ten days, but they do not have the opportunity to plan or initiate investigations.

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SCIENCE

100. The quality of teaching and its impact on pupils’ learning is satisfactory overall, although discussions with pupils indicate that investigative skills have not been developed progressively. Teachers do not always plan lessons to ensure that the more able pupils are sufficiently challenged. Teachers explain most scientific concepts and terms clearly. When lessons are very good the teacher uses effective strategies such as role play to engage the pupils’ interest. As a start to some work on micro-organisms, the teacher in a Year 6 lesson used shock Cherrywood Community Primary School - 40 tactics very well when inviting pupils to sample food filled with dirt and germs. Where teaching is not so effective, the pace of work is too slow and strategies to help all pupils to engage fully in the task are not fully effective. When marking pupils’ work teachers do not use enough written comments to show what

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SCIENCE

101. In most lessons, teachers make good use of their classroom assistants to support the learning of pupils with special educational needs so that they make the same progress as others. Overall their learning is satisfactory. They are enthusiastic and enjoy the practical aspect of the activities provided. Most pupils behave well but the challenging behaviour of a minority of pupils can affect learning .

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SCIENCE

102. The school uses the national planning guidance effectively to ensure that the curriculum for science is broad and balanced. The co-ordinator is gradually adapting the programme of work to meet the needs of all pupils. She is aware of the need to develop the investigative approach further and to provide teachers with practice in assessing pupils’ work accurately. The co-ordinator has used the funding provided by the Department for Education and Skills for teachers in their first three years of teaching well to facilitate in-service training for all staff. At the present time the co-ordinator is not involved in analysing how well pupils do in the national tests, and using that information to change what is taught.

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ART AND DESIGN

103. At the ages of seven and 11 pupils work at the level expected. The school follows national programmes of work, and as a result, pupils are given appropriate learning opportunities as they move through the school. Over the past year pupils have covered an appropriate range of artistic activity including paint mixing, sketching, collage, studying famous artists, painting, portraiture, designing and clay work. The pupils have positive attitudes to this subject and clearly look forward to art lessons.

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ART AND DESIGN

104. Seven year olds begin to explore ideas and ways of working. For example, they experiment by sketching with pencils of different degrees of softness and hardness. A good discussion was heard in Year 2 about the differences and similarities in the work of different artists. Most know something of the lives of famous ones, recalling that Vincent Van Gogh had cut off his ear. In Year 5 most pupils begin to talk about their work and to evaluate it. Those aged 11 start to appreciate the tactile qualities they can produce using palette knives to apply paint mixed with glue. Most modify and adapt their work to achieve their intentions, for example, in symmetrical designs. There were good examples of art work on display around the school including self portraits, colour mixing, printing, mosaic, clay and paintings emulating different techniques by famous artists. In Year 5, art had been used effectively in combination with mathematics to

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ART AND DESIGN

105. Overall, the quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory in both the infant and junior parts of the school. The teachers make good use of resources. For example, in Year 2 lessons portraits painted by different artists were discussed to inspire the pupils to sketch some of their own. During the inspection, the school Cherrywood Community Primary School - 41 grounds were used in Year 5 as a stimulus for sketching. The teacher worked well to help pupils observe carefully and his good questioning helped them notice essential features of trees and their branches. The teachers’ demonstrations help pupils to learn. In Year 3 the teacher showed pupils different pencil techniques and as a result they started to achieve contrasts in light and shade. In Year 2, good modelling by the teacher helped the pupils achieve a challenging task of drawing facial anatomy. In the same lesson, good questioning techniques

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ART AND DESIGN

elicited good responses from pupils which significantly aided their learning. Teachers control pupils effectively, enabling them to concentrate on the task in hand, but too little praise is used to promote good behaviour.

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ART AND DESIGN

106. The art co-ordinator has only been in post for seven weeks but has already put systems in place to ensure appropriate teaching across the school. She is enthusiastic about developing art work and is convinced about its contribution towards enriching pupils’ lives. She is aware of the need to devise procedures for assessing how well pupils learn. Tracking resources across two buildings with two sets of staff is proving difficult. The new building will solve these problems. The school is well resourced for art and teachers make full use of the range of materials to provide a rich and varied curriculum for the pupils.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

107. Limited evidence gained from talking to pupils, examining teachers’ plans and looking at displayed work, suggests that seven year olds achieve standards that are broadly in line with those expected of their age group.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

108. Good quality work done in Year 1, linked skillfully by the teacher to science lessons, includes designing and constructing a children’s playground. Pupils work at a level above that expected for their age when they understand the need for struts to brace the main frame of products such as swings. They realize this because the teacher has good subject knowledge and leads the pupils to think of themselves as users and ask – “Would I feel safe going on this?” Year 2 pupils achieve average standards in making teddy bears, the limbs of which they move by pushing and pulling drinking straws. They also considered the users of their products when they designed ‘get well’ cards for a classroom assistant.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

109. Not enough examples of the things that Year 6 pupils produce were available for inspectors to look at, so no judgement can be made of their ability to design and make. In work connected with their study of the Romans in history, pupils in Year 4 work at an average standard to create writing tablets, using card, clay and paint. Good quality teaching is evident in the work on food done in Year 5. Expectations are good, resulting in pupils working to a design brief and completing homework to enhance the work done in lessons. Good use is made of computers to produce bar graphs of surveys about biscuits and convert them to pie charts, and to record evaluations of the biscuits made by the pupils. Pupils in Year 6 show a satisfactory understanding of structures. The appropriate expectations of their teachers lead the pupils to make their own and test them for strength. This provides valuable scientific experience of investigation and

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

carrying out a ‘fair test’. Most of the pupils in Year 6 understand the design process, but do not yet take enough account of the user’s needs. In discussion Cherrywood Community Primary School - 42 with them, they were confident when asked about designing a shelter, but did not ask who it would be for or why it was needed.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

110. Although the school makes appropriate provision for teaching this subject, it was only possible to see two lessons both of which were in Year 6. These were of satisfactory quality. The good check made by the teachers on the progress made by individuals had a positive effect on progress. Good questioning helped pupils to understand how triangular shapes increase the rigidity of structures. Not enough rewards or incentives were used to encourage good behaviour. Not all teachers have enough subject knowledge to plan and lead lessons with confidence. Too little use is made of computers to support the work in this subject, especially in the junior classes.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

111. The pupils’ good attitudes to design and technology work help to boost the progress they make. Those who were in Year 2 last year spoke enthusiastically about designing and making puppets from plastic bottles. They built up the body from newspaper, fabric and glue before decorating it with, for example, sequins for eyes. One had created a ‘King Vampire’ complete with blood on its fangs.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

112. The two co-ordinators have only been in post for about six weeks. They are experienced practitioners and are keen to move the subject forward. They have already carried out a review of provision and know how to raise standards. They are aware that increasing teachers’ confidence will be part of their task.

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GEOGRAPHY

113. There was insufficient evidence to make a judgement on standards of attainment in geography at the age of seven and 11. It was possible to observe only one geography lesson in the infants. It was not possible to see geography lessons in the juniors because geography and history are studied alternately throughout the year. During the inspection history was being taught. No overall judgement can be made on teaching and learning.

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GEOGRAPHY

114. In the lesson observed in Year 1, pupils were learning how to write their address on postcards and how to locate their address on a local map. From discussion with pupils in Year 2, it is evident that they have knowledge of hot and cold climates. They can name and locate a number of countries on the globe, for example, England, America and Spain. However, they were unable to name capital city of England and towns in England other than their hometown. They were able to talk about hot and cold countries and locate the equator on the globe. The pupils have a simple understanding of different geographical locations and discuss the different climate conditions for animals.

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GEOGRAPHY

115. The scrutiny of pupils’ work indicates that Year 4 have studied topics about world climate, cities of the world, deserts and their plant and animal life. Year 5 gain appropriate understanding of the water cycle and different climate conditions. They have satisfactory knowledge of the Beaufort scale and the measurement of wind speed. In discussion, Year 6 pupils demonstrated poor knowledge, skills and understanding of geography. They have not studied geography this year and were unable to recall work done previously. Cherrywood Community Primary School - 43 116. The co-ordinator is newly appointed. She is aware of the need to further develop her role in checking standards and the provision made for geography. The co- ordinator has a clear understanding of how to develop the school’s work in this subject. She has plans to improve planning and to increase the range, quantity and quality of the resources. The present lack of equipment such as maps and

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GEOGRAPHY

books has negative effect on the standards that pupils achieve.

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HISTORY

117. The evidence from a scrutiny of past work, planning documents, displays and conversations with pupils and staff indicates that the standards of seven year olds are below the level expected of their age group. Eleven year olds achieve standards that are in line with those expected. Pupils with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language make similar progress to the others in their class.

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HISTORY

118. During the inspection, pupils in Year 2 were learning about Guy Fawkes. Only a few were able to recall the events of the ‘Gunpowder Plot.’ They were, however, able to talk sensibly about the safety issues relating to the use of fireworks. Most are able to make a few comparisons with ‘then and now’ when discussing the clothes and toys in the Victorian Era.

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HISTORY

119. In Year 4 pupils learn about the Anglo-Saxons and the ‘Sutton Hoo’ artefacts. These activities provide pupils with good opportunities to develop their speaking, listening and historical enquiry skills. In Year 5, pupils make good use of the time line when learning about the Tudor monarchs. As a result, they develop a good knowledge and understanding of chronology. In Year 6, pupils research in order to learn about food rationing as part of their World War 2 project. The style of teaching supports the development of pupils’ social skills and their ability to carry out historical enquiry. Pupils are beginning to make appropriate use of the Internet for historical research. This contributes well to their good knowledge and understanding of how the war affected people’s lives. Well-presented displays of information capture the pupils’ interest fully and lead them into discussing further the effects of rationing on families during this period in history. When talking to

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HISTORY

pupils in Year 6 they were able to recall their recent history topics and spoke in detail about the ‘Jarrow March’. The pupils demonstrated great enthusiasm for their learning.

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HISTORY

120. Overall, the teaching of history is good in the junior classes and satisfactory in the infant classes. The features of the best teaching are:- [a] good management of the class, which enables pupils to concentrate and work independently, [b] plenty of opportunities are given for pupils to develop their speaking and listening skillls, [c] the very good support provided by the classroom assistants that often results in less able pupils and those with special educational needs making good progress, [d] lessons include activities to challenge more able pupils. Where teaching is less effective, teachers do not plan well enough to identify exactly what they expect pupils to learn and show how the needs of different groups will be met. Occasionally, teachers lack the confidence to answer pupils’ Cherrywood Community Primary School - 44 questions. Generally pupils are well behaved and have good attitudes to

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HISTORY

121. The co-ordinator is newly appointed to this role. She is aware of the need to improve the subject knowledge and confidence of some teachers. There are plans to improve the teaching resources in history.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

122. During the inspection four dedicated ICT lessons were observed but, in addition, pupils were observed using computers to support lessons in other subjects. Additional evidence for judgments on ICT capability was found from talking to pupils and looking at samples of work. Work on computers has been badly affected by the lack of suitable equipment when the new school opened. Much new equipment has been bought and teachers are keen to help pupils use it. Few pupils have computers at home. This detracts from the standards they achieve.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

123. By the end of Year 2 the pupils are attaining standards typical for their age but only in a limited range of experiences. They have confidence in basic computer skills and are able to use the keyboard and mouse with confidence. They are able to manipulate words and graphics and control a floor turtle. Some children were seen using a compact disc to support an investigation on light. In one very effective lesson, a Year 1 group of more able pupils were observed using a word processor to make simple sentences and extend them by adding connective words. Other younger children had used the computer to make labelled drawings and help them write simple sentences. However, most pupils do not use ICT to investigate real and imaginary situations. They lack experience of organizing information using computers and presenting their findings. They are unable to discuss their experience of ICT outside school.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

124. The standards attained by junior pupils are well below that expected for children of their age by virtue of a constrained range of experiences. In the limited range of ICT activities they show a growing confidence in word processing and in manipulating text and graphics. For example, Year 4 pupils were seen designing covers for a project on Egypt. Year 6 pupils were seen redrafting a piece of text using dictionaries and thesauruses. Others were just beginning to use the Internet.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

125. Overall, standards in ICT are unsatisfactory in both the junior and infant parts of the school, particularly so amongst the older pupils. Many aspects of the National Curriculum for ICT have not yet been addressed. There were no examples seen during the inspection of pupils’ work using spreadsheets or control technology in the juniors. Pupils have no experience of such activities as emailing. Similarly, the computers have not been used for data collection to support work in other subjects such as science or music.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

126. Teaching standards are variable. In the best lessons, ICT is integrated into the activities, the teacher shows good subject knowledge, the pupils have clear guidance on what they had to do, and they make good progress. In the unsatisfactory lessons the management of the equipment is poor, pupils are Cherrywood Community Primary School - 45 unable to see the teacher’s demonstration of procedures and insufficient thought is given to the development of skills. The school has yet to consider how to assess pupils’ ICT capability and to plan effectively to address all aspects of the subject. More training is needed to make sure that teachers make the best use of equipment.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

127. The subject co-ordinator is aware of the need to improve teaching and learning and has produced a scheme of work to ensure progression and continuity. Steps now need to be taken to ensure that pupils acquire the skills they need in a progressive way. Resources within the school are now good with a sufficient computers and appropriate software. There are plans to improve these further with the redesign of the new combined building. Most teachers and some of the classroom assistants now have expertise in the use of ICT and are becoming familiar with these new facilities. Teachers now need to ensure that that they make optimum use of the facilities to ensure ICT supports teaching and learning across the whole-school curriculum.

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MUSIC

128. There was insufficient evidence to make a judgement on standards of attainment in music at the ages of seven and 11. It was possible to observe only one junior music lesson and part of another. In these, pupils achieved standards that are below the level expected for their age group. The standard of singing, in whole- school assemblies and lessons, is also below that expected nationally. No overall judgement can be made about the quality of teaching and learning.

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MUSIC

129. During inspection, a Year 6 lesson was observed in which the pupils sang songs associated with World War 2. In preparation for the singing, they took part in vocal warm-up activities and demonstrated the correct posture for singing. As a consequence, the pupils’ confidence and standard of performance improved as the lesson progressed. Most listened well to the recordings of the songs ‘Wish me luck as you wave me good bye’ and ‘Who do you think you are kidding Mr Hitler?’ and, overall, sang with enthusiasm and satisfactory diction. In Year 4, the pupils learnt a short, simple song, called ‘Sing this song’. They sang in unison and in two parts. The teaching provided opportunities for the pupils to sing in groups and as a whole class. There were no opportunities for pupils to play instruments during either of the lessons observed.

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MUSIC

130. When talking to both infant and junior pupils they demonstrate enthusiasm for singing. Those in Year 2 particularly like joining in with ‘Wake up!’ in assemblies. Older junior pupils spoke about limited opportunities to play the tuned and untuned classroom percussion instruments in music lessons. When talking to pupils in Years 2 and 3 they enthusiastically discussed their singing in both assemblies and lessons. They were able to name a few classroom percussion instruments, for example, tambourine, drums and ‘shakers’.

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MUSIC

131. Overall, pupils’ behaviour and attitudes in the music lessons observed were satisfactory. They made satisfactory progress. Pupils with special educational needs and those who do not speak English at home make similar progress to their classmates. Cherrywood Community Primary School - 46 132. The school has recently formed a singing club. During the inspection, the junior pupils were learning and rehearsing songs for the school Christmas concert. The pupils listened well to the piano and pre-recorded accompaniments. Boys and girls have equal access to this out-of-school hours club.

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MUSIC

133. There needs to be a greater focus on developing vocal skills, composing and using tuned and untuned percussion instruments in all lessons. The school has insufficient resources to deliver the full Programme of Study in music. The co- ordinator has identified this and has plans to improve the musical instrument stock and resources for teachers. No arrangements have been agreed for assessing how well pupils learn.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

134. The school has suitable arrangements for teaching physical education, but it was only possible to observe two lessons in the infant part of the school and one in Year 6. Limited evidence suggests that the standards achieved by infants are in line with those expected for this age group. Not enough of the work of junior pupils was seen to make a reliable judgement about standards.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

135. Effective teaching of Year 1 pupils in their dance lesson resulted in them achieving average standards. Good management skills meant that pupils worked with control and paid attention to the presenter of the taped programme. Most made suitable progress in interpreting the music, ‘dressing for the cold weather’ and waving enthusiastically to friends when pretending to be at a bonfire party. Good use of the learning assistant, by the teacher, helped pupils with emotional and behavioural difficulties to take a full part in the lesson. The pupils’ limited ability to concentrate detracted from their progress.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

136. Good quality teaching in a gymnastics lesson for Year 2 led to pupils learning well how to balance successfully on different parts of their bodies. The teacher’s good demands - “I’m still not seeing enough balances on points.”- result in pupils working at an above average level. Most explore, remember and perform simple balances on the floor and on apparatus. More able pupils show some originality and challenge themselves appropriately by, for example, creating asymmetrical balances. The good guidance about how to achieve quality in performance helps pupils to begin to express opinions about their work.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

137. In the gymnastics lesson for Year 6, pupils achieved average standards. Good teaching, based on questioning pupils well, meant that they understood the effects of exercise on their bodies and successfully developed the idea of contrasts in movement. Most produced satisfactory performances including high and low, fast and slow and symmetrical and asymmetrical sequences. The teacher’s enthusiasm, exemplified by her joining in the warm-up, greatly improved pupils’ involvement. Even so, most lack confidence and refrain from volunteering to show their work. More able pupils begin to take weight by walking on their hands. Some show good use of imagination, choosing ‘day and night’ as their contrasting theme. Cherrywood Community Primary School - 47 138. The school makes provision for pupils to learn to swim at a nearby municipal pool, but it was not possible to observe lessons or to access records to show the

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

139. The co-ordinator has been in post a relatively short time but has already made several improvements that have the potential for raising standards. These include making an analysis of strengths and weaknesses of provision, improving the range of games equipment and increasing opportunities for competition in soccer. He has also developed a system for assessing how well pupils learn, but this has not been implemented across the school. The curriculum for physical education is good, with junior pupils engaging in orienteering and athletics activities. Opportunities to work collaboratively in physical education lessons have a positive impact on pupils’ personal development.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

140. Standards at ages seven and 11 are broadly in line with those set out in the locally agreed syllabus for religious education. Pupils are achieving satisfactorily throughout the school.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

141. Pupils in the infant part of the school study mainly Christianity, but also cover units of work in Hinduism. It was not possible to observe any lessons involving the infants. However, through scrutiny of work and pupil interviews it is clear that there is appropriate coverage of religious education in the infant classes. Pupils recall key facts about Jesus and know about festivals such as Christmas. They can relate the stories of Noah and Jonah and know a limited amount about Hinduism. Some good written and art work was observed in Year 1.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

142. Only lessons in the junior part of the school were observed. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. The insistence of most teachers on good standards of behaviour resulted in pupils concentrating effectively and applying themselves to their tasks. In Year 3, the good use of written reminders of the key words helped to reinforce pupils’ reading and spelling skills. The teacher also showed and discussed a good range of Jewish artefacts which increased pupils’ interest greatly. Some teacher insecurity in subject knowledge and lack of awareness of the agreed syllabus were evident in one lesson.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

143. From scrutiny of pupils’ work and interviews with pupils it is clear that they have satisfactory attitudes to religious education lessons and that they have broadly covered the agreed syllabus. Year 6 pupils have appropriate knowledge about the Old and New Testaments and can relate key stories from both. They know that parables had messages within them and were used by Jesus to teach others. All pupils have visited a church and recall some key facts about Islam, Judaism, Hinduism and, to a lesser extent, Buddhism. Very good work on Exodus was seen in Year 5 books. Good use of ICT had been made in a large Noah’s Ark display in Year 4.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

144. The co-ordinator has only been in post for seven weeks but has already monitored colleagues’ planning and coverage of the religious education curriculum. She has conducted an audit of planning across the school to identify weaknesses in coverage and provision. A policy has been written for this subject Cherrywood Community Primary School - 48 but this has not yet been seen by staff or governors. There are no procedures in place, to check how well pupils learn.

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