Woolsery Primary School

WOOLSERY PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 9 th – 11 th September 2002

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WOOLSERY PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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WOOLSERY PRIMARY SCHOOL

Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the school must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. Woolsery Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Woolfardisworthy Bideford Devon

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: June 1998 Woolsery 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

22330 Mr L Lewin Registered inspector Science, design and technology, information and communication technology, music, Equality of opportunities. 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? What should the school do to improve further? 11564 Ms J Mckay 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 the parents? 31822 Mrs A Newman Team Inspector Foundation Stage, mathematics, art and design, religious education. 23917 Mr TA Clarke Team inspector English, geography, history, physical education, special educational needs. How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils?

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Full Circle –a division of Parkman, The Brow, 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 Woolsery Primary School - 5

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 10

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Woolsery School is located nine miles from the north Devon town of Bideford in the centre of the village of Woolsery. It is a small school with 95 pupils on roll who are drawn from the village and the surrounding area. The number of pupils attending the school has declined in recent years due to families moving away – some of these being farming families who were adversely affected by the ‘foot and mouth’ crisis in 2001. A fairly high proportion of the parents are in farming, in occupations associated with the tourist trade or in other professional occupations. The attainment of children on entry to school is average. All pupils are of white ethnic origin and hardly any pupils speak English as an additional language. The number of pupils eligible for free school meals is below average. The number of pupils with special educational needs is well below average, while the number with Statements of Special Educational need is above average. Pupils are in four mixed age classes taught by

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

three full-time and four part-time teachers. The percentage of pupils joining or leaving the school during the year is slightly higher than that in most other schools nationally.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a good school where pupils develop well in a happy and caring atmosphere. Staff are well led by the headteacher so that good teaching enables pupils to achieve well and reach good standards in English, mathematics, science, art and music by the time they leave the school. The school provides good value for money.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What the school does well • Good teaching and very effective work by the support staff enable pupils to achieve well by the time they leave the school. • Pupils do well in the Foundation Stage and in English, maths, science, art and music by the time they leave the school. • Pupils with special educational needs are well supported. • The strong provision for promoting spiritual, moral, social and cultural awareness results in pupils behaving well, relating well to one another and showing positive attitudes and good personal development. • Parents have a high regard for the school - very effective links have been established with them and they are kept very well informed.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What could be improved • Systems for recording pupils’ attainment and progress and the school’s use of assessment information. • The school’s development plan and the governors’ involvement in its construction. • Systems for appraising the performance of teachers. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school was last inspected in June 1998. Since that time the rate of improvement has been satisfactory overall. Teaching and the standards attained by pupils by the time they leave have improved at a good rate. The school library has been upgraded, as have facilities for information and communication technology (ICT). Whilst some of the areas for development raised at the time of the last inspection, such as improvements to teaching and the curriculum, have been suitably addressed, systems for assessment, appraisal of teachers and the school development plan remain areas for improvement. The headteacher, staff and governors show a positive approach and strong commitment towards moving the school forward in the future. Woolsery Primary School - 7

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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 C C C C well above average above average A B Mathematics C A B B average below average C D Science D A A A well below average E

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STANDARDS

The table 1 above shows that, for the eleven-year-old pupils tested in 2001, the school’s results were average in English, above average in mathematics and well above average in science when compared to both other schools nationally and other schools with pupils of similar backgrounds. Results for 2002 2 are similar to 2001, but with a significant increase in the number of pupils reaching above average levels in English and mathematics. This reflects the efforts made by the school to improve standards, particularly in writing. This inspection confirms the 2002 results with standards in English, mathematics and science noted as being above average. Results over the last few years have improved in line with the national trend. Although, at the time of this inspection the children in the Foundation Stage 3 have only been in school for a few days, most look likely to attain above average levels by the end of the year. Results in the national tests taken by seven-year-olds

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STANDARDS

show that standards in reading, writing and mathematics have been improving over recent years and, in the 2002 tests, results were broadly similar to results in other schools nationally. Pupils also do well in music and artwork throughout the school. In all other subjects pupils’ attainment is in line with the nationally expected levels by the ages of seven and eleven. Overall, all groups of pupils, including those with special educational needs, achieve well by the time they leave the school. The school is successful in reaching the challenging targets it sets itself for pupils’ attainment in the annual national tests.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attitudes to the school Good. Pupils are enthusiastic and show positive attitudes to their work.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Good. Pupils behave well, are polite and show respect for each other and the adults with whom they work.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Personal development and relationships Good. Pupils show a caring approach and support each other well. Good relationships flourish throughout the school.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attendance Unsatisfactory. The school works hard to promote good attendance, but the overall attendance rate is slightly below the national level due to families taking holidays during term-time.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

1 Much caution should be exercised in interpreting the data from the results of small schools as with low numbers of pupils in each year group, results may vary more each year than they would do in a larger school. 2 Results for 2002 are not published here, as national comparative data is not yet available at the time of producing this report. 3 The Foundation Stage refers to children from three years of age until the end of the reception year group. Woolsery Primary School - 8

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Teaching is good throughout the school. Teachers have a good rapport with their pupils and provide individuals with strong support and encouragement. As a result, pupils are motivated and keen to learn and do well. Teachers prepare their lessons well, with work that engages pupils’ interest. They provide good explanations so that pupils understand what they are going to learn and how they will carry out the activities involved. This clear approach means that no time is wasted and that learning proceeds at a good pace. Detailed planning ensures that work caters precisely for the needs of all different groups of pupils including those with special educational needs. Teachers have a good knowledge of the subjects they teach. English and mathematics lessons are well taught and opportunities for pupils to develop their literacy and numeracy skills are well promoted in a range of different subjects. Music is particularly well taught and teachers are very good at

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

developing pupils’ investigative skills in science. The classroom support staff work very effectively alongside the teachers and provide individuals and groups of pupils with strong support.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The quality and range of the curriculum Satisfactory. The school provides a broad, balanced and relevant curriculum that successfully promotes a caring ethos and the intellectual, physical and personal development of the pupils.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good. Teachers have a detailed understanding of the needs of individuals. The support staff work particularly well with groups of pupils and individuals with special educational needs.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Good. In many areas of the curriculum, in assemblies and discussion times, the school provides good opportunities to broaden pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding. This has a positive impact upon promoting pupils’ good behaviour, attitudes and personal development.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

How well the school cares for its pupils Good. Staff know their pupils well and cater sensitively for their needs. There is a caring atmosphere throughout the school. Staff are not sufficiently trained in child protection. No clear formalised systems are in place to collate the school’s test results and help provide a system to track pupils’ progress as they move through the school.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Partnership with the parents The strong partnership that has been established with parents is a strength of the school. Parents are kept very well informed. The school works hard to involve parents in their children’s education. Woolsery Primary School - 9

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Satisfactory. The headteacher provides an atmosphere in which staff work together as an effective team. The school lacks a clear and detailed development plan and systems for appraising the performance of teachers are underdeveloped.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Satisfactory. Governors are very supportive and fully involved in all management decision making. However, they lack a full awareness of the regulations pertaining to the performance management of teachers and are not sufficiently involved in the construction of the school development plan.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The school’s evaluation of its performance Satisfactory. The headteacher monitors and evaluates teaching and learning throughout the school and the governors maintain a good overview through their programme of regular visits. National test results are carefully reviewed each year by staff and governors.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The strategic use of resources Good. Finances are well managed. The headteacher and governors ensure that maximum use is made of all available resources and that the best value principles are carefully applied in all spending matters.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

• Staff are very approachable and parents are kept well informed. • Children like school and make good progress. • Teaching is good and children are expected to work hard. • The school is well led and managed. • The range of extra-curricular activities. • Homework.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Inspectors mainly agree with the positive views expressed by the parents, but some management systems need to be brought up-to-date. For the size of the school the provision of extra-curricular activities is satisfactory. The school’s approach towards the provision of homework, particularly at Key Stage 2, is too inconsistent and does not follow a precise enough policy. Woolsery Primary School - 10

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. Standards have improved since the last inspection. This is particularly the case with English, mathematics, science, art and music, which, by the age of eleven, have risen to above average standards as compared to average standards noted last time. By the time pupils are seven and eleven, information and communication technology standards have also improved from below average previously to average. Additionally, standards have risen to above average levels in art and music for pupils at the ages of seven and eleven. Children now attain above average levels by the time they reach the end of the Foundation Stage as opposed to average levels attained previously.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. On entry to school, most children show average attainment. At the time of this inspection the children in the Foundation Stage 4 have only been in school for a few days but most look likely to attain above average levels by the end of the year in all of the areas of learning. Standards have improved in this area of the school as a result of a good teaching team established over the last two years – this is now a strong component to help raise standards throughout the rest of the school with the good start that these children get.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. Due to the small numbers of pupils in the year groups, the school’s results in the national tests are variable and much caution is needed in their interpretation. Results in the national tests taken by seven-year-olds show that standards in reading, writing and mathematics have been improving over the last two years and in the 2002 tests, results were broadly similar to results in other schools nationally. This marks a recovery from 2000, when the results dipped significantly. This improvement is a direct result of the good teaching established at the Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 over the last two years. Improved teaching in this part of the school places the school in a strong position to maintain the improvement in standards. Pupils’ work seen during this inspection mirrors the 2002 results with most pupils attaining the expected levels in reading, writing and mathematics.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. For the eleven-year-old pupils tested in 2001, the school’s results were average in English, above average in mathematics and well above average in science when compared to other schools nationally and other similar schools. These results showed a significant difference in the way pupils performed in subjects with English results, in particular, being lower than mathematics and science. The school has placed a suitable emphasis upon improving the standard of pupils’ writing at Key Stage 2 and has thereby successfully addressed this uneven performance so that results for 2002 5 showed a strong performance in science again, but with a significant increase in the number of pupils reaching above average levels in English and mathematics. Results over the last few years have improved in line with the national trend. Above average standard work seen in English, mathematics and science during this inspection confirms the 2002 results.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. By the age of seven, most pupils meet expectations for speaking and listening. They join in discussions, listen carefully and make suitable responses to questions. By the age of eleven, pupils show above average ability. They join in discussions confidently and most pupils express their ideas and opinions fluently and articulately. Pupils show average reading skills at the age of seven and above average skills at the age of eleven. Most seven- year-olds read simple pieces of writing fluently, accurately and with understanding. A few higher attaining pupils read with confidence and expression. Year 6 pupils show a good understanding of different sorts of text and the ability to analyse and interpret the meanings

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4 The Foundation Stage applies to children from the age of three to the end of the reception year. 5 No national comparative data yet available at the time of writing this report. Woolsery Primary School - 11 in more complex writing. Across the school, pupils make good use of the library and occasional good use of the Internet to research for information. Pupils’ attainment in writing is broadly average at the age of seven and just above average at the age of eleven. Seven- year-old pupils convey meaning in their writing through short but clearly written sentences. They retell incidents in the form of stories that have a beginning, middle and end. At the age of eleven, pupils write for a range of purposes. They write good quality reports about school visits and produce detailed accounts of their recent experiences. Pupils also produce a good standard of written work in other subjects such as history and science. Their poetry

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

writing is interesting and imaginative. Most pupils write fluently and legibly in well-formed script.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. By the age of seven, most pupils attain an average level in mathematics while by the age of eleven they work at an above average level. Seven-year-olds gain a secure understanding of place value to 100. They show a confident approach with carrying out simple addition, subtraction and multiplication sums. They have a satisfactory understanding of money, recognise two and three-dimensional shapes and use pictograms and bar graphs competently. By the age of eleven, pupils use mathematical vocabulary well, have a good understanding of place value and use this knowledge successfully in mental calculations. They have a good understanding of rotational and reflective symmetry; their graphs are accurate and neatly plotted. Throughout the school, pupils work successfully with problem- solving activities.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7. In science, pupils develop good investigative skills at both key stages. By the age of seven, they attain average levels overall. They gain a good knowledge and understanding in work about life processes and living things and record their investigations and observations carefully. However, other work in materials and physical processes, while of an average standard, is not as detailed and in-depth and does not reflect the same level of understanding. By the age of eleven, pupils attain above average levels. They record their investigations in detail, with clear accounts, labelled diagrams and tables of results where appropriate. They use the results well to draw tentative conclusions. Pupils show a very clear understanding of the principles of fair testing. They gain a good level of knowledge and understanding in all areas of science work.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

8. By the ages of seven and eleven, pupils reach the expected levels in the locally agreed syllabus for religious education. Seven-year-olds understand the main celebrations of the Christian calendar, are aware of the significance of Baptism, know several of the Old Testament stories and have a suitable basic understanding of other world religions. By the age of eleven, pupils compare the values and beliefs of the major world religions. They gain a good awareness and understanding of issues such as the nature of friendship, the need for co-operation with others and their reactions to the problem of bullying.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

9. Pupils reach the expected levels with information and communication technology (ICT) by the time they are seven and eleven years old. They show appropriate knowledge and skills for their ages and make appropriate use of computers to enhance their work, particularly in English and mathematics and also to help research some of their topics. However, the school is aware of the need for pupils to make more widespread use of ICT across the curriculum. At both key stages, pupils usefully engage in using the Internet for research, but at Key Stage 2, their knowledge of the areas of control, using databases and monitoring is too limited.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

10. Pupils produce attractive and above average standard artwork by the ages of seven and eleven. For example, seven-year-olds produce detailed observational self-portrait drawings, well executed ink drawings and learn to use a range of techniques including the use of computer programs to produce well composed and interesting colour designs. Eleven- year-olds explore and work in a very wide range of media. For example, they produce good Woolsery Primary School - 12 quality work with mask designs, sketching with charcoal, weaving, batik, wood sculptures and clay modelling.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

11. By the ages of seven and eleven, pupils work at above average levels in music. Through good teaching they acquire advanced understanding for their ages of rhythmic and musical structures and ideas of musical composition and performance and, in particular, develop a confident approach towards performing.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

12. In all other subjects pupils reach standards that match the national expectations at the ages of seven and eleven.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

13. Overall, all groups of pupils, including those with special educational needs, achieve well by the time they leave the school. In particular, good individual and group support by the teachers and classroom support staff ensures that pupils with special educational needs make good progress in relation to their prior attainment.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

14. The school has suitable systems for setting challenging targets for pupils’ performances in the Key Stage 2 national tests and is successful in getting pupils to reach and occasionally exceed the targets.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

15. Although the school’s national test results show differences in the performance between girls and boys, the small size of year groups and the variation in the numbers of boys and girls makes it difficult to place any meaningful interpretation on this information. However, the school identified the fact that boys’ writing was not as good as girls and has worked hard and with success to improve the standards in this area – this is partly the reason for the improved results in English in the 2002 national tests at Key Stage 2. No differences between the performance of boys and girls were noted during this inspection.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

16. Standards in this area have been maintained at a good level since the previous inspection, which praised pupils’ behaviour and the quality of relationships between pupils and staff.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

17. Pupils enjoy coming to school. They come into school confidently, settle quickly to their activities and usually work enthusiastically.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

18. This is a very inclusive school. Pupils with special educational needs have high self- esteem, and display the same good attitudes to learning as their peers. As a result of the strong encouragement and clear guidance they are given, these pupils are confident to participate in all aspects of school life. Staff place a suitable emphasis on helping older pupils to think independently when answering teachers’ questions and, as a result, these pupils act with maturity when working away from immediate adult control, for instance, when using the school’s web site to access information.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

19. Behaviour is good in and around the school. Pupils have a clear understanding of the school’s guidelines for good behaviour. Older pupils are suitably involved in drawing up a code of conduct and those spoken to said that this approach helped them to feel involved in the running of their school. Parents have a high regard for the good behaviour that is encouraged at the school.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

20. Pupils’ relationships and personal development are strengths of the school. Pupils show care and consideration for others, and value learning success and achievements. For example, older pupils proudly undertake responsibilities such as being ‘guardian angels’. The caring ethos projected by the school means that pupils feel confident to ask for help if they have any difficulties. The school is successful in developing sensitive and reflective attitudes in the pupils. For example, during a mixed age group circle time assembly, pupils showed a mature approach towards discussing the themes related to the events of Woolsery Primary School - 13 September 11 th 2001. Through the projects and activities organised by the school, pupils take an active interest in the life of their local community.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

21. The attendance rate is below the national average, despite the best efforts of the school, due to a number of families who take holidays in term time. The unauthorized absence figure is, however, below the national average. Pupils mainly arrive at school on time, and registers are completed quickly enabling a prompt start to be made to lessons. Some registers, however, are not totalled, so it would be difficult, in the case of an emergency, to know exactly how many pupils were in school at any one time.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

22. Teaching is good throughout the school and is leading pupils to achieve well and attain good standards in many areas of their work. Where standards are not yet at a good level, this is because the improvements in teaching that have occurred since the last inspection have not yet had enough chance to impact fully upon the work that pupils do. This is particularly the case at the Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 where the school has ensured the establishment of a well-organised and strong teaching team over the last two years. In other subjects where teaching is good but standards are still only at an average level, as in history, geography and religious education – there is clear evidence that the good teaching is ensuring that pupils acquire a good breadth to their understanding and a confident approach towards the work that places them in a good position for future progress. Teachers have a good rapport with their pupils and provide individuals with strong support

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

and encouragement. As a result, pupils are motivated and keen to learn and do well. For example, in a good science lesson for Year 4/5 pupils a well-led discussion by the teacher sparked pupils’ interest so that they worked enthusiastically with the subsequent practical tasks. Also, in a Year 5/6 English lesson pupils responded well to the praise and encouraging comments from the teacher so that they felt confident about attempting a challenging comprehension activity.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

23. Teachers prepare their lessons well with work that engages pupils’ interest. Resources and equipment are clearly laid out and ready to hand. This was noted in the mathematics lessons seen where pupils had easy access to counting equipment and practical apparatus to support their learning.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

24. Teachers provide good explanations so that pupils understand what they are going to learn and how they will carry out the activities involved. In this respect they also listen carefully to pupils’ responses and where necessary make adjustments to their style of presentation or detail in the explanation. For example, in a Year 2/3 geography lesson the teacher and the teaching assistants worked as an effective team, responding well to some detailed questions from the pupils about the geography of Northern Australia. The clear explanations that teachers give and the good preparation means that no time is wasted in lessons and learning proceeds at a good pace.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

25. Detailed planning ensures that work is provided that caters precisely for the needs of all different groups of pupils including those with special educational needs. This kind of approach is especially clear in the class for Foundation Stage and Year 1 pupils, where in all sessions observed, very specifically organised activities catered well for the wide range of abilities. This enabled pupils to gain experience of working independently or receive close guidance and support from the teacher and classroom support assistant as appropriate. 26. Teachers have a good knowledge of the subjects they teach. English and mathematics lessons are well taught and opportunities for pupils to develop their literacy and numeracy skills are well promoted in a range of different subjects. For example, pupils produce clear and detailed written accounts to follow up science investigations. Good opportunities are

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

also provided for pupils to extend their numeracy skills in other subjects – this was noted, for example, with graph work used as part of the follow-up to science investigations. Teachers place a very good emphasis on the provision of interesting practical investigations as a Woolsery Primary School - 14 means of promoting pupils’ scientific understanding – this approach helps pupils acquire a wide range of in-depth knowledge. Music is also particularly well taught by the music specialist, whose lively and charismatic approach thoroughly engages and motivates the pupils so that learning moves at a very good pace in these lessons.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

27. Teachers evaluate the success of their lessons and carefully assess how pupils have done. Conversations with teachers showed that they use this type of assessment well to refine their planning of future lessons. Also, over the last few years, through reviewing annual test results and ongoing work, the school rightly identified that pupils’ writing was weaker than other areas of work – particularly for boys. This led to an increased emphasis upon developing writing skills, which has resulted in clear improvement in standards in this area.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

28. The work of the classroom support staff is a particular strength of the school. They work very closely with the teachers and provide individuals and groups of pupils with strong support. In the sessions observed the classroom support staff showed much sensitivity and understanding in helping pupils. They also show a keen awareness of balancing support carefully against the need for pupils to develop independent working skills. The support staff show a confident approach towards working with pupils and contribute a great deal to pupils’ learning. For example, one of the support staff provided the whole Year 2/3 class with an interesting talk about her holiday in Australia and confidently answered questions with her explanations pitched precisely at the level of the pupils’ understanding. Similarly, the classroom support assistant working in the Foundation Stage/Year 1 class works very confidently and skilfully with groups of children so that all groups in the class

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

29. In some of the lessons and assemblies seen, teachers make good use of appropriate opportunities to promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. A good example of this was noted in a whole school music assembly where pupils were given good opportunities for reflection – closing their eyes to dream about their favourite place. The good use of music from other countries also broadened pupils’ cultural understanding. Similarly, experiences provided in science lessons have helped pupils develop their appreciation and wonder of the world around them.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

30. The teaching of pupils with special educational needs is good. All teachers are aware of the pupils on the register of special educational needs and all make regular reference in their daily plans to providing suitably challenging work for them. Teaching is well informed and attention is given to ensuring that the work set is appropriate and progressive. Particularly notable features of the provision for pupils with special educational needs are the differentiated lesson plans and the regular, detailed discussions between teachers and support staff. Teachers show patience and understanding and have high expectations of both the academic performance and the behaviour of pupils with learning difficulties. They are given very good, skilled assistance from the experienced and committed support staff. The combined attention of teachers and support staff is a key factor in enabling these pupils

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

31. Teachers provide appropriate activities for homework. However, the provision, particularly at Key Stage 2, is irregular and does not follow a specific policy about which parents are made aware.

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OR STUDENTS?

32. The school’s curricular provision is satisfactory overall and the school has successfully addressed all of the points for improvement that were raised in the previous inspection. Throughout the school the curriculum is appropriately broad, balanced and relevant and meets the requirements of the National Curriculum and the locally agreed syllabus for religious educations. Good curricular provision is made for children in the Foundation Woolsery Primary School - 15 Stage. The school is alert to the needs of all pupils and is good at ensuring that all groups of pupils have full access to all areas of the curriculum.

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OR STUDENTS?

33. One particular improvement since the last inspection is that the requirements for the provision of information and computer technology and design and technology are now fully met, although opportunities for pupils to work with control, monitoring and databases are still too limited. Suitable planning systems are in place to ensure that the right amount of work is planned, and the school ensures that appropriate amounts of time are spent teaching different subjects. The school deliberately provides a higher than average amount of time to art and this strategy is successful, not only in raising standards, but also in raising the confidence and self-esteem of pupils through the success they achieve.

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OR STUDENTS?

34. There is good provision for pupils with special educational needs. Staff know the pupils very well and cater for their needs sensitively. Pupils get very good support from teachers and classroom support assistants, enabling them to access the same curriculum as the rest of their class and make good progress. Teachers provide clear and detailed programmes of learning for the special educational needs pupils in their classes. However, individual education plans are not sufficiently well organised and targets for improvement and review dates of these plans are not always made clear. There is no formalised system for recording the progress of special educational needs pupils.

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OR STUDENTS?

35. The school’s planning to deliver the basic skills in English and mathematics to mixed aged classes is satisfactory overall and the strategies for teaching numeracy and literacy skills are well organised across both key stages.

p.15

OR STUDENTS?

36. The provision for pupils’ personal and social education including sex education is satisfactory. Overall the curriculum successfully promotes the school’s caring ethos and the intellectual, physical and personal development of the pupils.

p.15

OR STUDENTS?

37. A satisfactory range of extra curricular activities including dance, board games, music, art and competitive games involves many pupils and suitably enhances the curriculum and widens learning opportunities. The curriculum is further enhanced and enriched by visiting performers, and speakers. Good use is made of the locality to support topic work such as projects on ‘Improving the environment’ and ‘Life in Victorian times’. Pupils’ experiences are further widened by visits to an art gallery, museums and other places of interest. The annual residential visit to Dartmoor also provides good opportunities for pupils to develop their personal and social skills.

p.15

OR STUDENTS?

38. The school has good links with the community and is involved in many activities within the local village. For example, the school’s involvement in the summer street fair, the sharing of the play facilities on the school’s field and the strong involvement of the parents in the provision of extra-curricular activities. The school also makes much use of the local village and the surrounding area to enhance projects and activities. Suitable use is made of the local church for harvest and Christingle celebrations. The school is also active in making full use of sponsorship and grants from local companies or national organisations to enhance projects. For example, one parent successfully applied for a grant from Alan Titchmarsh to establish an environmental pond in the grounds of the school. This has promoted much involvement of parents and children in planning and building the project such as helping with digging or choosing suitable plants.

p.15

OR STUDENTS?

39. Despite the best efforts of the school, liaison with the local playgroup has been largely unsuccessful. However, links are well established with the feeder secondary school, and teachers and pupils join together for different sessions at both venues as part of the transition process, which is both effective and friendly.

p.15

OR STUDENTS?

40. As noted at the time of the previous inspection, the school’s overall provision for the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils is good. Woolsery Primary School - 16 41. The promotion of pupils’ spiritual awareness is good. There is a good range of opportunities throughout the school for pupils to reflect upon the needs and the values of other people. Opportunities for pupils to reflect on the world around them are well promoted during assembly and during lessons such as science, music, geography and art, where the curriculum provides pupils with a chance to come face to face with the marvels of creation and to experience the awe and wonder inherent in the topics they study. Suitable arrangements are made to ensure that pupils are involved in an act of collective worship on a daily basis. Appropriate opportunities are provided for pupils to consider different values and beliefs and to reflect on the opinions of others.

p.15

OR STUDENTS?

42. There is good provision for pupils’ moral development. Pupils are provided with a clear understanding about the difference between right and wrong. As they progress through the school, their teachers who emphasise polite manners, courtesy and fair play provide them with good role models. The school’s system of rewards and sanctions works well and helps to promote good attitudes and behaviour. Pupils are given good encouragement to care for each other and to be polite and helpful. One example of the school promoting good moral as well as social awareness is through the useful organisation of older pupils acting as ‘Guardian Angels’ – who, very conscientiously, ensure that younger pupils are happy and settled and welcome opportunities to help them with any problems that occur during playtimes.

p.16

OR STUDENTS?

43. Pupils are provided with good opportunities to develop their social skills. For example, work in personal and social education enables them to learn how to co-operate and collaborate with each other; they learn the essential life skills of negotiation and compromise. From the reception class onwards, pupils are given plenty of opportunities to share resources and to take turns. The school provides good opportunities for pupils to involve themselves in working for local and national charities and older pupils’ social skills are well promoted through residential visits where they are given an insight into environmental problems. Pupils are encouraged to work positively together in groups and play amicably during break- times. The good system for holding mixed age group discussion sessions across the school successfully encourages groups of pupils to discuss their concerns and interests and also broadens their social understanding.

p.16

OR STUDENTS?

44. The cultural development of pupils is good. Pupils develop their understanding of past cultures in history, art and religious education lessons. Pupils study a good range of cultures, values and beliefs through their work in religious education, history and geography. Display work contains some good examples of painting in the style of a range of European artists, such as Dali and Mondrian. Pupils are encouraged to appreciate a range of musical compositions and to discuss the personal feelings and emotions that they evoke. Visitors to the school include an African dancing group and talented musicians who perform for the pupils. Multi-cultural references are made in lessons such as religious education. Pupils have good opportunities to study the moral values, beliefs and cultures of the major world religions.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

45. Woolsery School is a very caring school that looks after its pupils well. Staff know their pupils well, are sensitive to their needs and give good personal support and guidance. The very positive relationships between pupils and all members of staff encourage pupils to be confident in answering questions, in raising any concerns they may have and in developing good attitudes to each other.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

46. The good provision for pupils’ welfare noted at the last inspection has been maintained. Inspectors agree with parents spoken to who felt that teachers have a very good knowledge of their children, and this helps the personal development and academic performance of individuals. Other discussions with parents indicate that concerns raised with teachers are Woolsery Primary School - 17 dealt with promptly. Good systems exist to encourage pupils to develop a caring attitude towards one another – for example, looking after each other at playtime. The regularly held mixed age group discussion groups (circle time) are an effective means of helping pupils share concerns and how these can be resolved.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

47. The quality of support and guidance for pupils with special educational needs is good. Staff are well supported by an external team of specialists and advisors, and parents are kept well informed of progress.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

48. The school’s procedures for monitoring and promoting good behaviour are suitably linked to its discipline policy. There is good involvement of the pupils in this area. For example, older pupils are involved in drawing up the code of conduct. The school rightly places much value on rewarding good work or good behaviour and fully involves parents in this process. For example, occasional letters of congratulation are sent home informing parents about the particularly good achievement of their children. All staff provide good role models, and are consistent and fair in their promotion of discipline and order. They take every opportunity to praise good effort in work and behaviour. Pupils spoken to during the inspection, who said with confidence that they would tell a teacher or a ‘guardian angel’ if they were bullied or had been harassed, confirmed this supportive culture.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

49. Statutory procedures for child protection are in place, although the head teacher has yet to receive up-to-date training in new procedures. Following the previous inspection, procedures for recording attendance have improved, however, not all registers are totalled. Appropriate use is made of the educational welfare officer to investigate cases of persistent late-comers. The school takes seriously the health and safety of its pupils, and the interior and exterior of the school is cleaned to a high standard.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

50. In response to the previous inspection the school developed suitable assessment procedures for testing pupils on a regular basis as they move through the school. Teachers know their pupils very well and check their progress carefully during lessons and often make useful ongoing evaluation notes on their planning to help them modify work or targets for individuals. Teachers make suitable use of testing information to help set targets for pupils’ future performance. However, the school has no formalised and systematic approach for collating test results. This means that the profile of progress that pupils make as they move through the school is unclear and there is a lack of specific information to enable staff to analyse patterns and trends to help them devise targets for improving the curriculum.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

51. Teachers are careful to ensure that pupils understand lesson objectives and they usefully discuss the quality of their work with them. However, there are not enough chances for pupils to be involved in evaluating their own performances and setting future targets for themselves, in order to develop the responsibility they take for their own learning. Marking of pupils’ work is satisfactory overall, though there are instances where it is not sufficiently informative to show pupils how they can reinforce and extend their learning.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

52. The school works well with its parents and this area has been strengthened further since the positive picture noted in the previous inspection. Parents have a high regard for the work the school does. They feel welcome in school, and appreciate the consultation evenings held each term and the curriculum information evenings, which are well attended. The weekly newsletter, good quality written reports and the well-constructed web-site keep the parents very well informed about all aspects of school life and their children’s progress. The website, in particular, is an especially good feature that not only provides up-to-date information, but also gives very good opportunities for parents to be involved in celebrating pupils’ achievements. Woolsery Primary School - 18 53. The strong links forged with parents encourage them to support their children. For example, a good number of parents offer support in class and help out during sporting activities. Also,

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

the Friends of Woolsery School (FOWS) are very active in organising social events and raising funds for school resources. In another good example of parental involvement, a team of parents cleared away old sheds in the front of the school in order to help redevelop the area.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

54. Parents of pupils with special educational needs spoke highly of the good efforts of the school to help their children. They feel well informed about their children’s progress and are particularly pleased that their children are included in all aspects of school life.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

55. As noted during the last inspection, the leadership and management of the school are satisfactory. The headteacher successfully promotes an atmosphere in which staff work together as an effective team and this is a key factor that enables good teaching and strong support for pupils throughout the school. The headteacher leads the staff team well through the example of his own good teaching and work with the pupils. He is successful in ensuring that there is a climate throughout the school where pupils are expected to work to their full potential and achieve their best. There is a clear focus set upon the attainment of good standards and for pupils to develop confidently in a secure and encouraging atmosphere. The headteacher ensures that very good communication is maintained with parents and this has been an important factor in creating the strong partnership that now exists between the school and parents.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

56. Due to changes in the local situation, the school has suffered a drop in the number of pupils on roll in recent times and this has had a significant impact upon the school’s finances. The headteacher and governors have worked very effectively as a team to manage the school through these difficult times including the need for redundancy measures. However, the understandable preoccupation with this area has meant that some slippage has occurred in management areas: The current school development plan contains too little detail about future actions to bring about improvement. Also, while suitable arrangements have been made to set performance targets for the headteacher, the school does not currently follow statutory procedures to ensure that the performance management of teachers is carried out.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

57. Governors are fully supportive of the headteacher and staff. Most of them visit on a regular basis and through this means maintain a clear overview on the day-to-day running of the school. They are fully informed about all activities taking place in the school and play a full part in all management decisions. However, they lack a full understanding of the regulations pertaining to performance management. In addition, they are not sufficiently involved in the construction of the school development plan.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

58. Clear systems are in place for monitoring and evaluating teaching and learning and the curriculum. The governors are usefully involved in this process and feedback information about their observations at full governor meetings. The school recognises the fact that there is a need to involve subject co-ordinators further in this process. Suitable analysis is made of the school’s annual test results and appropriate systems are in place for setting targets for attainment in the annual tests for eleven-year-olds.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

59. Overall, teachers carry out their various subject responsibilities well and manage the large number of ‘different hats’ they have to wear in a small school in an efficient manner. The headteacher manages the special educational needs provision effectively liasing well and regularly with fellow teachers and external support agencies and ensuring that all pupils have access to any necessary support. However, the provision of individual education plans and records of progress for special educational needs are not organised as efficiently as they should be. Woolsery Primary School - 19 60. The school has an adequate number of teachers and a good level of classroom support staff. The school’s decision to maintain a good level of support staff is an effective strategy that provides clear benefits in boosting the support and guidance for pupils and helping to raise standards. Teachers and support staff are well deployed and their expertise is well

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

used to enhance pupils’ learning experiences. Staff who are new to the school are well supported by the school’s induction programme and they have good opportunities to attend courses to extend their professional expertise.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

61. The school’s accommodation is good overall, although the small size of the hall limits physical education (PE) lessons for older children. The classrooms are reasonably sized and are enhanced by attractive displays of pupils’ work. The care-taking staff makes a significant contribution by maintaining the cleanliness of the school to a high standard.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

62. The school manages its finances well and ensures that the best use is made of all available resources. The governors have a clear understanding of applying the principles of best value in all spending matters. The headteacher and school administrator work effectively together to ensure the smooth running of the day-to-day organisation of the school. Despite the above average expenditure per pupil, the good quality of education – especially the good teaching that results in above average standards in English, mathematics, science, art and music –mean that the school provides good value for money. Woolsery Primary School - 20

p.19

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

63. The headteacher, staff and governors should now:

p.20

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

1) Develop and implement systems for appraising the performance of teachers. (56, 57)

p.20

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

2) Develop clear and formalised systems for tracking the progress of pupils as they move through the school and make full use of this information to help identify areas of curriculum development. (34, 50, 79, 88)

p.20

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

3) Provide a comprehensive school development plan and involve the school governors fully in its construction. (56, 57)

p.20

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Other less significant areas for improvement that the school should incorporate within its action plan:

p.20

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Ensure that a member of staff has up-to-date training in procedures connected with child protection. (49) • Ensure that individual education plans for pupils with SEN are carefully organised, have clear and sharply focused targets and are reviewed on a regular basis. (34) • Ensure that pupils at Key Stage 1 carry out sufficient in-depth work in the areas of materials and their properties and physical processes in science. (7, 92, 94) • Develop more opportunities for pupils to carry out work in control, modelling and monitoring in ICT. (9, 33, 113, 114) Woolsery Primary School - 21

p.20

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 33

p.21

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

p.21

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

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

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 95

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 12

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 3

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 16

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 0

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 9

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 11

p.21

Attendance

National comparative data 5.6 National comparative data 0.5

p.21

Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Woolsery Primary School - 22

p.21

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2001 7 5 12

p.22

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.22

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

Percentage of pupils School 92 (68) 83 (68) 92 (68) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (83) 86 (84) 91 (90)

p.22

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.22

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

Percentage of pupils School 92 (68) 92 (68) 100 (79) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (84) 89 (88) 89 (88)

p.22

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

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

p.22

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2001 16 6 23

p.22

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.22

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

Percentage of pupils School 83 (80) 91 (92) 96 (92) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 71 (72) 87 (85)

p.22

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.22

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

Percentage of pupils School 78 (80) 78 (76) 83 (84) at NC level 4 or above National 72 (70) 74 (72) 82 (79)

p.22

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

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Woolsery Primary School - 23

p.22

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 White – British 95 0 0 White – Irish 0 0 0 White – any other White background 0 0 0 Mixed – White and Black Caribbean 0 0 0 Mixed – White and Black African 0 0 0 Mixed – White and Asian 0 0 0 Mixed – any other mixed background 0 0 0 Asian or Asian British - Indian 0 0 0 Asian or Asian British - Pakistani 0 0 0 Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi 0 0 0 Asian or Asian British – any other Asian background 0 0 0 Black or Black British – Caribbean 0 0 0 Black or Black British – African 0 0 0 Black or Black British – any other Black background 0 0 0 Chinese 0 0 0 Any other ethnic group 0 0 0 No ethnic group recorded 0 0 0 The table refers to pupils of compulsory school age only. It gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 4.5 Financial year 2001-2002

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 21.1

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR– Y6 Total income 290,906

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 4 Total expenditure 290,994

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 20 Expenditure per pupil 2622

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

FTE means full-time equivalent. Balance brought forward from previous year 11422

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 11334

p.23

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 2

p.23

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 1

p.23

Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

p.23

Recruitment of teachers

Number of vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of a term or more (FTE) 0 Woolsery Primary School - 24 Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) 0

p.23

Recruitment of teachers

FTE means full-time equivalent. Woolsery Primary School - 25

p.24

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 65 33 0 2 0

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 38 60 2 0 0

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 31 44 19 4 2

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 63 31 4 0 2

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 85 13 2 0 0

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 63 35 2 0 0

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 56 31 8 0 4

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 65 31 4 0 0

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 48 50 2 0 0

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 23 42 27 2 6 Woolsery Primary School - 26

p.25

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

64. The school has worked hard to establish good planning and provision for the Foundation Stage in line with national guidance. Although the inspection occurs very early in the school year and the children have only been in school for a few days, the good provision and good teaching means that they are on course to attain above average standards in all of the areas of learning by the end of the Foundation Stage. This marks an improvement since the last inspection when standards were average.

p.26

Personal, social and emotional development

65. Children are well behaved and polite and have a good awareness of class rules. They develop good listening skills, and progress well in building up the ability to concentrate on the tasks they are set. They acquire good social skills - learning to take turns and to share resources. Children are ready to help others who are experiencing difficulties in completing set tasks. Most children follow instructions, are learning to choose appropriate resources and show growing confidence in their role-play activities where they demonstrate good collaborative skills. Children feel secure and happy and are eager to share their ideas and opinions with others. A good range of planned activities encourages children to make decisions for themselves and they are beginning to take the initiative in some situations.

p.26

Communication, language and literacy

66. Speaking and listening skills are generally secure and children make good progress in these areas. For example, children are prepared to listen to each other during sessions on the carpet and are keen to make their own oral contributions and to answer questions. Most of the children hold their pencils correctly and make good efforts to write their own names on the whiteboard. Children develop good recall skills, recite a number of rhymes and have a good grasp of sequencing words. They identify the missing words from some sentences taken from the story of ‘Little Red Riding Hood’ and show good word recognition. They handle books appropriately and some are beginning to recognise and read simple words. Through well targeted questioning by their teacher and the imaginative use of puppets, they talk about the illustrations in their storybooks and offer some insights into the characters in ‘Little Red Riding Hood’

p.26

Mathematical development

67. Children make good progress in developing their mathematical skills. The majority of pupils count accurately and order numbers up to ten. They consolidate their learning through singing number rhymes such as ‘Ten Green Bottles’ and ‘Baa Baa Black Sheep’. Number recognition is good and they identify missing numbers in a number line from 1 to 10. They have a good understanding of sequence and are beginning to understand the concepts of numbers coming before or after each other. Well-differentiated tasks ensure that children are learning at the appropriate levels. Teachers and support staff use every opportunity to reinforce and consolidate children’s knowledge of number in all the areas of learning.

p.26

Knowledge and understanding of the world

68. Children learn through a rich variety of experiences and direct use of their senses. Teachers use effective questioning techniques to extend children’s thinking and to help them make sense of the world. Children investigate construction materials competently and collaborate well together to initiate projects of their own, such as making vehicles that move. They use a ‘feely bag’ well to investigate shape and texture. Children talk about the different Woolsery Primary School - 27 seasons of the year and know that leaves change colour in the autumn. Their daily contributions to changing the information on the weather board gives them a good understanding of the sequence of the days of the week and of the use of appropriate symbols to represent the day’s weather. Children are beginning to show some awareness of the passing of time and understand what is meant by beginning, middle and end of a period of time. They are skilled at operating the tape recorder to listen to their taped stories.

p.26

Knowledge and understanding of the world

They are confident in using the computer to support activities.

p.27

Physical development

69. Children use and manipulate resources and play equipment with growing confidence. They have a good awareness of space and use their body movements well to demonstrate their rhythmic sense. Children develop their fine motor skills well and their illustrative work is imaginative. Several children show a well-tuned sense of colour, shape and texture. They cut, fold, stick and join appropriately and use tools such as scissors with growing confidence. Pencil control skills are developing appropriately and several children write letters and numbers with an increasingly accurate sense of form and size. Children enjoy playing games in the playground and they observe the rules appropriately, for example, when playing a chasing game.

p.27

Creative development

70. In one lesson children used painted facemasks well when re-enacting the story of the ‘Three Little Pigs’. They have made the pigs’ houses well from a range of materials and use these effectively when performing their play about the story. Children are enthusiastic and keen to take part in such work. They have good insights into the characters in the story and show imagination in developing the characters during their performances. They are given a range of musical experiences and sing their songs and rhymes together with gusto and a good sense of rhythm. Children illustrate the stories that they know, choosing appropriate shapes and colours, and colour in their shapes neatly and with equal strokes. Good work in producing self-portraits was seen and great care is taken to develop children’s observational skills when they produce their leaf designs. Staff give children plentiful opportunities to

p.27

Creative development

express themselves creatively and they share their time well with all children. Tasks are varied and children respond enthusiastically to the opportunities offered and make good progress as a result.

p.27

Creative development

71. Teaching is good in all of the areas of learning. Strong and supportive relationships are formed with the children and there is a warm and secure atmosphere in the classroom to which children respond positively. Staff are calm and patient, they have good subject knowledge and have high expectations of children. There is a consistently high level of challenge and the pace of teaching is brisk, so that children move smoothly from one activity to another. Good strategies ensure that children are encouraged to sustain their concentration and involvement in tasks. Lesson planning is detailed and of good quality; it is carefully designed to develop skills in all the areas of learning. Tasks are well adapted to match children’s needs and abilities. Resources are used imaginatively to stimulate interest and reinforce learning. The classroom is attractive and welcoming and children’s work is well displayed and valued. There are some limitations on the use of sand and water play

p.27

Creative development

because of space. Woolsery Primary School - 28

p.27

ENGLISH

72. By the age of seven, pupils attain average levels while at the age of eleven they reach above average levels. This marks an improvement since the last inspection when pupils attained average standards overall at the ages of seven and eleven.

p.28

ENGLISH

73. In recent years, the school suffered from some staffing turbulence at Key Stage 1 and there are indications that this adversely affected the school’s results in national tests for seven- year-olds. The establishment of a good teaching team at the Foundation Stage and at Key Stage 1 has done much to address this situation, with standards improving. However, the full impact of this good teaching has still to be completely realised.

p.28

ENGLISH

74. In the last few years English results for pupils aged eleven were not as good as those in mathematics and science. Through an analysis of the English test results, the school identified a particular weakness in boys’ writing and rightly put an increased emphasis on improving this area by, for example, introducing more ‘boy friendly’ books and a greater use of ICT. These strategies have been effective with the good results for 2002 in English being much closer to the results in mathematics and science. The school exceeded its targets for the percentage of pupils achieving Level 4 or above at the end of Key Stage 2.

p.28

ENGLISH

75. By the age of seven, most pupils meet expectations for speaking and listening. They join in discussions, listen carefully and make suitable responses to questions. Most pupils at Key Stage 1 make good progress in speaking and listening because teachers and support staff value and encourage pupils’ oral contributions. They provide regular opportunities for pupils to extend their vocabulary and engage in dialogue rather than simply answering in one-word answers or using body language. For example, in a Year 1 geography discussion, pupils were encouraged to describe their holidays and make comparisons about distances and methods of travelling. Also, in a Year 2 lesson, pupils carefully described a favourite toy to a partner who, by listening closely, made a reasonably accurate drawing. By the age of eleven, pupils show above average ability in speaking and listening. They join in discussions

p.28

ENGLISH

confidently and most pupils express their ideas and opinions fluently and articulately. For example, Year 6 pupils confidently and readily engage in discussions about their hobbies, reading habits, favourite pop groups and soccer teams.

p.28

ENGLISH

76. Pupils show average reading skills at the age of seven and above average skills at the age of eleven. The school gives a high priority to the teaching of reading. The good progress that pupils make owes much to the teachers’ good use of a structured reading scheme that places the focus on the development of vocabulary and enabling strategies and skills such as phonics. Year 1 pupils show good levels of word recognition. They use initial sounds and phonic understanding to read a range of chosen high frequency words that they then put into sentences. Most seven-year-olds read simple pieces of writing fluently, accurately and with understanding. A few higher attaining pupils read with confidence and expression. They talk about the plot and express preferences for characters in the story. At Key Stage 2, pupils read a good range of fiction and non-fiction texts. Pupils aged eleven show a good

p.28

ENGLISH

understanding of different sorts of text and the ability to analyse and interpret the meanings in more complex writing. For example, in one lesson observed, Year 6 pupils used reading strategies well when converting ‘The Pied Piper of Hamelin‘ into modern-day language. A few pupils show especially well developed skills – reading more advanced books such as ‘The Hobbit’ fluently and with good understanding. The establishment of an attractive and well-organised library area has done much to arouse and stimulate pupils’ interest in books and seeking information. Most older pupils understand the organisation of the library and the basic skills of information retrieval. They make good use of the library and some good use of the Internet to research information.

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ENGLISH

77. Attainment in writing is broadly average at the end of Key Stage 1 and just above average at the end of Key Stage 2. Pupils develop appropriate handwriting skills so that letters are written reasonably clearly and with suitable control. By the age of seven, most pupils Woolsery Primary School - 29 convey meaning in their writing through short but clearly defined sentences. They retell incidents in stories that have a beginning, middle and end and they are beginning to use similes and adjectives effectively. The improvement of spelling is a school priority and is well taught throughout the school. At Key Stage 1, the spelling of most simple words is generally accurate. Speech marks are sometimes employed and the use of capitals and full stops is well established. Throughout Key Stage 2, grammar, spelling and punctuation continue to be taught systematically and pupils extend their range of formal and informal

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ENGLISH

writing across other subjects in the curriculum. Pupils develop a good awareness of how writers use words and varied sentence structure to hold the reader’s attention. For example, in an exercise linked to Greek mythology one pupil wrote: ‘ The terrifying creature was a blood curdling vicious bat with wings three metres long and teeth like razors.’ By the age of eleven pupils write for a good range of purposes. For instance, they have written good quality reports on visits to Torrington as part of a history project; interesting recollections of a residential visit to Dartmoor; detailed descriptions of the process of kite making; well constructed letters and good quality verses in the style of Shakespeare’s MacBeth. Most pupils write fluently and legibly in well-formed script. Pupils’ writing is usually well presented and neat.

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ENGLISH

78. Teaching is good at both key stages. Teachers and support staff liaise very closely to ensure that pupils are given appropriate learning tasks. Teachers manage their mixed age group classes well to maximise the opportunities for pupils of different ages and abilities to benefit from one another. They make good provision for all groups of pupils including those with special educational needs. Pupils benefit from the particularly skilled support from experienced classroom assistants and make good progress in reaching the learning targets set for them. Teachers have a secure knowledge of the content and requirements of the English curriculum and they demonstrate good strategies for developing pupils’ literacy skills. They pay good attention to developing pupils’ speaking and listening skills. Teachers are enthusiastic and provide much encouragement for pupils who therefore work enthusiastically and confidently and achieve well. Lessons are well planned and provide

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ENGLISH

challenging work for all pupils. The management of pupils and the use of support staff and resources are good. Marking is analytical, supportive, closely linked to individual targets and helpful in indicating how pupils might progress.

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ENGLISH

79. The management of English is good and ensures that the National Literacy Strategy is used well to support teaching and learning. Suitable arrangements are in place to ensure that teaching, learning and planning are monitored. The co-ordinator has been central in the development of appropriate policies, planning, and the provision of resources for English. Pupils are tested on regular occasions and teachers make appropriate use of the results to help set performance targets. However, the lack of a formalised system for tracking pupils’ progress hinders the ability of teachers to isolate precise curriculum development targets.

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MATHEMATICS

80. Inspection evidence shows that, as at the time of the last inspection, seven-year-old pupils attain levels that match national expectations and also mirrors the results of the national tests conducted this year. Eleven-year-old pupils currently attain above average levels in mathematics that is an improvement on the average picture reflected in the last report and also confirms the 2002 test results.

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MATHEMATICS

81. The school has placed appropriate emphasis upon the introduction of the National Numeracy Strategy in its curriculum planning and there is evidence that this has had a significant impact upon improving standards. 82. By the age of seven, as a result of good teaching, pupils show a secure understanding of place value to 100. They count confidently to 20 and beyond, and most pupils have a sound understanding of number bonds and number sequences. They count up to 100 in twos, fives and tens accurately. Pupils recognise odd and even numbers and most add up a Woolsery Primary School - 30 number sentence competently. The majority of pupils work accurately with three digit numbers. Most pupils are confident in choosing a range of strategies for using addition, subtraction and multiplication and they use the appropriate symbols correctly. Pupils understand the concept of a half and a quarter and work confidently with simple fractions.

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MATHEMATICS

Pupils’ mental recall is sound overall and they respond well to challenging and brisk questioning by their teachers, showing growing confidence and enjoyment of number work. The use of number rhymes and role-play helps pupils reinforce their recognition of number and place value. By the age of seven, pupils have a satisfactory understanding of money and give accurate amounts of change from small purchases. They recognise two and three-dimensional shapes and describe their properties, using the correct vocabulary. Pupils use standard measures of length and weight correctly. Most pupils have an appropriate understanding of reflective symmetry. Pupils’ understanding of analogue and digital time is generally secure. They sort and organise data and record their findings accurately in pictograms and bar graphs, often using ICT confidently.

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MATHEMATICS

83. By the age of eleven, pupils use the four operations with increasing confidence. They have a good understanding of place value and use this knowledge successfully in mental calculations. They round up and estimate and the majority explain their results logically and articulately. In Year 3, pupils recognise patterns in odd and even number sequences. Year 4 pupils have a secure grasp of the principles of addition and subtraction and most recognise the relationship between decimals, percentages and fractions. Above average attaining pupils handle word problems confidently. They understand the concept of negative numbers and investigate more complex patterns. Average and below average attaining pupils show some insecurity in their knowledge of number bonds and in checking their results. By Years 5 and 6, pupils calculate perimeters and areas accurately and there is some good work on probability. Pupils show good development of problem-solving skills

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MATHEMATICS

and are prepared to consider a range of strategies and methods for solving problems. There are good links with science and ICT to develop pupils’ data handling skills. Pupils in Year 5 measure angles accurately and by Year 6, pupils have a good grasp of mathematical vocabulary. Their problem-solving skills are developing well and they record the logical steps which they take clearly and confidently; above average attaining pupils develop a clear sequence of calculation. Those pupils of below average ability have some difficulty with problem-solving and do not always record the strategies they have selected to demonstrate their findings. Year 6 pupils have a good understanding of rotational and reflective symmetry; their graphs are accurate and neatly plotted.

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MATHEMATICS

84. Year 5 and 6 pupils develop their investigative and problem-solving skills appropriately. However, the presentation of the work of below average attaining pupils is often untidy and the organisation of their work is sometimes careless; this has an adverse effect upon their learning. Overall, through the close guidance they receive, all groups of pupils, including those with special educational needs, make good progress throughout the school.

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MATHEMATICS

85. Pupils who have special needs in numeracy are identified early on in their time in school and appropriate arrangements are made to support their individual needs.

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MATHEMATICS

86. Pupils respond well to numeracy lessons, especially at Key Stage 2. They enjoy talking about and explaining their mathematical strategies. Most pupils concentrate well and remain on task during lessons. Teachers make their expectations clear and pupils work effectively to complete their tasks. 87. The quality of teaching is good across the school. Teachers have high expectations of their pupils; they plan interesting activities to help them understand and reinforce the principles being taught. Teachers manage classes well. Most lessons proceed at a brisk pace and there is a good level of challenge for pupils of all abilities. Teachers ensure that above average pupils are well challenged with extension work involving research, which is designed to encourage pupils to develop their investigative skills. Key Stage 2 pupils gain confidence in experimenting with new strategies and in asking each other pertinent

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MATHEMATICS

questions. Scrutiny of pupils’ written work at both key stages shows that teachers mark Woolsery Primary School - 31 work regularly and, in the best practice, provide comments directed at helping pupils to improve their standards. Numeracy skills are well applied to other subjects, such as science, geography and design and technology.

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MATHEMATICS

88. Day-to-day assessments of pupils’ work are effective in informing teachers’ planning to identify the next stage in their learning. However, there are no clear formalised systems for recording and collating test results to help teachers to analyse patterns in pupils’ performance and guide future developments to the mathematics curriculum.

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MATHEMATICS

89. The quality and quantity of resources for learning in mathematics are good overall. Appropriate materials have been purchased to deliver the National Numeracy Strategy and these are accessible and well managed.

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MATHEMATICS

90. The mathematics co-ordinator carries out his role effectively. A good scheme of work has been put in place that is well adapted to the needs of the school.

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SCIENCE

91. By the age of seven, as at the time of the last inspection, pupils attain levels that match the national expectations while by the age of eleven pupils attain levels that exceed the national expectation. This is an improvement on the average levels noted last time. This improvement is also confirmed by the national test results where the school’s results for eleven-year olds were well above average in the 2000 and 2001 tests. Although no national comparative data is yet available, results for 2002 look equally strong reflecting a picture of consistently good performance in this subject.

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SCIENCE

92. A particularly good feature of the work seen throughout the school is the strong emphasis that teachers place upon encouraging pupils to learn through practical investigation. A very high proportion of the work seen in books is based around practical work and this was also true for the lessons seen. As a result, pupils develop an in-depth understanding and good investigative skills at both key stages. Standards are better at Key Stage 2 than at Key Stage 1 because of the particularly wide breadth and depth of knowledge that pupils acquire and the challenging activities with which they are presented. By the age of seven, pupils have a good range of experiences in work connected with living things and, for example, make good quality observational drawings of plants seen on a walk – complete with detailed labels. They gain a good knowledge and understanding of the life cycle of butterflies and

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SCIENCE

frogs with lots of excitement generated by the development of a chrysalis into a butterfly in a classroom vivarium. Pupils record these events well with several written sentences and good clear diagrams. However, other work on materials and physical processes, while of an average standard, is not as detailed and in-depth and does not reflect the same level of understanding.

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SCIENCE

93. By the age of eleven, pupils record information about their investigations in detail, with clear accounts, labelled diagrams and tables of results where appropriate. For example, Year 6 pupils drew attractive diagrams of the parts of a tree, and carefully charted the careful measurements they had made during an investigation about different bone lengths of pupils at different ages. They use the results well to draw tentative conclusions. Year 5 pupils spoken to showed a very clear understanding of the principles of fair testing. The depth of the work studying minibeasts, the careful use of keys to identify creatures and the ‘expeditions’ for pond dipping reflect a picture of very well prepared work and confident presentation by the teacher that is moving the pace of learning along at a good rate. Pupils gain a good level of understanding about the differences between solids, gases and liquids.

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SCIENCE

They know that the differences are due to the different molecular density of these materials. They successfully investigate the variability of the evaporation rate of water according to different conditions. Woolsery Primary School - 32 94. Teaching is good at both key stages. A good teaching team has been established at Key Stage 1 over the last two years and the impact of their work is helping to raise standards in science in this part of the school. In the lesson seen at Year 2/3 good discussion work led pupils into a clear understanding of how to sort materials by their properties, but did not sufficiently extend the higher attaining pupils. However, pupils’ work books painted a clear picture of good teaching, with well prepared, challenging and interesting tasks provided for the living things work, but less intensive and detailed work evident in the areas of materials and physical processes. At Key Stage 2, the one lesson seen involved good discussion

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SCIENCE

work and clear explanations. The teacher also skilfully introduced the possibility for ‘fast track’ investigators to move on to another more challenging task so that all groups of pupils, including those with special educational needs, were catered for very well. Work in pupils’ books shows that high expectations for good presentation and the inclusion of good quality detail are laid down clearly by the teachers.

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SCIENCE

95. At both key stages, teachers provide good opportunities to promote pupils’ spiritual, moral social and cultural development. For example, Year 4/5 pupils showed much excitement in the discoveries during their investigation work while Key Stage 1 pupils have clearly had some ‘awe and wonder’ experiences with their in-class studies of the development of frogs and butterflies. Also, a pupil’s good quality research project in Year 6 showed much detail about conservation issues and the pupil’s growing awareness of the problems of ‘greenhouse’ gases.

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SCIENCE

96. Science is well managed with the co-ordinator having a very clear focus on raising the standards of work across the school. She also leads the subject well through the example of her own good teaching. The school has an appropriate range of well-used resources. However, the co-ordinator does not currently have enough chance to monitor and evaluate teaching and learning in other classes.

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ART AND DESIGN

97. By the ages of seven and eleven, pupils’ attainment is above that expected at these ages and this marks an improvement since the last inspection where standards were average.

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ART AND DESIGN

98. Within Key Stage 1, pupils explore the range of colours that can be created by mixing paint and investigate the textures that they can achieve through using different materials to produce a collage. They display good observational skills in completing their self-portrait work. Pupils select interesting colours for their work and show a good sense of perspective. Encouragement by the teacher in the Year 2/3 class helped pupils to closely examine the techniques used in paintings by famous artists. Good guidance from the teacher and the classroom support assistant enabled pupils to produce good quality sketches that showed good pencil control and a well-judged sense of perspective. Display work by Year 2/3 pupils also shows some interesting and well-executed ink drawings of different styles of architecture. Year 2 pupils use their sketchbooks well to produce views of the local seaside landscape at Clovelly and Westward Ho. Pupils develop a range of techniques to achieve

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ART AND DESIGN

the effects they intend and they successfully use computer programs to produce work in the style of Mondrian.

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ART AND DESIGN

99. In Years 4 and 5, pupils begin to work with textiles and appliqué. They have produced a colourful and imaginative wall hanging based on the story of ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’. Initial drawings for a leaf design embroidery show good sketching techniques. In Years 5 and 6, pupils produce a range of well-crafted work that shows the good progress made in acquiring the necessary skills. Older pupils have been successful in winning a prize locally for the very well designed decorated masks. Pupils produce studies in black and white that show the development of good brushwork skills. Their charcoal studies of abstract designs and of a Russian doll are of high quality. Older pupils develop good skills in weaving and in batik work and they have produced attractive mini sculptures. Work on ceramics is well Woolsery Primary School - 33 displayed and well finished. Pupils make good use of the school’s kiln to produce good

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ART AND DESIGN

quality glazed and painted tiles and small figures. Good links with numeracy have encouraged pupils to produce designs based on the dodecagon. In work linked to history and religious education pupils’ paintings show a very good eye for detail and form. Paintings in the style of Dali show good draughtsmanship, effective brushwork and good choice of colour.

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ART AND DESIGN

100. Teaching in art and design is good. The school is fortunate in having some gifted artists on the staff who provide the inspiration for the pupils’ work. Pupils are made fully aware of expectations and of the learning objectives in each project. Teachers allow plentiful opportunities for pupils to discuss their work and develop their ideas. There is good emphasis upon the direct teaching of subject-specific skills.

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ART AND DESIGN

101. The subject is well managed. The school deliberately places a strong emphasis upon developing pupils’ art and design skills as a very useful means of developing pupils’ confidence and sense of achievement. Conversations with staff and pupils indicate that the school is successful with this strategy. The school uses the subject well to develop pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development; for example, with the good emphasis on learning about the work of artists from other countries. The good progress pupils make owes much to the systematic development of skills and techniques as they move through the school.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

102. During the last inspection insufficient evidence was available for inspectors to judge standards. Although no design and technology lessons were seen this time, a scrutiny of work and photographic evidence shows that pupils attain at least the expected levels at the ages of seven and eleven, with indications in some work of pupils attaining above this level. As no lessons were seen, it is not possible to judge the quality of teaching or pupils’ attitudes towards the subject.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

103. Pupils carry out an appropriate range of work and make some attractive and interesting products. However, not all work seen is accompanied by suitable designs – suggesting that designing aspects of work are not always as well developed as the making part of the work. One exception to this was seen in a display of work by Year 5/6 pupils, where they responded well to a challenge to make a ‘themed’ sculpture using one metre of wooden rod. The drawn designs were imaginative and the final products were decorated with an interesting range of materials and were well-finished and attractive

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

104. By the age of seven, pupils have made picture frames, mug racks and book holders and evaluated the outcomes of their work. They have gained a suitable knowledge of how to join materials together in different ways. A few diagrams were seen of the intended designs but none of these were very clear or labelled. Good work was carried out evaluating different kinds of bread and showed a comprehensive approach towards checking texture, appearance and taste. Pupils have made some good quality and attractive appliqué flower designs on hessian based on drawings in their sketchbooks. The work involved careful stitching of fabric materials. Good quality three-dimensional versions of the flowers were also made that involved fixing together a range of appropriate materials such as tissue, pipe cleaners, paper and card. Year 3 and 4 pupils have previously made attractively designed Aztec pots and pyramids made from cardboard – these products have been well finished.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

Pupils now in Years 5 and 6 have made attractive models of lighthouses with working lights – making a good link to science work with electrical circuits. Some very attractive appliqué designs have been made by these pupils with a series of pictures telling the story of ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’. The pupils have also made kites that have involved careful fixing together of polythene, fabric and sticks. Woolsery Primary School - 34 105. The subject is well co-ordinated with close liaison between staff ensuring, for example, that displays of work are used well to celebrate pupils’ achievements.

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

106. As at the time of the last inspection pupils attain the expected levels in geography and history by the ages of seven and eleven.

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

107. Year 1 pupils develop an understanding about different locations when ‘Barnaby Bunny’ leads them on an exploration of the Dominican Republic. They understand that the climate is different, that a considerable time is taken to reach there and that different modes of transport are involved. Pupils talk about their own travel experiences, some within their own county and country, but others, with some sophistication, tell of travels involving aeroplanes, trains and ferries. One quite articulate pupil described his journey to Finland and experiences there, in interesting and accurate detail.

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

108. Year 4 and 5 pupils are engaged on an investigation about ‘Improving the environment’. They carry out a study around their village looking for signs of graffiti, vandalism and pet droppings. Opinions are soon formed, and pupils record their findings. Good links are made with speaking and listening in English and with discussing issues of concern in Personal, Social and Health Education.

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

109. Pupils in Years 5 and 6 engage in a study of a Victorian census of Woolfardisworthy. Some original school documents are supported with copied records of maps and registers. Pupils are enthralled and investigate these primary sources with much enthusiasm. They understand that the occupations of the villagers differed greatly from the present time. They understand how the village has developed around the church and the manor and making good geographical links, use aerial photographs to link old maps to present development.

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

110. Teaching is good and enables pupils to acquire a good depth and breadth of understanding. Teachers use their own good knowledge and enthusiasm to fire the pupils’ interest. Very good preparation underpins the indoor history lessons and the outdoor geography lessons. Resources such as maps, photographs and original documents are made available so that pupils understand how information may be gathered. The lesson involving the pupils’ movement around the village is well organised. Due regard to safety is observed and splendid support given by the ‘off duty’ classroom assistants.

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

111. The subject manager is both diligent and enthusiastic. She has been instrumental in drawing up recent policy documents and framing a two-year rolling history and geography programme that makes successful links with other subjects. Woolsery Primary School - 35

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

112. The last inspection found that pupils’ ICT skills were underdeveloped. Improvements have taken place since that time so that an appropriate ICT curriculum is now in place, facilities have been improved to an appropriate level and pupils attain levels that match the national expectations at the ages of seven and eleven. No ICT lessons were seen during the inspection so it is not possible to judge the quality of teaching.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

113. By the age of seven, pupils are familiar with the functions of many of the command keys on the keyboard such as delete, space and shift. They type short pieces of work and know how to print out their work. Pupils have made appropriate use of the Internet to search for local village websites and they have found out about bus timetables and local opening times using this facility. They know how to use art programs to draw pictures and make attractive designs and are familiar with the idea of changing font size, type and colour. By the age of eleven pupils know how to cut and paste – copying data or text. They also know how to copy a file from the computer to their own floppy disc for future retrieval. Pupils know how to copy and paste between different software packages so that they are confident to introduce pictures into their text in this way or via importing clipart images. They know how to change

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

between portrait and landscape formats, use bullet points and design tables. Pupils also have good experience of downloading digital camera images onto the computers. Year 6 pupils talked confidently about their experiences with researching for areas on the Internet for science and history. Although pupils recall some experiences with control work and the use of spreadsheets their knowledge in these areas is limited.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

114. The subject is well co-ordinated by the headteacher. Staff have had suitable training and progress with developing this subject is good. Suitable systems are in place to record pupils’ progress in ICT but these are still at an early stage of development. The school recognises the need to develop greater use of ICT in other subjects, to introduce more chances for pupils to work with control, simple databases and, using ICT equipment, to sense physical data (temperature sound and light measurements). The school has satisfactory resources for this subject although there is no equipment/software for work with sensing physical data at Key Stage 2.

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MUSIC

115. The last inspection reported music standards as being in line with nationally expected levels. Standards are now better than this with pupils attaining above average levels by the ages of seven and eleven. These good attainment levels are as a result of the stimulating and very good quality teaching and due to the rich range of musical experiences to which they are exposed during their lessons.

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MUSIC

116. By the age of seven, because they are so well encouraged by the teacher, pupils confidently and expressively explore a range of vocal sounds and, working together, they try out lots of different combinations of sounds. In this way they gain an advanced understanding about the principles of simple musical composition and gain a basic idea of the graphical representation of sounds. Pupils gain a good understanding of how different uses of sound can produce different effects. They show a good ability to maintain repeating rhythmic clapping beats and enjoy all of the musical games introduced by the teacher, which keep them alert and interested. During the Year 2/3 lesson seen, pupils sang well and thoroughly enjoyed the chance to try a range of rhythmic dance movements to some rock ‘n’ roll piano music played by the teacher.

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MUSIC

117. By the age of eleven, pupils show a good ability to improvise with different vocal sounds to make musical compositions. They work together well, collaborating effectively to build up layers of vocal sounds in their musical compositions. Pupils also appraise each other’s performances in great detail and make perceptive comments about what they like/do not like Woolsery Primary School - 36 in different musical compositions. In a lesson seen for the Year 5/6 class, pupils responded very well to the idea emphasised by the teacher that all pupils in a group must be given a chance to be involved. In this way all of the pupils felt valued and gained significantly in confidence as the work progressed. Pupils have a clear understanding of how musical sounds can be represented graphically and also understand how a conductor can lead the progress of a musical composition. They successfully try this idea in their own group

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MUSIC

118. In a whole school music assembly, pupils sang well and enjoyed the humorous lyrics in the song they learned … ‘You’ll never be a jazzy jet setter by staring at the holes in your vest.’

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MUSIC

119. The quality of the teaching is very good. The music specialist teaches all of the classes and has a clear overview of how well pupils’ skills are developing across the school. He uses this knowledge to pitch lessons precisely at the right level. All the work in music lessons is challenging and runs at a vigorous pace - often in danger of breaking the ‘musical speed limits’ - but the teacher has a keen awareness as to how well pupils are managing and supports and guides them effectively. He moves to new activities at just the right moment to sustain their interest and motivation. His unusual, humorous and very charismatic style of presentation ensures that all pupils enjoy the work and carry out activities in a very enthusiastic manner and therefore learn new ideas at a rapid pace. One excellent feature of the teaching is the way the teacher removes the ‘myth’ that pupils need to be able to sing in

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MUSIC

tune in order to participate in the lessons. As a result pupils of all attainment levels involve themselves fully and confidently in the work and try their best.

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MUSIC

120. Music is well managed in the school and the school’s strategy to employ a specialist to provide intensive quality teaching for pupils is very successful - helping all pupils to achieve well in this subject. The school benefits from good promotion of spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of the pupils through, for example the introduction to the pupils of music from different cultures and the very good opportunities that they have for gaining social awareness through collaboration in the musical activities. The school has a satisfactory range of resources for this subject.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION (PE)

121. Standards in PE are judged to be in line with those expected for pupils at the ages of seven and eleven. No PE was seen at Key Stage 1 during the last inspection but standards at Key Stage 2 reported this time are the same as for the last inspection. Although no swimming was seen it is understood that most pupils reach the standard expected of pupils at the end of Key Stage 2.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION (PE)

122. Pupils make expected progress in developing control and co-ordination in gymnastic skills, and when running, jumping and balancing. They broaden their experiences and acquire competence in a range of swimming, gymnastic and games activities. A number of pupils attend extra-curricular games clubs run by teachers and parents and, as a result of enthusiastic, well-informed coaching, these pupils make good progress and achieve good standards. The school teams are successful in local and regional competitions. For example, the soccer team was top of the local league. Pupils with special educational needs are well supported and achieve good results that enhance their self-esteem.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION (PE)

123. At Key Stage 1, most pupils demonstrate sound co-ordination when using large body movements. They move with control and make good use of general space. In the playground they move freely, join in a range of chasing games and stop and start in a controlled and safe way. In a gymnastic lesson, Year 2 pupils show skill when inventing different ways of supporting their weight. Woolsery Primary School - 37 124. At Key Stage 2, pupils develop increasing control in both agility and skills. Year 5/6 pupils make sound progress in developing throwing and catching and tennis-type skills. They benefit from well-informed focussed teaching.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION (PE)

125. The quality of the teaching seen is satisfactory. Teachers are enthusiastic about teaching PE and have appropriate subject knowledge. Planning is sound with clear learning objectives and appropriately challenging tasks. Teachers are mobile, attentive and give good, informed practical support. In these lessons pupils’ performances are used well to demonstrate achievement, focus on good practice and to encourage pupils to observe others and refine their own skills. As a result, pupils make expected progress in these lessons.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION (PE)

126. The subject is well managed by an enthusiastic co-ordinator. The provision of a number of extra-curricular activities enhances the PE curriculum, as does the experience gained by pupils on a multi-activity residential visit to Dartmoor.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

127. As at the time of the last inspection, standards in religious education are in line with the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus for pupils at the ages of seven and eleven.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

128. By the age of seven, pupils understand the main celebrations of the Christian calendar, such as Christmas, Easter and Harvest. They are aware of the significance of Baptism and know several of the Old Testament stories. They have a sound ability to recognise themes such as jealousy and bullying in these stories and relate the messages to their own experiences. They are keen to engage in class discussions about these issues and to share their concerns with others. Key Stage 1 pupils understand the need for rules in school and in the family. They have an appropriate knowledge of the Five Pillars of Islam and of the Hindu stories of Rama and Sita. Pupils look at the Thanksgiving celebrations in the United States and know why they are held. They produce some interesting work on their ideas of Heaven.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

129. By the age of eleven, pupils have a satisfactory knowledge and understanding of aspects of Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam. They are aware of the symbols of these religions and know about the texts used and the festivals associated with the religious symbols. Pupils successfully compare the values and beliefs of the major world religions; for example, they find common elements, such as the belief in a deity, the creation myths and the promotion of positive moral and social values. They begin to discuss issues such as the nature of friendship, the need for co-operation with others and their reactions to the problem of bullying. The personal and social education curriculum is well integrated into these sessions and pupils learn to express themselves openly and articulately.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

130. Cross-curricular links with subjects such as history, geography, literacy, art and music enhance pupils’ understanding and promote their skills of enquiry and reflection. They respond well to opportunities to investigate beliefs different from their own.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

131. Only two lessons were seen during this inspection – one at each key stage, and the teaching and learning in these lessons were good. Teachers have good subject knowledge and encourage all pupils to make contributions to class discussions and to explore their own views and feelings. Teachers listen to pupils’ views with respect and pupils are encouraged to work together collaboratively on role-play activities. Teachers have high expectations of their pupils and provide appropriately good levels of challenge. On the basis of the samples of work scrutinised, pupils make at least satisfactory progress with their learning in religious education. Woolsery Primary School - 38 132. The subject has a new co-ordinator and the management of this area of the curriculum is satisfactory with appropriate organisation to ensure teachers’ planning is effectively supported by the use of the locally agreed syllabus.

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