Abingdon Primary School

ABINGDON PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 14 th - 17 th July 2003

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ABINGDON 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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ABINGDON 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. Abingdon Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Abingdon Road Reddish Stockport Manchester

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mrs J McKenzie

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: May 1998 Abingdon 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

21184 Mr Alan Fullwood Registered inspector English English as an additional language Information and communication technology Music Physical education What sort of school is it? The school’s results and pupils’ achievements How well are pupils taught? How well is the school led and managed?

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

11392 Dr Terry Heppenstall Lay inspector Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? 20380 Mr Neville Pinkney Team inspector Mathematics Science Geography History Equal opportunities How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils?

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

12900 Ms Leonora Short Team inspector Foundation Stage Religious education Art and design Design and technology Special educational needs

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Full Circle division of Parkman The Brow 23 Trewartha Park Weston-Super-Mare North Somerset BS23 2RT Abingdon Primary School - 5 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 Abingdon Primary School - 6

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 7

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 12

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Abingdon, situated in Reddish to the north of Stockport, is a smaller than average-sized primary school. The number of pupils on roll has declined in recent years and currently there are 192 boys and girls on roll, taught in seven single-aged classes. There are 24 Foundation Stage children in the reception class. The school mainly serves the area around the school where socio-economic indicators are lower than national averages. Three pupils have English as an additional language but none is at an early stage in the acquisition of language. The percentage of pupils identified as having special educational needs or who are eligible for free school meals is broadly in line with the national average. The attainment of children on entry to the school, although wide ranging, is below average. During the inspection, there was a temporary teacher in the reception class as the established teacher has been on

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Abingdon Primary School is an effective school where pupils achieve well in attaining average standards in English and above average standards in art, design and technology, geography, history and information and communication technology by the time they leave. Overall, the school provides a good education for its pupils and is led and managed satisfactorily. The school provides good value for money.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What the school does well • It enables pupils to achieve well in English, art, design and technology, geography, history and information and communication technology. • The teaching provided in Years 3 to 6 is good. • It makes good provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development through a caring ethos which successfully promotes pupils’ personal development. • It successfully encourages pupils to develop good attitudes to learning and to behave well.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What could be improved • Teaching and curriculum provision for the Foundation Stage. • The development of assessment procedures in subjects other than English and mathematics and the use made of assessment information to plan future work. • The quality of teaching of physical education in Years 1 and 2. • Procedures for monitoring teaching and learning throughout the school. 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 has made satisfactory improvement since it was last inspected in May 1998. Standards in English, mathematics and science have been maintained since the last inspection, and standards in religious education, art, design and technology, geography, history and information and communication technology improved. The key issues of the last inspection have been partially addressed but there are still no established assessment and recording procedures for other subjects than English and mathematics, there are no systematic procedures for monitoring the quality of teaching and learning across the school. Abingdon Primary School - 8 However, the provision made for religious education has improved and pupils’ awareness of other cultures is better than it was. The role of curriculum co-ordinators has improved but they have had few opportunities to monitor the quality of teaching and learning in their

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

subjects apart from in English and mathematics. The role of the headteacher and senior managers in monitoring the work of the school is underdeveloped. Plans are in hand to improve these procedures in the school development plan. Progress has undoubtably been slowed by a significant number of staff changes in recent years but the headteacher and current staff work well as a team and, given a period of stability in staffing, are well placed to make further improvement.

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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 D E E E well above average above average A B mathematics C E D D average below average C D science C D E E well below average E

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STANDARDS

The above table shows that in the 2002 National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 6, pupils' standards of attainment in English and science were well below national averages for all and similar schools. Pupils’ attainment in mathematics was below average.

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STANDARDS

Inspection evidence indicates that the attainment of the current group of pupils in Year 6 in English, mathematics and science is in line with national expectations and this is confirmed by pupils’ results in national tests this year. Pupils make satisfactory progress in mathematics and science and good progress in English. Standards in these subjects have been maintained since the last inspection. Standards of attainment in art and design, design and technology, geography, history and information and communication technology are above national expectations. Pupils make good progress and achieve well. Standards in religious education are in line with the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus. Standards have improved in these subjects. Standards in music and physical education are in line with national expectations and pupils make satisfactory progress.

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STANDARDS

National Curriculum test results at the end of Year 2 in 2002 showed standards of attainment in writing and mathematics to be well below national averages for all and similar schools. In reading, standards were below average compared to all schools and well below average in comparison with similar schools. Teacher assessments in science showed pupils’ attainment to be above average. Evidence from the inspection indicates that the attainment of the current group of Year 2 pupils is in line with national expectations in most National Curriculum subjects except art and design where it is above and physical education where it is below. Pupils generally make satisfactory progress and achieve appropriately in relation to their capabilities and their attainment on entry to the school. However, pupils make unsatisfactory progress in physical education. Standards have been maintained since the time of the last inspection except in art and design and religious education where they have

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STANDARDS

improved and physical education where they have declined. Abingdon Primary School - 9 Children’s attainment on entry to the school, although wide ranging, is below average. Most children are on track to achieve the Early Learning Goals in their physical and creative development and in their knowledge and understanding of the world. However, many children will not achieve the Early learning Goals in their personal, social and emotional development and in their communication, language and literacy and mathematical skills. Children make unsatisfactory progress in their literacy and numeracy skills due to the variable quality of teaching they receive and the unsatisfactory use made of assessment information to plan suitable work for the different abilities of the children. Overall, children make unsatisfactory progress during the Foundation Stage.

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STANDARDS

Pupils with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language, attain appropriately and make satisfactory progress.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Good overall. Pupils enjoy coming to school and their attitudes to work are good in Years 3 to 6 and satisfactory in other age groups. Where lessons and activities are stimulating, pupils are keen to participate in discussions and answer questions and this has a positive impact on the standards they achieve. Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Good. Pupils respond well to the high expectations of teachers and behave well in lessons and around the school. A few pupils can behave inappropriately at times but generally staff manage pupils well and take effective action to prevent disruption. There were no exclusions in the last reporting year. Personal development and relationships Very good. Pupils respond well to the many opportunities the school provides for them to take responsibility and show initiative. They enjoy good relationships with all school staff and feel that the school council enables them to take an active part in the

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Aspect Comment

development of the school. Attendance Satisfactory and in line with the national average. Pupils arrive at school on time and are punctual for lessons.

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Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

Quality of teaching Unsatisfactory Satisfactory 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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Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall, and varies from excellent to unsatisfactory. Teaching in English, mathematics and science is good, particularly in Years 3 to 6 and pupils make good progress as a result. However, in science pupils’ scientific enquiry skills are underdeveloped. Teaching is good in art, geography and information and communication technology and pupils achieve well in these subjects. The teaching of music and physical education is satisfactory overall but unsatisfactory in physical education in Years 1 and 2. Few lessons were observed in design and technology and history and no secure judgements Abingdon Primary School - 10 can be made of teaching in these subjects. In the better quality teaching, the pace and challenge of the work provided for pupils ensure that pupils apply themselves well and make good progress. The good quality of teaching noted at the time of the last inspection has been

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Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

maintained in Years 3 to 6 but is not as good in Years 1 and 2.

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Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

The quality of teaching in the Foundation Stage is unsatisfactory overall and does not enable children to make the progress they should in their basic literacy and numeracy skills. Teachers make unsatisfactory use of assessment information to plan work to meet the needs of individual children in literacy and numeracy and they make unsatisfactory progress as a result. Children make satisfactory progress in their personal, social, emotional, physical and creative development and in their knowledge and understanding of the world. Teaching is not as good as that noted at the time of the last inspection.

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Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

The teaching of pupils with special educational needs is satisfactory in Years 1 and 2 and good in Years 3 to 6.

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Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

Satisfactory use is made of homework to consolidate and extend pupils’ learning. Teachers’ marking is good and often tells pupils how they could improve their work. The use made of assessment information to plan future work is variable.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum The curriculum provided for children in Years 3 to 6 is good and satisfactory in the Foundation Stage and Years 1 and 2. Teachers’ planning generally takes account of the needs of the full ability range of pupils but this is not the case in the Foundation Stage. The curriculum is well enriched by a range of planned visits and activities, particularly in Years 3 to 6, and links with partner institutions are very good. Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good. Support for these pupils is good and the work planned for them relates well to the targets in their individual education plans both in class lessons and when they are withdrawn for extra support.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Good. Pupils are integrated well and receive good support and achieve appropriately in relation to their capabilities.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Good. This is an improvement since the last inspection, particularly in the provision for spiritual and cultural development.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Good. The school is a very caring organisation as witnessed by the re-awarding of the ‘Investors in People’ mark. Procedures for assessing and monitoring pupils’ attainment and progress are good in English and mathematics but generally unsatisfactory in other subjects. Unsatisfactory use is made of assessment data in the Foundation Stage to plan future work.

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Aspect Comment

The school has established an effective partnership with parents who make a satisfactory Abingdon Primary School - 11 contribution to their children’s learning at school and at home. Abingdon Primary School - 12

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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 gives a clear educational direction to the work of the school and is effectively supported by the senior management team. However, the monitoring of teaching to identify strengths and weaknesses in provision is not sufficiently rigorous or systematic. How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Satisfactory. Many governors are new to the school and are beginning to be more directly involved in monitoring the work of the school for themselves. They are supportive of pupils’ parents and staff.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The school’s evaluation of its performance Satisfactory. Procedures for evaluating the impact of the school’s work on pupils’ standards and achievement have been introduced in English and mathematics. However, little monitoring of the quality of teaching and learning in other subjects has been undertaken.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The strategic use of resources Good. Financial planning is good and special grants are used appropriately and effectively. Spending is closely monitored and linked appropriately to the school development plan. Governors are committed to implementing the principles of best-value.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

There is an adequate number of staff to meet the demands of the curriculum. The accommodation and level of learning resources are satisfactory overall but the resources available for Foundation Stage children are unsatisfactory in some areas.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved • Their children enjoy coming to school and are making good progress. • The quality of teaching the school provides. • Staff are approachable. • The range of activities the school provides outside of lessons.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Inspectors agree with parents’ positive views of the school although the quality of teaching was judged to be good only in Years 3 to 6. A minority of parents had concerns about the range of out-of-lesson activities and the school's management but evidence from the inspection indicates that these aspects are satisfactory. Evidence from observing lessons and behaviour around the school indicate that pupils are well behaved. This is also confirmed by discussions with pupils. There are a few pupils whose behaviour can be challenging at times but instances of inappropriate behaviour are dealt with efficiently and effectively by teachers. Abingdon Primary School - 13

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. Children’s attainment on entry to the school, although wide ranging, is below average. Most children are on track to achieve the Early Learning Goals in their physical and creative development and in their knowledge and understanding of the world. Many children will not achieve the Early Learning Goals in their personal, social and emotional development. Pupils make satisfactory progress in these areas. However, children make unsatisfactory progress in their communication, language and literacy skills and in their mathematical skills due to the variable quality of teaching they receive and the unsatisfactory use made of assessment data to provide for their individual needs. Overall, children make unsatisfactory progress during the Foundation Stage.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. In the 2002 National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 2, pupils’ attainment in reading was below the national average for all schools and well below average in comparison with similar schools. In writing, pupils’ attainment was well below average in comparison with all and similar schools. Girls performed better than boys in reading but there was no significant difference in writing. The trend in the performance of pupils in both reading and writing has varied from year to year from above to below national averages. Inspection evidence indicates that the attainment of the current group of pupils in Year 2 is average in all aspects of English and that pupils are making satisfactory progress in relation to their attainment on entry to Year 1. Teachers provide satisfactory opportunities for pupils to speak in class and to put forward their own ideas. However, pupils have greater difficulty in listening and taking

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

turns to speak. Standards in reading are average by the end of Year 2. Most pupils read simple, known texts confidently but find difficulty in reading texts unknown to them without some adult help. They use the contents and index pages to find relevant information quickly. Higher attaining pupils correct their own mistakes when their reading does not make sense. Pupils' standards in writing are average and they can write in a range of formats. However, they are given few opportunities to write creatively or extensively. The majority of pupils make little use of punctuation beyond capital letters and full stops and their spelling is variable. Pupils make satisfactory progress in writing and achieve appropriately in relation to their capabilities. Standards have been maintained since the last inspection

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. In mathematics, pupils’ results in the year 2002 National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 2 were well below the national average for all and similar schools. Standards have consistently fallen since 1999. Boys and girls perform similarly. Evidence from the inspection indicates that the attainment of the current group of Year 2 pupils is in line with national expectations and that pupils are making good progress in relation to their attainment on entry to Year 1. This is due to the more focused teaching over the last year brought about by the local education authority advisors monitoring and the support given to teachers to address identified weaknesses. Pupils achieve well in Years 1 and 2 and acquire a range of basic skills in shape, time, measures and number. They apply their mathematical skills well in other subjects, such as science, and make satisfactory use of information and communication technology in their

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

work. Standards have been maintained since the last inspection.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. Teacher assessments in science at the end of Year 2 in 2002 show the percentage of pupils reaching the expected Level 2 to be above the national average and well below Abingdon Primary School - 14 average in the percentage attaining the higher Level 3. The attainment of the current group of Year 2 pupils is in line with national expectations and pupils are making satisfactory progress in all aspects of science except for scientific enquiry. Pupils have a satisfactory knowledge and understanding of life and living processes, materials and their uses and forces. However, pupils make little progress in designing and carrying out ‘fair’ tests. Their skills in this area of the curriculum are well below what is normally expected for pupils of their age. Although they have the basic idea of a fair test, they do not systematically practise how to set up a fair test or carry it out. There is a heavy reliance on the use of worksheets in Years 1 and 2 and

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

this restricts the full development of pupils’ literacy skills in science. They apply their numeracy and literacy skills appropriately in measuring and writing up their results and have satisfactory opportunities to use information and communication technology in their work. Pupils make satisfactory progress and achieve as well as they should. Standards have been maintained since the last inspection.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. By the end of Year 2, pupils' standards in information and communication technology are in line with national expectations and pupils make satisfactory progress and achieve appropriately in relation to their capabilities. Pupils have developed satisfactory skills in using word-processing and data handling programs. They are experienced in entering commands to make a programmable toy follow a simple route. They show confidence in operating computers and with adult help they successfully save their work and log on and off programs correctly. Standards have been maintained since the last inspection.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. By the end of Year 2, pupils make satisfactory progress and achieve as well as they should in most other National Curriculum subjects. Standards are in line with national expectations and have been maintained since the last inspection. However, standards in art and design are above national expectations and pupils’ achievement is good. Standards have improved in this subject. Standards have also improved in religious education and are in line with the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus. Generally, pupils make satisfactory progress. Standards in physical education are below expectations and pupils make unsatisfactory progress.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7. The results of the 2002 National Curriculum tests in English at the end of Year 6 showed pupils’ attainment to be well below average in comparison with all and similar schools. Standards have varied from year to year but have remained below or well below national averages since 2000. Evidence from the inspection indicates that pupils’ standards of attainment are in line with national expectations in speaking, listening and writing and above them in reading. Pupils make good progress and achieve well in relation to their attainment at the end of Year 2 and in relation to their capabilities. Standards have been maintained since the last inspection. By the end of Year 6, most pupils listen attentively and put forward their opinions and ideas well in class discussions. Higher attaining pupils express themselves fluently and are articulate and confident and make use of a wide vocabulary. Reading skills are good

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

and the vast majority of pupils are secure and independent readers. Pupils’ standards in writing are average. By the end of Year 6, pupils write for a wide variety of purposes and their work is well organised and clear. All pupils make good progress due to the good quality of teaching they receive. Standards have been maintained since the last inspection.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

8. In the year 2002 National tests in mathematics at the end of Year 6, pupils’ attainment was below average in relation to all and similar schools. Standards have varied from year to year but rose in 2002. Evidence from the inspection indicates that pupils’ standards of attainment are in line with national expectations and that most pupils Abingdon Primary School - 15 make satisfactory progress and achieve appropriately in relation to their attainment at the end of Year 2. By the age of 11 pupils have a satisfactory understanding of number and shape and have a good understanding of data and how to display it clearly. They make good use of information and communication technology skills in developing their mathematical skills. Standards have been maintained since the time of the last inspection.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

9. In science, the results of the year 2002 National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 6 showed pupils' attainment to be well below average in comparison with all and similar schools. The attainment of the current group of Year 6 pupils is in line with national expectations and most make satisfactory progress and achieve appropriately in relation to their attainment at the end of Year 2. Pupils have a satisfactory knowledge and understanding of the different aspects of the science curriculum but their scientific enquiry skills are underdeveloped.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

10. Pupils’ attainment in information and communication technology is above national expectations at the end of Year 6 and pupils make good progress and achieve well in relation to their capabilities. Pupils are aware of the power of computers in a range of situations for presenting information. Through the good teaching that they receive they demonstrate confidence in using their word-processing and data-handling skills well to present their work. They are confident in using the Internet to communicate with others and to access information. Standards have been improved since the last inspection.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

11. By the end of Year 6, pupils’ standards of attainment in art and design, design and technology, geography and history are above national expectations. Pupils make good progress and achieve well. Standards in religious education are in line with the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus. Standards have improved in these subjects. Standards in music and physical education are in line with national expectations and pupils make satisfactory progress.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

12. Pupils with special educational needs, or those with English as an additional language, attain appropriately and make satisfactory progress. Extra support in English and mathematics ensures that these pupils have full access to the curriculum.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13. The pupils enjoy coming to school and their attitudes to work are good, particularly in Years 3 to 6. Pupils’ attitudes in the Foundation Stage and Years 1 and 2 are satisfactory. The weather was very hot and oppressive during the inspection but, despite this, the vast majority of pupils worked hard and retained interest up to the end of the school day. Where lessons were stimulating and motivating pupils work hard and applied themselves well, particularly in Years 3 to 6, when pupils showed good and frequently very good attitudes to completing their work. On these occasions pupils were keen to participate and there was no shortage of volunteers to answer questions, join in discussions or to take part in performances. This high standard has been maintained since the previous inspection

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. The behaviour of most pupils is good in lessons and around the school. They respond well to the high expectations set by the staff. A few pupils can behave poorly but the staff make appropriate use of sanctions to limit disruption. No exclusions were reported in the last year and no oppressive behaviour was observed during the inspection. Furthermore, the pupils are trustworthy, they are courteous and they treat Abingdon Primary School - 16 property well. Good behaviour was reported at the previous inspection. Parents have no serious concerns about behaviour but it is not high on the list of things that they like about the school. 15. The attitudes of pupils with special educational needs are good in withdrawal sessions and in lessons where work is well matched to their attainment. On the small number of occasions when the work is not well matched their behaviour can be disruptive.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

16. The pupils understand and care for the needs of others well. They give good support to charities, they are co-operative over the use of resources in lessons and they are attentive when fellow pupils speak or perform. For example, in a whole-school assembly, all pupils showed interest in the performance of a group acting out a story. Ethnic minority pupils are fully integrated into the life of the school and friendship groups are mixed. The pupils also have a sensitive nature, as seen during a Year 5 music lesson, when there was a good and thoughtful discussion about the way certain musical pieces influence thoughts.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

17. The personal development of pupils is very good. They respond well to adults and have very positive attitudes to the opportunities which the school provides for them to take responsibility and show initiative. These apply mainly to Year 6 and include work in the office, running shops and a wide range of monitoring duties. Younger pupils aspire to these responsibilities and there are volunteers for additional duties. The school council provides a good example of attitudes to responsibilities. Pupils who are not councillors believe the council is worthwhile because it offers them opportunities to improve the school.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

18. Attendance is satisfactory. It has been in line with the national average since 1999 and there are signs of improvement. Holidays in term time, although discouraged, are a matter of concern. However, sickness is the main cause of absence and the level of unauthorised absences is low. Registration periods are prompt and efficient. Lessons start on time.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

19. Overall the quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory and varies from excellent to unsatisfactory. It is good overall in Years 3 to 6.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

20. The quality of teaching in the Foundation Stage is unsatisfactory overall and does not enable children to make the progress they should in their basic skills. Teachers’ planning does not identify clearly what children of different ability groups are to learn. Children make progress but this is not as good as it could be because assessment information is not used well to match work closely to children’s individual needs. The teachers’ expectations of what pupils can achieve are not securely based on children’s prior attainment and this leads to inaccurate expectations for all but the highest attaining children in literacy and numeracy. Pupils with special educational needs are supported appropriately and given additional help so they can participate fully in lessons. Reception staff work well as a team but teaching assistants are not fully involved in planning. Resources to support learning are unsatisfactory in literacy,

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

numeracy and physical development and do not help staff to provide suitable self- choice activities.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

21. In Years 1 and 2 the quality of teaching is satisfactory overall and varies from good to unsatisfactory. Teachers have a secure knowledge and understanding of most Abingdon Primary School - 17 subjects except physical education where the activities provided do not adequately meet the needs of the pupils and they make unsatisfactory progress as a result. Teachers plan lessons around clear objectives which are shared with the pupils. Generally, lessons are structured well and teachers use a variety of resources to support pupils’ learning. Teachers question pupils appropriately and encourage them to answer by always valuing what they have to say. However, questioning often asks pupils to supply a particular word or phrase rather than encouraging them to give equally appropriate alternatives. Teachers make good use of praise to encourage pupils’ sense of self-esteem. However, the pace and challenge of lessons, although

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

appropriate, are not sufficiently challenging to bring the best out of pupils or to encourage them to work hard. Where this is achieved, as in a Year 1 mathematics lesson about time, pupils apply themselves well and make good progress as a result. In some lessons, teachers’ management of pupils is firm enough and this slows the pace of the lesson.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

22. Teaching in Years 3 to 6 is good overall and varies from excellent to satisfactory. Teachers have a good knowledge and understanding of the curriculum and the pace and challenge of the activities provided for pupils is high and ensures that pupils are motivated to give of their best. Teachers enjoy good relationships with the pupils and employ a good range of management strategies which effectively ensures that pupils are aware of their high expectations of good behaviour. Incidents of inappropriate behaviour are dealt with effectively and the pace of work is brisk.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

23. The teaching of literacy is good in Years 3 to 6 and satisfactory in Years 1 and 2. Teachers make good use of the National Literacy Strategy to plan suitable work to meet the needs of the wide range of ability levels in classes. The quality of teaching in numeracy is good overall and some very good and excellent teaching was observed. The National Numeracy Strategy is used well to plan brisk mental arithmetic sessions at the start of lessons. Learning is at its best when the level of challenge and high expectation is carried on throughout all parts of the lesson.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

24. Teaching and learning in science are good overall, particularly in Years 3 to 6. Teachers have a good knowledge and understanding of the curriculum and lessons are planned well and contain a variety of activities and practical work. However, pupils’ scientific enquiry skills are underdeveloped and too few opportunities are provided for pupils to develop their skills in independent investigations. The school is aware of this weakness and plans to improve provision are a target in the school development plan.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

25. Teaching and learning in art, geography and information and communication technology are good and pupils make good progress as a result. The quality of teaching and learning in music, and in physical education in Years 3 to 6 are satisfactory. The teaching of physical education in Years 1 and 2 is unsatisfactory. Few lessons were observed in design and technology and history and no secure judgement can be made of the quality of teaching in these subjects.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

26. Appropriate use is made of pupils’ literacy, numeracy and information and communication technology skills in other subjects of the curriculum.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

27. The teaching of pupils with special educational needs is satisfactory in Years 1 and 2 and good in Years 3 to 6. Pupils’ learning is good when they are working with support staff in withdrawal sessions and when they receive support in the classroom from the teacher or support staff. In these lessons, work is well matched to the learning needs identified in pupils’ individual educational plans. Abingdon Primary School - 18 28. Satisfactory use is made of homework to consolidate and extend pupils’ learning. Teachers’ marking is good and often tells pupils how they could improve their work. The use made of assessment information to plan future work is variable.

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PUPILS?

29. The school offers a good curriculum to its pupils. It is broad and balanced in both key stages. This is an improvement since the last inspection. It contains all the subjects of the National Curriculum, plus religious education. In addition, pupils in the current Year 6 have regular French lessons provided by a language specialist from the secondary school and from September Year 5 pupils will also benefit from this provision. Curriculum planning in most subject areas is based on the proposals of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority. Schemes of work in mathematics and English effectively deliver the National Numeracy and Literacy Strategies. Medium and short-term planning in Years 1 to 6 take full account of the needs of the full ability range of pupils. Additional support for pupils in English and mathematics is organised for those identified as requiring it. Easter and summer schools are offered at Reddish

p.18

PUPILS?

Vale Technology College, and school staff contribute to these booster activities. Stockport County Football Club offers additional support for information and communication technology as a study support centre. The school works very closely with Reddish Vale Technology College in providing a number of units of work for pupils designed to bridge the transition from primary to secondary education. All subject areas have a designated co-ordinator who regularly monitor subject planning for lessons and pupils’ work. Good provision is made for pupils’ personal and social education including sex education and drugs awareness. The provision of regular discussion periods called Circle Time provides a good opportunity for pupils to talk over issues that face them as part of everyday life and these have a very positive impact on pupils’ personal development.

p.18

PUPILS?

30. The curriculum in the Foundation Stage is planned in line with the recommended Foundation Stage Early Learning Goals. However, planning is unsatisfactory overall as it does not make sufficient use of assessment information to identify the intended learning for different groups of children. This leads to inaccurate expectations for some children in lessons. Also, the planning for communication, language and literacy, and mathematics areas of learning is based on the literacy and numeracy hours too soon, before the majority of children are ready for this level or time period of work. The school uses a satisfactory range of procedures for assessing pupils’ attainment but the recording is insufficiently regular enough and does not help teachers to easily identify pupils’ attainment or to track and monitor pupils’ progress against the ‘Stepping Stones’ of the Early Learning Goals. Pupils with special

p.18

PUPILS?

educational needs are given additional support so they can participate in lessons. The reception teachers and support staff work well as a team in the classroom, although the classroom assistant follows plans set by the teachers and is not involved in planning.

p.18

PUPILS?

31. The curriculum is enriched well by a range of planned visits and activities, particularly in Years 3 to 6. Year 1 pupils walk around the local area and Reddish centre to develop their basic geographical skills. Reddish Vale Visitor Centre is well used to provide opportunities for studying habitats in science and river systems in geography. Year 5 pupils spend a day in Castleton comparing the rural community with Reddish. Visits to Manchester Museum and a Tudor mansion provide stimulating opportunities for learning about ancient Egypt and life in Tudor times for pupils in Years 3 and 4 Abingdon Primary School - 19 respectively. Year 4 pupils spend a residential weekend at Kingswood, near Wolverhampton with activities based on the use of computers and outdoor pursuits. Year 6 pupils have a residential week at Boreatton Park, Shropshire where the emphasis is on a range of outdoor activities.

p.18

PUPILS?

32. Provision for pupils with special educational needs is good and enables pupils to be supported across a range of curriculum subjects with emphasis given to literacy and numeracy. When pupils are withdrawn the work planned links to what is happening within the class. The work planned relates well to the targets set in pupils’ individual education plans.

p.19

PUPILS?

33. The school offers a satisfactory range of extra-curricular activities. There is a particular strength in sports. The school offers football, netball, rounders and basketball to all its pupils and organises competitive matches in these sports against other schools. Strong links with the Reddish Vale Technology College are used to offer pupils more opportunities in sport and design and food technology. The school runs a gymnastics club open to pupils from Year 1 and also a French club. A number of school drama events are organised through the year and also musical activities.

p.19

PUPILS?

34. The school has a satisfactory range of links with the community. Many of the activities are school visits which make a good contribution to the curriculum. Links with partner institutions are very strong. There is close co-operation between all the local schools who have collaborated to produce some common policies. For example, there are common expectations about behaviour and related issues. There is close liaison with the receiving secondary school over all matters relating to the transfer of pupils. Pupils at Abingdon who are about to transfer were not concerned about the arrangements. Work placement is offered to students from local colleges and some teacher training is carried out but not recently.

p.19

PUPILS?

35. The school’s provision for spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. This is an improvement since the last inspection, particularly in the provision for spiritual and cultural development.

p.19

PUPILS?

36. Provision for spiritual development is good. This improvement is due to the good opportunities in religious education lessons for pupils to reflect on their own and others’ beliefs and values. Also acts of collective worship provide opportunities for pupils, through prayer and hymns, to recognise the existence of a higher being. The school has an ethos of celebrating pupils’ achievements and caring for one another. Pupils are asked to recognise and reflect on their own and others’ achievements in lessons and in ‘Celebration Assemblies’. Parents are invited to these assemblies to celebrate with their children. There are also many opportunities included in the curriculum for reflection, for example, in art, music, science, and story, and through the way staff value pupils’ work, which is displayed attractively throughout the school.

p.19

PUPILS?

37. A strong moral code continues to promote good moral values throughout the school with staff providing good role models for pupils to imitate. In lessons, circle time and assemblies, pupils are taught the difference between right and wrong, and to be respectful of others’ property and values. Good behaviour is promoted by ‘Golden Rules’ displayed in each classroom and a reward and sanctions system which successfully helps pupils to understand what is appropriate and inappropriate behaviour. In celebration assemblies, certificates are awarded for behaviour, improvement, effort and achievement. Circle time is used to promote understanding of moral issues. Parents believe that the school promotes pupils’ values and attitudes well. Abingdon Primary School - 20 38. The provision the school makes for the pupils’ social development is good. During many lessons the pupils are offered the opportunity to work together, where they learn

p.19

PUPILS?

to co-operate and negotiate, so laying the foundations of good citizenship. In the computer suite the pupils work in pairs taking turns to use the keyboard or mouse and discuss how to access information. Teachers show good role models of relating positively to other adults and to pupils. Pupils behave courteously towards visitors and most show respect for teachers and other adults in school. The pupils respond well to opportunities to act as monitors, for example in assemblies by operating the CD player and overhead projector, setting out and clearing away equipment in physical education and art.

p.20

PUPILS?

39. The provision for cultural development is good. There are good opportunities for pupils to develop understanding of western culture through art, music, history and literature. Pupils study a wide range of literature and poetry during lessons and learn about their cultural heritage through history lessons and through visits. They also listen to a wide range of music during assemblies and sing a range of local, national and international songs. The school also provides opportunities to study other cultures through geography and religious education, although this is not developed sufficiently through art or music.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

40. The school is a very caring organisation. All the staff know the pupils well and the building is a safe and secure place to work. The pupils feel well supported. A well- established programme of personal, social and health education gives emphasis to topics which affect the pupils' safety. The caring attitude extends to the whole-school community. Road safety training is provided for parents and the school has an Investors in People award. A range of new initiatives such as Healthy Schools and Eco schools is being progressed. Pupils’ achievements, both in school and externally, are celebrated.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

41. There are satisfactory provisions to ensure pupils' welfare. Health and safety arrangements are satisfactory. Legal requirements are met and the premises are inspected regularly to ensure they remain safe. No significant health and safety issues were identified during the inspection. However, governors are not actively involved with the health and safety arrangements, the policy is not specific to the school and there are no procedures to ensure that the policy requirements are consistently fulfilled. Child protection arrangements are satisfactory. The local authority policy has been adopted and there is a designated teacher but staff training in child protection needs to be improved. Lunchtime supervision arrangements are satisfactory. Most of the supervisors are experienced and they are familiar with their responsibilities. The organisation of their duties is effective but training provisions are

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

42. The procedures for monitoring and improving attendance are satisfactory. Registers satisfy legal requirements and they are monitored on a regular basis by the education welfare officer. Pupils who achieve 100% attendance over an academic year are rewarded. Appropriate administrative arrangements are in place for dealing with parents. However, temporary absence during the course of the school day is not formally recorded and parents may not be aware that the school does not necessarily contact them immediately if their child is absent without a known cause. These are unsatisfactory features of the attendance recording arrangements. Abingdon Primary School - 21 43. The procedures to monitor and promote good behaviour are good. Their aim is to promote self-discipline. They are based on rules, which are displayed around the school and reinforced with a set of rewards and sanctions. The scheme of rewards

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

and sanctions is clearly described in a policy document. Lunchtime supervisors are only indirectly involved in these arrangements. Pupils understand the procedures well and believe that they help to improve the standard of behaviour. Policies to help prevent oppressive behaviour such as bullying and racial harassment are in place.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

44. There are good, well-organised arrangements to give pupils responsibility. These include the school council and the various Year 6 tasks such as working in the office and running shops. They make a big contribution to the pupils' personal development. The monitoring of personal development is satisfactory. Only informal procedures, which rely heavily on the teachers' personal knowledge of their pupils, are used. Therefore, the information is not widely accessible.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

45. The progress of pupils with special educational needs is monitored and recorded, on a regular basis, by all staff involved with them. The level of support given to pupils with special educational needs enables them to make satisfactory progress in Year 1 and 2 and good progress in Years 3 to 6. The identification and review process is well established and effectively implemented. There is very good liaison with the support agencies in order to care for the pupils’ needs. However, in the reception class the use of assessment information is unsatisfactory and does not sufficiently guide planning. In many lessons the pupils are given the same learning objectives as all other pupils.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

46. Procedures for assessing and monitoring pupils’ attainment and progress are satisfactory overall. Systems are in place to provide tracking of progress of all pupils in English and mathematics but, as yet, these are not applied to other subject areas. Baseline assessment in Year R forms the basis for monitoring progress. Pupils in Year 1 do optional standardised tests and in Years 3, 4 and 5 optional end of year tests in English and mathematics are used to record pupils’ attainment. The results of the national tests in Year 2 complete the full profile of information. All the data is recorded on individual pupil files and used to set targets for pupils for subsequent years and end of each key stage. Pupils falling below their target are identified for appropriate support. In mathematics and English each pupil has a list of target objectives in their books and these targets are up-dated regularly. The system works

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

satisfactorily for tracking individuals. However, it is cumbersome and less effective when accessing the data for a whole year group to inform curriculum planning. The system is still in its very early stage of development and only monitors progress in English and mathematics. Plans are in hand to include science in the next school year. Assessment procedures in other subject areas are largely informal. Collections of assessed work are available in geography and history and assist teachers with assessing pupils’ work. However, the school has yet to implement a whole school approach to monitoring pupils’ progress across the whole curriculum and to use its assessment data to effectively inform curriculum planning and this is unsatisfactory.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

47. The parents are very satisfied with the school. They are particularly pleased with their children's progress, teaching and that the school expects their children to work hard and achieve his or her best. There are no serious concerns but a minority of parents Abingdon Primary School - 22 had concerns about the range of out-of-lesson activities, the school's management and pupils’ behaviour. In general terms, inspectors agree with the parents' positive views although the quality of teaching was judged to be good only in Years 3 to 6 and satisfactory in other areas of the school. Pupils’ behaviour was judged to be good. The management of the school and the provision made for extra-curricular activities were judged to be satisfactory.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

48. The school makes good efforts to promote strong links with parents and there has been an improvement since the previous inspection. For example, in the prospectus the value of parental involvement in the school is stressed. Wherever possible, e- mail is used to communicate with parents. An open door policy operates and staff are approachable. Annual meetings are held to inform parents about the progress of the school and there are some meetings about the curriculum. Workshops provide opportunities for the parents of pupils in Reception and Year 1 to work with their children.

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

49. Parents of pupils with special educational needs are consulted at every stage of the identification and assessment process and are involved fully in reviews. Parents are encouraged to support their children at home. Liaison with parents is good.

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

50. Parental responses to the school's efforts to involve them are mixed but they do make a satisfactory contribution. Support for specific events such as special assembles is good and attendance at the parents' consultation evenings, which are held three times a year, is also good. There is a successful parent teacher association, the Abingdon Association, which raises substantial funds for school use. However, a significant proportion of parents does not want much direct involvement. Consequences include a low amount of help in classrooms and difficulties recruiting parent governors. An offer to parents for them to make use of the new computer suite for their own purposes was not taken up.

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

51. Information provided for parents is satisfactory. Newsletters are frequent and should keep parents well informed about school activities. Each class issues a termly newsletter which includes information on what will be taught. The prospectus and governors' annual report are informative but neither comply fully with legal requirements about content. The pupils' annual progress reports are satisfactory. They satisfy legal requirements. However, they are inconsistent. The best note achievement and difficulties and give some targets for improvement. The less satisfactory give emphasis only to achievement. Unsatisfactory features of the progress reports, prospectus and newsletters are their style and language. They tend to be too formal and use too much jargon.

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

52. Parents make a satisfactory contribution to their children's learning. Some help is provided in classrooms. Help at home varies but reading to parents is an established practice.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

53. The school is led and managed satisfactorily. The headteacher gives a clear educational direction to the work of the school and provides sound leadership. Staff changes have inevitably slowed the pace of change in the school but so has the school’s many changes of procedures in an attempt to find the best ones for the school. The headteacher gives good support to the staff who work well as a team. However, the monitoring of teaching and learning by the headteacher to identify Abingdon Primary School - 23 strengths and weaknesses in different subjects and to address the weaknesses that are found is not sufficiently rigorous or systematic. Subject co-ordinators manage their subjects appropriately but have had few opportunities to monitor teaching. The observation of lessons in literacy and numeracy by local education authority advisors has involved co-ordinators in these subjects and teaching in these areas has

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

improved and pupils’ attainment and progress has risen as a result. No concerted effort has been put into monitoring teaching and learning in other subjects and as a result the quality of teaching is variable and good practice is not identified and spread more widely across the school. Therefore, weaknesses identified by the inspection, such as the unsatisfactory quality of teaching in physical education in Years 1 and 2, came as a surprise. The headteacher cares deeply for the pupils in the school and is diligent in ensuring that their personal development is promoted well. All staff support him in this endeavour.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

54. The senior management team give good support to the headteacher in the general running of the school and in providing for pupils’ pastoral care and personal development. Their role in monitoring the work of the school is satisfactory but not all members are sufficiently involved in monitoring teaching and learning.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

55. The governing body has undergone many changes in the recent past and are keen to involve themselves in the school’s future development. They work closely with the headteacher and the staff. Under the leadership of an energetic chair of governors, individual governors are beginning to be more directly involved in monitoring the work of the school for themselves. However, this development is at an early stage. Governors have an appropriate committee structure in place and are suitably involved in school development planning and in overseeing the development of the targets in the plan. The governors are kept well informed about pupils’ academic performance by the headteacher.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

56. School development planning is satisfactory but contains too many areas for development as it includes action plans for every subject taught in the school. The school is aware of this weakness and intends to change the format of future plans. Suitable performance management procedures are in place but monitoring of progress towards meeting performance targets only takes place on an annual basis rather than when targets are achieved.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

57. Management of the provision for pupils with special educational needs is good. The level of staffing to support their learning is good and the co-ordinator has a clear role within the school. The governing body is involved in monitoring and developing an overview of provision. The school pays due regard to the Code of Practice. There is a room used for withdrawal groups which promotes a quiet and purposeful learning environment.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

58. The numbers of qualified teachers and support staff are sufficient to meet the demands of the curriculum. A programme of staff appraisal and performance management is well established. Arrangements for the induction of new staff are good and newly qualified teachers have been very satisfied with the provisions made for them.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

59. The accommodation is satisfactory and does not limit the teaching of the curriculum. Only sports events requiring a large grassed area, such as football matches, cannot be held on site. A new entrance area and the use of pupils' work considerably enhance the internal appearance. Resources are at least satisfactory in all subjects. They are good in information technology, design and technology, art and history. Abingdon Primary School - 24 Resources for children in the Foundation Stage are unsatisfactory in literacy and numeracy and in promoting pupils’ physical development. There is also no secure outside play area for these children.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

60. Financial planning is good and special grants, such as that for the support for pupils with special educational needs, are used appropriately and effectively. The last auditor’s report identified no serious concerns about financial management and its more minor recommendations have been adopted. The finance committee meets regularly to monitor spending and effective systems are in place to ensure that value for money is achieved when purchasing. Major spending decisions are closely and effectively linked to the school development plan. The school is committed to implementing the principles of best-value.

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

61. The headteacher, staff and governors, with the support of outside agencies, should:

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) improve the planning of the curriculum, the resources and the use made of assessment information in the Foundation Stage so that the work meets children’s individual needs. (Paragraphs 30, 59)

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(2) develop assessment procedures in subjects other than English and mathematics and the use made of this information to plan future work for pupils. (Paragraph 46)

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(3) improve the quality of teaching of physical education in Years 1 and 2 and teachers’ knowledge and understanding of the subject. (Paragraph 119)

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(4) improve systems for monitoring the quality of teaching and learning in all curriculum subjects so that the staff recognise good practice and spread it more widely across the school. (Paragraph 53)

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

62. In addition to the key issues above the following minor points for development should be considered for inclusion in the action plan:

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

In line with the current target in the school development plan, ensure that pupils’ scientific enquiry skills are improved and more opportunities given to pupils to carry out independent science investigations. (Paragraph 83)

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Ensure that pupils’ progress reports, the school prospectus and parent newsletters are written in a more reader friendly style and are free of educational jargon. (Paragraph 51) Abingdon Primary School - 25

p.24

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 30

p.25

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

p.25

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

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

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 192

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 28

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 44

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 3

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 12

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 4

p.25

Attendance

National comparative data 5.4 National comparative data 0.5

p.25

Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Abingdon Primary School - 26

p.25

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2002 14 12 26

p.26

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.26

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

Boys 11 13 12 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 9 10 10

p.26

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

Percentage of pupils School 77 (91) 88 (86) 85 (100) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (84) 86 (86) 90 (91)

p.26

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.26

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

Boys 13 13 14 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 10 10 11

p.26

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

Percentage of pupils School 88 (86) 88 (91) 96 (95) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (85) 89 (89) 89 (89)

p.26

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

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

p.26

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2002 22 12 34

p.26

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.26

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

Boys 9 13 17 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 9 8 9

p.26

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

Percentage of pupils School 53 (54) 62 (50) 74 (75) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 73 (71) 86 (87)

p.26

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.26

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

Boys 8 13 17 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 7 8 7

p.26

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

Percentage of pupils School 44 (61) 62 (61) 71 (82) at NC level 4 or above National 73 (72) 74 (74) 82 (82)

p.26

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

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Abingdon Primary School - 27

p.26

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.27

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

White – any other White background 2 0 0

p.27

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Mixed – any other mixed background 0 0 0

p.27

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British - Pakistani 0 0 0

p.27

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi 0 0 0

p.27

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.27

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black or Black British – Caribbean 0 0 0

p.27

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black or Black British – any other Black background 1 0 0

p.27

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

The table refers to pupils of compulsory school age only. It gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded. Abingdon Primary School - 28

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 8.78 Financial year 2002 - 2003

p.28

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 23:1

p.28

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 463,454

p.28

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 5 Total expenditure 465,056

p.28

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 126 Expenditure per pupil 2,422

p.28

Teachers and classes Financial information

FTE means full-time equivalent. Balance brought forward from previous year 8,403

p.28

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 6,801

p.28

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 5

p.28

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 4

p.28

Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

p.28

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.28

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.28

Recruitment of teachers

FTE means full-time equivalent. Abingdon Primary School - 29

p.28

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

p.29

Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

p.29

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 48 52 0 0 0

p.29

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 32 50 7 7 4

p.29

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 34 52 5 5 4

p.29

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 36 50 9 4 2

p.29

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 64 21 7 2 5

p.29

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 55 41 4 0 0

p.29

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 43 43 9 2 4

p.29

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 48 30 9 5 7

p.29

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 48 41 4 0 7

p.29

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 29 45 7 11 9

p.29

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Parents at the meeting were very supportive of the school and felt that it was doing a good job. They felt that the majority of parents did not involve themselves in their children’s education or the life of the school. Parents felt that the school maintained good links with the nursery and secondary school. Many former pupils were said to attend school events. Abingdon Primary School - 30

p.29

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

63. Children are admitted to the reception class in the September in the year in which they are five. Although there is a very wide range of attainment, many children enter reception with skills below those expected for their age. The quality of teaching is unsatisfactory overall and does not always enable children to make satisfactory progress in their basic skills. By the time they leave the reception classes, a significant number of children are attaining below that expected for their age in the nationally recommended Early Learning Goals in communication, language and literacy; mathematics; and personal, social and emotional development. They are attaining the expected level in knowledge and understanding of the world and in their physical and creative development.

p.30

Personal, social and emotional development

64. Teaching is satisfactory in this area of learning and children make satisfactory progress although many do not achieve what is expected for their age by the end of reception. The reinforcement of classroom routines aims to develop the children’s independence but many still need support to participate in tasks. The children have low levels of autonomy although staff try to develop the children’s independent skills through a balance of teacher-directed tasks and child chosen ones. The children are able to register themselves on entering the classroom, choosing their names and placing them on the board. However, the unsatisfactory range and organisation of resources does not help the children to initiate their own activities and through this improve their concentration, behaviour and ability to take care of themselves. The children have opportunities to work and play in different social groups and there is

p.30

Personal, social and emotional development

good use of earning spots for the team ‘animal’. The children speak confidently to adults and respond openly to questions but do not always respond to the teacher’s instructions and at times are subdued and show lack of enthusiasm. The children are given opportunities to discuss their own and others’ feelings, and are encouraged to listen to others. Provision for this area of learning is satisfactory.

p.30

Communication, language and literacy

65. The teaching and learning in communication, language and literacy are variable, with satisfactory and unsatisfactory teaching observed, and many children make unsatisfactory progress. The planning for this area of learning does not identify intended learning for different groups of children. The use of assessments to guide lesson planning is unsatisfactory and leads to inaccurate expectations for all but the highest attaining children in lessons. Also the planning is based on the literacy hour too soon, before the majority of children are ready for this level or time period of work. Although there is a broad range, most children enter reception with below average skills in communication, language and literacy. As the work set for these children does not match their learning needs, learning in the reception class is unsatisfactory. The highest attaining children are likely to attain the Early Learning Goals by the end of

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Communication, language and literacy

reception, but many other children do not. There is a good range of books in the book corner and around the classroom. The children enjoy listening to stories and join in with repeating phrases and some recognise rhyming words. They learn to recognise letters and the sounds within words in books and their names. They identify letters Abingdon Primary School - 31 and match objects to the initial sound. Standards are below average in reading and only the higher attaining reception children are beginning to read the first books in the reading scheme. Children are provided with a variety of opportunities to write but many are in the very early stages of writing. Higher attaining children try to write sentences independently with correctly formed upper and lower case letters but for other children standards in writing are below those expected nationally.

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Mathematical development

66. Teaching and learning in mathematics are variable, with satisfactory and unsatisfactory teaching observed during the inspection. Learning is not as good as it could be because the use of assessments to guide lesson planning is unsatisfactory and work does not always match the learning needs of the children. The higher attaining children can recognise and sequence numbers up to ten confidently and a few children can use higher numbers. The children are given a range of mathematical activities that reinforces the work done in lessons. These include singing number songs and rhymes; completing number jigsaws; making shape collages; and role play in the shop using coins. However, there are too few resources to support extending their understanding through self-selected activities and for playing number games. The majority of children are attaining below the expected level by the time they leave the Foundation Stage.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

67. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. The children recreate situations in their play, such as when playing at going on a journey or going to work. There are effective opportunities for children to build models with a range of construction sets, and develop satisfactory skills in cutting and sticking using scissors and glue when making collages. Children have access to the computer and they know how to use the mouse to click and drag to move objects on the screen. The computer is also used appropriately to support literacy and numeracy. The resources in this area of learning are satisfactory. As a result, the majority of the children attain the levels expected of them by the time they leave the reception class.

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Physical development

68. Children achieve the expected levels of the Early Learning Goals by the time they leave the reception classes. This is an improvement since the last inspection. The teaching is satisfactory in this area of learning. The children join in physical education lessons enthusiastically and have developed an understanding of how to use the space safely as they move around the hall. Staff use physical development sessions to further develop the children’s understanding of mathematical vocabulary such as ‘long’ with arms outstretched and ‘short’ curled as they show rolling movements. There is good use of the song ‘Dinosaurs are coming’ as they go to the hall for physical education lessons, which helps children develop different ways of moving as well as developing good behaviour. The children also gain awareness of how their heartbeat is affected by exercise. The children are able to balance as they move

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Physical development

along the benches and beams and can jump, keeping their feet together and bending their knees to land safely. In the classroom there are opportunities to develop fine motor skills through the use of paintbrushes, pencils and scissors, as well as through joining together pieces when making jigsaws and models. Resources for physical Abingdon Primary School - 32 development are satisfactory although there is no enclosed outdoor area and still too few good quality large outdoor resources to support physical development.

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Creative development

69. The children make satisfactory progress in creative development and reach the Early Learning Goals by the end of the Foundation Stage. Teaching is satisfactory and, with the exception of role play, there is a satisfactory range of creative activities planned to promote this area of learning. Children have suitable opportunities to express their imagination and develop satisfactory skills in painting, drawing and making collages using different textures, colours and materials. They mould using dough and make three-dimensional models with recycled materials and construction sets. There are no dressing-up clothes and the role-play area is poorly resourced to fully support the children’s imaginative role play. The children play percussion instruments and learn a variety of songs, knowing the words and tunes.

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ENGLISH

70. Standards attained by pupils at the end of Year 2 are in line with national expectations and pupils make satisfactory progress and achieve appropriately in relation to their abilities and their attainment on entry to the school. Standards attained by the current group of Year 6 pupils are also average overall but pupils have made good progress and achieved well in relation to their attainment at the end of Year 2. This reflects the good quality of teaching that pupils receive in Years 3 to 6 and also the effectiveness of the whole school focus on writing over the last year. Standards since the time of the last inspection have been maintained.

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ENGLISH

71. In Year 2 standards in speaking and listening are average. Teachers provide satisfactory opportunities for pupils to speak in class discussions and are encouraged to extend the length of their spoken replies and to put forward their own ideas. Most pupils in Years 1 and 2 find greater difficulty in listening to instructions and a significant minority still call out their answers and find difficulty in taking turns, for example, when skimming for information by identifying chapter and sub-headings in an article about Mary Seacole. Pupils in Year 6 listen attentively and put forward their opinions and ideas well in class discussions. Pupils were observed working well together when discussing the use of impersonal language when reporting their work in science. Higher attaining pupils made use of a wide vocabulary, using technical terms such as ‘filtration’ and ‘soluble’. Good support is given to lower attaining pupils

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ENGLISH

and those with special educational needs to ensure they take a full part in discussions and can complete the work. Across the school, teachers make good use of praise and value each pupil’s responses thereby increasing their confidence when speaking in class. For example, Year 5 pupils were encouraged to identify issues to write protest letters about identified items such as dumping rubbish in the local river or parking at the local church in resident places for special events such as weddings. Pupils were aware of the need to use more formal language when writing to someone you do not know well. The teacher reinforced likely vocabulary such as ‘compulsory’ and ‘disturbed’ which might be of benefit to the pupils. Many classrooms provide a vocabulary rich environment with words and technical terms displayed on the walls and around the room.

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ENGLISH

72. Standards in reading are average by the end of Year 2. Most pupils read simple, known texts confidently and use a range of strategies, such as picture, context and Abingdon Primary School - 33 letter sounds to read unfamiliar words. Higher-attaining pupils read a range of simple texts fluently and with some expression. They are aware of how to use the contents and index pages to find relevant information quickly. They correct their own mistakes when their reading does not make sense. Lower-attaining pupils enjoy reading and read simple, familiar texts confidently but need much adult support when reading new material. By the end of Year 6, pupils’ standards of reading are in line with national expectations. The majority of pupils read confidently and fluently and a significant number are achieving above national expectations. Pupils express enjoyment in reading books and discussing the relative merits of different texts. Teachers and

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ENGLISH

teaching assistants ensure that lower-attaining pupils and those with special educational needs or English as an additional language are supported well so that they can take a full part in lessons. Pupils make satisfactory progress in reading in Years 1 and 2 and good progress in Years 3 to 6.

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ENGLISH

73. Pupils' standards in writing are average at the end of Year 2. Pupils of all abilities make satisfactory progress and achieve appropriately when compared to their attainment on entry to Year 1. Pupils are given experiences of writing in a range of different formats such as stories, poetry, reports, riddles and limericks. However, there is little evidence of creative work or more extended writing opportunities. Work is regularly marked and the teacher’s comments are always supportive. Teachers sometimes identify how pupils could improve their work. Higher attaining pupils sequence their sentences well in developing their ideas and make some use of imaginative vocabulary. Their writing is grammatically correct and they make consistent use of a range of punctuation in their work. For most pupils spelling is variable and they make little use of punctuation beyond capital letters and full stops.

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ENGLISH

They sequence their sentences appropriately but find difficulty in extending their ideas and have a limited vocabulary.

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ENGLISH

74. Standards in writing, by the end of Year 6, are on track to be in line with national expectations and pupils make good progress in relation to their attainment at the end of Year 2. Higher attaining pupils’ writing is lively and thoughtful and they sustain their ideas in developing character and plot. Most pupils’ writing makes good use of description, using adverbs such as ‘strolling’, ‘gasped’ and ‘ambled’ to describe actions. Work is well presented and good use is made of a range of punctuation. Spelling is generally good. Lower attaining pupils are able to write simple accounts in sentences and extend their accounts logically but their spelling is weak and they make inconsistent use of basic punctuation and their writing lacks description. With all ability groups in Years 3 to 6, teachers’ high expectations are evident in the amount of work they have completed so far this year. Work is marked well and pupils’ targets

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ENGLISH

are clearly indicated in the front covers of their books. Teachers are always supportive in their comments and often inform pupils of what they need to do to improve their work.

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ENGLISH

75. The quality of teaching and learning is good in Years 3 to 6 and satisfactory in Years 1 and 2. Teachers have a good knowledge and understanding of the curriculum and make good use of the National Literacy Strategy to plan suitable work to meet the needs of different ability groups within classes. In Years 3 to 6 teachers are enthusiastic and lively in their manner and structure lessons well so that the pace of work is brisk and pupils are challenged well by the activities provided. In all lessons, teachers fully involve pupils in what they are to have learned by the end of the lessons and evaluate how successful pupils have been in achieving learning objectives. In the better lessons, teachers ensure that pupils are aware of the high expectations they have of the amount and quality of the work expected of them. Abingdon Primary School - 34 76. The management of the subject is good. The co-ordinator monitors teachers’

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ENGLISH

planning and has liaised with local education authority staff in monitoring teaching and learning in all classes. This was in order to carry out an audit of the teaching and provision made for English and to initiate a programme of support for teachers in identifying strengths and weaknesses in their development of the subject. The co- ordinator had no opportunities to monitor lessons herself. However, this process identified the need to involve pupils more in their work through the sharing of learning objectives and the better use of the summary discussion at the end of lessons for pupils to evaluate how well they had attained those objectives. This is now a strength in the teaching observed during the inspection. The sampling of pupils’ work and the close tracking of pupils’ attainment and progress clearly identifies those pupils who are not achieving as well as they should and are in need of further literacy support.

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ENGLISH

Pupils’ attainment in writing Years 3 to 6 has improved as a result. Across the school, classroom walls display examples of pupils’ writing and celebrate their work. This is having a positive impact on standards. Satisfactory use is made of homework to support pupils’ learning. Resources are satisfactory and used well to support pupils’ learning.

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MATHEMATICS

77. Pupils achieve well in Years 1 and 2, and by the end of Year 2 the vast majority is reaching the expected level for their age. They acquire a range of basic skills and a sound understanding of number. The smooth progression in the acquisition of these skills and regular exercises in reinforcing them ensure that the concepts are very effectively embedded by the end of Year 2. Pupils sequence numbers accurately and have sound understanding of place values. Pupils in Year 2 confidently rounded three-digit numbers to the nearest ten and hundred in their mental mathematics starter session. They are able to carry out simple additions and subtractions, count on from a number in fours and sixes and they recognise odd and even numbers. They begin to translate simple word problems into number problems. Generally, pupils have a sound knowledge of common two and three-dimensional shapes and recognise their characteristic properties such as number and types of faces, vertices,

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MATHEMATICS

etc. Lower attaining pupils and those with special educational needs experience some difficulty in working with three-dimensional shapes. Pupils begin to tell the time using analogue clocks and to compute simple time problems, and they understand the units involved in measuring length and volume.

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MATHEMATICS

78. Attainment by pupils near the end of Year 6 is broadly in line with the expected level and a significant minority of pupils exceed expectations. Pupils achieve satisfactorily in Years 3 to 6, build competently on their basic skills and generally become competent in handling a range of mathematical problems. They are adept in recognising number patterns and have a range of sound strategies for multiplication and division. They recognise the symmetry properties of shapes and carry out reflections and translations of shapes accurately. Year 4 pupils successfully translate and reflect simple shapes to generate interesting and colourful patterns. Pupils calculate perimeters and areas of regular and irregular shapes accurately and relate these skills to everyday applications. Skills in handling and presenting data are particularly good. Pupils efficiently collect data, using tally charts and display data, in

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MATHEMATICS

pie and bar charts and line graphs. Higher attaining Year 4 pupils accurately present and interpret data on the incidence of ‘flu throughout the year and by age groups. Lower attaining pupils accurately draw bar charts of the results of long jump attempts by class members. Pupils use their computer skills well in using spreadsheets to record data and computer programs to generate charts and graphs. Pupils in Years Abingdon Primary School - 35 5 and 6 develop sound understanding of probability through recording the results of using spinners and rolling dice.

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MATHEMATICS

79. The quality of teaching overall is good and some very good and excellent teaching was observed. The National Numeracy Strategy is being very effectively delivered throughout the school. Teachers have good subject knowledge and lessons are well planned with clear learning objectives that are well shared with pupils. Teachers have high but realistic expectations of all the pupils, and plan imaginative introductory mental mathematics sessions for the start of each lesson. Pupils respond very well to these challenging and competitive sessions, become fully engaged in the activity and this contributes very significantly to the good learning in lessons. Learning is at its best when the level of challenge and expectation is carried through into the main part of the lesson. For example, Year 6 pupils were presented with the imaginary situation of a monetary system based purely on 3p and 5p coins, and were asked to

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MATHEMATICS

work out how to pay for items of varied cost and calculate the change received. After brief initial assistance they quickly identified various successful strategies and higher attaining pupils successfully used brackets in setting out their solutions. Lower attaining pupils required more regular support during the exercise but gradually recognised how to tackle the problem and they made satisfactory progress. In most lessons lower attaining pupils are presented with modified tasks to challenge them at their level, and they receive good support to achieve success in line with their potential. Teachers regularly set appropriate homework exercises to reinforce and extend the learning in lessons, although higher attaining pupils are not systematically set challenging extension exercises requiring them to carry out independent learning and strive for higher levels of attainment. Pupils’ written work is well marked with very

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MATHEMATICS

supportive comments and sound guidance for improvement.

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MATHEMATICS

80. The subject is well led. The co-ordinator has a good overall view of standards and has identified clear priorities for improvement. The curriculum is well planned and provides effective delivery of the National Numeracy Strategy. The use of information and communication technology skills is well integrated into the curriculum. Teachers’ planning and pupils’ work is regularly monitored, but the appropriate use of numeracy skills in other subject areas, such as science, is not fully audited. There is no monitoring of teaching as yet to identify and share good practice to develop the quality of teaching. Procedures for the assessment and recording of pupils’ progress in each year group are good. Individual pupil records are maintained and appropriate targets set for the following year and end of key stage. Pupils have individual lists of mathematical targets in their books and these are updated regularly. However, the

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MATHEMATICS

overall recording of assessment data for the yearly cohorts is not well developed in a way that readily guides and assists curriculum planning. Resources for teaching the subject are satisfactory, but the quality of some items is not adequate to meet regular use by pupils. Standards have been maintained since the previous inspection but co- ordination of the subject has improved. Teaching has improved as a result.

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SCIENCE

81. By the end of Year 2 pupils are reaching standards that are broadly in line with national expectations. Standards have been maintained since the last inspection. Pupils make satisfactory progress in Years 1 and 2. They understand the characteristics of living things and recognise how things change as they grow. They sequence the stages in the development of frogs and follow a plant’s life from germination of the seed to the formation of fruits and seeds again. They handle a variety of materials, recognise their characteristic properties and begin to link the Abingdon Primary School - 36 properties with their suitability for particular uses, such as materials for windows, cooking utensils, etc. They recognise forces and identify some simple examples of the use of forces in everyday life. They understand the use of different electricity sources in powering toys and household articles such as washing machines and

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SCIENCE

electric cookers. Pupils begin to collect and process simple data. For example, Year 1 pupils observe the types of eye colour of their classmates, and Year 2 pupils collect data on their favourite foods. They collect the data using tally charts and construct bar charts to illustrate the results. Higher attaining pupils enjoy this work and construct neat bar charts. Lower attaining pupils require more assistance in constructing the charts and their tally charts are not always totally accurate. However, pupils in general make little progress in designing and carrying out simple investigations. Their skills in this area of the curriculum are well below what is normally expected for pupils of their age. Although they have the basic idea of a fair test, they do not systematically practice how to set up a fair test or carry it out. There is a heavy reliance on the use of worksheets in Years 1 and 2 and this restricts the full

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SCIENCE

development of pupils’ literacy skills in science.

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SCIENCE

82. Pupils near the end of Year 6 are reaching standards that are broadly in line with the expected level and a significant minority is reaching higher levels. Pupils make satisfactory progress in Years 3 to 6 in relation to their attainment in Year 2. Pupils have a more secure knowledge base and talk about their work with interest and confidence. Year 4 pupils are able to construct a variety of electrical circuits using bulbs, buzzers and switches. Higher attaining pupils recognise that the type of bulb used should be linked to the voltage of the battery in the circuit. Pupils investigate the various habitats around the school and recognise the types of mini beasts found in each one, and they use simple keys to identify the creatures. They understand how animals are broadly adapted to their particular environment. Pupils recognise a wide range of materials such as electrical and heat conductors and insulators, magnetic

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SCIENCE

and non-magnetic substances. Pupils’ investigative skills remain under-developed at the end of Year 6. Occasionally some interesting investigations are carried out. For example, Year 6 pupils measured the length of shadows cast by an object at different distances from a light source, and Year 4 pupils investigated the effect of the size of a parachute on its rate of fall. However, they do not systematically develop a range of skills in measuring distance, length or time, and recording and processing the data to draw conclusions about their work. For example, pupils in Year 6 compared the weight of objects in air and water but did not take a series of measurements to compare the two quantitatively, but merely commented on the difference and briefly discussed the nature of up-thrust. Commercial worksheets are over used in Year 3 but as their use is limited in later years pupils produce more free writing about their

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SCIENCE

work to develop their use of scientific vocabulary satisfactorily. Pupils’ receive supportive and detailed comments on their written work and sound guidance for development.

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SCIENCE

83. The quality of teaching overall is good but varies from satisfactory to good. Teachers have good knowledge of the topics covered. Generally, lessons are well planned with a variety of activities and practical work well organised and supervised. Pupils are challenged well in lessons, although occasionally the introductory session lacks impact and fails to engage all the pupils in valuable reviews of previous work and planning for the lesson. Pupils in Year 4 very effectively discussed their ideas on how to set up a fair test to see how the size of a parachute canopy might affect its rate of fall. Groups then efficiently cut out different sized canopies, constructed a simple parachute and carried out a series of tests timing the rate of fall from a fixed height. Most pupils achieved sound results but lower attaining pupils displayed some lack of familiarity with the use of stopwatches and their results were less reliable. When the

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SCIENCE

Abingdon Primary School - 37 class results were compared, pupils drew clear conclusions and made useful suggestions on how the test could be improved. The exercise produced very good learning for all pupils. However, such stimulating investigative tasks are not regularly planned and pupils’ skills are very varied. For example, Year 6 pupils needed careful guidance to plan a simple investigation of the effectiveness of decanting and filtering river water to clarify it. Tasks for pupils are modified to meet the needs of the full ability range in the class and lower attaining pupils receive good support from teachers and classroom assistants to make satisfactory progress in lessons. Few opportunities are planned to challenge higher attaining pupils to develop their skills through extended exercises or independent learning. In the better quality lessons, the pace and challenge of work are high and teachers have good strategies for managing

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SCIENCE

pupils and motivating them to give of their best.

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SCIENCE

84. Leadership of the subject is satisfactory. The co-ordinator has produced a sound scheme of work based on national guidelines and using a commercial scheme of work in the early years. The scheme demonstrates good progression of learning, however, the heavy reliance on commercial worksheets in Years 1 and 2 does not assist the development of pupils’ literacy skills in science. The progressive development of investigative skills through Years 1 to 6 is not yet fully or effectively integrated into the scheme, thus limiting the progressive use of pupils’ numeracy skills in science, and little use is made of pupils’ computer skills in science lessons. Teachers’ planning and pupils’ work are regularly monitored, but no monitoring of teaching is currently undertaken. The procedures for assessing and tracking pupils’ progress are largely informal and data is not collected centrally and has limited value

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SCIENCE

in setting targets for pupils. The results of the national tests in Years 2 and 6 are analysed to identify areas for review of the curriculum. Resources are generally satisfactory but there is a shortage of adequate numbers of some items of basic equipment for class practical work.

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ART AND DESIGN

85. Standards of attainment in art are above those expected by the end of Year 2 and Year 6. The pupils make good progress in learning skills and techniques and gain knowledge of different artists and their work. Those pupils who have special educational needs make good progress. Standards have improved since the last inspection because the teaching of art has improved, the pupils are set challenging tasks which build on skills learned previously. Also strategies for monitoring curriculum balance and pupils’ work have been developed.

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ART AND DESIGN

86. By the end of Year 2 pupils have worked with a variety of media, including collage and paint and three-dimensional materials. In Year 1 pupils learn about natural materials and use these to create sculptures. They are able to say what they like or dislike about their sculptures and talk about the effects of the different materials. For example, one pupil thought that the pebbles used at the base of one sculpture looked “magical”. Year 2 pupils painted in the style of Monet showing good understanding of the techniques he used. Their observational drawings and collages of fruit show good use of colour and texture.

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ART AND DESIGN

87. By the end of Year 6 the pupils sketch confidently, and have developed good observational drawing skills. They can use different painting techniques including watercolour paintings to illustrate their Haiku poems. Year 3 pupils develop good skills in replicating the ‘Pointing Man’, twisting wire to make the shape and paper mache to add structure to the sculptures. In Year 4 pupils successfully explore Abingdon Primary School - 38 surface pattern and texture in creating journey pictures. They choose materials with different textures to show different elements of their journey. In Year 5 pupils combine texture and form in producing clay tiles, which show good creativity and originality.

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ART AND DESIGN

88. In all classes, art is used to compliment other subjects in displays and other subjects are purposefully used as starting points for art. However, most of the work is based on artists from western cultures with fewer opportunities to reflect on art from non- western cultures. Good use is made of the local community to support art and design, for example, visits to Chadkirk Chapel for art in the environment, observational drawing on Reddish Walk, and art and history at Manchester Museum.

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ART AND DESIGN

89. Teaching is good. Lesson introductions give the pupils opportunities to recap on previous lessons and discuss the work so far. Good management of pupils ensures that all are looking and listening so they understand the task and what the teacher expects of them and, as a result, although they are excited, behaviour is good. The pace of lessons is brisk and resources are well prepared so that the pupils can begin practical work, which they are eager to do. Also, the feedback given to pupils gives them confidence and enthusiasm, as when told that their finished pictures were going on display they spontaneously exclaim ‘wicked’ and are eager to work!

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ART AND DESIGN

90. A feature of the school is the way work is displayed in classrooms and around the school. Some paintings are mounted and framed, adding to the opportunities for pupils to reflect on their own and others’ achievement and showing pupils how their work is valued by the school.

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ART AND DESIGN

91. Subject leadership for art and design is very good. Whilst there is no monitoring of art teaching there are effective strategies for monitoring curriculum balance and standards of pupils’ work. The subject makes a good contribution to pupils’ knowledge of western cultures but there is little use of the art of other cultures

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

92. No lessons were observed so judgements are based on pupils’ previous work, displays, teachers’ planning and photographs. Standards of attainment in design and technology are average by the end of Year 2 and above average by the end of Year 6. Pupils make satisfactory progress in Years 1 and 2 and good progress in Years 3 to 6. Pupils with special educational needs make satisfactory progress. Standards have improved since the last inspection by the end of Year 6 and maintained by the end of Year 2.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

93. Since the last report there have been improvements in standards because teachers have a better understanding of design and technology, and teaching is better. Older pupils are challenged well by the work set.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

94. By the age of seven pupils are able to make design drawings showing that they have developed their own ideas rather than copying others’ designs. They list the materials they will use, are beginning to write instructions for making and to evaluate their work. Pupils are learning about different mechanisms. For example, in Year 1 when designing a large farm animal for the Christmas Nativity they used simple sliding and lever mechanisms. Work includes designing and making a car for Father Christmas in Year 2. Pupils show understanding of the design process, what the car will look like, how presents will fit in it, how it will have axles and wheels so it can move, and what materials it will be made of. These are shown by their drawings in their design Abingdon Primary School - 39 booklets. 95. By the end of Year 6, pupils are able to show that they understand the design process fully. Their designs are annotated and show increasing detail. Pupils use a broader

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

range of materials, and show knowledge of structures, mechanisms and skills of making. Year 3 pupils designed a Christmas bag to put presents in. Year 4 pupils produced very detailed design drawings of a money container and in their evaluations, after making them, said how they would use a zip next time as the press-studs some used allowed money to escape. Year 5 pupils designed and made musical instruments. By the end of Year 6 pupils can design and make a shelter for bats or a small bird or a hedgehog. They research the needs of the creatures and developed their own design specifications, then after drawing different possible designs choose one. The pupils have secure understanding of the full design and make process, modifying their designs when necessary as they constructed. Part of the finishing of their products included adding camouflage and waterproofing, before evaluating them against their own design criteria. The strengths shown include pupils’ thinking about

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

the full design process, not just making, and their very positive attitudes to design and technology.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

96. As no lessons were observed during the inspection no overall judgement can be made of the quality of teaching and learning. However, from a scrutiny of teachers’ planning and pupils’ work there is good evidence that the design process is being systematically taught throughout the school. The pupils’ response to their work is very good because of the nature of design briefs and the teachers’ high expectations of their work.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

97. Subject leadership is very good. The subject leader has secure subject knowledge and enthusiasm for the subject. He is well aware of how to improve teaching and standards even further.

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GEOGRAPHY

98. Attainment by pupils near the end of Year 2 is broadly in line with the expected level. Pupils make a sound start to developing basic skills in Years 1 and 2. They begin to use simple maps of the local area, plotting their route to and from school, and recognise key features of the area such as the park and important buildings. They make a good start in using their numeracy skills to look at methods of transport used to get to school and favourite leisure activities. They collect the data using tally charts and construct bar charts to display their results. Pupils begin to recognise environmental issues such as the impact of traffic. They plot on a map the positions of various traffic calming systems used in the area, such as traffic lights, speed limits and of “speed bumps”. Pupils become aware of the wider world through the travels of Barnaby Bear. They write postcards from him from various parts of the world and

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GEOGRAPHY

these are displayed on a large world map. They also make a study of family life in a Mexican village. These activities effectively develop pupils’ skills so that they make satisfactory progress and achieve as well as they should.

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GEOGRAPHY

99. Pupils near the end of Year 6 are generally exceeding the expected level of attainment. They make good progress and achieve well in relation to their capabilities. Pupils have good geographical skills and are able to use them effectively in discussing a range of issues. They develop good map skills. Pupils in Year 3 use maps of the local area and the Reddish district well in their work. Pupils in Year 4 recognise the standard Ordnance Survey symbols and identify why settlements grew up where they did. They carry out a detailed study of an Indian village. Locating the Abingdon Primary School - 40 area on a map of India and then comparing aspects of life and work in Chembakolli and Reddish. Fieldwork forms the basis for very effective learning. For example, Year 5 pupils carry out a comprehensive comparison of Castleton in Derbyshire with Reddish with surveys of shops, land usage and local facilities. Pupils in Year 6

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GEOGRAPHY

reinforce and develop their ideas on river systems through a visit to the Reddish Vale Visitor Centre, taking measurements of the speed of flow of the River Thame at different points and observing erosion effects. Higher attaining pupils were able to give a logical explanation for the formation of a small island in the river near the central support of a viaduct across the river. Pupils are sensitively aware of environmental issues. Year 4 pupils survey major noise sources in and around the school. They collect and analyse litter found around the school and put forward a “Waste Action Plan” to deal with it, including the construction of compost bins. Lower attaining pupils participate fully in all these activities and learning opportunities and make satisfactory progress in Years 3 to 6.

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GEOGRAPHY

100. The overall quality of teaching is good. Teachers have good subject knowledge and lessons are very well planned to meet identified learning objectives. They make very good use of resources, such as plans, maps, photographs of Indian and Mexican village life and key features in Reddish and Castleton to stimulate discussion and learning. Teachers use questions well to assess pupils’ understanding and to develop discussion on topics. Pupils in Year 2 responded well to questions aimed at identifying key pointers in photographs of the Mexican village. Pupils in Year 6 recalled many points about their visit to the River Thame to discuss the formation of river beaches and cliffs. The range of planned tasks is well designed to challenge pupils at their level and to maintain interest. Lower attaining pupils are given suitably modified tasks and receive good support from teachers in their work. Teachers

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GEOGRAPHY

effectively generate a sustained interest in the subject and this contributes very significantly to the good learning of pupils across the whole ability range in Years 3 to 6.

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GEOGRAPHY

101. The subject is very well led. The co-ordinator has developed a good scheme of work for the whole school, based on the proposals of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority, that demonstrates good progression in the acquisition of geographical skills. Visits are very well integrated into the scheme to provide motivation and relevance to the topics, and resources are very effectively used in studies of different countries. The co-ordinator has a clear view of standards through the monitoring of teachers’ planning, pupils’ work and displays around the school. Teachers provide evaluation of the units of work and this aids future planning. A portfolio of assessed work has been collated to assist teachers in their assessment of pupils’ attainment and progress. The subject makes a good contribution to pupils’ knowledge of other places and ways of life. The quality and range of resources are good.

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HISTORY

102. It was only possible to observe one lesson in history during the inspection due to timetable arrangements. Judgements on standards are made on the basis of this lesson, scrutiny of pupils' work, displays of work and discussions with pupils. Attainment by pupils at the end of Year 2 is broadly in line with the expected level and pupils make satisfactory progress. Pupils make a satisfactory start to developing a sense of chronology and an awareness of how life was different in former times. Year 1 pupils gain much from handling artefacts from former times and looking at pictures to develop an appreciation of aspects of life in Victorian times. They compare school life and learn how many Victorian children had to work in harsh Abingdon Primary School - 41 conditions. They enjoy learning about famous people and events. Pupils in Year 2 learn of the life and work of Florence Nightingale and appreciate how hospitals and the

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HISTORY

work of nurses have changed since then. They use maps well to locate the Crimea and write diaries describing Florence’s first day at Scutari. They know about the events of the Great Fire of London and how it was re-built afterwards.

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HISTORY

103. Pupils near the end of Year 6 are exceeding the level of attainment expected for their age and achieve well in relation to their capabilities. They have good historical skills. They have very secure knowledge and understanding of the major periods and civilisations studied, discuss their ideas fluently and accurately and use secondary sources very well to extract information that sheds light of life in former times. They particularly enjoy learning about ancient civilisations, such as Egypt, Greece and Rome. A visit to the Manchester Museum added greatly to Year 3 pupils’ understanding of ancient Egypt, and they worked on making model mummies on their return, using the information gathered during their visit. Pupils in Year 4 learned much about life in Tudor times from a visit to a Tudor mansion and dressing up in period costume. Pupils used inventories from Tudor times and the Victorian census for

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HISTORY

Reddish Vale to extract valuable information about life and work in those periods. They produced interesting and informative writing about their ideas and discoveries.

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HISTORY

104. In the one lesson observed the quality of teaching was satisfactory. Pupils in Year 1 were presented with a range of simple artefacts from earlier times and had to identify their use and compare them with modern day equivalents. Modified group tasks were clearly set and adequate time was allowed for pupils to discuss their ideas in their groups and with the teacher and classroom assistant. Most pupils were able to identify the objects, such as a candle-holder, flat iron and a carpet beater, and link their use to their knowledge of life in Victorian times. The pupils handled the objects with great care and enjoyed sharing their views on their use. The final plenary session brought together their ideas but the discussion was not carefully directed and some pupils’ attention drifted off focus during this important session.

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HISTORY

105. Leadership of the subject is very good. The co-ordinator has a very clear view of standards and has produced a suitable development plan for next year that is aimed to further extend pupils’ first-hand experience of the periods and topics covered. The curriculum is well planned and very well enriched with a series of visits to museums and houses that provide very good stimuli for pupils and contribute greatly to their good learning, particularly in Years 3 to 6. A collection of assessed work has been developed to assist teachers in assessing pupils’ attainment and progress. The subject makes a good contribution to pupils’ knowledge of their own culture and ways of life in past times. The school has a good range of artefacts and resources for teaching the subject.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

106. Standards by the end of Year 2 are in line with national expectations and above expectations by the end of Year 6. Higher standards by the end of Year 6 are due to the good teaching that pupils receive and the improved provision made for the subject. Standards have been improved since the time of the last inspection. Pupils make satisfactory progress in Years 1 and 2 and good progress in Years 3 to 6.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

107. The computer suite and teachers’ improved confidence in teaching the subject are ensuring that pupils have regular opportunities to advance their skills in all aspects of the subject. A current target of the school development plan is to ensure that pupils’ Abingdon Primary School - 42 information and communication technology skills are used well in all subjects of the curriculum. This aspect is currently satisfactory and improving.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

108. By the end of Year 2, pupils have developed satisfactory skills in using word- processing and data handling programs. They are experienced in entering commands to make a programmable toy follow a simple route. Pupils were observed making good progress in using a database and the ‘search tool’ to find answers to simple questions. The activity was challenging for pupils who showed great enjoyment in completing the task. Pupils are able to open and close known programs and to print their work with some support from adults. Year 1 pupils were observed entering instructions to control the screen icon to follow a given route. They show confidence in operating machines and with adult help they successfully save their work and log on and off programs correctly. Pupils make satisfactory progress and achieve as well as they should do in relation to their capabilities.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

109. By the end of Year 6, pupils are aware of the power of computers in a range of situations for presenting information. They were observed accessing web sites in order to obtain relevant information about pollution and rivers. They then wrote texts and imported pictures into their powerpoint presentations and established ‘hyperlinks’ between these pages. All pupils demonstrated confidence and good co-ordination in moving between programs to access a wide range of information. Their work shows an awareness of audience in the use of colour in backgrounds and print to ensure that the information they want to communicate is clear and exciting to discover. Year 5 pupils effectively use spreadsheets to work out expenses in providing food for a class party. They are beginning to enter simple formulae for themselves and use subject specific language, such as ‘cell address’, when talking about their work. Year 3 pupils

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

were observed creating bar charts about personal information, such as birthdays, eye and hair colour in their class. In discussion they could talk about what the information showed and were aware of how formats, such as graphs and bar charts, showed more clearly what the data told them. By the end of Year 6 pupils are able to use CD- ROMS and web sites to access information, for example, about Victorian Inventors or bio-diversity, and to present that information in a range of formats. Pupils are competent in using the keyboard to word-process information, such as protests against the Iraqi war, and make changes to print style and font size to display this information clearly. They show good knowledge of databases to show the relationship between the area and perimeter of rectangles. Whenever they encounter difficulties teachers are able to quickly diagnose what they have done wrong and to provide effective support. As a consequence, pupils make good progress and

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

110. The quality of teaching and learning is good. A scrutiny of pupils’ work and teachers’ planning shows that teachers plan for all areas of the subject. Teachers have high expectations of what pupils can achieve and provide stimulating activities that successfully motivate pupils They are confident in their own knowledge and understanding of the subject and, with the support of a specialist teacher from the local secondary school, successfully build upon pupils’ acquired skills in a progressive way. Good use is made of the resources available to provide regular opportunities for pupils to advance their skills, for example in Powerpoint presentations in Year 6.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

111. The subject is led and managed well. The co-ordinator monitors teachers’ planning and has observed the quality of teaching and learning across the school. The curriculum follows national guidelines and improvements to hardware and software resources have improved support for teachers in delivering the National Curriculum. Abingdon Primary School - 43 Teachers make ongoing assessments of pupils’ competencies and these are effectively used to plan future work. Whole-school procedures for recording pupils’ attainment and progress are yet to be established. However, all pupils’ work is stored on disk. Resources for the subject are good.

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MUSIC

112. By the end of Year 2 and Year 6, pupils’ standards of attainment are in line with national expectations. Pupils enjoy their music making activities and make satisfactory progress. The satisfactory standards noted at the time of the last inspection have been maintained.

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MUSIC

113. By the end of Year 2, the majority of pupils have a satisfactory understanding of rhythm and can accurately clap in time. A small number of pupils do not recognise pauses and continue to clap when others have stopped. Pupils know the names of common tuned and untuned percussion instruments and play them correctly. Pupils sing a range of songs from memory. They sing enthusiastically and most pupils demonstrate correct pitch. As was observed in a Year 2 lesson, pupils’ attitudes to music are variable. While the vast majority of pupils clearly enjoy music making activities, a few pupils take part only spasmodically in the lesson.

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MUSIC

114. No music lessons were observed in Year 6 but pupils sing enthusiastically and tunefully in assemblies and when practising for their end of term concert. Year 4 pupils were observed clapping the rhythms and pulse of a number of songs. They sing tunefully and are enthusiastic about their work. Pupils found difficulty when half the class clapped the rhythm and the other kept the steady beat. As a class they could do one or the other but not both together. Year 5 pupils were observed listening to and discussing Holst’s ‘The Planet Suite’. The teacher’s good questioning and enthusiasm ensured that pupils were successfully motivated to listen attentively and to share their own ideas about the music and the similarities between their view of the music and composer’s intentions. Pupils were able to recognise changes in tempo and pitch and how these matched the different natures of the planets, such as Mars

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MUSIC

115. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory overall but varies from very good to unsatisfactory. In the lessons observed most teachers had a satisfactory understanding of the curriculum and provided a range of appropriate activities to develop pupils’ music skills and appreciation of music. In the unsatisfactory lesson, the activity was too structured and pupils had too few opportunities to respond to music or be involved in music making. Generally, teachers manage pupils well although this was more evident in Years 4 and 5 than Years 1 and 2. Teachers make appropriate use of the satisfactory range of resources available.

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MUSIC

116. The management of the subject is satisfactory. The co-ordinator monitors teachers’ planning and provides informal advice and support to her colleagues. The curriculum is based on national guidelines and another commercial scheme. Some monitoring of pupils’ work has been undertaken, either through observation of musical activities or by recording pupils’ work. However, the co-ordinator has had no opportunities to monitor her colleagues teaching and many of them are new to the school. She is looking forward to next year when music will be a focus for development in the school development plan. Resources for music are satisfactory but there are few examples of instruments from other cultures. Opportunities for some pupils to learn to play either brass instruments or keyboards are provided by parents paying for music lessons from visiting peripatetic music teachers. The school takes part in school and

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MUSIC

area musical events and has good links with the local secondary school music Abingdon Primary School - 44 department. These opportunities ensure that talented musicians are able to pursue their enthusiasm in the subject. Abingdon Primary School - 45

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

117. Pupils’ standards of attainment at the end of Year 2 are below expectations and in line with them at the end of Year 6. Pupils make unsatisfactory progress in Years 1 and 2 and satisfactory progress in other year groups. Standards by the end of Year 6 have been maintained since the time of the last inspection but have fallen by the end of Year 2.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

118. Year 2 pupils demonstrate satisfactory co-ordination and appropriate control when running and turning while gathering a ball. However, they are less successful in catching and throwing it, particularly when too small a ball is used for their abilities or the challenge of activities is too difficult for pupils of this age. When allowed to do so, Year 1 pupils show appropriate co-ordination and control in making sequences involving a jump, turn and balance. Teachers warm up pupils with appropriate exercises that stretch joints and ensure that pupils are ready for physical activities. However, the clothing pupils wear is not always suitable as it restricts their movements. Pupils in Year 6 develop good technique and co-ordination when perfecting their over-arm throw. They show accuracy in aiming a ball at a target and were seen beginning to realise the difference between the bowling action used in

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

cricket and a throwing action. Year 5 pupils show improving technique in throwing a javelin and in putting a shot. They realise that the whole body needs to be involved in the throwing action and not just their arm.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

119. The quality of teaching and learning is unsatisfactory in Years 1 and 2 and satisfactory in other classes. Teachers in Years 1 and 2 are insecure in their knowledge and understanding of the subject and in their management of pupils. Sometimes lessons are too tightly structured so that pupils are inactive for too long and have insufficient opportunities to improve their physical skills. In others, the activities are too complex for the skill level of the pupils and work is not well matched to their needs. No lessons were observed in Year 3 and 4. In Years 5 and 6 teachers had a sound understanding of the subject and good pupil management strategies. The activities provided successfully challenged pupils to work hard and do their best. They enjoyed the tasks set and teachers made good use of simple coaching points, such as keeping their eye on the ball or having their hands ready to receive a catch, to improve

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

pupils’ performances. Generally, good use is made of pupil demonstration to help those who are uncertain of what to do.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

120. The leadership and management of the subject are satisfactory. The co-ordinator is presently on maternity leave but the headteacher is overseeing the subject at present. Teachers’ medium-term planning is monitored and ensures that the National Curriculum Programme of Study is covered. However, little observation of teaching and learning has taken place. The school is involved in sports activities in the area and with other schools. There are good links with the local secondary school. Good provision is made for swimming and the vast majority of pupils can swim the expected 25 metres and a significant number exceed this level and achieve a range of awards in water safety and water skills. Pupils’ achievements in outside sports activities are celebrated in school assemblies. The subject makes a good contribution to pupils’ social and moral development. Resources for the subject are satisfactory.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

121. Standards of attainment in religious education are in line with the expectations of the Abingdon Primary School - 46 locally agreed syllabus at the end of Year 2 and Year 6. Pupils make satisfactory progress. This is an improvement since the last report when standards and progress were unsatisfactory. Standards have improved because teacher knowledge and the quality of teaching have improved and are now satisfactory across the school. The school now has a policy for religious education and the locally agreed syllabus is implemented. Pupils have more opportunities to reflect on their own feelings and to gain insight into Christianity. Religious education is taught in every class. However, there is still no formal monitoring of the quality of teaching and learning in the subject in order to raise standards and resources to support the subject need to be improved to include religious artefacts.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

122. By the end of Year 2 pupils are familiar with Bible stories such as the story of the creation, the Lost Sheep, the story of Mary, of Jesus in the temple. They are familiar with some Christian and Muslim birth customs and about baptism and confirmation in the Christian church. They are learning about life stages and are beginning to reflect on what it means to be an adult such as “getting a job”, “getting married”, “buying a house”. They also learn about Sikhism and the significance of customs of religious artefacts and clothing.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

123. By the end of Year 6 pupils have gained understanding of the different communities people belong to, including religious groups. They have learned about individual Gods, symbols and customs. They understand the meaning of worship and know that different religions, such as Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs, have different places of worship which are distinct to that religion. The pupils understand that people pray and know particularly about Christian prayer. They are able to formulate questions they might ask God. Some pupils posing philosophical questions such as “Why do we learn?” “Why did God make people?” “Why did He make different coloured people?” Answers pupils gave to these questions show reflection. For example, “If I didn’t make people I’d be all on my own on Earth, with no one to play with and I’d be lonely”, also “Having people in different colours is more interesting than

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

if they were all in one colour”. Older pupils can look in the Bible for evidence of how Jesus prayed. They write their own prayers and look at the modern day meaning of the ‘Lord’s Prayer’. By the end of Year 6 pupils show increasing understanding of the distinctive features of religious customs and traditions of Christianity and other religions.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

124. Teaching is satisfactory with good teaching in Years 3 to 6. The best teaching is where the teacher has good subject knowledge and gives pupils opportunities to talk of their own religious experiences and knowledge. Good questioning is used to promote pupils’ understanding of vocabulary and story content. The pace is brisk and relationships are easy and give pupils the confidence to contribute in lessons and as a consequence they find the work interesting and work well. Resources such as shadow puppets maintain pupils' interest so they listen and watch carefully. Where teaching is less effective the delivery is mundane and pupils’ response reflects this.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

125. The management of the subject is satisfactory. The co-ordinator has been in post for a year and has made a good start in improving teachers’ subject knowledge and confidence in teaching the subject. Resources are satisfactory and have been improved, particularly in the area of other faiths and cultures. The subject is a focus for development in next year’s development plan when the co-ordinator hopes to monitor teaching and learning. The subject makes a good contribution to pupils’ knowledge and understanding of other faiths. Abingdon Primary School - 47

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