Howard Park Community School

SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 23 rd – 25 th June 2003

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SCHOOL

Inspection number 251745 Full inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 This report may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that all extracts quoted are reproduced verbatim without adaptation and on condition that the source and date thereof are stated.

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SCHOOL

Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the school must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. Whitcliffe Road First & Nursery School - 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: First and nursery school

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Whitcliffe Road Cleckheaton West Yorkshire

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mr D C Chesterman

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: March 1998 Whitcliffe Road First & Nursery School - 5

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

21024 Mr R Robinson Registered inspector Mathematics Information and communication technology Educational inclusion Religious Education What sort of school is it? The school's results and pupils’ achievements How well is the school led and managed? What should the school do to improve further? 9348 Mrs Mary Le Mage 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? 11831 Mr John Brooke Team inspector Art and design Geography History Physical education 18065 Mrs Sue Dutson Team inspector Science Design and technology Provision for children in the foundation stage. How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils? 17085 Mr George Mitchell Team inspector English English as an additional language Music Special educational needs How well are the pupils taught?

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Penta International Upperton House The Avenue Eastbourne East Sussex BN21 3YB

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

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

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Whitcliffe Road First & Nursery School - 6

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 11

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

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AREAS OF THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES 28

Whitcliffe Road First & Nursery School - 7

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

This smaller than average-sized primary school for boys and girls aged 3-9 years is situated in Cleckheaton in West Yorkshire. Pupils come from the local area which includes mainly privately owned small terrace housing, rented accommodation and housing association accommodation. The school has 160 full-time pupils: 82 boys and 78 girls. A further thirty- six children attend the nursery, part-time. An above average proportion of pupils are from minority ethnic backgrounds. Four pupils are at an early stage of learning English as an additional language. Fifty-four pupils (30 per cent) are on the register of special educational needs, which is above average, and a well above average proportion of pupils (9 pupils) has a statement of special educational needs. Pupils receiving additional help have mainly moderate learning difficulties: emotional and behavioural difficulties, speech, hearing, and

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

visual and multi-sensory impairment, physical disabilities and autism. Children’s attainment on entry to the nursery is below average, overall, but varies significantly from year-to-year. The percentage of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is about 26 per cent which is above the national average. The school received national School Achievement Awards in 2001 and 2002. The school is within the local authority’s Private, Public Partnership Initiative, as part of this agreement the school building is maintained by a private company. Through this initiative, negotiations have begun for a replacement building on a new site. The acting headteacher has led the school since April 2002.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Whitcliffe Road First and Nursery school provides a good education for its pupils despite the poor quality of accommodation. Pupils achieve well and reach average standards, overall, by the end of Year 4. Pupils’ attitudes to work and their behaviour are good. The quality of teaching is good throughout the school. The leadership and management of the acting headteacher, senior staff and governing body are good. The school provides good value for money.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What the school does well • Pupils achieve well because of the good quality of teaching. • Standards by the end of Year 4 are above average in English. • Pupils’ attitudes to work and their behaviour are good. • Pupils form very good relationships with adults and other pupils • Provision for pupils with special educational needs is very good and these pupils make very good progress in their learning. • The leadership and management of the school are good.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What could be improved • Standards in information and communication technology are below average by the end of Year 4. • Standards, by the end of Year 2 and Year 4, in mathematics, are not high enough in comparison to those in English. • The systems for checking and improving attendance are insufficient. • The accommodation is poor and this limits further improvements in standards. 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 good progress since the last inspection in March 1998. Standards have risen in English to above average by the end of Year 4 and have been maintained at an Whitcliffe Road First & Nursery School - 8 average level in mathematics and science. Pupils’ attainment in geography has improved to be in line with national expectations but standards in information and communication technology have dipped to below average. Pupils’ attitudes to work and their behaviour remain good. The following items represent responses to the areas of development identified at the last inspection:

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

• Guidance is now available in all subjects to help teachers to plan lessons effectively. • The school development plan now identifies priorities clearly. • The governing body now fulfils its role well.

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STANDARDS

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

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STANDARDS

Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

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STANDARDS

reading C A D C well above average above average A B writing D B E D average below average C D mathematics E D E E well below average E

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STANDARDS

The performance of pupils by the end of Year 2 varies from year-to-year because of differences between the groups of pupils’ attainment on entry to the school; however, standards in mathematics have been consistently lower than those in English in recent years. Standards of the present group of pupils in Year 2 are average in speaking and listening but below the national average in reading, writing and science and well below average in mathematics. Too few pupils reach the higher levels in mathematics. It was not possible to make a judgement on standards in music, by the end of Year 2, as no lessons were seen. Standards, by the end of Year 2, in all other subjects were in line with national expectations.

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STANDARDS

Pupils, by the end of Year 4, are on course to reach above nationally expected standards in English and average standards in mathematics and science. No significant variation between the attainment of boys and girls is apparent. In information and communication technology, standards are below national expectations. In all other subjects, standards are in line with national expectations by the end of Year 4, except in music, where no judgement was made because no lessons were observed.

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STANDARDS

Children in the nursery and reception classes make good progress. They are on course to achieve, by the end of the reception year, average standards in personal, social and emotional development, knowledge and understanding of the world, physical development and creative development, though will not reach expected standards in communication, language and literacy and mathematical development because of the significant proportion of children with language and mathematical difficulties in the present reception classes.

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STANDARDS

Pupils achieve well overall, including those learning English as an additional language. Pupils with special educational needs make very good progress throughout the school. The school Whitcliffe Road First & Nursery School - 9 has exceeded its appropriate targets for pupils’ attainment by the end of Year 4 in English and mathematics.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attitudes to the school Good. Pupils enjoy school and are eager to learn. They respond well in lessons and have positive attitudes to their work.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Good. The pupils are well behaved in lessons, around the school and at play.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Personal development and relationships Satisfactory overall. Very good relationships between adults and pupils and between pupils themselves contribute well to pupils’ learning; however, pupils’ personal development is limited by too few opportunities to use their initiative or take responsibility.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attendance Satisfactory, overall. Attendance rates fluctuate during the year significantly and are sometimes below average. Punctuality is also satisfactory for all but a very small minority of pupils who are regularly late.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Teaching of pupils in: Nursery and Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 4

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

The quality of teaching and learning is good, overall. Teachers work hard to support pupils and help them to make good progress: this is particularly true in English, with the result that standards are above average by the time pupils reach the end of Year 4. The teaching of English, including literacy, is good in Years 1 to 4. The teaching of mathematics is good overall, including numeracy: it is satisfactory in Years 1 to 2 and it is very good in Years 3 to 4. The quality of the teaching of information and communication technology is unsatisfactory, even though the teaching of individual lessons is sometimes good, because of the unsatisfactory provision of resources and limited opportunities for pupils to develop their skills in the subject slow down pupils’ progress. Insufficient opportunities are available for pupils to use information and communication technology to assist learning in other subjects. The skills

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

of numeracy are not practised sufficiently in other subjects. The quality of teaching and pupils’ learning is good in art and design, history, geography, and physical education. In science, the teaching is satisfactory in Years 1 and 2 and good in Years 3 and 4. There were insufficient opportunities, because of timetabling arrangements, to make a judgement on the teaching of design and technology, music and religious education

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Lessons are well planned and contain activities which build well on what pupils already know and can do; however, in Years 1 and 2, the planning of challenging activities for more competent pupils is insufficient in mathematics. Pupils’ behaviour is good because relationships between adults and pupils are consistently positive and caring. In Years 3 and 4, the teaching of basic skills is good and this, allied to the good use of homework, helps to ensure that pupils achieve well. Whilst teachers try their best to overcome the limitations of Whitcliffe Road First & Nursery School - 10 the school buildings, the lack of space does inhibit some activities; for example, in physical education. The limited supply of computers also reduces pupils’ opportunities for independent work, which is not a strong feature of the school’s work. The teaching of children in the nursery and reception class is consistently good and helps to ensure a good

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

start to their school lives. On balance, the school meets the needs of all pupils well.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Aspect Comment The quality and range of the curriculum Satisfactory. The soundly planned curriculum meets statutory requirements. A good range of interesting activities outside lessons enriches the curriculum. The arrangements for personal, social and health education are good. Provision for pupils with special educational needs Very good. These pupils make very good progress because of the very effective support they receive, particularly from the good number of support staff. Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Good. The pupils are fully involved in all lessons and receive extra help when necessary. Consequently, they make good progress.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils’ personal development, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Satisfactory overall. The fostering of pupils’ moral and social development is good. The spiritual and cultural development of pupils is satisfactory. The planning of opportunities to enhance pupils’ understanding of the cultural diversity of the local area is insufficient.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

How well the school cares for its pupils Satisfactory overall. There is satisfactory care of pupils. Procedures for monitoring pupils’ progress are good; however, more use could be made of information gained to help pupils make even more progress. Systems in place to improve and monitor attendance are insufficient.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Aspect Comment Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Good. The acting headteacher provides good direction for the school and capable senior managers assist her well. The subject managers understand their responsibilities and fulfil their roles well. The aims of the school are reflected appropriately in the day-to-day practice. How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Good. Governors have a good understanding of the strengths of the school and areas for improvement. Statutory duties are carried out appropriately. The governing body is active in seeking to improve the future provision for pupils. The school’s evaluation of its performance Satisfactory. The school improvement plan is an effective document that has been soundly implemented by staff and governors. Systems for checking pupils’ learning, improving teaching and supporting new staff are satisfactory. The tracking of pupils’ progress over time is good in

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

English and mathematics and satisfactory in most other subjects. Teachers are committed to and capable of improving standards further. The strategic use of resources Good. The school’s financial resources are used well. Appropriate use is made of management systems to provide information for staff and governors. Additional grants are used well to benefit pupils’ learning. The governors apply the principles of ‘best value’ well.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The school has sufficient teachers and teaching assistants who meet the needs of pupils well. The accommodation is poor. Learning resources are satisfactory overall, although are unsatisfactory in information and communication technology. Whitcliffe Road First & Nursery School - 11 Whitcliffe Road First & Nursery School - 12

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

The school is held in high regard by parents. The school has good links with parents, who are very supportive. Parents’ involvement in their children’s learning is satisfactory

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved • Children enjoy school and make good progress because the teaching is good. • Children are expected to work hard and the school helps them to become more mature and responsible. • The school works closely with parents who find the staff approachable. • They are kept well informed about their children’s progress. • The school is well led and managed. • The accommodation is poor.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Inspectors agree with the positive views of parents and also concur with parents that the accommodation is poor. Whitcliffe Road First & Nursery School - 13

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. Main strengths and areas for development

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

• Overall, pupils achieve well, because the quality of teaching is good and pupils have good attitudes to work, behave well and relate very well to other pupils and staff. • Standards, by the end of Year 4, are above average in English and average in mathematics and science. • Standards, by the end of Year 2, are below average in English and science and well below average in mathematics. • Pupils learning English as an additional language make good progress. • Pupils with special educational needs make very good progress. • Standards, by the end of Year 4, in information and communication technology are below average. • Pupils’ performance, by the end of Year 2, in mathematics has been below that of pupils’ performance in English since 2000.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. Children’s attainment on entry to the nursery is generally below average, but varies from year-to-year significantly. The wide range of children’s attainment on entry to the school, from very low attainers to higher attainers, is reflected in the differences in the national test results at the end of Year 2; for example, in the current group of pupils in Year 2, a third of the pupils have identified learning difficulties and, because of this, their overall attainment on entry to the nursery was low. This group of pupils is on course to be below average in reading and writing and well below average in mathematics by the end of Year 2; however, the proportion of pupils at the higher level expected at the end of Year 2 (Level 3) has increased significantly in reading, writing and mathematics, compared to the previous year. The achievement of the pupils is good in English because of good teaching and

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

effective implementation of the National Literacy Strategy. The National Numeracy Strategy has been implemented satisfactorily, although the planning of challenging work for more competent pupils is insufficient. The proportion of pupils, at the end of Year 2, who achieves the expected level (Level 2) in mathematics is similar to that in reading and significantly above that of writing; however, in reading, a higher proportion achieves the higher level (Level 3) than in mathematics. This trend is seen over time, showing a solid foundation at the level expected by the end of Year 2 (Level 2) in reading, writing and mathematics, although at the end of Year 2 a significantly higher proportion of pupils gains the higher level (Level 3) in reading in comparison to mathematics and writing. The present Year 4 group of pupils is a higher attaining group than most other classes in the school and has fewer pupils with

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

learning difficulties. In Years 3 and 4, these pupils have maintained good progress in English and achieved very well in mathematics to reach, by the end of Year 4, above average standards in English, and average standards in mathematics. This is because the teaching, throughout Years 3 and 4 is good in English and strong, particularly in Year 4, in mathematics. The national strategies for literacy and numeracy are implemented well in both Years 3 and 4.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. A significant proportion of children enter the nursery with low-level skills in communication, language and literacy and numeracy. Throughout the school, pupils with special educational needs make very good progress regardless of the nature of their difficulty. This is because teachers and teaching assistants are well prepared to provide the particular help required. Pupils reach their individual targets quickly and enjoy moving on to Whitcliffe Road First & Nursery School - 14 the next stage of learning. Pupils learning English as an additional language make similar progress to other children because of the effective help they receive from teachers and teaching assistants.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. Children achieve well in the nursery and reception because of the good quality of teaching and the well-planned curriculum. By the end of the reception class, most children are on course to achieve the nationally expected standards in all the areas of learning, except in communication, language and literacy and mathematical development. This is because the present group of children in the reception year has a very wide spread of abilities from more competent children to a significant proportion of low attainers in language and mathematics.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. In Years 1 and 2, pupils build on their prior attainments well in most subjects; however, in mathematics, although pupils make satisfactory progress, they do not achieve as well as they do in English. Since the last inspection, standards in mathematics, by the end of Year 2, in the national tests, have been well below the national average in each year, except in 2001 when standards were below average: these results show satisfactory progress relative to children’s attainment on entry to the nursery. In marked contrast, pupils’ performance in reading, though well below average, were similar to standards in mathematics in 1998 and 1999 but improved to be at an average level in 2000, well above average in 2001 and below average in 2002. The differences can be attributed to the quality of teaching in the subjects; the quality of teaching of English is good, and is satisfactory, in mathematics, in Years 1 and 2. This is because teachers do not plan sufficiently for higher

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

attaining pupils in mathematics resulting in too few pupils achieving the higher levels in the national tests at the end of Year 2. Opportunities for investigative work are also insufficient and skills in numeracy are not developed well enough in other subjects. The teaching of mathematics in Years 1 and 2 relies too heavily on average and higher attainers working through workbooks at a similar level with too little extension work for more capable pupils.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. In Years 3 and 4, pupils achieve well in all subjects of the National Curriculum, with the exception of information and communication technology. By the end of Year 4, pupils are above national expectations in English and average in mathematics and science. No judgement was made on standards in music as no lessons were observed. Standards in all other subjects, except information and communication technology, are at expected levels. The reason for the overall good achievement is reflected in the good or better quality of teaching in both Years 3 and 4 and to pupils’ good attitudes to work and good standards of behaviour and to very good relationships between pupils and between pupils and staff. Standards, by the end of Year 4, in information and communication technology are below expectations and pupils’ achievement is unsatisfactory because pupils have too few opportunities to practise skills in the subject and to use these skills to assist learning in other

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

subjects. Overall, the school has made satisfactory improvement in standards since the last inspection.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

7. Main strengths and areas for development

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

• Pupils’ attitudes to school are good and they behave well. • Relationships between pupils and between pupils and adults are of a high standard. • Pupils have too few opportunities to use their initiative or to take responsibility for their own learning.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

8. The attitudes and values of pupils in the school are good and have a positive impact on standards attained. Whitcliffe Road First & Nursery School - 15 9. Pupils enjoy school and are interested in their work. Parents are almost unanimous in saying that their children are enthusiastic about all aspects of school life. In lessons, pupils settle to work quickly, thus maximizing teaching and learning time. They generally listen attentively, respond quickly and sensibly to questioning and are eager to contribute. In all subjects, pupils help and support each other, showing genuine appreciation of the efforts of all. Pupils are happy in school.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

10. Pupils with special educational needs have very positive attitudes to the school and their lessons. They behave well and work hard because the adults raise pupils’ self esteem by the judicious use of praise and by adopting an encouraging yet rigorous approach. Consequently the pupils enjoy their successes and relate well to both their peers and the staff.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

11. Pupils behave well in lessons and respond well to the good teaching they receive. On the few occasions when pupils become restless, or noise levels begin to rise to inappropriate levels, the situation is managed swiftly and effectively by the teacher without disruption to the learning of the group. Pupils are courteous and polite to adults and to each other. They behave well in the dining halls, and the playground is harmonious, with pupils playing happily together. There were no incidents of bullying seen during the inspection and pupils say such incidents are very infrequent. Nevertheless, pupils are very aware of the way in which they should deal with such situations. There has been one exclusion in the last school year.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12. The personal development of pupils is satisfactory. From their earliest days in school, pupils are encouraged to reflect on the consequences of their actions and how they may affect other people, and this is supported by a thorough personal, social, health and citizenship education programme. There are positive relationships between all groups of pupils in the school: older pupils play with younger ones, boys and girls work and play together, as do pupils from different cultural backgrounds . Pupils of all abilities co-operate in lessons. There are very good relationships between adults and pupils across the school, and former pupils call in to the school at the end of the day to visit teachers. Pupils respond well to the opportunities they have around school to take responsibility, but these opportunities are very limited. There are insufficient opportunities for pupils to use their initiative or take responsibility, particularly with regard to their learning, as the investigative

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

elements of mathematics and science are not yet fully developed across the school. In addition, the opportunity for pupils to influence the development of the school, through a school council, is largely still in the planning phase. These are limiting factors on the personal development of pupils. Pupils learning English as an additional language work confidently in all aspects of the school’s life. They relate well to adults and other pupils and their behaviour is good.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13. Attendance at the school is satisfactory and is in line with the national average for all primary schools in England; however, attendance rates dip significantly at time during the year; for example in the Spring term attendance rates were below average. Parents report that their children enjoy school and want to attend. Punctuality at the school is also satisfactory, although, each day, a very small number of pupils arrive late. Whitcliffe Road First & Nursery School - 16

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

14. Main strengths and areas for development

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

• The quality of teaching and learning throughout the school is good, overall. • Although teachers’ planning is in most ways good, the planning for more capable pupils in mathematics, in Years 1 and 2, demands too little of them. • The teaching of pupils with special educational needs is very good. • There are insufficient opportunities for pupils to learn independent research skills. • Time is not always used efficiently in some classroom activities. • Pupils do not have sufficient access to computers. • The school’s accommodation sometimes inhibits pupils’ learning.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

15. The quality of teaching and learning through the school is good; in a few lessons, it was excellent, whilst there was a very small amount of unsatisfactory teaching.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

16. Children in the nursery and reception classes make good progress in all their areas of learning because the quality of teaching is consistently good. Lessons are well planned and resources are used effectively to ensure that children’s experiences are interesting and help to develop important knowledge and skills. The provision helps to ensure that children enjoy themselves and make a good start to their school life.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

17. Teachers’ planning in the other classes is good overall, with clear objectives that are communicated to the pupils so that they know what they are intended to learn; for example, Year 2 pupils knew from the start of one lesson that they were to study how to improve their story writing by establishing a clear setting. The teacher then used a good example, followed by a question and answer session and activities set at different levels, to give pupils suitable experiences to reinforce and practise their ideas. A carefully planned lesson helped pupils to begin to develop a key element of their own writing skill. In mathematics, in Years 1 and 2, however, the planning does not identify challenging work for the more capable pupils, so that they make no better than satisfactory progress in their learning.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

18. Teachers use a good range of methods to promote learning: description, discussion, group work, practical activities, visits, drama, story, videoed programmes and taped broadcasts are typical of the strategies employed. Styles of teaching are also varied; a Year 1 lesson was marked by the teacher pretending to learn alongside the pupils, announcing during the reading of a book about whales, ‘I didn’t know that, did you?’ This approach helped motivate the pupils as they felt to be sharing their learning with an important adult.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

19. Pupils with special educational needs are very well taught. Teachers and support staff are aware of the pupils’ needs and levels of development because of their careful monitoring of progress. Next stages are planned to keep pupils moving forward, sometimes in small steps, towards their targets. Pupils sometimes work in small groups and it is often in these situations that the best teaching and learning occurs. The adults take pains to establish secure relationships with the pupils so that the activity takes place in a situation of trust and the small group allows the teacher or teaching assistant to focus on ensuring that each individual makes progress. Games are often used to make the sessions enjoyable but they are, nevertheless, challenging situations where pupils achieve very well.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

20. Lessons are calm and purposeful because teachers manage pupils well. Behaviour in classes is good and this helps to establish a suitable working atmosphere, within which staff and pupils can get on with their work. Pupils with behavioural difficulties are managed sensitively, sometimes superbly, so that disruptions to the flow of learning are minimised. Whitcliffe Road First & Nursery School - 17 21. Teachers use homework well in reinforcing and extending pupils’ skills and knowledge, particularly in English. This helps pupils to take responsibility for their work and introduces a level of independence. A good example was seen in Year 3 where pupils were asked to complete a comprehension exercise on a video sequence seen at the beginning of the lesson. This challenged the pupils to recall details of the programme and interpret what they had seen using well formed, sentence answers. This emphasis on the development of

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

key basic skills is typical of the work in Years 3 and 4. Teachers have very clear understanding of the requirements of the National Curriculum and of the important underpinning of language and number skills. The resulting teaching is very successful and helps pupils to achieve above average standards, particularly in speaking, listening, reading and writing.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

22. Whilst homework offers some opportunities for independent work, these skills are not fully developed. The school library is cramped and contains a good number of books that are old and others that are unsuitable for pupils to use in gathering information. Also, the insufficient access to computers curtails opportunities that pupils might have to exploit the potential that information and communication technology can offer for independent research. The marking of pupils’ work is satisfactory, overall, but inconsistent; for example, in English, the marking is good and helps pupils to understand how well they have done, whereas, in mathematics, although work is marked conscientiously with ticks and a few positive comments, remarks are rarely made on pupils’ work to help to understand how they can improve.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

23. Lessons usually ensure that pupils’ learning moves at a good pace; however, there are situations when teachers talk too much or do not recognise that pupils are losing interest. Discussion sessions that lasted thirty minutes were beyond the attention span of some pupils. Time delays and other problems are also caused by the accommodation. One classroom that is too small for the number of pupils makes the organisation of practical activities difficult and inhibits the ability of the pupils to move around and form different groups when necessary. Similarly, the cellar used for small group work takes time to get to and does not provide a suitable workplace. The very small amount of unsatisfactory teaching occurs when the content of lessons is not matched to the interests and experiences of the pupils. Consequently, whilst they work hard, the pupils’ acquisition of new knowledge is minimal.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

24. Teachers work hard to overcome the accommodation difficulties and to make sure that the pupils’ progress is not too adversely affected. One of the strengths of the school lies in the quality of teaching and learning, which has been maintained at a good level since the previous inspection.

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PUPILS?

25. Main strengths and areas for development

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PUPILS?

• The provision for pupils with special educational needs is very good. • The arrangements for teaching literacy skills are good. • The range of activities outside of lessons is good. • The planning for personal, social and health education is effective. • Information and communication technology is not used sufficiently to assist learning in other subjects. • Skills in numeracy are not developed enough in other subjects. • Opportunities for independent investigations in mathematics and science are insufficient. Whitcliffe Road First & Nursery School - 18 • The fostering of pupils’ moral and social development is good; however, the planning to celebrate cultural diversity of all ethnic groups represented at the school is underdeveloped.

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PUPILS?

26. The quality and range of learning opportunities across the school is satisfactory. The opportunities for children in the nursery and reception classes are good in all the areas of learning because teachers plan a wide range of interesting activities that prepare pupils well for when they enter Year 1.

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PUPILS?

27. Pupils with special educational needs have full access to the school’s curriculum at an appropriate level. Lessons are planned well to ensure that they experience all subjects through work which fits their levels of understanding. Those with behavioural problems are managed sensitively to ensure that they are fully involved with minimal disruption. Planning ensures that work focuses very well on pupils’ individual targets.

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PUPILS?

28. The curriculum for pupils in Years 1 to 4 meets the statutory requirements and includes all the subjects of the national curriculum and religious education. It is broad and balanced and gives pupils opportunities to learn well in most subjects; however, the use of information and communication technology across all subjects is very limited and this slows down the progress that pupils make because they do not have the opportunity to learn and apply the skills they have been taught. Currently, the profile of information and communication technology is low and pupils do not readily choose to use a computer when given the opportunity to do so. Teachers do not routinely identify and plan for opportunities for the use of information and communication technology to support learning. The school recognises that the use of information and communication technology is a priority for development and that a consistent approach involving further training to develop the

p.18

PUPILS?

confidence and skills of all teachers is required.

p.18

PUPILS?

29. The National Literacy Strategy has been implemented well, throughout the school. A strong emphasis is placed on the development of English and literacy skills because many pupils enter the nursery and reception class with communication, language and literacy skills well below those expected for their age. Strategies for developing handwriting skills are good and pupils’ progress in handwriting is closely monitored in the nursery and reception classes so that, by the end of Year 2, most pupils are able to write legibly. In reading and writing, pupils achieve well relative to their prior level of attainment.

p.18

PUPILS?

30. The National Numeracy Strategy has been introduced satisfactorily, overall; however, in Years 1 and 2, its implementation has been effective for lower and average attainers, though the development of planning to challenge more competent pupils is underdeveloped. This is not the case in Years 3 and 4, however, where pupils are challenged very well at all levels of attainment. The use of numeracy in other subjects, throughout the school, is insufficient and opportunities for pupils to carry out investigative work linked to mathematics and also science are unsatisfactory. Investigative work is planned for separately rather than having aspects of it incorporated into lessons. This means that pupils do not become familiar with the routines and procedures necessary for them to work independently and to develop enquiry skills.

p.18

PUPILS?

31. The school makes good provision for personal, social and health education. The planned programme matches the needs of the pupils well; for example, pupils and teachers sit together and reflect on their feelings and emotions. This helps pupils to consider their own views and provides pupils with knowledge and insight into values and beliefs of others. Assemblies allow pupils to celebrate and share the successes of their class and this encourages a positive contribution to the very good relationships which exist between pupils. Whitcliffe Road First & Nursery School - 19 32. The provision for pupils’ moral development is good. A strong moral code that emphasises good behaviour is recognised and promoted throughout the school by all members of staff. Pupils are polite, helpful and respect each other, and they are aware of the rewards and sanctions in the whole school behaviour policy.

p.18

PUPILS?

33. Pupils’ social development is good. Pupils have opportunities to work and play in pairs and small groups that are fully inclusive. There is a ‘buddy’ system between Years 2 and 4 where pupils are involved with shared reading for two lunchtimes each week; this leads to play and further socialising. The school offers a good range of activities outside of lessons, including after school dance and gym clubs, a weekly maths games club run by the governors and a French club. Regular walks and visits make good use of the immediate locality. A residential activity is organised for the older pupils to develop team building as well as a science focus that looks particularly at habitats of animals in the environment. These activities promote pupils’ social development and increase independence and self-reliance for the older pupils; however, the limited investigative opportunities in mathematics and

p.19

PUPILS?

science do not provide sufficiently for pupils to assume greater responsibility for their own learning.

p.19

PUPILS?

34. Provision for pupils’ cultural development is satisfactory. The school has a Christian ethos and makes some provision for the cultural diversity of its pupils with visiting speakers in assemblies, multicultural pictures and signs and some bilingual books. However, the multicultural nature of the school is not systematically planned for in all subjects. Displays do not celebrate sufficiently the different ethnic backgrounds of the pupils. Pupils are not given the opportunity in assemblies to pray in a way that reflects their religious background.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

35. Main strengths and areas for development

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

• Health and safety issues are a concern in a number of areas of the school, but are particularly associated with the playground. • The training related to child protection issues is insufficient. • The systems for checking pupils’ progress are good in most subjects and are used well in English to assist teachers to plan pupils’ future learning. • Long-term tracking of pupils’ progress in English and mathematics is good. • The provision for pupils with statements of special educational needs is very good. • The systems for monitoring and promoting good attendance are unsatisfactory.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

36. The school is undoubtedly a caring environment where the safety of all its pupils is given priority in lessons, and aspects of the welfare of pupils are well catered for in the daily life of the school. The school conducts regular risk assessments of the premises. A number of safety concerns were reported to the school during the inspection.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

37. Child protection procedures are in place, are known by all adults in the school and are satisfactory; however, no one in the school has received any significant training in child protection matters and there is no system in school to regularly review, or update, procedures with all staff.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

38. The effectiveness of educational and personal support and guidance in raising pupils’ achievements is good. The school has good procedures for monitoring and promoting desired good behaviour. The way in which the school promotes good behaviour ensures that inappropriate behaviour has very little opportunity to develop into oppressive behaviour. The procedures for monitoring and improving attendance are unsatisfactory. The school’s recent focus on attendance for a month had a positive impact on improving the levels of attendance Whitcliffe Road First & Nursery School - 20 but the procedures have not been developed to build on this initiative. There is no analysis of attendance patterns for different groups of pupils in the school. Nevertheless, levels of attendance are satisfactory, overall; however, rates of attendance vary significantly over the year and often drop below average. The procedures for monitoring and supporting pupils’ all-

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

round personal development are good. They rely on pupils’ being well known by the adults they have regular contact with, and work well. Although there are no formal whole school procedures to record pupils’ personal development, pupils are assessed informally and supported appropriately.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

39. Procedures for checking pupils’ academic attainment and progress are good. The school carries out all statutory assessment requirements and reports the results to parents. Children’s levels of attainment are checked well on entry using a range of techniques, including information gained on a home visit and extensive discussions with parents. Parents value the contact with the school and value the advice and support provided by the nursery and reception staff. Detailed records are kept for each child and their progress is tracked regularly throughout both the nursery and reception classes. In Years 1 to 4, the systems for checking pupils’ progress in English, mathematics and science are good, with a range of assessment activities, including the optional end of year national tests, being undertaken. In all other subjects, there are also sound assessment procedures. At the time of the last inspection, assessment was inconsistent and this is no longer the case. The

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

school makes good use of assessment information in English and satisfactory use in other subjects to help teachers plan future learning. Pupils’ answers in national tests are analysed to highlight areas for development. This analysis resulted in the monitoring and improvement of guided reading across the school. However, there is sometimes a time lag between the identification of an area of development for the school and it being addressed. This is the case with the identified need to improve problem solving in mathematics.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

40. The school makes satisfactory use of assessment information to monitor pupils’ progress. A clear record is kept of each pupil’s attainment in English, mathematics, science and information and communication technology, year-by-year. It also incorporates a predicted level of attainment for the current end-of-year tests for each pupil in English, mathematics and science. This is used to allocate pupils to various additional academic support programmes in the school. Pupils’ progress towards their targets is monitored satisfactorily during the year.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

41. The progress of pupils with special educational needs is carefully monitored and recorded. Individual education plans are updated regularly on the basis of how well the pupils are doing. Where necessary, new targets are devised to ensure that pupils continue to build upon what they already know and can do. Teachers and support staff dealing with these pupils know them well and the school’s assessment systems help to ensure that activities are tightly focused on relevant work.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

42. Main strengths and areas for improvement

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

• Parents hold the school in high regard. • The reporting to parents on their children’s progress is good. • The help parents provide for the school is good.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

43. There is an effective partnership between the school and the parents of its pupils, including parents of pupils learning English as an additional language. Parents feel this is a good school. The parents’ questionnaires completed for the inspection reveal that parents Whitcliffe Road First & Nursery School - 21 are pleased with most aspects of the school’s work. The major concern expressed by parents is about the poor state of the building and its unsuitability as a primary school.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

44. The impact of parental involvement on the work of the school is good. Parents raise significant funds for the school each year which has a positive impact on pupils’ learning through the provision of additional resources. Parents contribute to children’s learning by accompanying school visits and are very supportive of school functions. This involvement enhances the learning opportunities available to pupils in the school. In addition, some adults work in school regularly as volunteers. The contribution of these volunteers is valued by the school and makes a positive contribution to pupils’ learning. Each year, parents are invited to a meeting to review the previous year and put forward suggestions for developments in the school in the coming year. Unfortunately, a relatively small number of parents takes advantage of this opportunity.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

45. Parents make a satisfactory contribution to children’s learning at school and at home. The home/school reading system suggests general guidance for parents on how to listen effectively to their child and support their reading skills, but curriculum information provided for parents is limited. Newsletters contain general information about topics which are about to be taught, but there is no guidance for parents on how they can support their children with specific areas of learning. Although parents of children in the nursery and reception classes receive more detailed information about what their children are being taught, it doesn’t explain to them how they can become full partners with the school in their children’s learning. The school has invited parents to join their child in the classroom for part of a day, but few took up the offer.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

46. The quality of the information provided for parents is good. There is opportunity for regular contact with parents through reading diaries, homework, school newsletters and three open evenings each year. Parents are welcomed into school at any time to discuss issues affecting their child’s education or general well being. The school’s prospectus contains all necessary information in an attractive format and the same is true of the Governors’ Annual Report to Parents.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

47. The annual reports on pupils’ progress are of a good standard, cover all subjects of the National Curriculum and religious education and clearly state what the pupil can do in all subjects. In English, mathematics and science they usually include a deliberate statement on the progress made by the pupil and give guidance on what the pupil needs to do to make further progress. Excellent practice is seen in Years 3 and 4 where completed exercise books are sent home to parent, accompanied by extensive notes about the progress of the child as demonstrated by the work in the exercise books.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

48. Parents of the pupils who have special educational needs are fully involved at all stages. They are informed as soon as an issue is identified and invited to all meetings where their children’s progress is to be discussed. The school recognises the important role that parents play and, through productive partnership, helps them to support their children.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

49. Main strengths and areas for development

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

• The leadership of the acting headteacher is good. • The senior teachers and subject managers are clear about their responsibilities and fulfil their roles effectively. Whitcliffe Road First & Nursery School - 22 • The governing body has a good understanding of the strengths of the school and areas for development and is actively planning for the future development of the school. • The school improvement plan is well thought out and is linked well to financial resources. • Governors and staff are committed to and capable of improving standards further. • Additional funding is used effectively, particularly to assist the learning of pupils with special educational needs. • The accommodation is poor and learning resources for information and communication technology are unsatisfactory. • The governing body applies the principles of ‘best value’ well.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

50. The acting headteacher has led the school well and managed the change of leadership effectively by working constructively with staff, governors and parents. She has evaluated the work of the school meticulously and has a clear view of what needs to be done to improve standards further. A capable senior management team assists her. Together, they have managed the school well despite staffing difficulties and the need to cope with the many accommodation problems. Parents are very supportive and agree that the school is well led and managed. The delegation of responsibilities to subject managers is good and this is having a positive impact on pupils’ achievements in most subjects. Subject managers are more involved in monitoring standards and checking planning as well as supporting colleagues effectively. The subject managers’ role of monitoring teaching and checking of pupils’ work is developing satisfactorily in all subjects.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

51. The governors, particularly the chair of governors, have persistently fought for improvements or the replacement of the premises since the last inspection. Step-by-step detailed documentation clearly shows the careful progress made to provide a better learning environment for the pupils and future entrants. The governors are well aware of the strengths of the school and areas for development through visiting school and discussing the informative reports from the acting headteacher. The school improvement plan is a corporate document which is perceptive and includes detailed areas for development that are carefully matched to available financial resources. The governing body monitors well the progress towards the priorities detailed in the plan at the regular governors’ meetings and committee meetings. The governors and staff are well informed and capable of improving standards further, although the premises and available learning resources create problems in

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

the teaching of information and communication technology and in ensuring all aspects of the curriculum for physical education are taught effectively. The role of the governing body has improved since the last inspection and the structure of the school improvement plan has been simplified to provide an effective working document to guide staff and governors.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

52. The senior managers and governors work hard to ensure that the school receives all available funding and that the money is used efficiently to the benefit of the pupils. This is especially the case with funding for pupils with special educational needs. The provision for these pupils is very well managed by an enthusiastic co-ordinator. Records are regularly updated and an appropriate philosophy supports the work of the school in this aspect. Management encourages teaching assistants to take increasing responsibility in helping individual pupils to meet their targets, whilst the co-ordinator keeps a careful overview. The organisation has a very positive impact on the very good achievements of pupils with special educational needs.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

53. The accommodation is poor. As was reported at the last inspection, ‘it is not well suited to the needs of the children and staff of the school’ and this is still the case. The organisation and shortcomings of the premises place additional pressures on a hardworking staff. Too much management time is taken up with accommodation issues to ensure the Whitcliffe Road First & Nursery School - 23 effective education and the health and safety of the pupils and staff. Time for learning is lost, particularly by the oldest pupils, as they have to move to the main building to use the cloakroom facilities because the ones in their own poor temporary classroom do not meet fire regulations. Hazards associated with the playgrounds are of particular concern. In addition, the school has to use one particular part of the building, a former air raid shelter, for small group work. This accommodation is totally unsuitable for the teaching of young

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

children. The floor slopes steeply, the room is cold and damp and pupils work in artificial light at all times. Many other weaknesses exist and work against the further improvement of standards.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

54. Overall, learning resources are satisfactory; however, the provision of computers and the reliability of the existing machines do not allow pupils sufficient opportunities to practise skills in information and communication technology. In addition, pupils’ learning in other subjects is not helped by the use of information and communication technology. There is no computer suite at the school. Computers within the school are not linked together to enable pupils to access programs at the same time. The limited space for computers, particularly for the oldest pupils, means that pupils have to take turns to practise new learning and this reduces the efficiency of the teaching. Teachers’ demonstrations are hampered through the lack of large monitors or interactive whiteboards as whole classes are taught new skills around small-sized computer monitors. The school does not have sufficient laptop

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

computers to provide practice for class groups or small groups of pupils.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

55. The governing body applies the principles of ‘best value’ effectively. It compares its performance with other schools through information from the national tests and statistics from the local education authority. It considered carefully the benefits from joining the local education authority’s Private, Public Partnership Initiative. The school consults widely on the future direction of the school; for example, parents, staff and governors meet each year to consider items for inclusion in the school improvement plan. Whitcliffe Road First & Nursery School - 24

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

56. The governors and staff should take the following action:

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Raise pupils’ attainment in information and communication technology as follows:

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• improving the resources for the subject to assist teaching and learning; • providing more opportunities for pupils to practise skills in the subject; • using information and communication technology to assist learning in other subjects. (Paragraphs: 6, 22, 28, 54, 70, 79, 83, 86, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107)

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Improve standards in mathematics, by the end of Year 2 and Year 4, to the levels achieved in English through the following action:

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• providing more opportunities for mathematical investigations. • planning more effectively for higher attaining pupils. • improving the consistency of the marking of pupils’ work to help pupils to realise how well they are doing and how they can improve. (Paragraphs: 2, 5, 17, 22, 30, 76, 78, 79, 80)

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Improve the attendance rates of boys and girls through the following action:

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• checking on unexplained absences on the first day of absence. • using fully statistical information available from the analysis of recording systems to identify patterns of attendance. (Paragraphs: 13, 38)

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Continue to work with the local education authority to improve or replace the premises in order to help the staff to raise standards further. (Paragraphs: 23, 24, 53, 59, 64, 114)

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

The following less important area for development should be included in the action plan:

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Provision of more opportunities for pupils’ independent investigative work, particularly in science. (Paragraphs: 33, 84, 85)

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Development of pupils’ awareness of the cultural diversity of the local area and the wider world. (Paragraphs: 34, 119) Whitcliffe Road First & Nursery School - 25

p.24

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 49

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 two percentage points.

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y4

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 18 160

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals N/a 33

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y4

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 9

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 6 48

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 14

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 13

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

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

p.25

Attendance

School data 5.1 School data 0.3 Whitcliffe Road First & Nursery School - 26 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. Whitcliffe Road First & Nursery School - 27

p.26

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 17 15 32

p.27

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.27

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

Boys 13 11 15 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 13 12 12

p.27

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

Percentage of pupils School 81 (89) 72 (86) 84 (89) At NC level 2 or above National 84 (84) 86 (86) 90 (91)

p.27

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.27

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

Boys 12 15 15 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 13 12 12

p.27

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

Percentage of pupils School 78 (89) 84 (100) 84 (86) At NC level 2 or above National 85 (85) 89 (89) 89 (89)

p.27

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

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Whitcliffe Road First & Nursery School - 28

p.27

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.28

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

White – any other White background 1 0 0

p.28

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Mixed – any other mixed background 1 0 0

p.28

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British - Pakistani 13 0 0

p.28

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi 0 0 0

p.28

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.28

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black or Black British – Caribbean 1 0 0

p.28

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.28

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.28

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 7.1 Financial year 2001-2

p.28

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 22.5

p.28

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y4 Total income 526 735

p.28

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 13 Total expenditure 536 901

p.28

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 249 Expenditure per pupil 2811

p.28

Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery Balance brought forward from previous year 28 142

p.28

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 1 Balance carried forward to next year 17 976

p.28

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 18

p.28

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 1

p.28

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 32 Whitcliffe Road First & Nursery School - 29 Number of pupils per FTE adult 9

p.28

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.29

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 2

p.29

Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

p.29

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.29

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.29

Recruitment of teachers

FTE means full-time equivalent. Whitcliffe Road First & Nursery School - 30

p.29

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

p.30

Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

p.30

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 69 30 0 0 1

p.30

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 62 37 1 0 0

p.30

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 34 45 13 1 7

p.30

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 56 38 5 1 0

p.30

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 78 21 1 0 0

p.30

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 67 29 1 0 3

p.30

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 59 36 5 0 0

p.30

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 54 42 0 4 0

p.30

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 64 36 0 0 0

p.30

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 36 49 6 0 9 Whitcliffe Road First & Nursery School - 31

p.30

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

57. Main strengths and areas for development

p.31

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

• Children achieve well and most reach the standards expected nationally in all the areas of learning by the end of the reception year, except in communication, language and literacy and mathematical development. • Children learning English as an additional language make good progress. • Children with special educational needs make very good progress. • Management of the nursery and reception classes is good. • The quality of teaching is good. • Quality of the outside play area is unsatisfactory. • The teaching areas in the reception class are cramped.

p.31

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

58. The quality of teaching in the nursery and reception classes is good and the children achieve well, including those learning English as an additional language. Children with special educational needs make very good progress towards their individual targets because of the high level of help they receive from teachers and teaching assistants. Most children are on course to achieve expected levels in all their areas of learning, although, within the present group of children, there is a significant proportion of lower attainers in communication, language and literacy and in mathematical development which means that, overall, attainment in communication and language development and in mathematical development is below average.

p.31

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

59. The nursery and reception classes are managed well: staff in nursery and reception classes work well together, planning as a team to provide an environment where learning is effective and fun. Teachers’ planning and attention to detail are strengths. Activities are designed to provide children with practical experiences and to promote opportunities for discussion and role-play to develop language skills and widen vocabulary. The school has made satisfactory progress since the last inspection. Members of staff make the best use of inappropriate and difficult accommodation. There is no grassed area for the children to play upon. Storage facilities for play equipment are limited and the size of the reception classroom inhibits teaching activities because it is too small to allow the children complete freedom and independence of working. Resources are satisfactory and are well chosen but large play equipment is limited because of accommodation difficulties; however, the children

p.31

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

are provided with imaginatively chosen toys and objects that they clearly enjoy using.

p.31

Personal, social and emotional development

60. The children are on course to achieve the nationally expected standard by the end of the reception year in this area of learning. Children settle quickly and enjoy their time at school. Members of the nursery staff create a purposeful and welcoming family atmosphere to which the children quickly respond. On several occasions, each week, children from the nursery have the opportunity to share activities and play with children in the reception class. This works well and ensures that, as the time arrives, the transition from nursery to reception is smooth and untroubled. Through stories and role-play, children learn about the importance of caring and sharing and they show care and concern over the feelings and well being of other children in the class. Children of differing ethnic backgrounds work and play harmoniously together. The reception class children are given good opportunities to sit in a

p.31

Personal, social and emotional development

Whitcliffe Road First & Nursery School - 32 circle and to discuss with others their thoughts; for example, the teacher read a story entitled ‘I’ll always love you’ dramatically and the children were keen to respond to questioning about their worries when someone had been angry with them.

p.32

Communication, language and literacy

61. The teaching is good and children make good progress. The majority of children is on course to achieve the expected levels by the end of the reception year but a significant proportion is well below average resulting in the overall performance of the children being below average by the end of the reception year in this area of learning. In both the nursery and reception classes, teachers plan well activities that promote conversation and interaction; for example, the ‘gift shop’ in the nursery, where a range of interesting items that had particular appeal to children were on ‘sale’, encouraged the children to talk and use a wide range of vocabulary. Some children, including those learning English as an additional language, learnt new words whilst others reinforced their existing vocabulary. All children developed confidence in using language. Higher attaining pupils in the reception class gained

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Communication, language and literacy

an increased understanding of different types of books when working with pupils in Year 1. They understood the difference between fiction and non-fiction books. The teacher used a ‘big’ book entitled ‘What’s Underneath’ well to question the children’s understanding of the text. The children were amazed at what may be under the ground. Children enter into discussion well. Teachers are well prepared and develop an understanding of new language well and encourage children to sound out words and match meaning of words to phrases. The presentation of teachers’ handwriting on the whiteboard sets a high standard for children to aim for. Most children, by the end of reception, can make a recognisable attempt at writing their names correctly though a few make only marks for words.

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Mathematical development

62. The quality of teaching and learning is good and most children are on course to reach the level expected by the end of the reception year; however, a minority is well below average in this area of learning so that the overall performance of the children is below average. The learning opportunities are good in the nursery, and children are encourage to think about numbers through rhymes, games, role play activities and simple counting programs on the computer. Children’s use of the computer is monitored closely to ensure that they all begin to develop information and communication skills and confidence appropriate to their age. They are encouraged to use mathematical vocabulary; for example ‘more than’ and ‘less than’ when playing in sand and, through the use of story books such as ‘Kipper’s Toy Box’, many of the children learnt some vocabulary related to two-dimensional and three- dimensional shapes. In the reception class, the teaching of interesting rhymes helps children

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Mathematical development

to learn the numbers up to ten. Pupils with particular learning difficulties are given very good help by teaching assistants and other adults. Teachers’ questioning skills are good; for example, the teacher checked carefully pupils’ understanding of language, such as ‘between’. Resources are used well; for example, when the teacher explained ‘o’clock’ good use was made of a clock face and a book made by the teacher showing different times of the day. By the end of the lesson, most children could show on a clock face different hours. Whitcliffe Road First & Nursery School - 33

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

63. Teaching and learning is good in this area and children make good progress and respond well to the good opportunities that are provided for them. Most children are likely to meet the expected standard by the end of the reception year In the nursery, teachers encourage children to use their senses and to investigate and learn as they play with different sorts of material and toys; for example, they used play dough for modelling and discussed its ‘squashy’ and ‘stretchy’ properties. They made model gingerbread men and chose how they would fix their toy together. The reception class use a range of materials to produce different textures on a collage of a monster. Children made boats that floated and sailed on the water tray, recognising that the models needed to be blown along by the wind.

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Physical development

64. The children are likely to reach the expected standard by the end of the reception year. They achieve well because the teaching is good. Teachers are very aware of the limitations of the accommodation and plan well to provide a good range of physical activities suited to the available resources. Teachers encourage children in the nursery to develop their manipulative skills by, for example, putting on dressing up clothes and using a range of sizes of pencils, crayons and paintbrushes. Teachers ensure that children hold a paintbrush and know how to cut and paste materials correctly. Members of staff encourage children to practise their painting, cutting and fixing skills independently. Teachers in the reception class provide plenty of opportunities to develop further children’s coordination using scissors, construction kits, paper folding and modelling activities that are fun and promote social

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Physical development

interaction and vocabulary development. The large play equipment for both reception and nursery children is limited; however, members of staff plan good opportunities for pupils to develop confidence with wheeled toys and climbing, stepping and counting apparatus. The children work well in the confines of the small outdoor area even when it is necessary for older pupils frequently to cross over this area.

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Creative development

65. Children make good progress in this area of learning and are on course to reach the level expected nationally by the end of the reception year. The quality of teaching is good. Members of staff are very knowledgeable about how young children learn through play and they strike a good balance between encouraging and instigating play activities and then intervening only when necessary and appropriate as the children become engrossed in what they are doing. Children are given plenty of opportunities to paint, and mix colours and children in the nursery and reception classes know about mixing different colours to produce a new colour. In the reception class, pupils learn the letters of the alphabet through singing, and the use of actions and rhymes extends their creativity, as well as physical development, in an interesting way.

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ENGLISH

66. Main strengths and areas for development-

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ENGLISH

• The leadership and management of the subject are good. • Pupils’ standards at the end of Year 4 are above the national average. • Pupils achieve well throughout the school. • The quality of teaching and learning is good. • The provision for pupils with special educational needs is very good. Whitcliffe Road First & Nursery School - 34 • The checking of pupils’ progress, use of homework and the marking of pupils’ work are good. • Pupils’ access to information and communication technology is insufficient.

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ENGLISH

67. Pupils learn well through Years 1 and 2; however, a large proportion has special educational needs, particularly in language development and, consequently, although a significant group reaches above average levels, overall standards of the present group of pupils at the end of Year 2 are below average. Through Years 3 and 4, good teaching continues to promote pupils’ good progress, and standards of the present group of pupils at the end of Year 4 are above average in all aspects of English.

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ENGLISH

68. Pupils’ progress in acquiring speaking and listening skills is particularly good because teachers are aware of the importance of this aspect of the subject and place great emphasis on providing opportunities for pupils to be involved in activities designed to develop these key skills. Well-structured discussion sessions are often seen; for example, Year 1 pupils became deeply involved in a discussion about a whale book. Prompted by the teacher’s perceptive questioning they developed their ideas, speaking clearly in sometimes complex sentences and listening carefully to other people’s contributions. Their confident, respectful, approach was encouraged by the teacher who manifested care and consideration for each person’s efforts. This approach is typical of the school and creates an atmosphere within which pupils of all abilities and backgrounds feel able to express their ideas freely in an

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ENGLISH

appropriate manner. Opportunities to speak and listen in both formal and informal situations are a feature of the school. These, along with the recent emphasis on drama encouraged by the co-ordinator, help to ensure the rapid development of pupils’ skills, so that in this aspect, standards at the end of Year 2, are average, whilst, at the end of Year 4, they are above average.

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ENGLISH

69. Opportunities for the development of writing skills are provided within English lessons but some of the most interesting work is produced as pupils respond to ideas from other subjects: work on ancient Egypt in Year 4, for example, led to the production of booklets which contain a range of information set out with contents, chapters and even a glossary to explain the meaning of specific terms. Science reports, evaluations in design and technology, and reported interviews in religious education are all examples of pupils using their writing skills in real situations. Literacy lessons are well structured according to national advice and provide focused opportunities for the improvement of pupils’ writing. In a Year 3 lesson, the study of comic poems with rhythmic structures led on to pupils producing their own versions, which demonstrated their growing appreciation of how words in tempo can be

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ENGLISH

used to express ideas in an amusing way. The school’s approach ensures that pupils’ writing develops well and, despite the fact that standards are below average at the end of Year 2, they are above average by the end of Year 4.

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ENGLISH

70. Reading standards follow a similar pattern, with pupils achieving well through the school and reaching above average standards by the time they leave. Pupils in Year 4 read well from a wide range of material. When reading aloud, they read fluently and expressively, and those at higher levels can discuss the story line and characters in a book, explain their ideas by referring to the text and say why they prefer to read particular authors. Pupils at lower levels and those with special educational needs are very well supported, so that they learn to decipher new words by building them from the sounds that are made by individual and groups of letters. Teachers’ skills in teaching this structure from the early years onwards play a significant role in the development of pupils’ English skills and understanding. Pupils’ skills in using books to gather information from different sources are less well developed.

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ENGLISH

Insufficient use is made of the school library, partly because it is in a cramped space and many of the books are old or unsuitable for pupils in the school’s age range. Similarly, whilst Whitcliffe Road First & Nursery School - 35 pupils have made some use of the Internet and electronic mail, these important resources are not used fully in the development of pupils’ language work.

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ENGLISH

71. Pupils learning English as an additional language are well supported and they learn well, reaching the same standards as other pupils. Suitable resources are used to help any who are at an early stage of language development so that they quickly become confident and take a full part in literacy lessons.

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ENGLISH

72. The provision for pupils who have special educational needs is very good. Their progress is carefully monitored and activities are designed to address their particular needs. Highly structured lessons take place, often with small groups of pupils led by support staff. Pupils, as in the school as a whole, behave well and concentrate, taking pride in their achievements. The sessions are well organised to combine enjoyment and challenge, resulting in pupils making very good progress.

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ENGLISH

73. The leadership and management of the subject are good. Teachers are given effective help from the subject co-ordinator. This helps pupils to make good progress because of the good quality of teaching they receive. Through the effective guidance of the leadership and management of the subject, teachers understand the subject well and appreciate its importance in pupils’ all-round development. A typical lesson in Year 4 was marked by the teacher’s detailed planning, organisation of resources, well-sequenced activities, enthusiasm for the subject and, most importantly, awareness of the pupils’ needs and capabilities. Pupils improved their appreciation of how language can be used persuasively and enjoyed themselves to the extent that many wanted to continue their discussions with the teacher during playtime. The school’s assessment, homework and marking systems for this subject also support both teachers and pupils and contribute, along

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ENGLISH

with the quality of teaching and learning, to the improvement in standards since the previous inspection.

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MATHEMATICS

74. Main strengths and areas for development

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MATHEMATICS

• Standards by the end of Year 2 are well below average but, because of very good teaching in Years 3 and 4, pupils reach average standards by the time they leave the school. • More capable pupils are not challenged sufficiently in Years 1 and 2. • Pupils have too few opportunities to develop their learning through investigative work. • The marking of pupils’ work is inconsistent and often does not tell pupils how well they have done and how they can improve. • The systems to track pupils’ progress are good. • Information and communication technology does not assist learning sufficiently, and skills in numeracy are not practised enough in other subjects.

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MATHEMATICS

75. Overall, pupils achieve well, including those pupils with special educational needs and pupils learning English as an additional language, because the quality of teaching is good on balance. The achievement of pupils in Years 1 and 2 is satisfactory. Pupils’ achievement in Years 3 and 4 is very good. Pupils are interested in their work and behave well.

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MATHEMATICS

76. The quality of teaching is satisfactory, on balance, in Years 1 and 2 and pupils make steady progress. The best teaching was seen in Year 1; for example, the teacher’s very good presentation on the whiteboard and ‘flip’ chart helped her to develop pupils’ understanding of mathematical language, such as ‘subtraction’, ‘take away’, ‘decrease’. The teacher explained very well and pupils grasped quickly how to subtract a number from the Whitcliffe Road First & Nursery School - 36 range 11 to 19 to make ten. The teacher had high expectations of good behaviour, and pupils responded well and were very enthusiastic and well behaved. Weaknesses within otherwise satisfactory teaching in Year 2 were when the pace of teaching was slow and pupils had limited opportunities to practise new learning as the initial part of the lesson was too lengthy. During the whole class teaching, the classroom assistant was not efficiently deployed;

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MATHEMATICS

however, the teaching assistant worked well in small group work with lower attainers. Activities were explained carefully, but limited work was identified for more competent pupils. Most children were working on similar tasks in workbooks. Higher attainers finished the work quickly and then were given undemanding tasks to complete.

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MATHEMATICS

77. In Years 3 and 4, the teaching is very good, overall. In an excellent lesson in Year 4, the teaching was based creatively on national planning guidance for numeracy and was customised extremely well to meet the needs of the class by identifying work for higher and lower attaining pupils. The pupils responded exceptionally well to the teacher’s thorough questioning. The teacher’s quiet manner and use of hand signals for requests for silence enabled a fast pace of learning and a most pleasant working environment. Relationships between adults and pupils were exceptional. The teaching assistant was fully involved in all parts of the lesson and gave a high standard of help to lower attainers. The organisation of the room with desks in a U-shape was most effective and allowed both the teacher and the teaching assistant to move around the class and help and challenge individuals during whole class teaching avoiding movement of pupils in a small room during group work.

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MATHEMATICS

78. The school has maintained average standards by the end of Year 4 since the last inspection. The leadership and management have analysed pupils’ responses in the national tests and other end of year tests and rightly identified a weakness in problem solving. Examination of work shows pupils have too few opportunities to work independently on challenging investigations. Too much emphasis is placed in Years 1 and 2 on working through commercial workbooks, rather than teachers planning stimulating group work which will develop pupils’ understanding at a faster pace, especially for more competent pupils. Over several years, too few Year 2 pupils have achieved the higher levels of the National Curriculum and this has depressed the overall performance in mathematics compared to that in English.

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MATHEMATICS

79. The small number of computers and their unreliability have reduced the effectiveness of using information and communication technology to assist learning in mathematics. The development of skills in numeracy is not used sufficiently in other subjects, such as in science, design and technology and geography.

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MATHEMATICS

80. The marking of pupils’ work is up-to-date but is mainly ticks and tells pupils rarely how well they have done and how they can improve. The tracking of pupils’ progress according to the levels of the National Curriculum and setting of targets for the future is good and used satisfactorily by teachers to determine future work.

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SCIENCE

81. Main strengths and areas for development

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SCIENCE

• Pupils achieve well, including those with special educational needs. • Information and communication technology is not used effectively to assist and extend pupils’ learning. • The use of numeracy in science is unsatisfactory. • Pupils have too few opportunities for independent investigative work. Whitcliffe Road First & Nursery School - 37 82. Standards are below average by the end of Year 2. Good teaching in Years 3 and 4 ensures pupils achieve well and reach the national expectations overall by the end of Year 4; however, pupils’ attainment in the investigative aspects of the subject is underdeveloped. Improvements since the last inspection are satisfactory.

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SCIENCE

83. Overall, the quality of teaching is good: it is satisfactory in Years 1 and 2 and good in Years 3 and 4. Pupils enjoy the subject, and their behaviour in lessons is good. They have a positive attitude and are keen to participate in discussion and practical work. Teachers’ planning is detailed but concentrates on routines and very specific science content rather than extending pupils’ thinking and providing them with opportunities to work independently on science problems and challenges of their own. Pupils with special educational needs and those pupils learning English as an additional language make good progress; they are supported well and are able to understand the science content of lessons because of the quality of teachers’ planning which ensures detailed explanations of what they are required to do.

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SCIENCE

84. In Years 1 and 2, teachers ensure that pupils have an appropriate knowledge and understanding of scientific fact, such as about materials and their properties. Pupils can identify a range of common materials and talk about the properties of the materials. Most were able to use scientific vocabulary, such as ‘transparent’ and ‘opaque’. In one lesson, pupils used ice cubes to find the warmest place in the school; the teacher had spent a significant amount of time planning and organising the lesson but pupils’ progress was barely satisfactory because the children were expected to cover too much, too quickly, without being able to try out their own ideas and methods of recording.

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SCIENCE

85. In Year 4, pupils were challenged to work in groups to think about how they would plan an investigation to try to keep a drink hot for as long as possible. The teacher’s very good knowledge and understanding of the subject, skilful questioning and the use of very good prompts involving high quality vocabulary elicited a set of responses that enabled the pupils to sequence the planning of their work. All pupils participated fully, responses being animated and learning good; however, because of lack of previous opportunities with investigative work, their attainment was barely average in this area of science.

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SCIENCE

86. Lack of investigative opportunities means that pupils do not, regularly, use measurements in their work; recording requirements are very formal and do not always give pupils the best opportunity to show what they know, understand and can do. Inevitably this leads to inaccuracies in teacher assessment and a reduction in opportunities for social interaction and independent working. Pupils spend a long time completing work sheets; literacy across the subject is satisfactory, numeracy links are unsatisfactory, and opportunities to estimate, measure, compare and record are not used routinely to allow pupils to reinforce and develop their numeracy skills through the subject. The use of information and communication technology to assist learning in science is unsatisfactory, limiting pupils’ opportunities to record and interpret data and inhibiting high quality presentation of their work. Provision of learning resources is good; there is an appropriate

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SCIENCE

annual allowance that ensures that all the necessary equipment is available. Whitcliffe Road First & Nursery School - 38

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ART AND DESIGN

• Pupils achieve well because the teaching is good. • More opportunities for three-dimensional work should be planned, including developing pupils’ skills in modelling clay.

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ART AND DESIGN

88. It was only possible to observe one lesson during the inspection; however, the evidence from this lesson, together with analysis of previous work, indicates that pupils, by the time they leave the school, achieve standards that are in line with those expected nationally, and all make good progress, including pupils with special educational needs and those learning English as an additional language. Teaching is good. This is an improvement on the previous inspection when teaching and progress were judged to be satisfactory.

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ART AND DESIGN

89. In the one lesson observed, in Year 3, the pupils displayed good brush and paint mixing skills and applied the subtle watercolours they had selected to produce well- constructed pictures. The teacher had a strong influence throughout the lesson and reminded the pupils about paint quantities, offering advice on technique and the importance of stopping to evaluate their work. Teachers throughout the school use every opportunity to link art work to other areas of the curriculum and to provide the pupils with a range of materials. The pupils are encouraged to see how artwork can express feelings and this was evident from the images produced in the portrait work on relationships in Years 3 and 4. Visits, especially, provide a strong base for much of the artwork. This was noticeable in Year 4 where, following a visit to Filey, the pupils had produced some thoughtful seascapes of that area in the style of Monet, and in Year 3 when pupils visited a local museum and captured the

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ART AND DESIGN

style of the building in their drawings. Observational skills are developed well and used in Year 2 to illustrate, with pencil sketches, a range of local architectural features on the stone terrace houses surrounding the school and on the Victorian school building. In the Year 1 classes, pupils are inspired by the work of modern artists such as John Miller and Richard Tuff, and by a book about life on an Hebridian island, to produce some sensitive images.

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ART AND DESIGN

90. The subject manager has a good subject knowledge. In addition to advising staff, she has developed both the curriculum, in conjunction with national recommendations, and the resources to support the teaching. The subject is enhanced further by an annual art week and the presence of a visiting artist. During the year, the pupils also had the benefit of seeing their designs printed on a range of clothing, bags and mouse mats. The planning of three- dimensional work is limited, especially in developing skills of modelling in clay. The opportunities to decorate and fire clay models in a kiln are insufficient.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

91. Main strengths and areas for development

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

• The quality and range of learning opportunities is good. • Skills in literacy are developed well. • Insufficient opportunities are available for pupils to practise skills in numeracy. • The use of information and communication technology is underdeveloped.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

92. No lessons were seen during the inspection, but, evaluation based on discussions with pupils, teachers and the subject manager, photographic evidence, displays and samples of completed work, indicate standards are broadly in line with national expectations. The school has made satisfactory progress since the last inspection. Whitcliffe Road First & Nursery School - 39 93. Pupils enjoy the subject and they are able to take part in a wide range of activities that are carefully planned using guidance for teachers that ensures pupils have the opportunity to work with food, textiles and mouldable and sheet materials. Pupils have good opportunities to take part in all aspects of the subject. The teaching enables pupils to consider the designing, making and evaluation of the items that they make; for example, Year 2 pupils designed, made and evaluated a greetings card with a linkage mechanism to assist learning

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

in history. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress; they are well supported and are able to take part in all the design technology opportunities that are offered.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

94. Skills in literacy are practised well through the presentation and written explanations in pupils’ work. Insufficient use is made of opportunities within the subject to develop pupils’ numeracy skills; estimating and measuring, and the subject vocabulary linked with these, is not always developed sufficiently.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

95. The use of information and communication technology is unsatisfactory. Pupils do not use information and communication technology to enhance the presentation of their work, nor are they given the opportunity to consider the contribution of graphics to raising the profile of the design process; for example, to enhance the quality of lettering on greeting cards and to consider the presentation of style and audience when looking at packaging.

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

96. Main strengths and areas for improvement

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

• The teaching is good and pupils achieve well. • Very good use of visits enhances pupils’ learning. • Improved resources are needed to develop pupils’ mapping skills further.

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

97. By the time that they leave the school, pupils achieve standards in history and geography that are in line with those expected nationally. This represents an improvement since the last inspection when geography was judged to be unsatisfactory by the time that the pupils left the school.

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

98. In geography, the teaching is good and the pupils make good progress, including pupils with special educational needs and those learning English as an additional language. Pupils throughout the school are provided with the opportunity to compare their own community with other parts of the United Kingdom and the world. In Year 1, they know that the view from a hotel on a Scottish island is different from the view from a window in their own community, and record that crabs, lobster and even seaweed could be eaten fresh from the sea, after cooking. Pupils in Year 4 were observed making stacks and arches with modelling dough during a lesson on coastal erosion and were able to use the knowledge that they had gained on a recent visit to the east coast. Pupils in Years 3 and 4 study Cleckheaton and are provided with a range of tasks that enable them to gain a clear understanding of their town. In addition to listing the usual facilities that the town possesses,

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

and some that are missing, such as a theatre and a cinema, pupils are proud to record, correctly, that ‘In Cleckheaton we have the biggest Indian restaurant in Britain.’ They are able to plot a route around the town centre and locate a number of key features from the list that they have created.

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

99. Only one lesson was observed in history but on the basis of this, and on work scrutiny, teaching and pupils’ progress are judged to be good. In the lesson seen, a good one in Year 3, that involved a visit to a local Victorian cemetery, the teacher provided the pupils with good background information prior to their own research into local occupations, Whitcliffe Road First & Nursery School - 40 names, and ages. The pupils were fascinated by the amount of information that they found, including the high incidence of deaths amongst those under the age of five 100 years ago, and local family names. In Year 2, after studying the gunpowder plot, they know why Guy Fawkes was found guilty, record details of his gruesome punishment and how he was ‘cut into quarters’. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 appreciate something of the contrasting past lifestyles of the residents of a North Yorkshire castle following a visit. They record that, as a baron, ‘I

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

get up and ask my servant to feed my horses and make my breakfast’ but another pupil records that, as a prisoner in the dungeon, he feels ‘cold, scared, angry, sad and lonely.’

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

100. Whilst the teaching was judged to be good in geography there was, in history, some evidence, from the scrutiny of work, of over prescriptive tasks set for the pupils, with pre- prepared sheets and illustrations to cut and paste. Whilst the outline sheets give a structure to the areas for pupils to focus on during visits, when used in class they do limit the opportunities for them to use their own initiative, write more fully, or to use research skills.

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

101. In both geography and history, the curriculum and teaching is enriched by a very good range of visits both within the immediate area and further afield. The curriculum is well planned on a yearly or two yearly cycle and used, when appropriate, to link the two subjects. The co-ordinator, who has a good knowledge of the local area, has produced polices that link with national guidelines. These are supported by a developing range of resources that would benefit further from the addition of a range of local maps of different scales to assist the teaching in geography.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

102. Main strengths and areas for development

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

• The quality of teaching seen in lessons was good but because of the unsatisfactory resources and limited opportunities for pupils to develop their skills in information and communication technology, the overall quality of teaching and learning is unsatisfactory. • The poor accommodation and unsatisfactory provision of learning resources limits pupils’ progress, particularly in Year 4.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

103. Standards by the end of Year 4 are below average though are average by the end of Year 2. Overall, pupils do not achieve as well as they should because the number of computers and the reliability of these machines restrict the opportunities pupils have to practise new learning. Pupils enjoy information and communication technology but state that they are not often able to work on computers because the machines sometimes do not work and they have to take turns.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

104. In the lessons seen, the teaching was good; however, pupils did not have sufficient opportunities to consolidate their learning.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

105. In Year 4, the teaching enabled pupils to gain an understanding of using information and communication technology to sift data to assist their studies in science. The teacher explained clearly to pupils what they should learn. Pupils were interested and keen to answer the teacher’s probing questions. A few pupils had opportunity to practise what they had learnt on the computers in the classroom but their progress was slowed down through the lack of suitable software to develop the learning. Most pupils produced ‘branching tree’ diagrams on paper whilst patiently waiting their turn to work on the computers. This provided insufficient opportunities for pupils to develop their learning at a fast enough pace. Whitcliffe Road First & Nursery School - 41 106. In Year 3, the teacher explained how to use a computer simulation program; however, the size of the screen of the monitor made it difficult for all pupils to see all aspects of the

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

demonstration. The teacher had a very good rapport with the pupils and engendered real interest amongst the pupils to find a solution to a challenging activity; however, only two pupils at a time were able to continue the work because only one copy of the software was available. The pupils confidently followed instructions on the computer to fulfil the task. The teacher had a well-organised system to ensure each pupil had similar time on the computer; however, this results in pupils only having computer practice about once every fortnight. All pupils consolidate their learning at the level expected of their age but higher attainers are rarely provided with extension activities.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

107. The school has made insufficient progress in developing the subject since the last inspection when standards were at the expected level by the end of Year 4. The subject co- ordinator has worked well with staff to develop their confidence and expertise in using information and communication technology. The poor accommodation and unsatisfactory provision of learning resources have affected adversely the achievement of pupils. Few opportunities are provided for pupils to develop and use skills in information and communication technology in other subjects. The leadership of the school has not planned sufficiently to provide alternative opportunities for pupils; for example, through the use of laptop computers and interactive whiteboards.

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MUSIC

108. Main strengths and areas for development

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MUSIC

• More tuned percussion instruments and computer programs are required to support teaching and learning. • Non-specialist teachers need more training in teaching the curriculum.

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MUSIC

109. There was insufficient teaching of music to make a judgement about pupils’ standards. Evidence from assemblies and short music sessions indicates that pupils sing with a satisfactory sense of tune and tempo and know that notes have different durations. Pupils in Year 2 recognise percussion instruments by name and play them with a satisfactory sense of rhythm. Year 4 pupils, in their English lessons, create spelling jingles that show a good sense of beat.

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MUSIC

110. Teachers’ planning shows that the school meets National Curriculum requirements, enabling pupils to experience a suitable range of musical experiences, including listening to live music from visiting experts. The newly appointed co-ordinator has carried out a survey of resources and has, correctly, identified the need for more tuned percussion and computer programs. Monitoring of teaching has revealed where non-specialist teachers need support and this has led, after discussions with the local authority adviser, to the acquisition of a new published scheme. This is helping to provide experiences which build effectively on what pupils already know and can do. Whitcliffe Road First & Nursery School - 42

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

111. Main strengths and areas for development

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

• The available accommodation is used well to assist teaching and learning. • Lack of a field and the small outdoor play area restricts the teaching of games, outdoor activities and team games.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

112. The standards achieved by the pupils by the time that they leave the school are in line with national expectations and they make satisfactory progress overall. Pupils in Year 4 attend the local swimming baths and, by the end of that year, almost all are able to swim effectively and meet the national level.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

113. In gymnastics, when warming up, the pupils use well-controlled movements, bending, stretching and moving about at increasing speed. They listen well, follow instructions carefully and, when required to do so, work well with a partner or in groups. Pupils have a good sense of rhythm; for example, they moved lightly to the music in a Year 2 dance lesson and co-operated well in the final group sequence. In Year 4, the pupils create some unusual shapes when demonstrating the essential elements of a successful balance. They enjoy exploring and selecting a variety of different ways of moving round the hall, such as rolling, somersaulting and crouching. They make good use of the small-scale equipment provided to demonstrate their skills. Pupils in Year 1 are eager to improve their ball skills and enjoy practising them. They obtain a great deal of satisfaction from passing the ball accurately to a

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

114. The teaching is satisfactory. In the best lessons seen, the teachers provided the pupils with guidance related to the importance of warming up correctly and made good use of pupil demonstration to encourage those who were less confident. Occasionally, pupils are given insufficient time to practise the skills taught before been asked to move on to another activity. Good use is made of the large hall and the small outdoor area but, although a range of basic skills is taught, the limited size of the hard outdoor play space and no field places a restriction on athletics and team games.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

115. The physical education curriculum is enriched by additional events, such as a sports’ day and a swimming gala, dance and gymnastics clubs, coaching from professional rugby players and a tennis coach from a local tennis club.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

116. Main strengths and areas for development

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

• The planning of challenging work for more competent pupils is insufficient. • The strong links with local churches benefits pupils’ learning.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

117. Standards have been maintained since the last inspection and continue to be broadly average by the end of Year 2 and Year 4. Pupils’ achievements are satisfactory. It was not possible to make a judgement on the quality of teaching as only one lesson was observed and written evidence in pupils’ books was insufficient. More competent pupils do similar work to other pupils, and the opportunities to express their learning in writing are too few.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

118. In the lesson observed in a Year 1/2 class, pupils had good recall of stories about persons in the bible, such as Moses and Jesus. Aspects of the Islamic faith were discussed and the teacher encouraged a pupil of that faith to talk about respect for the Qu’ran. The teacher questioned pupils about similarities between the beliefs of Christians and Muslims. A Whitcliffe Road First & Nursery School - 43 large book was used well to draw out some similarities and differences between Islam and Christianity. The pupils were keen to learn more and the teacher accepted their requests to hold an Eid party. Following the discussion, a work sheet was used to record their learning, although this was an easy task and it did not challenge the higher attainers.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

119. The subject manager helps staff by planning lessons and providing suitable artefacts to assist the teaching. Good links have been established with local churches to assist pupils’ understanding of the similarities and differences of some denominations within the Christian faith; however, no arrangements are made for pupils to visit places of worship of other faiths.

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