Beacon Hill Community Primary School

BEACON HILL PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 11 th -13 th November 2002

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BEACON HILL PRIMARY SCHOOL

Full inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 Beacon Hill Primary School- 2

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Beacon Hill Road Hindhead Surrey

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body, Beacon Hill Primary School

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

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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INFORMATION ABOUT THE 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. Beacon Hill Primary School- 3

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Aspect responsibilities

23160 Carole Skinner Registered inspector Science, information and communication technology. What sort of school is it? The school’s results and pupils’ achievements. How well are pupils taught? How well is the school led and managed? 9977 Fran Luke 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? 15271 Brian Farley Team inspector Mathematics, design and technology, physical education, special educational needs, educational inclusion including racial equality. How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to the pupils?

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Aspect responsibilities

16760 Dorothy Latham Team inspector Art, history, music, the foundation stage curriculum, English as an additional language. 19142 Audrey Quinnell Team inspector English, geography, religious education.

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Aspect responsibilities

The inspection contractor was: Phoenix Educational Consultants “Thule” 60 Joy Lane Whitstable Kent CT5 4LT 01227 273449

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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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Aspect responsibilities

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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Aspect responsibilities

Alexandra House Beacon Hill Primary School- 4 33 Kingsway, London, WC2B 6SE Beacon Hill Primary School- 5

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 5

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? 9

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

Beacon Hill Primary School- 6 PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

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Beacon Hill Primary School caters for 186 pupils between the ages of 4 and 11. It is smaller than most primary schools. Overall, there are similar numbers of girls and boys, but there is a significant imbalance in Years 1, 3, 4 and 6. At the time of the inspection, 16 children were attending full-time and 12 part-time in the Reception class. The school is currently under subscribed and its roll is lower than at the time of the previous inspection. Four pupils come from minority ethnic groups and there are ten pupils (six per cent) for whom English is an additional language. This is higher than in most schools. Two of these pupils are at an early stage of language acquisition. Two traveller pupils arrived in school during the inspection. Thirty-two pupils (19 per cent) are on the school's register of special educational needs, two of whom have statements. This is similar to the national average.

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Most of these pupils have minor learning difficulties. Eight per cent of the pupils are eligible for free school meals, which is below average. The turnover of pupils is similar to that in most schools: in the previous year, nine pupils joined the school and ten left it at times other than those of the usual admission or transfer. A small but significant number of parents move their children to other local schools at the age of seven. In the past two years, six teachers have left the school and six have been appointed, which is a very high turnover. This includes the headteacher and deputy headteacher. Attainment on entry to the school is in line with that expected for the children’s age.

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The school provides a sound and improving education for its pupils and has many good features. Standards in English and mathematics are above average throughout the school and literacy and numeracy skills are developed well. The quality of teaching is good and this helps pupils to achieve well. The headteacher provides clear direction for the school and is building a strong and committed staff team. Overall, the school gives sound value for money.

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What the school does well • Standards are above average in English and mathematics in Year 2 and Year 6, and are also above average in science in Year 6. • Good quality teaching throughout the school enables pupils to achieve well. • Pupils’ attitudes, behaviour and personal development are good and the school’s friendly and welcoming atmosphere is reflected in the good relationships between pupils and with adults. • The school makes good provision for the pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. • The school makes good provision for children in the Foundation Stage (Reception). • The school works well in partnership with parents. What could be improved • Curricular planning is not consistent across subjects and year groups and does not provide sufficiently clear guidance to help all teachers plan their lessons. • Assessment procedures are satisfactory in English and mathematics but unsatisfactory in all other subjects

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and assessment information is not used consistently to influence curricular planning. • The role of co-ordinators in monitoring standards, curricular provision and the quality of teaching and learning is under-developed because most are relatively new to the role. • Attendance is well below the national average. 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 a good improvement since it was last inspected in March 1998. The standards achieved by 11 year olds have improved significantly in English, mathematics, science, religious education and geography. Seven year olds are also achieving higher standards in English and mathematics. Improvements in the quality of teaching and learning have been a key factor in raising standards. The roles and responsibilities of the headteacher, governors and senior management team have been more clearly defined in terms of the strategic management of the school and more effective monitoring procedures have been introduced to enable staff and governors to evaluate aspects of the school’s provision. Schemes of work were produced in all subjects prior to the arrival of the present headteacher, but these still do not provide sufficient guidance for teachers, and

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inconsistencies in curricular planning remain. Assessment procedures have not improved in most subjects but Beacon Hill Primary School- 7 the introduction of target setting for individual pupils, and procedures for tracking their progress in English, mathematics and science are a good initiative. The momentum of improvement in leadership and management, in particular the role of subject co-ordinators, has been interrupted by the high turnover of staff in the past two years. Nevertheless, strong team building has ensured that the school has a good capacity for further improvement.

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

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AREAS OF THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES 28

Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

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

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In 2002, pupils’ results in English were lower than those in mathematics and science because pupils did not reach sufficiently high standards in writing. Standards in reading were above average. The school's performance in national tests has improved in line with the national trend. The school met its target for the percentage of pupils to reach Level 4 in English but fell short of its target in mathematics by one pupil. Suitably challenging targets have been set for 2003. Inspection findings show that standards in the current Year 6 are above average in English, mathematics and science. In English, standards are still higher in reading than in writing but the school is implementing strategies to address this situation. Girls tend to do better than boys and the school has identified this as a priority for improvement. Pupils achieve average standards in all other subjects except music, where they are above average. Achievement is good in Years 3 to 6. Pupils also achieve well in Years 1 and 2

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AREAS OF THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES 28

and reach above average standards in English, mathematics, information and communication technology and art. Standards are average in all other subjects except music, where they are above average, and history, where there was insufficient evidence to make a judgement. Pupils achieve well in the Foundation Stage and reach above average standards in personal, social and emotional development and creative development. Standards are average in communication, language and literacy, numeracy, physical development and knowledge and understanding of the world. Pupils with special educational needs make sound progress overall, and good progress when they receive additional support. Pupils with English as an additional language make good progress in learning English.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES Aspect Comment

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Attitudes to the school Good. Pupils have positive attitudes to their work. They are enthusiastic and take pride in their work, which helps them to make good progress in learning. They are attentive, listen well and are keen to answer questions.

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Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Good. Pupils know the difference between right and wrong, and they know and understand their class rules. They are polite to staff, visitors and each other and behave well in lessons, at playtime and when moving around the school.

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Personal development and relationships Good. Pupils understand the impact of their actions on others. They willingly take additional responsibilities and older pupils enjoy looking after younger ones. Relationships between pupils and between pupils and adults are good Beacon Hill Primary School- 8 and help to create a pleasant atmosphere in the school.

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Attendance Unsatisfactory. In the past year, attendance was well below the national average. There were few unauthorised absences.

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

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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. Consistently good features of teaching throughout the school are the management of pupils and the teaching of basic skills in English and mathematics. Teachers use a variety of effective teaching methods and have generally high expectations of the pupils. Pupils show good levels of interest, concentration and independence. They acquire skills, knowledge and understanding at a good pace and apply considerable effort to their work. The quality of teaching and learning in literacy and numeracy is good throughout the school. These lessons are well paced and work is well planned and matched to the capabilities of the pupils. Lessons in English, mathematics,

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AREAS OF THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES 28

and science are planned with clear objectives that pupils understand. However, lesson planning in other subjects is not sufficiently matched to the differing capabilities of pupils. The quality of teaching and learning is also good in music, as a specialist teacher takes all classes. In other subjects, there are variations between classes as teachers’ confidence and expertise differ and planning is inconsistent because schemes of work do not provide a sufficiently clear framework to guide teachers. There are also inconsistencies in the quality of teachers’ marking, and teachers’ expectations of the standards of presentation of pupils’ work are often not high enough. Teachers and assistants work well together as a team to support pupils’ learning. Although teaching assistants generally provide good support for pupils during the main part of the lesson, some teachers do not make effective use of assistants during the introductory session.

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AREAS OF THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES 28

OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL Aspect Comment The quality and range of the curriculum Satisfactory. Although each subject has a scheme of work, these do not provide enough guidance for teachers and there is no consistent approach to termly and weekly planning. The national literacy and numeracy strategies are being implemented well. The quality and range of learning opportunities for children in the Foundation Stage are good. Provision for pupils’ personal, social and health education is good. The school offers a very good range of extracurricular activities and has developed constructive links with the community and other schools.

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Provision for pupils with special educational needs Satisfactory. Pupils’ individual education plans are of sound quality and have clear targets for them to achieve. However, they do not contain specific criteria by which to judge pupils’ progress. Teaching assistants provide good support and are mostly very successful at maintaining pupils’ involvement in learning. When pupils are withdrawn from lessons, they benefit from close support, particularly when supervised by the trained special educational needs assistant.

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Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Good. Support from teaching assistants to aid pupils’ learning of English is of good quality and well integrated with classroom learning. Class teachers take good account of pupils’ understanding of English when involving pupils in activities or classroom discussions. Particular attention is given to ensuring their understanding when explaining new work. Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Good. Pupils are provided with many opportunities to reflect on their beliefs and to empathise with the feelings of others, especially during personal, social and health education lessons. Moral issues are taught well and adults help pupils to develop an appropriate idea of what is right and wrong. Very good provision for pupils’ social development is reflected in the strong sense of community and mutual respect and

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Beacon Hill Primary School- 9 responsibility amongst pupils. The school helps pupils to appreciate the ethnic and cultural diversity of British life through art, music, dance, literature and religious education. How well the school cares for its pupils Good. There are effective procedures for ensuring pupils’ welfare and promoting good behaviour. Assessment procedures are inconsistent in subjects other than English and mathematics and assessment information is not used effectively to help teachers in their planning. The procedures for monitoring absence are not rigorous enough.

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The school works well in partnership with parents and this has a positive effect on pupils’ learning.

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Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Satisfactory. The headteacher provides clear direction for the school and is well supported by the leadership team and governors. Subject co-ordinators are not yet fully effective in monitoring and evaluating standards, teaching, learning and curricular provision in their subjects as many of them are new to the role. Strategic planning for school improvement is developing soundly but does not provide a coherent whole school approach.

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How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Satisfactory. Governors fulfil their statutory duties and make a sound contribution to shaping the future direction of the school. They are developing a sound understanding of the school's strengths and weaknesses but their role in strategic long-term planning is not fully effective. Governors' committees function well and make a good contribution to the management of the school.

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The school’s evaluation of its performance Satisfactory. Effective procedures are in place for observing and giving feedback to teachers on the quality of their work. The leadership team have analysed national test results in detail and identified areas for improvement. The headteacher has devised a rolling programme for co-ordinators to monitor standards and curricular provision in their subject. These procedures are at a relatively early stage of implementation but provide a sound framework for evaluating standards, teaching and the curriculum. The strategic use of resources Satisfactory. Expenditure is prioritised according to the school development plan and carefully monitored throughout the year. Financial management and administration are sound. Regular reviews of expenditure ensure that the school is achieving best value for money. The best value is sought appropriately when spending decisions are

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AREAS OF THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES 28

made. There are sufficient teaching and support staff to meet the needs of the curriculum and to provide adequate support for all pupils. The accommodation is good; it is well maintained and provides a pleasant environment for learning. The school has a satisfactory range of resources to support teaching and learning.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved • Their children enjoy school and make good progress. • They feel comfortable approaching the school with questions or problems. • Behaviour is good. • The school has high expectations of their children. • The teaching is good. • The range of activities provided for pupils outside lessons. Beacon Hill Primary School- 10 The findings of the inspection support the positive views of the parents. In addition, they find that the school provides a very good range of extracurricular activities which are very well supported by the pupils. Beacon Hill Primary School- 11

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. Pupils’ attainment on entry to the school is broadly average for their age. As a result of good teaching, they achieve well and reach above average standards in personal, social and emotional development, creative development, and in speaking and listening by the end of the Reception year. In communication, language and literacy, mathematical development, knowledge and understanding of the world, and physical development, most children are on course to meet the Early Learning Goals recommended for the end of the Foundation Stage. Children socialise very well and listen to the contributions of others quietly, offering their own as appropriate. They have a keen interest in stories, poems, rhymes and songs, and can listen for a good length of time for their age. Most children are confident, take part in discussions readily and participate enthusiastically in all the activities provided. 2. In the national tests for Year 2 pupils in 2002, the pupils' results were above average in

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

reading and writing and well above average in mathematics when compared to all schools and to similar schools. This represents a good improvement in standards over the past four years. The findings of this inspection reflect these high standards and show that pupils’ attainment is above average in English and mathematics. However, standards in the present Year 2 are above average in speaking and listening and reading, and average in writing. The difference in standards in writing arises because the proportion of pupils on course to reach Level 3 (above average) is broadly similar to that seen in most schools, whereas it was higher than average in 2002. The school continues to address standards in writing, and a current focus on improving spelling is designed to raise standards further. 3. In science in Year 2, teachers’ assessments in 2002 showed that the proportion of pupils reaching Level 2 (average) was similar to that seen in most schools, while no pupils achieved Level 3,

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

which was much lower than in most schools. The inspection findings show that this is also the case in the present Year 2. This is because the curriculum is not planned to cover sufficient work at this level for the more able pupils. The school has identified this as a priority for the coming year. In most other subjects, standards in Year 2 are in line with national expectations. They are above average in art and information and communication technology. High standards in these subjects result from good teaching of skills and techniques and sufficient time for pupils to practise and refine these skills. In history, there was insufficient evidence to make a judgement about standards in Year 2. Although it was not possible to observe a music lesson in Year 2, a Year 1 lesson showed that standards were above average. Compared with the findings of the last inspection, standards are higher in English,

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

mathematics and art and similar in other subjects. Overall pupils achieve well in Years 1 and 2, especially in literacy and numeracy. 4. In the national tests for Year 6 in 2002, the pupils' results were average in English, and above average in mathematics and science when compared to all schools. Comparisons with similar schools show that results were average in English, above average in mathematics and well above average in science. Of the 13 pupils who took the tests, ten reached Level 4 (average) in English and mathematics, and 12 did so in science. Four pupils reached Level 5 (above average) in English, five in mathematics and seven in science. In English, 12 of the 13 pupils reached Level 4 in reading and eight achieved Level 5. However, in writing, nine pupils reached Level 4 and only two achieved Level 5. The school continues to identify writing as a priority for improvement. In 2002, the school met its

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

target for the percentage of pupils to reach Level 4 in English but fell short of its target in mathematics by one pupil. Suitably challenging targets have been set for 2003. Although there has been a slight dip in the trend of improvement since 2000, the overall trend is in line with the national average. Beacon Hill Primary School- 12 5. The findings of this inspection show that standards in Year 6 are above average in English, mathematics and science. In English, standards are above average in reading and average in writing, as in the national tests in 2002. Standards in speaking and listening are above average. In science, standards are not quite as high as in the 2002 national tests because the inspection judgement also takes into account attainment in investigative science, whereas the test mainly assesses scientific knowledge and understanding. In Year 6, standards in other subjects are similar to those seen in most

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

schools. However, although it was not possible to observe a music lesson in Year 6, evidence from Years 4 and 5 indicates that standards are above average. This results from good teaching by a music specialist. In information and communication technology, standards are not as high as in Year 2 because pupils have not yet had sufficient experience of some more advanced aspects of control technology. Compared with the findings of the last inspection, standards are higher in English, mathematics, science, geography and religious education. Overall, pupils achieve well in Years 3 to 6, especially in English, mathematics and science. The 2002 test results show that achievement for those pupils was well above average, taking into account their performance in the Year 2 tests four years earlier. 6. Pupils with special educational needs generally make satisfactory progress with respect to their prior attainment, as at the time of the previous inspection. Progress in mathematics and English is

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

good because of the close support given by teaching assistants. Some pupils receive support from a trained special needs assistant, which focuses closely on the targets for learning in their individual education plans. Teachers and assistants work together to ensure that pupils’ individual needs are met in lessons and the headteacher and class teachers liaise closely to set and review pupils’ targets and the progress they make each term. 7. Pupils with English as an additional language make good progress in learning English and good progress in relation to their previous attainment in general. They gain fluency in English relatively quickly, and are able to take part in the usual activities and lessons the school offers, once basic fluency is acquired. Those at an early stage of learning to speak English receive some help and support from classroom assistants working with the groups in which they are placed.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

8. This inspection found no significant differences in standards achieved by boys and girls or in the attainment of pupils from minority ethnic groups when compared with those from other groups. However, between 2000 and 2002 there were some differences between the attainment of boys and girls in end of key stage tests. However, these do not suggest a clear pattern of underachievement by one group or the other. The school has begun to use assessment data to analyse the reasons for these differences. Pupils who are gifted or talented have been identified. However, there is no register to formally record who they are or to monitor their progress. The two traveller pupils arrived in school during the inspection and it is therefore not possible to make judgements about their achievement.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

9. Pupils’ attitudes and values remain good. They continue to have a positive attitude to their work; they are enthusiastic and take pride in their work. This helps them to make good progress in learning. Throughout the school, pupils participate well in activities; in lessons they listen well and are attentive. They are keen to answer questions and settle quickly to their work. They are interested in their work and enjoy the activities, which helps them to concentrate well. Pupils with special educational needs have positive attitudes to learning; their peers treat them with consideration and respect. 10. Behaviour throughout the school is good. This is because of the school’s good provision for pupils’ moral development. Pupils know the difference between right and wrong, and they know and understand their class rules. Adults provide good role models for pupils and this encourages them to

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

be respectful at all times. Pupils are polite to all staff, visitors and each other. Teachers manage their pupils well and the pupils respond well to the positive attitudes of the staff and their high expectations Beacon Hill Primary School- 13 of good behaviour. During the inspection good behaviour was seen at all times in lessons, on the playground and in the dining hall. 11. Relationships throughout the school are good, both between pupils and adults and between pupils. No examples of any oppressive behaviour, sexism or racism were seen during the inspection. Pupils’ spiritual development is good; this helps to build their self-esteem. Children are given time to reflect on what they believe in and they know their views are valued; they respect the views of others. They understand the impact of their actions on others. Pupils take care of their environment and use resources with care. No examples of any vandalism or graffiti were seen during the inspection.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12. Pupils’ social development is very good. They willingly take additional responsibilities. For example, Year 6 pupils act as ‘buddies’ for pupils in the Reception class, which helps to foster good relationships with the younger pupils. At lunch times older pupils are seen caring for and playing with younger ones. In lessons, pupils collaborate well together, they co-operate well in groups and in pairs and they are willing to take turns, as when they use computers in information and communication technology lessons. Pupils’ cultural development is good. In personal, social and health education lessons, pupils consider issues such as racism, and through discussion are helped to understand and value differences between people. Visitors to the school representing a wide range of cultures and beliefs help to promote pupils’ understanding. 13. Children in the Reception Class enjoy coming to school and have settled quickly into daily

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

routines. They have very positive and enthusiastic attitudes towards their work and play. They interact with each other and with the adults who work with them very well indeed. Their personal, social and emotional development is in advance of that which is usual for their age. The teacher and assistants encourage children to develop personal responsibility in learning and provide plenty of opportunities for children to make choices. Children quickly learn how to organise themselves well in selecting their activities and they take full benefit of the range of activities provided for them. 14. Attendance at the school is unsatisfactory and has declined since the last inspection when it was good. Attendance has fallen steadily over the last three years and is now well below the national average. Unauthorised absences are few. During the inspection, few pupils were observed arriving late to school. Registration periods are efficient and lessons begin promptly.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

15. The previous inspection found that the quality of teaching and learning was satisfactory overall and good in approximately four lessons in ten. Just under one lesson in ten was unsatisfactory, and most of those were in Year 6. The findings of this inspection are that the quality of teaching and learning is good, overall, although there are some variations between year groups and subjects. Of the 51 lessons observed during the inspection, one was excellent, seven were very good, 29 were good and 14 were satisfactory. No unsatisfactory teaching was observed. Overall, there has been a good improvement since the previous inspection, despite the high turnover of staff, and this has contributed significantly to raising the standards achieved by the pupils. Beacon Hill Primary School- 14 16. The quality of teaching and learning in literacy and numeracy is good throughout the school. The national strategies have been implemented well, lessons are well paced and work is well planned

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

and matched to the capabilities of the pupils. The quality of teaching and learning is also good in music, as a specialist teacher takes all classes. In other subjects, there are variations between classes as teachers’ confidence and expertise differ and planning is not as consistent as it is in English and mathematics. This is because schemes of work do not provide a sufficiently clear framework to guide teachers and there is too much scope for individual interpretation of National Curriculum requirements. The best practice in planning was seen in Years 4 and 6. Lessons in English, mathematics, and science are planned with clear objectives that pupils understand. However, lesson planning in other subjects is not sufficiently matched to the differing capabilities of pupils. 17. The quality of teaching and learning for children in the Foundation Stage is good. Of the eight lessons observed during the inspection, two were very good and six were good. Teaching of this

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

quality means that all children learn at a rate appropriate to their abilities, and make progress which is at least sound and very often good. Very good features of the teaching include organisation, the deployment of assistants, and the promotion of positive relationships. The Reception teacher knows the children very well as individuals, and is skilled at developing warm relationships. Consequently, the children settle into work happily, and successfully develop very good attitudes to learning. The last inspection reported that the balance between activities that are directed by the teacher and the freedom for children to choose and select their own activities was not satisfactory, and that children had too little opportunity for the expression of their own thoughts and feelings. This has improved considerably, and the balance is now good. Although assessments were used well, according to the

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last inspection report, they did not take account of the nationally recommended goals for this age group. This has also improved and is appropriately in place, although references to the steps needed to reach these goals are infrequently given in the actual assessments themselves. Mention was also made in the last report of the shortcomings of the provision for outdoor play and agility activities, which was inadequate. This has been addressed, and is now appropriate. 18. The teacher’s planning is good and is carefully matched to the nationally recommended Early Learning Goals. It is linked appropriately to the subjects of the National Curriculum. Very well organised routines enable all children to become used to the pattern of the day, and respond well to the high expectations for behaviour, attentiveness and the ability to follow instructions. The teacher and assistants in the Reception class listen with interest to what the children have to say, and demonstrate

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

good skills in helping children develop their language for communication. They explain new work clearly to the children and use questions skilfully to evaluate how well children have grasped the new learning. The teacher and assistants observe children’s responses carefully and take every opportunity to extend their knowledge and understanding. The teaching of social skills is particularly good, and children enter Year 1 with a good understanding of how to behave and a growing awareness of others’ needs as well as their own. A strength of the teaching in the Reception Class is the very good teamwork between the teacher and assistants. 19. The quality of teaching and learning in Years 1 and 2 is good overall. Of the 14 lessons observed, one was very good, nine were good and four were satisfactory. The strongest teaching was seen in Year 1, where all of the lessons were at least good and one was very good. The good

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

relationships between adults and pupils underpin the good management of pupils in lessons. This ensures that they all concentrate well on learning and are interested in what they do. There is consistently good teaching of basic skills and knowledge, which helps pupils to develop good understanding. Where teaching is satisfactory, the teacher’s planning is not detailed enough to show how pupils of differing capabilities will be catered for in the lesson. This was the case in a science lesson in Year 2, where the work was not planned sufficiently well to build on pupils’ previous learning. In this lesson, the whole class introduction to the lesson took too long as the teacher gave Beacon Hill Primary School- 15 each pupil a turn to carry out an activity. This slowed the pace of the lesson and led to some pupils becoming distracted. 20. The quality of teaching in Years 3 to 6 is good overall. Of the 29 lessons seen during the

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

inspection, one was excellent, four were very good, 14 were good and ten were satisfactory. Some good teaching was seen in each of the four classes, but the highest proportion was in Year 4, where teaching was consistently good and sometimes very good. There was also a high proportion of good teaching in Year 6. Literacy and numeracy skills are taught well and teachers generally have high expectations of what pupils are able to achieve. This enables pupils to acquire knowledge and skills at a good pace. However, teachers’ expectations of the standards of presentation of pupils’ work are often not high enough. Teachers encourage pupils to think for themselves and show independence, as when Year 6 pupils devised their own science investigation. Skilful questioning helps pupils to work through problems and make connections between ideas. This also helps pupils to concentrate on what they are doing and provides an opportunity for teachers to assess how well they have understood new

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information. Teachers make effective use of information and communication technology to support pupils’ learning across the curriculum. This was illustrated in a very good geography lesson in Year 4, where pupils used the Internet to find out news from around the world. 21. Good features of teaching were illustrated in a Year 4 literacy lesson where pupils were learning to identify the tense of a piece of text. The lesson began with good, clear explanations which ensured that pupils knew what was expected of them. By using small whiteboards, pupils were able to identify words from the chosen text which told them which tense it was written in. Through open- ended questioning, the teacher helped pupils to formulate and express their ideas succinctly. Pupils were given opportunities to develop their reading and research skills by using the Internet to search for information and the use of high quality literature, such as The Diary of Anne Frank extended pupils’

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vocabulary. The lesson moved at a brisk pace which ensured pupils used the time productively, and the teaching assistant provided good support for pupils with special educational needs. 22. Teachers and assistants work well together as a team to support pupils’ learning. Although teaching assistants generally provide good support for pupils during the main part of the lesson, some teachers do not make effective use of assistants during the introductory part of the lesson, either to support pupils or to assess their responses. The marking of pupils’ work is inconsistent in quality between classes. Some is very helpful and constructive, showing pupils what they have done well and what could be improved. Some offers too much praise for mediocre work and does not help pupils to strive for high standards. Homework is used effectively to support learning. It includes reading, spelling and numeracy for all pupils as well as additional assignments for older pupils, linked to their

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work in class. For example, pupils in Year 4 were asked to look around the home and in the environment for examples of solids, liquids and gases and to compile a list. 23. The quality of teaching and learning for pupils with special educational needs is at least satisfactory and often good, particularly when supported by teaching assistants. The calm atmosphere in most lessons contributes well to pupils’ progress. Teachers and assistants have copies of pupils’ individual education plans where these are considered necessary. However, during the inspection there was little evidence that these documents are consistently used in planning the teaching of these pupils. Where teaching assistants are deployed, they provide a good level of support and are mostly very successful at maintaining pupils’ involvement in learning. However, there is no whole school procedure for them to record pupils’ progress. When pupils are withdrawn from lessons, this enables

p.15

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them to benefit from close support, particularly when supervised by the trained special educational needs assistant. The use of information and communication technology to teach pupils with special educational needs is underdeveloped. The withdrawal of pupils for specific support is arranged so that they do not miss important parts of lessons. The focus on good behaviour in the school ensures that all pupils have equal opportunities to learn. Beacon Hill Primary School- 16 24. Pupils with English as an additional language learn well; they are helped to feel secure in the school environment, and care is taken to aid their understanding in lessons. Support from classroom assistants is of good quality and well integrated with classroom learning. Class teachers take good account of the pupils’ understanding when involving those who have English as an additional language in activities or classroom discussions. Particular attention is given to ensuring their understanding

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when new teaching or particular explanations are given.

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25. The quality and range of learning opportunities provided by the school are satisfactory. The curriculum is socially inclusive and presents a range of worthwhile activities that engage the interest of pupils and match their aptitudes. It generally makes an appropriate contribution to the overall aims of the school and there is a good emphasis on raising standards, particularly in English, mathematics and science. All subjects of the National Curriculum are taught and religious education is based on the locally agreed syllabus. The breadth of the curriculum, its relevance to pupils and the time allocated to subjects are generally satisfactory. The school has successfully introduced and implemented National Curriculum 2000. Some policies have yet to be formally adopted by the governing body. All requirements of the statutory curriculum are met. 26. Satisfactory progress has been made since the previous inspection in developing the

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curriculum. Schemes of work are in place, the time allocated to geography has been improved and outdoor and adventurous activities are now included. However, although the co-ordination of the curriculum has been improved, there are still some weaknesses, particularly in subjects other than English and mathematics. There is insufficient monitoring of the curriculum by co-ordinators. Therefore, they cannot know how effectively planning for their subjects is implemented by individual teachers. There is no consistent approach to subject planning for each term and for each week. Some is very good and is reflected in the good and very good teaching seen. Other planning lacks detail and gives insufficient guidance about what pupils should know, understand and be able to do. 27. Strong emphasis is placed on the teaching of English and mathematics. The national literacy and numeracy strategies have been successfully implemented with an appropriate focus on all aspects

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of both subjects. Both strategies have had a good effect overall and this is reflected in the generally high standards achieved by pupils in these subjects. 28. The quality and range of learning opportunities for children in the Foundation Stage are good. The programme is planned for all children, is socially inclusive, and is designed to take account of individual differences and capabilities. The curriculum provided takes full account of the recommended areas of learning, in practice, and in yearly, weekly, and daily planning. In the termly planning, it is sometimes under subject headings rather than the relevant areas of learning. Weekly planning is thorough in each area and linked well to integrated topics of interest to the children, with a strong emphasis on providing first-hand experiences of quality. There is very good provision for personal, social and emotional development, creative development, and for speaking and listening. Play

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is well provided for and is very well structured, and there are good opportunities for daily outdoor play in a purpose-designed area. As well as play and first-hand experience, there is very good emphasis on talk, developing language skills, and on enquiry, encouraging children to investigate and question. 29. The provision for extracurricular activities is very good. At different times of the year, the school provides a range of activities, such as badminton, circuit training, skipping; football clubs for pupils of all ages, rugby training, athletics, netball, cross country running, skateboarding, scooting and orienteering. There are good links with organisations such as Surrey County Cricket Club, Haslemere Rugby Club and a number of professional football teams. Pupils take part in a good number of locally organised competitive football and netball games and also in the District Athletics competition. The

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school choir has taken part in a number of performances, including one at the Barbican. Visits are Beacon Hill Primary School- 17 made to a number of places that support the curriculum, such as Osborne House, the home of Queen Victoria, and Fishbourne, the site of a Roman Palace. Visitors to the school include the Science and Technology bus from Guildford University. 30. Curricular links with the home cultures of pupils with English as an additional language are integrated into appropriate study topics whenever possible, and pupils sometimes bring relevant artefacts, pictures or books written in their mother tongue to school. Counting and greetings are sometimes done in pupils’ own languages. 31. The school’s provision for personal, social and health education is good. The new scheme of work, which came into effect at the beginning of the academic year, includes topics such as sex education and drugs awareness. Other topics are taught through cross-curricular discussions. Health

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education is taught mainly through science. A number of external agencies support this provision, such as the school nurse and the community policeman. The school plans to include links with the fire service in the future, and there are plans to set up a school council. 32. Curricular provision for pupils with special educational needs is satisfactory. Pupils’ individual education plans are of satisfactory quality and have clear targets for them to achieve. However, they do not contain specific criteria by which to judge pupils’ progress. This means that it is not immediately clear, from the plans, if specific targets set have been reached. Individual education plans still use the ‘stages’ of the former Code of Practice for special educational needs rather than the new stages of School Action and School Action Plus. Recent national guidance for more detailed target setting for pupils has been implemented.

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33. The school continues to have good links with the local community and these have a positive impact on pupils’ learning. Older residents and relatives from the village are invited to attend afternoon tea at Harvest Festival. The school is used for community events such as a community act of remembrance on Armistice Day. There are good links with two of the local churches, whose ministers come into school to lead assemblies. The local vicar is also a governor at the school. There are links with local businesses, including a building firm which sponsors the school footballers by purchasing their kit. The school also makes effective use of the local environment, for example in Year R and Year 1, by walking around the area looking at materials and other aspects of the locality. 34. There are good links with other local schools. A nursery school makes use of the hall and pupils make regular visits to attend events. In the summer term pupils visit with their parents to listen

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to stories. This helps the children get to know the staff and the school before they start in the Reception class. The school also has good links with the local secondary school and there are taster days for pupils in Years 5 and 6 as well as poetry and music days for the more able children. There are good opportunities for staff at the secondary school to meet both staff and pupils at the school prior to transfer. The school also makes effective use of the facilities at a nearby outdoor pursuits centre, which include information and communication technology resources. 35. The school makes very good provision for pupils’ social development and good provision for their spiritual, moral and cultural development. This is a good improvement on the findings of the last inspection, when provision for pupils’ spiritual development was judged to be satisfactory and provision for their social development was judged to be good. Pupils’ good behaviour and their positive attitudes

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towards their work are founded on the school’s good provision for their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. 36. Provision for pupils’ spiritual development is well planned. The school’s annual Armistice Day service was a very spiritual time for everyone. Some pupils sang Make Me a Channel of Your Peace, while others accompanied them on recorders and flutes. Together with the pupils’ prayers, this created a very special feeling of awe and reverence. Daily acts of worship and religious education lessons, where they learn about Christianity and other world religions, enhance pupils’ Beacon Hill Primary School- 18 spiritual development. The school has good links with the local Anglican and United Reformed churches. The vicar and minister are regular visitors to the school. Visits to the local churches, Guildford Cathedral, and to mosques in Woking and Regents Park provide meaningful experiences that

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help to extend pupils’ spiritual development. Pupils are encouraged to develop an appreciation of, and to wonder at, the natural world during science and art lessons. They experience the pleasure of making music, performing before audiences and responding to music in assemblies. Pupils are provided with many opportunities in lessons to reflect on what they believe in, and to empathise with the feelings of others, especially during personal, social and health education lessons. 37. The good provision for pupils’ moral development is founded on the high expectations that staff have of them. All adults in the school provide very good role models for the pupils and are very consistent in the way they show respect for both pupils and other adults. The school has a positive approach to the management of behaviour. A good rewards system is successful in building pupils' self-esteem and respect for others. All adults in the school enable pupils to be aware of what is

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acceptable and help them to develop an appropriate idea of what is right and wrong. Moral issues are taught well and pupils are well behaved in and around the school. Personal, social and health education lessons help pupils to know the reasons why some behaviour is morally right or wrong. Through sporting activities, pupils are developing a healthy sense of competition, an awareness of rules and pride in their team’s achievements. 38. The school makes very good provision for pupils’ social development and parents agree that the school is helping their children to become mature and responsible. The school creates a strong sense of identity as a very caring community in which everyone is respected and supported very well. Relationships are very good and all adults in the school help to create a friendly atmosphere, which encourages the development of pupils’ social skills very effectively. Pupils are encouraged to develop

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their awareness of the needs of others. They are given the opportunity to invite older local residents and relations into the school for a Harvest Festival tea. Their views are valued, such as a pupil’s recent request to organise a ‘Pudsey Cake Sale’ for Children in Need . Pupils who have special educational needs are integrated very well into a happy and caring community and into all activities offered by the school. Appropriate opportunities are taken in class for pupils to work collaboratively and to share resources and equipment. They are given opportunities to take responsibility, such as being house captains, class monitors and ‘buddies’ to children in the Reception class. Older pupils help the young children to enjoy their lunchtime by eating with them and then playing games with them. The Year 6 residential visit enhances pupils’ social skills very well as they learn to live together away

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from home. The Life Education Bus provides pupils with appropriate information about issues affecting their health and well being, enabling them to make real choices and decisions. In personal, social and health education lessons, Year 6 pupils have discussed important issues such as racism and the effect this has on society. 39. The school helps pupils to appreciate the ethnic and cultural diversity of British life mainly through art, music, dance, books in the school library and religious education. During an assembly, a parent spoke to pupils about her Islamic faith. This first hand knowledge greatly enhances pupils’ understanding of another culture. There are regular book weeks and book fairs. Pupils study a range of styles of art and music from different cultures, such as Western European, African, and Islamic. Pupils listen to a wide range of music from different times and cultures. A group, Talking Drums and

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a primary music co-ordinator visit the school to perform mainly African music. Such experiences do much to extend pupils’ understanding of some aspects of other cultures. Visiting storytellers, including an African storyteller, and poets, also enhance pupils’ cultural development. Pupils learn English country dancing, which extends their knowledge of British culture. Performing before an audience in school productions, in the choir and orchestra adds a further dimension to pupils’ learning. These stimulating experiences enable pupils to celebrate cultural diversity and help to prepare them for living in a multicultural society. Beacon Hill Primary School- 19

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

40. The school continues to provide a good level of care for its pupils, as at the time of the last inspection. The staff work hard to maintain a safe environment for the pupils and all know their pupils and their medical and personal needs well. Staff and governors deal effectively with any hazards found on site and take health and safety issues very seriously. Health and safety inspections are regularly carried out and acted upon. A thorough risk assessment was carried out recently and action is being taken on a number of points raised. There are good arrangements for the administration of first aid; a number of staff are trained and a medical room is provided for pupils who are unwell. The school’s procedures for child protection are good. The headteacher is the member of staff responsible for child protection matters, all teaching and non-teaching staff have received training recently and all

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are aware of the importance of informing the headteacher immediately should they have any concerns. The school follows the guidance of the Local Education Authority for child protection matters and receives appropriate support from external agencies. 41. The school continues to have good procedures for monitoring and promoting good behaviour. Each class has its own system of rewards, which used well and, as a result, pupils of all ages behave well throughout the school. In addition, rewards for good behaviour and good work are presented in assembly. Adults monitor pupils’ behaviour closely and, on the few occasions where behaviour is not so good, parents are informed and work with the school to bring about improvement. The school is good at monitoring and eliminating anti-social behaviour. Incidents of racism or bullying, if they occur, are dealt with immediately and reported to the governing body. Parents are happy that any problems

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

are always dealt with swiftly, sensitively and positively. Pupils are happy to talk to teachers if they have any problems and ‘circle time’ is used well for pupils to discuss issues. 42. Parents are reminded through newsletters of the importance of good attendance for their children’s education and the school operates the first day contact system, whereby any parent whose child is not in school by 9.15 and for whom no reason has been received, will be contacted to ascertain the reason for absence. However these systems have not had the desired impact on the level of attendance, which has fallen steadily over the past three years. Procedures for monitoring attendance are in place, but absences are not always analysed or monitored rigorously enough. The Education Welfare Officer supports the school by coming into school regularly to carry out register checks. 43. There are good procedures for monitoring and supporting pupils’ personal development. All

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

teachers have a good knowledge of their pupils’ individual needs and this enables them to care for them well. The school’s provision for personal, social and health education is good and supports pupils well. 44. Children in the Foundation Stage are very well cared for and it is evident that they feel at ease in their surroundings. On-going observations of the children at work and at play, within each area of work, are made carefully, and the teacher has a good overview of the progress made by individual children in their personal development. Induction procedures are sound, and enable children to settle in at school easily, so that they quickly become confident in a safe and secure environment. 45. The school has begun to make good use of data on the performance of pupils with special educational needs to identify their progress, or lack of it. When pupils have individual education plans, these are reviewed at least termly, and statements of special educational need are reviewed annually.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

Good use is made of a wide range of services and agencies to help assess pupils’ needs. The school’s commitment to educational inclusion was illustrated well during the inspection when pupils from a traveller family arrived. They were quickly integrated into the class and made to feel ‘at home.’ 46. Assessment is unsatisfactory overall. In the last inspection, procedures for assessing the attainment and progress of pupils were found to be unsatisfactory because of insufficient rigour and consistency across the school as a whole, despite some sound procedures being in place. The use of Beacon Hill Primary School- 20 assessment information for monitoring individual pupils’ progress and to inform curricular planning was also found to be unsatisfactory. While there has been some improvement, notably in English and mathematics, there are still inconsistencies between teachers in the amount and thoroughness of the

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

assessment procedures they use in other subjects. 47. It was also reported in the previous inspection that there was little use of ongoing assessment to assist future planning in the short term. There is still little evidence of the use of such ongoing assessment information to assist subsequent planning in most subjects. Also, teachers do not make sufficient reference to the levels of the National Curriculum to guide their expectations of pupils’ progress. Some teachers are doing this well, others only in one or two main subjects, and others very little, while in different subjects it varies from being done thoroughly to being done little or hardly at all. Subject co-ordinators do not all monitor how assessment is carried out or used in their subjects. Individual records of achievement are kept for each pupil, together with portfolios of assessed work to record pupils’ progress. Whole school portfolios of assessed work were set up to give guidance to

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teachers on the interpretation of the levels in the National Curriculum, but some of these are now considerably out of date. In the previous inspection it was noted that although a marking policy had been formulated, marking remained inconsistent and was not always being effectively used to support learning. Here, there has been no improvement, and the situation remains the same. 48. Very soon after children enter the school in the Reception Class, they are assessed using the Local Education Authority’s procedures designed for that age group, and this is satisfactorily carried out. This information is used to plan learning experiences for all children and to predict the levels that individuals are likely to achieve later. Ongoing assessment in the Reception Class is satisfactorily based on the recommended Early Learning Goals, and the steps needed to achieve these. However, while these steps are sometimes taken into account, assessment is not always based on these

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milestones. 49. Assessment procedures in English, mathematics and science include both the statutory and optional national tests and assessments, as well as other tests selected by the school; pupils are screened in Year 3, and have formal tests in Years 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6. Together these provide a bank of thorough assessments in these subjects, which are now used to track the progress of pupils as they pass through the school on an individual and group basis. Data from the main formal tests are analysed on the basis of gender and ability as well as by classes and for individuals. This information is used to generate individual targets for pupils across the school, and to set realistic school targets in English and mathematics for the school as a whole. In the previous inspection, such target setting was in its infancy and was under-used, while tracking of pupils’ progress was not underway. This

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tracking, evaluation and target setting in English, mathematics and science is satisfactory and is an improvement since the last inspection. 50. The school is aware of the need to improve assessment procedures and their use, and has already identified this as a priority in the current school development plan. The assessment co- ordinator undertakes useful analyses and interpretations of assessment data for the school and for the governing body. 51. Regular ongoing assessment of pupils with English as an additional language is done by the class teacher using the schedules provided by the Local Education Authority for the first three stages of learning to speak the language. The assessments are used effectively to structure and monitor pupils’ learning of English, and also influence planning for them in other subjects.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

52. Parents continue to have positive views of the school, as in the last inspection. The school works well with parents. Parents spoken to during the inspection confirmed that they are made to feel welcome in the school and that staff are always happy to give of their time freely. Beacon Hill Primary School- 21 53. The impact of the parents’ involvement on the work of the school is good. Parents are supportive of the school and the majority contribute to their children’s learning at home by helping with homework and ensuring that it is completed. At the pre-inspection meeting, parents confirmed that they were generally happy that homework was appropriately set and marked. They confirmed that they received information letting them know what to expect for homework and guidance and tips on how they can support their children, as well as an invitation to discuss the matter with their class teacher if they have any concerns. A small number of parents support the school by helping in the

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classroom on a regular basis, and many more support the school by helping out on school trips. There is an active, supportive Parents’ Association, which raises significant funds for the school to enable teachers to purchase additional resources. 54. The school provides a good level of information for parents; this is an improvement since the last inspection, when the school was found not to be successful in communicating with parents. Regular monthly newsletters are sent to parents with good, general information about what is happening in school as well as future diary dates. Parents also receive termly information about the curriculum to be taught. Included in this is information as to how they can help their children at home. The school’s documentation for parents is informative, but the governors’ Annual Report for Parents does not meet statutory requirements, as there are some minor omissions.

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55. Induction procedures for children in the Foundation Stage are sound. Parents are given a useful booklet about starting school and children have two or three visits to school before starting, when they can listen to a story and come to play. Starting is staggered to ensure adequate individual attention at the very beginning. The class teacher keeps close contact with parents and is available at the beginning and end of each day. Some parents help in the classroom on a regular basis. 56. Written annual reports for parents are satisfactory; they inform parents what their children know, understand and can do and also include areas for development. Parents are also informed how these areas can be supported and developed at home. Pupils are given the opportunity to evaluate how they can improve. At the pre-inspection meeting, parents indicated they are very happy with the reports. The Headteacher and staff are always willing to discuss parents’ concerns and this is

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confirmed by parents, who say that teachers are co-operative and thoughtful and always give a very quick and positive response to any concerns. There are good opportunities for parents to discuss concerns informally as well as at the formal parents’ evenings. At the end of the year parents have the opportunity to view their children’s work.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

57. The previous inspection reported that the school was "not yet successful in meeting all of its aims because management structures and styles of leadership are not securing sufficiently high standards for pupils in Year 6". There has been a good improvement in developing and refining the management structure since that time, and its impact on the standards achieved by the pupils. However, there has also been a very high turnover of staff, including both the headteacher and deputy headteacher, who have been in post for just over a year and approximately 18 months respectively. The past year has been largely devoted to building a leadership team, establishing roles and responsibilities and identifying priorities for improvement. Overall, the leadership and management of the school are satisfactory. There is, however, a strong team spirit in the school and shared commitment to improvement. The leadership team have worked hard to put structures and procedures

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in place to take the school forward and the school has a good capacity to succeed. 58. The headteacher provides clear direction for the school and is supported well by staff, governors and parents. She works closely with the deputy headteacher and the co-ordinator for Years R, 1 and 2 in the strategic management of the school, liaises regularly with the chair of governors and makes effective use of external advisers and consultants. The previous inspection found that the work of senior managers was not effectively co-ordinated through regular meetings. This has been Beacon Hill Primary School- 22 addressed and the leadership team meets regularly with clear terms of reference. The effectiveness of subject co-ordinators in monitoring and improving curricular provision varies significantly. The co- ordinators for English and information and communication technology provide good models for other staff in leading development in their subjects. Co-ordinators who are relatively new to the post show a

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

sound understanding of their role, but most are in the early stages of development. Nevertheless, there is already evidence of good practice. For example, the newly appointed science co-ordinator analysed samples of pupils’ work from each year group and made some perceptive observations which are already informing her action plan for the year. There are appropriate systems in place to develop these roles further as teachers become more established in them. 59. The governors fulfil their statutory duties and make a sound contribution to shaping the future direction of the school. They are kept well informed by the headteacher, and are confident to challenge and question, in order to fulfil their role as a critical friend. They are developing a sound understanding of the school's strengths and weaknesses but their role in strategic long-term planning is not yet fully effective. Governors' committees function effectively and make a good contribution to the

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

management of the school. The previous inspection noted that the governors’ role was not fully effective in monitoring and evaluating the school’s provision. This has improved. The curriculum committee is particularly effective in carrying out this role. Some governors visit the school regularly and take a close interest in a particular subject. They meet with teachers to discuss the pupils' work, curricular planning and any improvements that are needed. For example, the governor who oversees numeracy visited the school to observe lessons and meet with teachers, and wrote a report which shows a good understanding of the role and a clear focus on the key aspects of the visit. 60. The school development plan covers the current school year, and sets out the key priorities for the school to address. These are clearly linked to the school's aims and identify key areas for improvement, such as curricular planning, assessment and monitoring. However, although the school

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has a clear focus on raising standards, this is not given due prominence in the development plan, as improving standards in writing and information and communication technology, for instance, are the subject of separate action plans. Co-ordinators have a good input into these plans in some subjects, and they are also reflected in teachers’ performance management objectives for the year, but they are not sufficiently integrated into the whole school picture. The development plan also includes timescales, costs of implementing each task and criteria for judging its success. These criteria are not sufficiently measurable in terms of pupils' attainment. However, there are separate specific targets for individual pupils and groups to attain in each year group which are clearly related to whole school priorities. Although all the ingredients are present, there is a lack of coherence about planning for

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school improvement which detracts from its overall effectiveness. At the time of the previous inspection, the school development plan was not part of a strategic management process involving the headteacher, staff and governors. There has been a good improvement in this respect, as all were able to contribute to deciding the priorities for the school, along with staff and pupil representatives, at a development day earlier in the year. 61. The previous inspection noted that monitoring of the curriculum was underdeveloped. There were no systematic procedures for evaluating teachers’ planning, the standards achieved by the pupils or the quality of teaching and learning. The headteacher, supported by the Local Education Authority, has set up effective procedures for observing and giving feedback to teachers on the quality of their work. This is done each term. The arrangements for performance management form an integral part

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of these systems and also make a sound contribution to raising standards. Performance targets are set for the headteacher and class teachers, which are directly linked to priorities in the school development plan. The headteacher and deputy headteacher have analysed national test results in detail and presented information to the governors to inform strategic planning. The headteacher has devised a rolling programme of release time for co-ordinators throughout the year to allow them time to monitor Beacon Hill Primary School- 23 standards and curricular provision in their subject. These procedures are at a relatively early stage of implementation but provide a sound framework for developing co-ordinators’ monitoring roles. 62. The headteacher currently fulfils the role of co-ordinator for special educational needs and is also responsible for the co-ordination of the provision for pupils with English as an additional language.

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This means that she has a particularly heavy workload and some aspects of the management of special educational needs provision suffer because of this. For example, the management of teaching assistants is not fully effective because there is insufficient time available. There has been some improvement in their management since the previous inspection, but it has been limited. However, teaching assistants do feel valued and make a good contribution to the progress of pupils. Some use is made of information and communication technology in the management and administration of provision, but this is underdeveloped. A new policy has been produced, but there are some omissions of which the co-ordinator is aware. Good progress has been made in the implementation of the new Code of Practice. The school development plan is constructive because it contains detailed information about what needs to be improved and how this is to be achieved. The Governors’ Annual Report to parents

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

lacks a clear and specific statement about any changes to the policy in the previous year. 63. The school has a clear commitment to all aspects of inclusion with a number of key priorities identified in the school development plan. Appropriate use is made, on a regular basis, of recorded assessment data to set suitable learning targets for pupils. This ensures that they have good opportunities to make appropriate progress. Plans to improve the access for pupils and others with disabilities are being developed in consultation with the governors and the Local Education Authority. The school complies with all relevant legislation for inclusion, but does not formally monitor the effectiveness of all of its policies. 64. The management of the provision for children in the Foundation Stage is good; in organisation, deployment of assistants and the establishment of positive relationships it is very good. The teacher

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

responsible for the Foundation Stage, and for the co-ordination of Years 1 and 2, is the Reception Class teacher, who, consequently, has a very good overview of provision for the children, together with a clear idea of what they need to achieve on entry to Year 1. The Reception teacher has two assistants, each working for three days a week, so that on one day a week there are two working in the class. Other helpers come in on a voluntary basis. This level of staffing is appropriate for the age group. The Reception teacher has attended a variety of courses to update her knowledge in the last two years, and she provides training for the assistants to extend their own knowledge and expertise. 65. The previous inspection found that educational developments were not supported by careful financial planning. There has been a good improvement in this aspect of the management of the school. The governors’ finance committee prioritises expenditure according to the school development

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

plan and, when bids for funding are received, asks relevant questions about what is intended to be achieved as a result of the expenditure. Subject co-ordinators are involved in identifying priorities in their subjects. Financial management and administration are all sound. The headteacher, administrative officer and finance committee monitor expenditure closely. They regularly undertake reviews of expenditure to ensure that the school is achieving best value for money. Governors also compare the school’s performance with that of other schools and have recently become involved in analysing data. Overall, the principles of best value are applied soundly when spending decisions are made. At the end of the 2001/2002 financial year, the school carried forward a very large surplus amounting to approximately 11 per cent of its income. This money was earmarked for major improvements to the school environment, including the computer suite. The projected budget surplus

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

for the current year falls within acceptable levels at just under five per cent. 66. Overall, there are sufficient teaching and support staff to meet the needs of the curriculum and to provide adequate support for pupils at all levels of attainment. The school has experienced a very high turnover of staff since the last inspection. At the time of this inspection, five of the seven class Beacon Hill Primary School- 24 teachers had joined the school within the past three years, and four of those were in their first, second or third year of teaching. The headteacher and deputy headteacher are also relatively new to senior management positions and the administrative officer has been at the school for less than a year. Appropriate procedures are in place to support staff who are new to the school. However, teachers do not yet receive enough guidance in planning the curriculum in some subjects. Teaching assistants

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

work well as a team with teachers, but their work is not co-ordinated or supported sufficiently well to ensure the best use of their time and talents. There is also no system of appraisal for support staff. The headteacher has identified this as a priority to be addressed and is currently seeking to participate in the Investors in People programme as a means of improving staff relations and personnel management. 67. The last inspection found that the arrangements for the professional development of staff were inadequate. This situation has improved, and training for staff is now aligned closely to the priorities identified in the school development plan. For example, all teachers are undergoing training in aspects of information and communication technology, and co-ordinators have the opportunity for training in their subjects and in the development of their role. While there has been no specific recent in-service

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

training for teachers on supporting and helping pupils with English as an additional language, advice is provided for class teachers from Year 1 onwards where pupils are at an early stage of acquisition, by the Local Education Authority. 68. Overall, the school's accommodation is good. Classrooms are large, bright and well laid out. They are enhanced by colourful displays which celebrate pupils' achievements. The library is also large and attractively furnished and books are displayed to good effect. It provides a focal point for developing pupils' research skills and is well used to support and extend learning. There is also a well- equipped music room and a small kitchen area where groups of pupils experience food technology. The Reception and Year 1 classes are accommodated at Browns, an attractive and well-adapted house near to the main school, which has its own garden and dedicated outdoor play space, surrounded

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

by an attractive woodland area which is used by the pupils in fine weather. Although the two main playgrounds are fairly limited in size and offer little in the way of markings for playground games, there is space for pupils to sit quietly and picnic tables for games. The school also has the advantage of a large playing field. Its main drawback is that pupils have to cross an unmade road to gain access to the field, and younger pupils have to walk some distance along this road or cross the school field to reach Browns. In wet weather this causes some inconvenience, but staff manage the situation well. Pupils also benefit from a small swimming pool in the summer months. The premises are clean and very well maintained by the caretaker, and this contributes to the school's welcoming ethos. 69. The school has an adequate range and number of learning resources in most subjects. This is an improvement since the last inspection, when spending on resources was below the national average

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

and there were deficiencies in science, geography, history, music and equipment for the Foundation Stage. There was no provision of CD-ROMs for use in research. Most of these shortages have been remedied although minor deficiencies in some aspects of science remain. In English, music and information and communication technology resources are good. The school has a better than average ratio of computers to pupils and these are used well to support learning. Learning resources for children in the Foundation Stage are sufficient to support the children’s learning in all the relevant areas. Beacon Hill Primary School- 25

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

70. In order to continue to improve the quality of education offered to the pupils, the

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governors, headteacher and staff should:

(1) Improve the quality of curricular planning in Years 1 to 6 to ensure that teachers are given sufficient guidance when planning lessons by:

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governors, headteacher and staff should:

§ reviewing and updating schemes of work in all subjects § ensuring a consistent approach to termly and weekly planning across year groups and subjects; § making sure that work is planned to meet the needs of pupils at different levels of attainment; § ensuring that the school development plan provides clear guidance to show what needs to be done in each subject over a three year period, how it will be achieved and how its success will be measured;

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governors, headteacher and staff should:

(Paragraphs 16, 19, 26, 60, 66, 106, 107, 110, 114, 118, 123, 126, 132, 135, 141, 145)

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governors, headteacher and staff should:

(2) Implement simple but effective assessment procedures in all subjects by: • ensuring that the marking of pupils’ work is consistent and shows them what they have done well and how to improve their work; • incorporating assessment opportunities into termly or weekly planning, as appropriate; • keeping simple records to inform teachers in their planning of future work;

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governors, headteacher and staff should:

(Paragraphs 22, 46, 47, 94, 104, 110, 114, 118, 123, 126, 132, 135, 141, 145)

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governors, headteacher and staff should:

(3) Develop further the role of subject co-ordinators in monitoring standards, curricular provision and the quality of teaching and learning in their subjects.

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governors, headteacher and staff should:

(Paragraphs 26, 58, 61, 104, 114, 118, 123, 126, 132, 141, 145)

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governors, headteacher and staff should:

(4) Analyse the reasons for the decline in attendance since the last inspection and ensure that the procedures for monitoring and promoting good attendance are implemented rigorously.

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OTHER ISSUES WHICH SHOULD BE CONSIDERED BY THE SCHOOL

(1) Review the management of special educational needs, in particular the deployment and management of support staff to ensure the best possible use of their time and talents.

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OTHER ISSUES WHICH SHOULD BE CONSIDERED BY THE SCHOOL

(2) Improve the standards of presentation of pupils’ work.

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OTHER ISSUES WHICH SHOULD BE CONSIDERED BY THE SCHOOL

(3) Ensure that the governors’ Annual Report to Parents fully meets requirements.

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OTHER ISSUES WHICH SHOULD BE CONSIDERED BY THE SCHOOL

(Paragraph 55) Beacon Hill Primary School- 26

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of lessons observed 51 Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 37

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor Number 1 7 29 14 0 0 0 Percentage 2 14 57 27 0 0 0 The table gives the number and percentage of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about teaching. Care should be taken when interpreting these percentages as each lesson represents more than one percentage point.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll YR – Y6 Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 178 Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 13 Special educational needs YR – Y6 Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 2 Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 32 English as an additional language No of pupils Number of pupils with English as an additional language 10 Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 9 Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 10

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Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

% % School data 7.1 School data 0.0 National comparative data 5.4 National comparative data 0.5 Beacon Hill Primary School- 27 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year.

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Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2) Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2002 20 10 30

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Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

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Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

Boys Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls

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Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

Percentage of pupils School 87 (100) 90 (100) 93 (100) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (84) 86 (86) 90 (91)

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Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

Boys Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls

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Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

Percentage of pupils School 90 (100) 93 (100) 90 (88) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (85) 89 (89) 89 (89)

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Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6) Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2002 9 4 13

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Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

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Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

Boys Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls

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Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

Percentage of pupils School 77 (85) 77 (77) 92 (96) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 73 (71) 86 (87)

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Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

Boys Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls

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Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

Total 9 11 11 Beacon Hill Primary School- 28 Percentage of pupils School 69 (77) 85 (77) 85 (88) at NC level 4 or above National 73 (72) 74 (74) 82 (82) Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Where the number of boys and/or girls in a year group is fewer than ten, only overall totals are included in the table. Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

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

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Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

White – any other White background 6 0 0

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Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

Mixed – any other mixed background 0 0 0

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Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

Asian or Asian British - Pakistani 0 0 0

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Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi 0 0 0

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Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

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

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Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

Black or Black British – Caribbean 0 0 0

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Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

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

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Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

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. Qualified teachers and classes: YR – Year 6 Financial Information

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Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 8 Financial year 2001/02

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Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 433000

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Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

Total expenditure 429000 Total number of education support staff Expenditure per pupil 2451 Beacon Hill Primary School- 29 Balance brought forward from previous year 47000 Total aggregate hours worked per week Balance carried forward to next year 51000

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Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 6

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Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 6

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Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

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Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

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

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Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

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

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Questionnaire return rate. Figures may not total 100 due to rounding.

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Percentage of responses in each category

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

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 53 37 6 0 4

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Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 39 61 0 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 27 65 6 2 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 20 64 12 0 4

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Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 53 37 6 4 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 45 49 6 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 27 59 10 4 0 Beacon Hill Primary School- 30 The school is well led and managed. 22 65 8 2 4

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 44 52 4 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 26 42 26 6 0

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

71. Provision for children in the Foundation Stage is good, and is appropriately based on the recommended national framework. Teaching has improved since the last inspection, when it was sound, and it is now good overall. In some aspects, particularly in organisation, in deployment of assistants, and in creating positive relationships, the quality of teaching is very good. The well- organised day-to-day routines and the pleasant atmosphere established by the Reception class teacher enable all children to feel safe and secure, and to grow in confidence. This is particularly beneficial to children with special educational needs and those who speak English as an additional language and helps them to make good progress. Children are admitted to school during the autumn term of the year in which they become five, starting on either a full-time or part-time basis, depending when their fifth birthdays occur. Most children have attended the local nursery school before starting, and there is

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

good liaison between the nursery school and the Reception Class staff. When children enter the school, their attainment is broadly average for their age, although there are some variations from year to year. Although this inspection took place early in the academic year, children have already made considerable progress in all the areas of learning and development, and most are on course to meet or exceed the nationally recommended Early Learning Goals by the end of the year. Overall, children make good progress during their first year in school and achieve well. In the previous inspection it was reported that children achieved appropriate standards for their age and made sound progress, although in knowledge and understanding of the world they made good progress.

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Personal, social and emotional development

72. Standards are above average in this area of development. Most children are on course to exceed the Early Learning Goals by the time they leave the Reception Class. This reflects skilful teaching and provision for play, together with encouragement for children to feel confident and interested to explore and interact with others. The children settle in very well and quickly learn to share and to take turns while at play or work. They listen carefully to each others, and to their teacher and other adults, and converse with one another enthusiastically while playing. During whole class sessions, children sit quietly, remember to take turns when speaking, and are learning to consider the viewpoints of others. They are sufficiently confident to tell their own news and to ask their own questions. They are well behaved and polite, and remember to use conventional phrases as appropriate, such as ‘please’ and ‘thank you’. They enjoy working and playing alongside each other,

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Personal, social and emotional development

and often develop co-operative episodes in their play, such as a crew of several children pretending to row along the river in their boat together, catching fish. The children attend to their personal hygiene appropriately, and practically all can already dress and undress themselves independently before and after physical education lessons. The children enjoy learning, and are keen and interested. They show great pleasure in participating in activities, and in what they achieve. All children settle well to the more structured activities, usually involving literacy or numeracy, and show ability to concentrate for appropriate periods of time. 73. Personal and social development is strongly promoted through all areas of learning, and teaching is very good in this aspect of the programme. The strength of this teaching lies in the warm Beacon Hill Primary School- 31 and encouraging relationships that the adults develop with the children, which enables them to grow in

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Personal, social and emotional development

confidence and feel secure. Adults provide very good role models and always treat the children with courtesy and respect. This leads to trusting relationships and helps the children to develop an awareness of others. The Reception teacher ensures that there is sufficient time for the children to choose activities for themselves and to initiate their own ideas through play. There is a good range of resources to support this aspect of their learning.

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Communication, language and literacy

74. Teaching and learning in this area of development are both good. Attainment is average overall, although in speaking and listening, it is good. Most children are on course to meet or exceed the recommended Early Learning Goals by the end of the Reception year. Their language and communication skills develop well, and most children talk freely about their own experiences and the things that interest them. They have plenty of opportunities to express their own feelings and ideas. All the adults stimulate talk and active enquiry through skilful questioning, but they are also good listeners. Throughout all the areas of learning, the Reception teacher and classroom assistants talk to children individually and in groups to ensure that they extend their vocabulary and have the ability to use their language and communication skills for a variety of purposes. Children’s efforts at communicating are all welcomed and recognised by adults, who value their contributions to

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Communication, language and literacy

discussions. Children are able to sustain attentive listening for appropriate periods of time, and enjoy listening to stories. They know that print carries meaning and can point to a few words they recognise already. They make relevant observations about characters in book illustrations, and can imagine what they might be saying. Careful and consistent strategies used by the teacher enable pupils to recognise and say many of the initials sounds in words, and more able children recognise some familiar words or names. Early approaches to handwriting are taught carefully and in small groups, so that individual attention can ensure correct formation of letters. Children’s dexterity in handling pencils and crayons adds to their ability to learn to write some letters of the alphabet. 75. The Reception teacher has effectively adapted the National Literacy Strategy framework to meet the needs of all children in the class, and to cater for the shorter attention span of children in the

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Communication, language and literacy

class at this early stage of the year. A good programme of teaching, incorporating spelling patterns, word meanings, sentence structure and reading texts together helps to develop the children’s knowledge and understanding in literacy. Stories and rhymes enrich their experiences. Children are provided with a good range of purposeful activities to develop their use of language for reading and writing. After hearing the story of Mr. Gumpy’s Boat Trip, play in the pretend corner with the ‘boat’ and the ‘fishing rods’ captured the children’s imagination as they acted out Mr. Gumpy’s adventures. Through effective interaction with adults, and good quality provision and teaching, all children extend their ability to communicate well, and they make sound progress in developing literacy skills.

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Mathematical development

76. This area of development is well taught, and children are learning well. Children are achieving average standards at this stage of the year, and most are on course to meet or exceed the Early Learning Goals in mathematics by the end of the year. Virtually all children can count up to ten, and many can count further. Most are able to identify the symbols for numbers to ten correctly, and to know that they indicate the appropriate number of items. In a guessing game, which involved children hiding their eyes while one number was removed from the number line, all were able to identify which number was missing, and then to count the relevant number of objects. This game was very popular, and one child’s comment following her successful turn was “Smashing!”, as she skipped back to her place on the carpet. Children are beginning to copy-write numbers and can distinguish and identify shapes, such as circles and squares. They notice and comment on the number of sides and corners of

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Mathematical development

angled shapes and relate these to some features of everyday objects around them. Beacon Hill Primary School- 32 77. Children are provided with an appropriate range of practical experiences, such as one-to-one matching, sorting and ordering games, shape puzzles, and building with bricks. Mathematical language, such as ‘before’, ‘after’, ‘bigger than’, and ‘smaller than’ is introduced carefully, and most children can use these terms well. Work is carefully planned, and children are encouraged to see mathematics in the situations and activities going on around them. They develop mathematical ideas through play, singing rhymes and in counting, for instance, how many little plastic teddies their boats will hold when floating in the water. Questioning is skilfully used to encourage children to organise their thoughts and build on their understanding.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

78. Children enter the Reception Class with a basic general knowledge which the teacher builds on effectively, helping them to learn more about the world around them. Teaching and learning in this area are both good. Attainment is average, and most children are on course to meet or exceed the Early Learning Goals by the end of the year. Activities are very well planned and organisation is very good, as children often taken turns to participate in activities in small groups, thus allowing greater interaction with the adult leading the activity. They are carefully linked with other areas of the curriculum, and with play, and are enhanced by discussions with adults which aid the children’s understanding and recall. For instance, fitting in with the story of Mr. Gumpy , and the role-play in a boat, the teacher planned to combine the boat theme with a floating and sinking activity which the children found very exciting. A good link with mathematics involved counting miniature teddies to

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

ascertain how many could be carried in different boats without sinking. In this and in similar topics, discussion forms an important part of the work, and children are encouraged to be observant and describe what they can see. Effective questioning focused children’s attention on what they could see when examining grass seeds that they had planted, to see if they had germinated. The children used magnifying glasses to aid their observations. 79. Children make good progress in using the computer and demonstrate good control of the mouse when moving items for the ‘washing basket’ around the screen. They match items, or make their own shapes and patterns using a colour drawing program. A wide range of construction toys and materials is available for the children to play with and to explore, and they use these to build models and structures. Children are also introduced to a suitable range of aspects of religion, mostly in the

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

form of stories, and through preparations to celebrate the Christian festivals of Christmas and Easter. In the Christmas period there are clothes in the role-play corner suitable for a nativity scene, which the children enjoy using.

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Physical development

80. Teaching in this area of learning is good. Children are making sound progress in developing physical control, mobility and awareness of space, both indoors and out. They are achieving average standards for their age and are on course generally to meet or exceed the Early Learning Goals by the end of the year. There is now a purpose designed outdoor play area, in which children can play every day during activity times. Clambering and balancing apparatus is provided, and also wheeled toys, so that children are able to develop and refine their moving and balancing skills. This is a good improvement since the last inspection. The children join older pupils for playtimes in the main playgrounds on some days and also have regular opportunities to use the school hall for physical education and movement to music. In these lessons, children make good use of space in the hall and develop an awareness of others. Good learning in these lessons is due to the teacher’s good use of

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Physical development

time and careful watchfulness that keeps all children involved and active, and helps them to develop confidence in what they are able to achieve. Nearly all children in the class are able to hop, skip, jump and run appropriately for their age, and they are also able to stop and start their movements with control. In one lesson, children were learning basic ball skills, using large balls, and practising bouncing, rolling, throwing and catching. Different activities, which used these skills and changed at Beacon Hill Primary School- 33 frequent intervals, maintained children’s interest, while the teacher and classroom assistant checked up on each child’s capabilities and helped sometimes by working with individual children. 81. Within the classroom, children develop increasing hand control through a variety of different games and activities, and through more formal tasks such as learning to write letters, words and

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Physical development

numbers, draw shapes and pictures, and use scissors and brushes. Children competently pick up small items of equipment when engaging in play activities, and can identify and press individual keys on computer keyboards. All children are able to make marks and shapes with a variety of drawing and painting materials. Teaching exploits opportunities in the range of activities available to improve this aspect of physical development, and the children achieve good standards of dexterity for their age.

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Creative development

82. The quality of teaching and learning in this area of development is very good. The children make good progress overall in developing their creative skills and achieve good standards for their age. Activities promoting creative development are imaginatively planned and very well organised. Role- play opportunities are carefully designed to stimulate play that will allow imaginative reflection on the stories and themes the children have been working on. The pretend corner takes on different guises from time to time, being Goldilocks’ cottage, a post office or shop, and a doctor’s surgery. At the time of this inspection, it was Mr. Gumpy’s boat. Children play out imaginary situations and enjoy dressing up as different characters. They are able to sustain aspects of the characters for appropriate periods of time and to talk about what they are doing. The boat crew played for longer than is usually typical

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Creative development

of the age, and they were able to co-operate with one another in playing well together. 83. The children enjoy learning to sing, and join in familiar and favourite songs. They learn to use percussion instruments simply, or to clap a rhythm in time to music. They enjoy listening to music. In art, children paint and draw freely, and also learn to model using clay, plasticine and dough. Using a variety of different colours and shades, children were able in one lesson to paint a character from Mr. Gumpy’s story, selecting different animals and people independently. Most took a great deal of care in making their pictures, and the amount and quality of detail reproduced was of a high standard. This reflects the care, the demonstration, and the explanations and discussions by the teacher and assistants which provide a stimulating context for such activities. Children were intrigued when introduced to the

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Creative development

technique of marbling, using oil paint suspended on water, and they were excited by printing out the designs made by the paint globules as they saw the different patterns emerging. They were also shown how, when oil and water are mixed in a jar, the oil rises to the top and forms a layer across the surface of the water. This not only explained for them how the paint can be suspended on top of the water and yet move around to make their patterns, but demonstrated scientific knowledge in a practical and purposeful way. This is a good example of the links between different areas of learning, which the teacher so ably and valuably employs in her planning and organisation throughout the Foundation Stage curriculum.

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ENGLISH

84. Pupils in Year 2 and Year 6 attain above average standards in English. This is a good improvement on the 2002 national tests for Year 6 pupils, when pupils achieved average attainment. Pupils in Year 6 are making good progress due to consistently good teaching. The school has made good improvement since the previous inspection, when attainment in English was judged to be average in Year 2 and below average in Year 6. The school achieved its target for 77 per cent of Year 6 pupils to achieve Level 4 in 2002. The school has set challenging targets for the current group of pupils in Year 6, which they are likely to achieve. The measures put in place by the school are helping to raise standards. However, there has been insufficient time for some of the new initiatives, especially in spelling, to be sufficiently effective. A significant number of pupils in Year 1, and a high proportion of pupils in Year 4 are already achieving above average attainment. Over the past four years, there have

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ENGLISH

Beacon Hill Primary School- 34 been some fluctuations from year to year, which reflect the differences between year groups in a small school. 85. Pupils make good progress as they move through the school and achieve well. Pupils with special educational needs achieve good standards compared with their previous attainment because they receive well planned and effective support and their progress is regularly reviewed. The Early Literacy programme for younger pupils and the Additional Literacy programme for older pupils support their development well. Generally, boys do not achieve as well as girls, especially the older boys. They lack sufficient concentration and application and do not produce as much work. Pupils with English as an additional language also achieve well. They quickly gain fluency in English and are able to take a full part in lessons. Those at an early stage of language acquisition receive additional help

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ENGLISH

and support from classroom assistants. 86. Standards in speaking and listening are good throughout the school. Pupils are articulate and use a wide range of interesting vocabulary. Most pupils enter the school with average levels of spoken language. They quickly develop confidence in speaking, and improve their listening skills, which are good. In a very good Year 1 lesson, pupils quickly recognised which words rhymed in the story The King’s Socks, such as king and thing, and old and cold. They knew that, in this story, the same letters are used in the rhyming words to create the same sound. However, they also knew that words can sound the same, but are spelt differently, which is very good for their age. Pupils explained clearly how punctuation, such as commas, question marks and exclamation marks are used in text to enhance reading. They were keen to make suggestions for the number of phonemes they could hear within

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ENGLISH

words, such as “there’s three in bash, b-a-sh”. Pupils were eager to answer and the teacher’s very good management encouraged them to increase their listening skills well by waiting for their turn to answer. Personal, social and health education lessons also provide good opportunities for pupils to improve their speaking and listening skills. The good Year 5 lesson on learning to be able to empathise with others’ feelings enabled pupils to extend their speaking and listening skills well. Pupils listened attentively to short extracts about a boy whose dog had died and a girl who had lost her homework, which took four weeks to finish. The teacher enabled pupils to respond well to her effective questioning: “How do you think Jason felt? Why would the girl be worried? Who is she angry with?” The teacher encouraged pupils to think through their responses and to give reasons for them. This helped them to empathise with the characters on more than a superficial level, whilst also extending

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their speaking and listening skills. 87. Standards in reading are above average in Year 2 and Year 6, which is a good improvement since the previous inspection. Pupils enter the school with average language and literacy skills and make good progress to achieve these levels. At all ages, pupils enjoy reading the shared text in whole class reading sessions and the majority do so clearly and with expressive voices. Younger pupils handle books confidently and take them home regularly to practise their skills. In Year 2, more able pupils read confidently with good expression, and are able to talk about the books they like and dislike. However, some texts are not sufficiently challenging for the most able readers. Average attaining pupils read simple texts accurately and understand appropriate strategies to read unfamiliar words. Some less able pupils do not always do this automatically. They name their favourite authors, such as

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Dick King-Smith and Nick Butterworth. Pupils’ enjoyment of and interest in books develop well as they progress through the school. In Year 6, pupils are able to evaluate the texts they read with growing competence. They talk about their books and comment on characters with varying degrees of detail. Most read a wide selection of challenging texts, which helps them to achieve high standards of attainment. They name their favourite authors, such as Philip Pullman, Jacqueline Wilson and J.K.Rowling. Research and referencing skills are developed well in Years 3 to 6 by the use of a wide range of texts, and also through the use of information and communication technology. 88. Standards in writing are average in Year 2 and Year 6. There is evidence that younger pupils in the infant and junior parts of the school are achieving higher standards. This is partly because these Beacon Hill Primary School- 35

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pupils are benefiting from the improvements in teaching at an earlier stage. The acceptance of developmental writing helps pupils to write freely and to produce imaginative stories. Pupils are taught a good cursive style of writing in the Reception class and they quickly learn to transfer this skill into joined writing in Year 1. This is very good, as this enables pupils to achieve above average attainment in one aspect of their writing at an early age. Most Year 2 pupils use joined writing and present their work neatly. Above average pupils in Year 2 have a secure understanding of how to use adjectives, verbs and conjunctions, which are enabling them to achieve well. They use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. They use a good range of vocabulary, such as “looking diagonally” and “lots of different, lovely, juicy leaves” . Their punctuation and spellings are mostly correct. Other Year

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2 pupils use correct or plausibly correct spellings, but their use of punctuation is inconsistent. Throughout Years 1 and 2, pupils are given many opportunities to write in a wide range of styles across the curriculum, such as imaginative story writing, compiling a list of materials, writing a set of instructions for design and technology and a letter to a friend inviting them to tea, and labelling their science and geography work. 89. In Year 6, pupils write in an appropriate range of forms, including book reviews, poetry, formal and informal letter writing, imaginative stories and instructions. However, writing which uses a more formal range of structures and tone is not sufficiently represented in their work. In the best writing, there is a good range of vocabulary and a lively use of language to create deliberate effects. The more able pupils are beginning to use paragraphs appropriately and consistently in their writing. Their own

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choice of reading material contains a wide range of imaginative and adventurous words. This is good as it enriches their vocabulary, which they are able to use for their own writing. Average and lower attaining pupils use mainly familiar vocabulary. An analysis of pupils’ writing indicates variable levels of accuracy, with a lack of consistent use of correct punctuation. There is evidence of editing, particularly in the word-processed work, with systematic planning, drafting and refining. Effective teaching of information and communication skills throughout Years 3 to 6 is enabling pupils to produce well-presented work. 90. Year 3 pupils use their literacy skills well in history, when they write precise facts about Queen Victoria. Year 4 pupils write in different styles, such as stories, a newspaper article and a play script. They use dictionaries well, both for spellings, understanding the meaning of words and to

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enhance their vocabulary when writing. Many Year 5 pupils write in a good range of styles, but their spelling skills and their understanding of the use of punctuation is weak. The more able pupils in Year 5 are achieving in line with expectations, as they use complex sentence structures and varied, interesting vocabulary. 91. The school has identified the need to improve standards of pupils’ writing and spelling throughout the school. There are indications that standards of spelling are improving through the acceptance of developmental writing combined with an increased focus on the use of phonics and spelling patterns. The school has recently bought a published scheme of work for spelling, which is being used consistently and well. However, this has not yet had time to influence and improve pupils’ writing skills sufficiently to raise levels of attainment. The development of literacy skills across the

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curriculum is satisfactory. There is evidence of productive links in some subjects, such as the history work on the Victorians and the Aztecs; there are some missed opportunities, especially in science, to develop the depth and range of pupils’ writing and reading. There have been some missed opportunities for older pupils to develop the skills of skimming and scanning in their reading and to write at length for a range of styles. However, this is being addressed by the introduction of set periods for extended writing, which have not yet had time to be fully effective. 92. The quality of teaching and learning in English is good. This is a good improvement on the previous inspection, when teaching was judged to be satisfactory. There are good relationships between pupils and adults, which create a positive atmosphere for learning. This gives pupils confidence to develop their skills and understanding, under the guidance of teachers and support staff

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Beacon Hill Primary School- 36 who know their pupils well. Teachers have good subject knowledge, which is evident in their management of the literacy hour. Most lessons have a brisk pace because lessons are planned well and pupils are given a clear understanding of what they are expected to learn. Basic skills are taught well, and this enables pupils to achieve high standards. Teachers use high quality literature in English lessons, such as The Diary of Anne Frank in a Year 4 lesson. This extends pupils’ vocabulary well and promotes their understanding of how to use a wide range of vocabulary, sentence structures and ideas within their own work, helping them to achieve higher attainment. Teachers have high expectations of pupils, who respond well to this, by being attentive, well behaved and interested in the stimulating lessons. Pupils are given many opportunities to use a good range of resources, such as the

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Internet and books for research, which enables them to achieve well. 93. Strengths in the teaching and learning of English across the school were illustrated well in a very good literacy lesson in Year 6. The teacher’s lively presentation engaged the pupils’ interest and helped them to sustain concentration. After reading an extract from The Hand, the teacher’s effective questioning helped pupils to increase their understanding of how to create a feeling of suspense within a story. They came to realise how the combination of either several very short sentences, or more complex sentences containing many commas, keeps the sense of suspense going in a story by creating a feeling of breathlessness. Very good teaching helped pupils to understand the strategies they might use to plan how a story could develop. There was a very good transition into group work, which was well planned and organised. Work was appropriately structured for pupils of

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different abilities, so that everyone had a challenging, yet achievable task, enabling all to feel successful. There was also good co-operation between the teacher and the assistant, who was productively involved throughout the lesson. They both effectively questioned pupils to ensure their understanding and praised them for good work. Very good relationships, and high expectations of pupils’ behaviour, personal responsibility and standards of work, ensured that pupils made good gains in their learning. By the end of the lesson, pupils had created their own stimulating, exciting opening for their suspense stories. The teacher explained how it is helpful for pupils to hear their writing read aloud. He encouraged pupils to work in pairs and then allowed them to dramatise their work in the very good plenary session, which reinforced pupils’ learning very well. 94. There is a good focus on oral and listening skills throughout the school, and teachers use

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questions effectively to encourage all pupils to participate, and to extend and develop their responses. Reading is given good attention in the guided reading sessions. Assessment procedures are good and are used well to plan the next stage in pupils’ learning. The quality of marking is variable and ranges from being very good to satisfactory. In the best practice, pupils are given good recognition for their achievements combined with constructive and clear indications of how they can improve their work. This good practice is not consistently used in all classes. 95. The National Literacy Strategy has been satisfactorily implemented and is having a good impact on pupils' learning. The policy for English, which supports teaching and learning well, is due for review early in 2003. The co-ordinator manages the subject well, which is an improvement from the previous inspection, when it was judged to be “not yet adequately managed or coordinated”. The co-

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ordinator is enthusiastic and has very good subject knowledge. She has a good understanding of how to raise pupils’ attainment further through improving spelling and standards in writing. She has monitored teaching and is providing good support for staff. Information and communication technology is used well to support teaching and learning in English. Teaching assistants make a good contribution to pupils’ learning, as they are deployed well and help pupils to make good progress. Assessment procedures are good and the results are used well to inform teachers’ future planning. national test results are analysed thoroughly, and this information is used well to help to raise pupils’ attainment. Targets are set for individual pupils to help them to make good progress and to achieve well. Termly planning is good, which is an improvement from the last inspection. Daily plans are good, as they are

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Beacon Hill Primary School- 37 based on the format for the National Literacy Strategy planning. Resources in literacy are satisfactory, with some good recent purchases to help to raise pupils’ attainment in spelling. 96. There is an appropriate range and number of books in the classrooms. The library is well stocked with a good range of both fiction and non-fiction books. It is used well for group work and for research purposes and provides a stimulating and welcoming environment for learning. English makes a good contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, through the use of high quality literature and learning to co-operate with others, both in class and when performing in school productions.

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97. In Year 2 standards are above average This is an improvement on the findings of the previous inspection which found standards to be “in line with national averages”. In the 2002 national tests, the proportion of pupils who attained Level 2 was broadly similar to that found nationally. However, the number of pupils who reached Level 3 was above average. Pupils make good progress and achieve well. This includes those with special educational needs, because they receive effective support from teaching assistants. Pupils with English as an additional language also achieve well. There were no observed differences in the achievements of boys and girls, but in the latest tests, boys’ attainment was lower than that of girls. 98. Standards in Year 6 are above average, which represents a significant improvement since the last inspection, when they were below average. This has come about because of improvements in the

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quality of teaching and the successful implementation of the National Numeracy Strategy. In the 2002 national tests, the proportion of pupils who reached Level 5 was well above average. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress, particularly when they have close support from teaching assistants. There were no observed differences in the achievements of boys and girls. The school has set a challenging target for 81 per cent of its pupils to reach the national average next year. The findings of this inspection indicate that this is realistic. 99. The quality of teaching and learning is good overall throughout the school. The previous inspection described teaching as “sound overall, but varies from good to poor”. In this inspection, no unsatisfactory teaching was seen. Therefore, there has been a good improvement in the quality of teaching. In a good Year 2 lesson, which illustrated why teaching is effective in Years 1 and 2, the

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teacher’s approach was lively, imaginative and presented a good challenge for pupils to learn. She made good use of a game to help pupils sequence numbers in the right order and develop their understanding of the appropriate mathematical vocabulary for this activity. The group work that followed was particularly effective because pupils consolidated their understanding through practical activity. This allowed them to place pairs of numbers accurately in bigger/smaller relationships. A group of higher attaining pupils used information and communication technology to do this task. Pupils responded very well to these various activities with good concentrated mental effort and therefore most made good progress during the lesson. However, a small number lost concentration toward the end of the lesson because they had insufficient intervention from the teacher, whose main focus was now upon the pupils who used the computers.

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100. In Years 1 and 2 pupils generally use and apply mathematical knowledge confidently. They are mostly competent at number and analysis of their previous work indicates that they have begun to make good progress in learning about shape, space and measures. In Year 1, a good lesson was characterised by the way in which the teacher motivated the pupils, her positive approach, encouragement and a good match of activities to the needs of pupils. Because of this, they enjoyed the tasks of finding the difference between two numbers, worked with good concentration and were given opportunities at the end of the lesson to evaluate their own learning. Because of these features, they made good progress. In both lessons, good support was given to lower attaining pupils by teaching assistants. Beacon Hill Primary School- 38 101. In Years 3 to 6, most pupils have well-developed problem solving skills that they use

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effectively. They have good levels of competence in the use of number, and analysis of their work indicates that they are making good progress in learning about shape, space, measures and data handling. A weakness identified in the analysis of work is that layout and presentation are not always as accurate as they should be, particularly in shape and space work. The quality of teaching and learning is good overall. In the introduction to a good Year 6 lesson, the teacher made effective use of the very detailed planning. There were good explanations of the mathematics involved, and careful questioning of pupils enabled them to acquire a good knowledge of how to plot positive and negative integers in all four quadrants on a grid. There were good opportunities for pupils to discuss what they did and this helped them to clarify their understanding and improve their skills. The tasks set challenged pupils to apply their learned skills and they did this with generally good concentration and

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enthusiasm. They worked very well together and used appropriate strategies to solve the problems, but sometimes this resulted in too much noise. The teacher made good use of a computer program to help a group of lower attaining pupils develop their understanding of the objectives of the lesson. Two teaching assistants provided effective support where this was appropriate. In Year 4, the teacher used a wide and effective range of skills to enthuse and inspire pupils to learn how to use the ‘grid’ method for multiplication of two digit numbers. This very good lesson was the outcome of a very good presentation, clear explanations, incisive questioning and very detailed planning. Pupils therefore sustained interest, rose to the challenge and, when required, settled quickly to group work activities because they were eager to use the method taught. Particularly good use was made of discussion to help them clarify their thinking about the skills employed. They made good use of the multiplication

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facts learned in previous lessons and most discussed their understanding of the operation readily when asked. The teacher had high expectations of what the pupils should understand and be able to do and they responded very well to this. 102. Where teaching is satisfactory, rather than good, the pace of work is sometimes slower and group activities are not managed to ensure that all pupils work equally hard at their given tasks. For example, in a Year 3 lesson, the teacher became too involved with a group and was not sufficiently aware of the needs of others. The challenge presented by the tasks was appropriate, but too little attention was given to the quality and presentation of the work because the teacher did not make her expectations about this explicit. At times in the lesson, noise levels were too high for concentrated effort required. In a Year 5 lesson, the transition to group work was not well managed and there was

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little indication to pupils about what the teacher expected regarding the quality or quantity of their work. This resulted, at times, in a rather relaxed pace during the rest of the lesson and wide variation in the quality and accuracy of the work done. Pupils’ work shows that marking is not always carried out with sufficient rigour and pupils are given too little guidance on how to improve their work. In most classes, there is insufficient emphasis upon the need to record work in a clear, logical and organized manner. This often results in wasted space, muddle and inaccuracy. 103. The school has implemented the national numeracy strategy well, and this has clearly been effective in raising standards. Teachers plan and teach lessons according to the strategy, although there are some variations in the detail that is included. There is effective and growing use of information and communication technology in the subject.

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104. The mathematics curriculum is broad and balanced overall. In all year groups, there is a growing emphasis on using and applying mathematics in other subjects. For example, in geography in Year 3, pupils have used a simple grid to locate positions and in Year 5, they have made graphs to show annual temperature patterns in different localities around the world. Information and communication technology is used increasingly in mathematics, but is not systematically planned into the curriculum. The co-ordinator is aware of the need to improve on this. Pupils are given appropriate homework to help them develop their skills and understanding. Assessment procedures are satisfactory and provide teachers with valuable information about the progress of pupils. The use of Beacon Hill Primary School- 39 assessment in planning the curriculum is at an early stage of development. The subject co-ordinator is

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recently qualified, newly appointed, enthusiastic and has a satisfactory understanding of some of the priorities for development. However, this is limited because she has insufficient opportunities to monitor pupils’ work and the quality of teaching and learning. She does not have access to the assessment results of each class and therefore does not have a good grasp of the progress that pupils make and what is needed to develop the curriculum. Resources are adequate and used effectively to contribute to pupils’ knowledge and understanding.

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SCIENCE

105. Standards in science are average in Year 2 and above average in Year 6. These judgements reflect the standards achieved by the pupils in the national tests in Year 6 and the teachers’ assessments in Year 2. They are also similar to the findings of the previous inspection in Year 2 but show a considerable improvement in Year 6, where standards were below average four years ago. Pupils’ achievement is satisfactory overall in Years 1 and 2, although there is evidence of good achievement in Year 1. In Year 2, work is not planned carefully enough to meet the needs of lower, average and higher achieving pupils. Very few pupils reach Level 3, because work is not planned well enough to enable them to progress to this level. Pupils’ achieve well in Years 3 to 6, because there is a strong emphasis on investigative science and a good balance between practical work and the acquisition of scientific knowledge and understanding. Pupils with special educational needs and those

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for whom English is an additional language achieve satisfactory standards compared with their previous attainment, as they receive appropriate support in lessons. There is no significant difference in the performance of boys and girls. 106. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory overall. However, there is evidence of good teaching in Years 1, 4 and 6. Some teachers are more confident in their knowledge of the subject than others and this is reflected in the quality of pupils’ learning in different classes. Throughout the school, there is a strong emphasis on experimental and investigative science, and pupils are taught to plan and carry out their own investigations, paying due regard to fair testing. Teachers’ planning is variable in quality, because the scheme of work does not provide a clear enough framework to guide them. Consequently, there is too much scope for individual interpretation of National

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Curriculum requirements, which results in inconsistencies and lack of progression in learning. In some classes, there are insufficient opportunities for pupils to record their findings in an appropriate format, and the presentation of written work is sometimes of poor quality. 107. In Years 1 and 2, pupils have a sound understanding of how humans, animals and plants live and grow. Pupils in Year 2 label parts of the human body on a diagram and know how a baby develops into a child and then an adult. They know what plants need in order to grow and understand some of the features of a healthy diet. Pupils in Year 2 also investigate materials to learn about their properties and uses. For example, they tested a selection of materials to find out which had waterproof qualities and examined the reasons why some were more effective at keeping out water than others. Pupils in Year 1 learn that pushes and pulls are examples of forces and that air is a force

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that moves objects. The teacher plans a good range of experiences for them, such as investigating toys, blowing bubbles and changing the shape of balloons by blowing them up and letting them go. Pupils’ work in Year 1 shows that the teacher builds in additional challenge for more able pupils which extends their learning. In Year 2, work is not planned so effectively to meet the needs of pupils of differing capabilities. 108. Pupils in Year 6 plan their own investigation to show how solids that do not dissolve in water can be separated by filtration. There is a good emphasis on the importance of planning a series of sequenced steps and on ensuring that the method used ensures a fair test. Pupils make predictions where appropriate and make careful observations. They also consider evaporation as an alternative means of separating some mixtures and understand that some changes are irreversible, while others

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Beacon Hill Primary School- 40 may be reversed. After exploring different types of electrical circuit and how to construct and test them, pupils used their knowledge to design a game which incorporated a circuit. The teacher’s planning of the work to be carried out each week is very thorough and shows good progression in learning. However, there is insufficient emphasis on recording work neatly and explaining scientific method and findings. 109. The best features of teaching throughout the school were seen in Year 4, where the science co-ordinator is based. Pupils’ work shows that there are plenty of opportunities for them to undertake scientific investigations and a good emphasis on recording findings neatly. Pupils were encouraged to predict which material would be the best insulator: “I think fur will be best because it is thick and the heat won’t be able to get out”. There is a strong focus on fair testing: “We will keep it a fair test

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because we will keep the water level the same and make sure the materials are the same length”. The teacher makes effective use of pupils’ numeracy skills as they measure the temperature of the water after four, eight and 12 minutes and record their results in a table. There is good development of scientific vocabulary and a clear focus on interpreting the data collected and drawing conclusions from it. The teacher’s marking of pupils’ work is helpful and constructive: “Was turning ice into water a reversible change? How did you work this out?” 110. The co-ordinator is new to the role but has already identified what needs to be done to raise standards further and improve the quality of teaching and learning throughout the school. She provides good support for colleagues. Assessment procedures are satisfactory but inconsistent between classes. There is very good practice in Year 4, for example, and in Year 6 assessment information is

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used well to identify gaps in pupils’ understanding and inform teachers’ planning. However, the scheme of work does not provide sufficient guidance for teachers to ensure that work is planned to meet the needs of all pupils or to ensure continuity in learning from year to year. There are appropriate links with literacy, numeracy and information and communication technology, but these are planned more effectively in some classes than in others. The school has a satisfactory range of resources to support learning in science, but in some aspects there is not enough equipment to ensure that all pupils are able to carry out their investigations at the same time. Visits to the Science Museum and opportunities to work with visitors from Guildford University on the Science and Technology Bus help to extend pupils’ knowledge and understanding of science. The subject makes a good contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development as pupils have many opportunities to work

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together on investigations and learn about the importance of scientific knowledge in everyday life.

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ART AND DESIGN

111. During this inspection, it was only possible to observe one lesson in art and design, in Year 6. Judgements are, therefore, based on this, the analysis of pupils’ work, teachers’ planning and displays of work around the school. Standards in Year 2 are above average. This is an improvement on the findings of the last inspection. In Year 6, standards are average age, and although work from Year 3 is also average, some of the work seen in Years 4 and 5 was above average. These findings are similar to those of the previous inspection. Pupils achieve well in Years 1 and 2 and satisfactorily in Years 3 to 6. This includes pupils with special educational needs and those pupils for whom English is an additional language. There are no significant differences between the achievements of boys and girls. 112. Although no lessons were seen in Years 1 and 2, the combined evidence indicates that the

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quality of teaching and learning is good. Teachers’ planning shows appropriate and balanced coverage of the National Curriculum in art and design, and work samples and displays from Year 2 indicate good teaching of skills and techniques. This is an improvement since the previous inspection. Skills and techniques taught, and in evidence during the inspection, include colour mixing and shading, in particular, making pale shades from white, paper collage for making textured figures and mobiles, paper mosaics, and sponge printing as a way of representing autumn foliage in a tree scene. Pupils in Beacon Hill Primary School- 41 Year 2 have been studying the work of Van Gogh, and looking particularly at his use of colour to evoke mood. They focused on paintings where yellow was used as a sunny colour of uplifting mood, contrasting with blue as a more sombre colour which also represents coolness and calm. In their

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paintings following up this study, pupils made compositions using subjects depicted mainly in yellow, such as flowers in a vase, and in blue, such as seascapes or night-time landscapes. These compositions showed good learning in terms of pupils’ awareness of the moods which can be created with different colours, and in their use of form and line in the pictures. This provides a good example of how teaching has both imparted knowledge and understanding through the work of a famous artist, and provided opportunities for practical work so that pupils can practise the skills they have learned. 113. The quality of teaching and learning in Years 3 to 6 is satisfactory. An analysis of pupils’ work in these year groups indicates that the teaching of a range of skills in art and design enables pupils to make sound progress in their learning and to achieve standards that are at least average for their age. Year 3 pupils have been studying wallpaper designs by William Morris, and have looked

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carefully at the motifs he drew on from nature as the basis of his patterns, and at the colour palettes he selected for different designs. These pupils have also looked at shape and line in the form of silhouettes, and have done their own pencil portraits and drawings of figures on the move, using jointed figures as models. In Year 4, careful drawings of leaves from life made good, detailed observational studies, and included texture, symmetry and colour mixing. In Year 5, pupils worked on much more detailed colour mixing, using bright and dark hues. They use their efforts at shading through the tones of a single colour to enliven their paintings of the planets, and also for the background to their sunset paintings. Year 6 pupils have studied the work of Cézanne, looking in particular at his still life paintings. They have made their own still life compositions using water colours or pastels, first

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creating their own arrangements of fruit and vegetables. Independence in composing the still-life arrangements was a good feature in the teaching of this topic, and pupils responded well to this challenge. However, they spent more effort on this rather than using their painting skills in the actual representations, which were of an average standard for their age. Although little evidence of three- dimensional work was seen during the inspection, this element is adequately provided for in the planning across the school, and the strands of the subject receive a good balanced approach. Some information and communication technology programs are available for pupils to use and are sometimes employed for drawing, colouring and design work. 114. The co-ordinator has a good grasp of the subject and the programme which forms the National Curriculum in art and design in the primary school. However, the role of the co-ordinator is not fully

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developed, and she has had no time for monitoring the curriculum, standards, or teaching and learning in the subject. Although she sees aspects of teachers’ planning in the subject, and observes displays in the school, she has not systematically sampled work or reviewed assessment across the school. Planning in the subject is satisfactory, an improvement from the previous inspection, but the scheme of work is inadequate and is identified for review. Termly planning takes the place of a scheme of work, but for this purpose is not sufficiently comprehensive, and does not provide adequate guidance for teachers. Assessment procedures are inconsistent and lack a whole school approach. Some teachers do it well, others sketchily and some almost not at all. The co-ordinator has a school portfolio of photographs of successful work, but these are not assessed or referenced to aspects of the National Curriculum. Resources are satisfactory in the subject. There is an action plan for the development of

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the subject which includes a proposed Art Week and an artist-in residence to provide enrichment in the subject. Display around the school is well mounted, neat and colourful and enhances the classrooms and other areas.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

115. From an evaluation of one lesson seen in Year 2, an examination of teachers’ planning and limited examples of pupils’ previous work, indications are that standards are average in Years 2 and 6. Beacon Hill Primary School- 42 This is similar to the findings of the previous inspection. Pupils’ achievement, including those with special educational needs and English as an additional language, is satisfactory. 116. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory in Years 1 and 2. The previous inspection made no judgement on teaching for design and technology in either key stage. In the lesson seen, the teacher’s planning was rather brief, but pupils did know what to do and tackled the task of making a papier-mâché cup with interest and good concentration. They were receptive to the teacher’s insistence that they worked carefully to ensure that their pots were of good quality construction.

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Therefore they enjoyed the activity, although at times were rather noisy. They were able to describe what they did and had sufficient manual skills to produce pots that pleased them and matched the objectives for the lesson. In Year 1, simple designs for a ‘pop-up’ puppet were carefully drawn and coloured. Pupils produced a good range of different design ideas, such as teddy bears, witches and a princess. The designs included a suitable written list of ‘Things I will need.’ 117. The quality of teaching and learning in Years 3 to 6 is also satisfactory. Overall, there has been some improvement in teaching since the previous inspection because there is a better focus on the specific features of the subject than formerly. Pupils understand that they must have a purpose when they design and make things. They have partners in the Reception class and have begun to design ‘buggies’ for them. They understand that they have to generate a range of design ideas and

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show awareness of the need to consider the tools and materials needed for construction. They gained good experience of this when they designed and constructed Tudor houses in Year 5. Overall, pupils have had satisfactory experience of the subject, but there has been some lack of depth, because they have not yet made their buggies. A satisfactory lesson was seen in Year 3, when pupils had to design a photo frame. The teacher demonstrated how to make a design and gave clear explanations, but the pupils had too little opportunity to gain good understanding. This was because she did not sufficiently engage them in discussion about the activity. At times, they were too noisy because the teacher became too engrossed with small groups. During the activity, the teacher checked pupils’ progress, answered their questions and made suggestions to help them develop their work. Effective support was given to lower attaining pupils by a teaching assistant and higher attaining pupils worked

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independently and made good progress. 118. The school bases some of its work for design and technology on national guidelines. This is rather limited in effect because planning lacks sufficient detail to focus upon what pupils should know, understand and be able to do. The use of information and communication technology in design or making is not incorporated into the planning. The use of assessment to determine pupils’ progress is unsatisfactory. This is a weakness because it cannot be known what areas of the subject need improvement to raise the attainment of pupils. The co-ordinator is enthusiastic, but also responsible for art. This tends to mean that design and technology is too closely linked to the art curriculum. She has identified priorities for development and knows that the design and technology curriculum needs revision. There have been no opportunities to monitor either the work of pupils or teaching and

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because of the location of her classroom in Browns, she is not easily able to do this on an informal basis. Resources are adequate.

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GEOGRAPHY

119. During the inspection, it was only possible to observe the teaching of geography in Years 1, 4 and 6. Judgements are based on these observations and on the analysis of pupils' work throughout the school, teachers' planning and discussions with pupils. The evidence indicates that pupils achieve average standards in Years 2 and 6. This is an improvement from the previous inspection, when attainment in Year 6 was judged to be below national expectations . Achievement is satisfactory. Pupils with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language make satisfactory progress as work is matched appropriately to their needs and capabilities. Beacon Hill Primary School- 43 120. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory, overall, throughout the school. Teachers use the school surroundings and the local area very well to extend pupils' understanding of geographical features. Year 1 pupils are learning about their local environment, such as how to be safe

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at school. They have walked around the village and looked at ways that the roads can be made safer, such as having a lollipop lady and having a pedestrian crossing . They suggest ways to improve a location, such as “create a park” , and “add more trees” . In the observed lesson, pupils made good progress in their learning about directions; left, right, forwards and backwards. They took part in moving in different directions before making their own direction circle game from card, which they enjoyed using with their classmates. They used their literacy skills well to write a list of instructions on how to use their game. Pupils have painted pictures of places they have visited on holiday, such as the seaside and France. Year 2 pupils have a satisfactory understanding of the natural features in their local area. They can use a key on a simple map of the local area to show different features, such as

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GEOGRAPHY

the school, the church, the garage and the shops . They apply their numeracy skills well when they use a basic grid to locate positions on a simple map. They can name and mark on a map the names of each country in the British Isles, and Ireland. They compare features of the local area with a rainforest and use secondary sources of information, such as postcards from foreign countries, to learn about different places in the world. 121. Pupils in Years 3 to 6 use a satisfactory range of geographical skills to help them to investigate a variety of places and environments. They have a sound understanding of how to use secondary evidence to gain geographical information. Year 3 pupils draw maps to scale and compare and record weather measurements. Year 4 pupils use the Internet to find out about geographical issues, such as the recent earthquake in Italy. They use a variety of different scale maps to gather geographical

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GEOGRAPHY

information about Great Britain and make a detailed study of an area in India, collecting data about diversity of population, lifestyles and the physical features. Year 5 pupils draw a graph to show annual temperature patterns from given information for four localities around the world. They use the graph to find the minimum and maximum temperatures and use their numeracy skills well in order to make comparisons between the areas. Pupils investigate life in Uganda and make a study of Nairobi. They know about the importance of the rainforests and the effects of deforestation. Year 6 pupils undertake research projects and make good use of secondary sources of evidence for their work on different European countries. 122. A Year 6 lesson illustrates well how good teaching enables pupils to make good progress in their learning. The lesson was planned well and resources were well prepared. The teacher explained

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GEOGRAPHY

that the purpose of the lesson was to compare temperatures in Beacon Hill with other places and to recognise patterns in statistical data, so pupils were aware of what they were expected to learn. He clearly explained how to use a data logger to measure time, temperature, sound and speed and how to interpret the information it provided. He explained the need to make a fair and accurate reading. The teacher involved pupils well by getting them to make suggestions of where they thought the most appropriate places would be to use the data logger to gain the necessary information. Effective questioning ensured that pupils increased their understanding. Pupils then planned how to devise a way to measure rainfall in Beacon Hill accurately, so that they could compare this with other places. By the end of the lesson, pupils had made good progress in their learning of how to use statistical data to make comparisons between different areas in the world.

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GEOGRAPHY

123. The co-ordinator is relatively new to the post and has good subject knowledge. However, her role in monitoring the curriculum, standards, teaching and learning is underdeveloped. The school is aware that the policy for geography requires reviewing and updating. The school realises the need to provide a new comprehensive scheme of work, appropriate for each year group, so that teachers are given sufficient guidance as an aid for their planning and to ensure progression of skills and knowledge for pupils. This was an issue in the previous inspection. Although assessment is satisfactory, it is inconsistent across the school. Resources are satisfactory, which is an improvement from the last Beacon Hill Primary School- 44 inspection report. Sufficient time is now given to geography, which is an improvement from the previous inspection report. The subject makes a sound contribution to the pupils' spiritual, moral, social

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GEOGRAPHY

and cultural development through the study of the environment and other cultures.

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HISTORY

124. During the inspection, it was not possible to observe any history lessons in Years 2 or 6, although three lessons were observed, one in each of Years 3, 4, and 5. Furthermore, since there was no work for analysis in this subject in Year 2 or Year 6, there is insufficient evidence to make any judgement about standards in either year. However, indications from the lessons and work seen in Years 3, 4 and 5 are that standards are average for age, and achievement is average. This matches the findings of the school’s previous inspection. Pupils with special educational needs and those who speak English as an additional language make satisfactory progress. There are no significant differences between the achievements of boys and girls. 125. There is insufficient evidence to make any judgement about the standards of teaching and learning in Years 1 and 2. The quality of teaching and learning in the lessons seen in Years 3, 4, and 5

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HISTORY

was satisfactory, which is lower than that seen in the previous inspection. In Year 3, pupils produce neatly presented work on the Victorians. They have visited a Victorian house, and had a ‘Victorian Day’, so that they are able to compare aspects of domestic and school life ‘then and now’. They have some idea of the chronology of the period, and were able to generate their own questions to ask on their visit to the Victorian house. Year 3 had recently been to Osborne House and, in the lesson observed, were finding out about inventions of the Victorian period, using secondary sources to find the answers to questions about the origins and uses of some Victorian items. Collaborative group work was effective and the final session in which information was shared showed that learning about the items was satisfactory. In Year 4, pupils demonstrate sound factual knowledge about aspects of daily life during the Roman occupation of Britain, and also some awareness of chronology. They use their

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HISTORY

knowledge to write about the daily life of a Roman soldier and understand that their visit to a Roman villa and examining artefacts is primary source material, whilst books and illustrations are secondary. Careful preparation and a good range of sources characterised the teaching. Year 5 pupils have been studying the Tudors, and their work showed a good grasp of many aspects of Tudor life and how it contrasts with life today. Pupils write a diary entry for a Tudor child, with substantial appropriate knowledge of the characteristics of the period. They impart factual information well, but there is very little evidence of pupils being challenged by reasoning about why changes in people’s lives took place, or events happened or of alternative views of the same event. Pupils’ literacy skills are developed well both through research and presentation of what they have learned, using a variety of formats for

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HISTORY

their writing. These skills are of a good standard and generally used well. CD ROMs are used to aid pupils’ access to information, and also for teachers themselves to research areas when preparing lessons. 126. The role of the co-ordinator is limited to managing resources, providing advice to colleagues if this is needed, and an overview of planning. There has been no monitoring of standards or of the quality of teaching and learning in the subject. The co-ordinator does not sample work systematically, or assessment procedures and their use for influencing planning. The subject policy is satisfactory, and termly planning is generally satisfactory, but is taken to be the scheme of work also, and as such, is not satisfactory. It does not give sufficient guidance to teachers, particularly on the integration of the key historical elements with the content of the topic work. There is a general lack of guidance

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HISTORY

about the criteria for assessment in the subject, and whilst ongoing assessment is done well by some teachers, in other cases, it lacks precision and is far too vague to provide any sense of making progress. In the last inspection, it was noted that assessment was insufficiently used to inform planning, and there is little evidence to suggest that this has changed. Also in the last inspection, whilst factual information was imparted well and chronology was well addressed, it was found that there was a less secure understanding by pupils when dealing with reasons for and consequences of change. Beacon Hill Primary School- 45 Findings in this inspection still reflect this: there is less emphasis on finding out about reasons for events and changes and their consequences, and less emphasis on looking at things from different points of view, than on straightforward factual teaching. Resources in the subject are adequate. Enrichment in

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HISTORY

the subject is good, with visits included to appropriate places of interest for all topics, and visitors role- playing characters from the relevant periods.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

127. Standards are above average in Year 2 and average in Year 6. They are above average in some aspects of the subject in Year 6, such as word processing and the use of programs such as desktop publishing and multi-media presentations. However, pupils are not yet reaching expectations in aspects such as control technology and monitoring. Achievement is good in Years 1 and 2 because pupils are given a wide range of experiences, which help them to develop a good understanding of the different ways information and communication technology can be used in everyday life. In Years 3 to 6, achievement is satisfactory, as pupils are still developing their skills in some aspects of the subject. These judgements also include pupils with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language. These findings are similar to those of the previous inspection. However, since that time there has been a clear focus on improving resources and curricular provision and providing

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

training for all staff. These improvements are beginning to have a good impact on the standards pupils are achieving and the progress they are making throughout the school. 128. Pupils in Year 2 use a word processor to write messages and stories, and save their work to disk. They use the keyboard and mouse competently to carry out a range of operations. Pupils collect and enter information on to a data handling program and produce graphs. They explore CD-ROMS and the Internet to find information about their work in other subjects, such as history and geography. Pupils in Year 1 also achieve good standards. They type their names and highlight different letters in order to change the colour of the font. Pupils also use a drawing program to produce pictures and combine these with text. 129. The quality of teaching and learning is good in Years 1 and 2. In a Year 1 lesson, the teacher gave clear instructions and explanations which enabled the pupils to make good progress in learning

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

how to operate a program in which they controlled the movements of a ‘turtle’ around the screen. In a Year 2 lesson, there were good links with mathematics as pupils typed out lists of words to describe numbers. Good features of the teaching include well-organised activities, clear explanations and opportunities for pupils to practise newly acquired skills. Teachers plan effectively to incorporate information and communication technology into other subjects, as well as devoting a set time each week for pupils to learn and practise new skills. 130. In Year 6, pupils use computers to present information in different forms. For example, they use the ‘Power Point’ program to make a presentation of their work on ‘Extreme Weather’ and combine text and graphics to produce invitations using a publishing program. They enter the scores achieved in a science test and create graphs to present the results. Pupils also explore models and

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

simulations, using programs such as ‘Map Detectives’ to extend their skills and understanding in geography. Other aspects of the subject are less well developed, such as the use of spreadsheets, and the monitoring and control of external events. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory overall, and sometimes good, as in the lesson seen in Year 6. In this lesson, the pupils made good progress in developing their skills of logical thinking. The teacher's good subject knowledge was communicated effectively to the pupils through clear explanations and skilful questioning. This encouraged pupils to think for themselves and experiment with the program. 131. Teachers make effective use of the recently installed suite of 12 computers as well as the computers in each classroom. They achieve a good balance between teaching specific skills and using information and communication technology as a cross-curricular tool. For example, in a numeracy

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

lesson in Year 6, pupils used computers to increase their knowledge of co-ordinates. In a Year 4 Beacon Hill Primary School- 46 literacy lesson, pupils gained access to the Internet to find information about the Diary of Anne Frank and to take notes. 132. The co-ordinator provides good leadership in the subject and has a clear idea of what needs to be done to raise standards further. Although an action plan is in place, which contains some relevant priorities for development, it does not, for example, mention improving curricular planning or assessment procedures, both of which are currently in need of refinement. Similarly, a long-term curriculum overview is in place, which shows coverage of National Curriculum requirements in each year group, but termly and weekly planning is left to each individual teacher and this leads to some inconsistencies. As a result, progression in the teaching of skills, knowledge and understanding is not

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

assured. The co-ordinator has started monitoring the standards achieved by pupils and the quality of teaching and learning, but this is not yet sufficiently rigorous. The subject makes a satisfactory contribution to pupils' social and cultural development as they learn about the importance of information and communication technology and its impact on our lives, and work together to explore computer programs. A good emphasis on improving resources and teachers’ expertise in the subject ensures that these aspects are improving at a suitable pace. The school has created effective links with a local outdoor pursuits centre which has very good facilities for information and communication technology and pupils take advantage of these to supplement their learning.

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MUSIC

133. During the inspection it was not possible to see lessons in music for Year 2 or Year 6, since they were timetabled for later in the week. Lessons were seen in Years 1, 3, 4, and 5. No judgements can be made about standards in Years 2 and 6, but indications from Years 1, 3, 4, and 5 are that standards are consistently good. This is an improvement since the last inspection when standards were average. Pupils achieve well, including those with special educational needs and English as an additional language, because they benefit from specialist teaching in the subject. There are no significant differences in achievement between boys and girls. 134. A music specialist with good knowledge and understanding of the National Curriculum teaches all classes, and both teaching and learning are consistently good. This is also an improvement since the last inspection, when teaching was satisfactory. Pupils generally sing well, take a lively interest in

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MUSIC

music making and composition, and learn about famous musicians and composers, as well as experiencing music from a variety of cultures. Older pupils use their good literacy skills well in writing notes and essays about musicians and composers and their works. There is a good emphasis on teaching notation, starting with simple graphic representations and progressing to conventional notation. In Year 1, pupils enjoyed singing songs and playing a rhythmic beat using body percussion or an instrument to accompany them. In Year 5, pupils worked collaboratively in small groups to create a composition using tuned instruments and incorporating three different rhythms as the main focus. Pupils worked hard and were pleased to share their compositions with the class at the end of the session. They produced interesting and original compositions each with a different character, and the work was of a good standard. In a Year 4 lesson, taken by a visiting music specialist from the Local

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MUSIC

Education Authority’s music service, pupils were riveted by a dynamic lesson with a rapid pace that focused on African music with percussion and voice parts, including question and answer themes. After listening and being helped to identify special features of this music, they worked in small groups to produce accompaniments using different layers of rhythm. They accompany these rhythms with movements, sometimes repetitive, in a designed sequence. 135. The music specialist manages the subject within the school. There is a satisfactory policy for the subject and termly planning is sound, but it is intended to take the place of a scheme of work as well, and in this respect, it is not satisfactory as it stands. However, the music specialist has added some very good schedules showing how skills in the different strands of the subject develop as pupils go through the school, and these are comprehensive. Putting the termly plans together with these

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MUSIC

Beacon Hill Primary School- 47 schedules almost provides for a satisfactory scheme of work. There are no consistently used assessment procedures and there is little evidence that ongoing assessment is used to influence subsequent planning, although the teacher is aware of topics that require further attention. Resources in the subject are good, and some information and communication technology software is available for use in the subject, although it is not well integrated into the programme at present. 136. Enrichment in the subject is good; pupils provide music for school events and participate in local choral festivals, and visiting musicians, such as a string quartet, come to play to pupils. There is a choir and an orchestra, both trained by the music specialist, and these groups provide concerts for other pupils and parents, as well as taking part in events further afield. The choir, which is drawn from

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MUSIC

volunteers from Years 3, 4, 5, and 6, sings very well indeed, and has performed recently at the Barbican in London, and also in the local Civic Hall. Pupils are also able to learn to play the recorder and to take advantage of specialist instrumental tuition. Currently, 21 pupils are learning instruments including the trumpet, trombone, guitar, drums and flute. Overall, pupils enjoy their singing and music making, and music is a strength of the school.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

137. During the inspection, it was possible to see only a limited amount of physical education, and no games lessons, swimming or outdoor and adventurous activities were seen. Standards are average in Year 2, as at the time of the previous inspection. In the Year 2 lesson seen, pupils were involved in the development of skills and movements on apparatus. They were imaginative when they created ‘spiky’ and ‘curly’ shapes both on the floor and on the apparatus. They were agile and controlled in their movements. All pupils, including those with special educational needs and English as an additional language made satisfactory progress. No differences in the attainment or progress of boys and girls were seen in the lesson. 138. In Year 6, standards are also average. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and English as an additional language, made good progress overall during the dance lesson seen. They

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

worked together in small groups to link imaginative skills of movement and produce a range of different dance sequences. They developed their ideas well and with an increasing precision that matched the strongly rhythmic music. Most had good control of their movements and, when invited, made sensible evaluative comments about the performance of other pupils. Almost all pupils made good progress in the session, which was only the second in a series. Boys and girls took the lesson seriously and worked well together. School records show that almost all pupils reach the expected standard in swimming by the time they leave the school. 139. In Year 2, the quality of teaching and learning seen was satisfactory. There was a carefully structured ‘warm up’ session. The teacher demonstrated what was expected and kept this part of the session moving at a good pace. The class responded promptly to the teacher's instructions because

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

the activities were very well managed. However, they were slow at setting out the apparatus, which meant that they had to wait too long before starting the activities and the pace of the lesson became too slow. The pupils were very well behaved, enthusiastic, cooperated well, and especially aware of safety issues. No teaching was seen in Year 1. 140. In Years 3 to 6, the quality of teaching and learning is good overall. In a good Year 6 lesson, pupils worked in small groups to improvise dance sequences. The teacher helped them develop the skills of fitting movement sequences to the music, because at first this was not consistently achieved. The lesson presented a good challenge for pupils to engage in both creative and physical effort and they responded well to this, if rather noisily at times. In Year 4, good teaching was seen in a dance lesson when pupils concentrated well, listened carefully to instruction and took part with appropriate

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

enthusiasm. This was because the teaching was carefully planned, well organised and there were good expectations of what the pupils should be able to achieve. They enjoyed the session, worked very well together and their behaviour was good. A gymnastics lesson in Year 3 had an appropriate Beacon Hill Primary School- 48 ‘warm up.’ In the main part of the lesson pupils had to explore, copy and repeat movement with satisfactory control and precision. This was an appropriate challenge and well presented, but there was insufficient demand by the teacher for full attention from the pupils. However, they were mostly well engaged in the development of personal skills and creative ideas, but were at times too noisy. 141. The school has a scheme of work, but this is due for revision and updating. Curricular planning is not formally monitored by the co-ordinator and this means that he is not fully aware of the

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

programme of activities for each class. Assessment is still unsatisfactory because there are no consistent whole school procedures. A good number of extracurricular activities take place such as football in both key stages, netball, circuit training, cross country running, skateboarding and orienteering. There are links with professional football and cricket clubs and pupils take part in a good number of competitive football and netball games against local teams. Outdoor and adventurous activities take place and this is therefore an improvement since the previous inspection. The co- ordinator plans to use information and communication technology in orienteering activities with Year 6 pupils in the near future. Some parents are involved in extracurricular activities and this provides a valuable source of extra help to staff. The co-ordinator is recently appointed to the post. He is very enthusiastic and has very clear ideas about what needs to be developed. There has been some

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

monitoring of swimming skills in Years 5 and 6. All pupils from the Foundation Stage to Year 6 have been observed in some form of physical education, although teaching has not been formally evaluated. Playground space for physical education, particularly for older pupils, is restricted and limits, to some extent, what they are able to do. Resources are adequate and being improved.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

142. In Years 2 and 6, pupils’ knowledge and understanding of religious education meet the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus. This is a good improvement on the findings of the previous inspection, which found that standards were below average in Year 6. The school has a caring, supportive ethos, which encourages pupils to respect the ideas and opinions of others. Together with collective worship, religious education makes a significant contribution to pupils’ personal development. Pupils make sound progress as they move through the school and achievement is satisfactory. Pupils with special educational needs play a full part in lessons and make satisfactory progress, especially when they receive well-targeted support. 143. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory throughout the school. Pupils have confidence and trust in their teachers and other adults who work with them in their classrooms. This

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

helps pupils to be involved well in all activities and to develop confidence in offering their ideas and responses. Younger pupils learn about Christianity, Judaism and Islam. Year 1 pupils know some Old Testament stories, such as the story of Creation and Noah. They start to understand the feelings of others through stories. Year 2 pupils visit the local church and Woking Mosque to help further their learning about Christianity and Islam. In a well-prepared Year 2 lesson, the teacher explained that the children were going to find out about a ritual. The teacher provided pupils with good practical experiences of placing their hands on a sticky film of paper and then washing their hands to help them understand that a ritual is when a procedure is followed consistently. Whilst pupils undertook the activity, the teacher reinforced their understanding by clearly stating exactly what each pupil was

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

doing, emphasising when each part was repeated. After this, some pupils suggested that a ritual may be a rule and one pupil said “Do the same thing in the same order each time you do something”. The teacher effectively linked pupils’ ideas with the activity and with a series of pictures depicting the ritual that Muslims follow before they pray. The practical activity helped pupils to understand well an aspect of the Islamic religion. 144. Pupils in Years 3 to 6 extend their knowledge of Christianity, Judaism and Islam and start to study Hinduism. Analysis of pupils’ work shows that they are developing a sound awareness of different aspects of the traditions and celebrations in each of these world religions. They understand Beacon Hill Primary School- 49 how people express their identity and their religious faith through outward symbols. They are able to refer to significant features of a Christian church and compare these with a mosque. Year 5 pupils

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

visit the Regents Park Mosque. As a result of well-structured teaching, younger pupils have a sound understanding of the life of Jesus and know that the Bible is an important book for Christians. They learn about the Hindu story of Rama and Sita and know that Diwali is the start of the Hindu New Year. Pupils know that the Jewish books of law are found in the Torah and also in the Old Testament of the Christian faith. They know that the Qur’an is a special book for Muslims. A strength of the teaching and learning in religious education is the sensitivity and respect that teachers and pupils show towards the feelings, beliefs and opinions of others. There are useful links with other areas in the curriculum such as science. In a Year 6 lesson, the teacher skilfully linked pupils’ science work on dissolving salt in water with the Hindu story of Svetaketu’s father putting salt into water to teach his

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

son that, although he could not see God, God is still there. Pupils gain greatly from first hand knowledge of religions, when people speak to them about their own faith, such as Christianity and Islam. Pupils’ listening and speaking skills are developed well during discussions, which are a strong feature in both key stages. 145. The co-ordinator is very new to the role. She is undertaking a religious education course to extend her knowledge in order to be competent to lead the subject within the school and has already led some staff training on the use of artefacts. The scheme of work has been identified as in need of further revision due to a new Locally Agreed Syllabus. Sufficient time is provided for the subject, which is an improvement on the previous inspection findings. The school’s resources for the subject are satisfactory and there is sound use of information and communication technology to support

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

learning. The co-ordinator monitors teachers’ planning and is scheduled to undertake observations of teaching, when the subject is identified on the school's cycle of monitoring. Assessment procedures are satisfactory; there is not a consistent approach. There are good links with the local church and clergy, and pupils in the school take part in the harvest festival and carol services at Christmas. During their time at school, pupils visit the local church and Guildford Cathedral as part of their studies of Christianity and they visit two mosques for their study of Islam. The subject makes a good contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development when they learn about and respect other religions. Studies of the world’s great faiths help them to consider values and traditions other than their own.

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