Aspley Guise Village School

ASPLEY GUISE LOWER SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 8 th -10 th December 2003

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ASPLEY GUISE LOWER SCHOOL

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 Aspley Guise Lower School - 2 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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ASPLEY GUISE LOWER 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. Aspley Guise Lower School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Lower School category: Community Age range of pupils: 4-9 Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 94

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Spinney Lane Aspley Guise Bedfordshire Postcode: MK17 8JT

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: 01908 582245 Fax number: 01908 585630

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: Governing body Name of chair of governors: Ms R Medill

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 23 rd -26 th November 1998

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

Aspley Guise Lower School is smaller than other primary schools and has 90 full-time pupils on roll. A further 7 pupils attend part-time in the reception class. Nearly all pupils are white United Kingdom with four from other backgrounds. Two per cent of pupils are entitled to free school meals which is well below average. However, other indicators show that the school serves families whose social and economic circumstances are similar to the national picture. Twenty pupils are on the register for special educational needs, three of whom have a statement. This is higher than most schools. The main needs are specific learning difficulties, social, emotional and behavioural difficulties and speech and language difficulties. Nearly all pupils come from the village in which the school is situated. No pupil has English as an additional language. Pupils’ attainment on entry to school is below average. The rate at which pupils leave and join the school is average.

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

2905 David Shepherd Lead inspector Science, art and design, design and technology, Foundation Stage 9595 Susan Cash Lay inspector 30814 Elizabeth Coley Team inspector Mathematics, geography, history, music 32775 Miriam Harries Team inspector English, information and communication technology [ICT], physical education, religious education, special educational needs

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e-Qualitas Limited

Langshaw Pastens Rd Limpsfield Chart OXTED Surrey RH8 0RE

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e-Qualitas Limited

Any concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be made initially to the contractor. The procedures are set out in the leaflet ‘Complaining about Ofsted Inspections’ , which is available from Ofsted Publications Centre (telephone 07002 637833) or Ofsted’s website (www.oftsed.gov.uk). Aspley Guise Lower School - 5

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 8

Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 8

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 10

Teaching and learning The curriculum Care, guidance and support Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

A small village school in Bedfordshire inspected 8 th -10 th December 2003 by an inspection team led by David Shepherd

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OVERALL EVALUATION

Aspley Guise Lower is an effective school that provides good value for money . Most pupils enter the school with standards that are below average. They achieve well and reach standards that are above average in literacy and science and average in mathematics by the end of Year 4. Standards in pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development are very good and pupils achieve very well in these areas. Teaching and learning are satisfactory with good features. Leadership and management are good.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are: • Most pupils achieve well in relation to where they started from, especially in English and mathematics. • Pupils’ attitudes to school are good and their behaviour very good; their personal development, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, is very good. • Provision for pupils with special educational needs is good. • Pupils achieve well in literacy and science and reach above average standards. However, with the exception of science, some high-attaining pupils do not always achieve as much as they are capable of. • The presentation of work by pupils is unsatisfactory. • The school is well led by the headteacher and she receives good support from the staff and governors. • Marking does not always let pupils know what is good about their work and what they need to do to improve.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school has improved well since the last inspection . Most pupils achieve better than at the last inspection in English and mathematics and make good progress from a start that is below average. Teaching and learning have improved with over half the lessons observed being at least good. Leadership and management of the school have improved and are now good. The school has corrected most of the main weaknesses that were identified at the last inspection. Standards in science have improved considerably and the leadership and management of the school are now good. Teaching has improved in Years 3 and 4. Pupils’ handwriting remains an issue.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

all schools similar schools Results in National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 2, compared with: 2001 2002 2003 2003 reading C C A B writing B A B C mathematics B B C D Key: A - well above average; B – above average; C – average; D – below average; E – well below average Similar schools are those with similar percentages of pupils eligible for free school meals

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Because of the small number of pupils who took the tests in 2003, these statistics should be treated with caution. Six pupils who took the tests had special educational needs and this made it very difficult for them to gain higher grades.

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Overall, the achievement of most pupils in English, mathematics and science in relation to

where they started from is good throughout the school . Most children in the reception class achieve well and, with the exception of mathematics, reach the standards expected by the time they Aspley Guise Lower School - 7 enter Year 1. Elsewhere in the school, most pupils achieve well. By the end of Years 2 and 4, most have made good progress and reached standards in English, science and music that are above average. Standards in mathematics are average and in information and communication technology (ICT) and religious education at expected levels. Pupils with special educational needs achieve well in relation to what they are capable of because they are helped well by their teachers and teaching assistants. However, some high-attaining pupils do not always achieve what they are capable of and they do not reach high enough standards.

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Pupils’ personal development, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural

development, is very good . Pupils behave very well and have positive attitudes to school. Their attendance and punctuality are good.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

Overall, the quality of education provided by the school is good . Teaching and learning are satisfactory overall, with just over half of the lessons observed during the inspection being judged good or very good. Teaching in the Foundation Stage is good. No lessons observed were unsatisfactory. The main strengths in the teaching are lesson planning, the management of behaviour and the encouragement given to pupils. However, some work is not set at a hard enough level for high-attaining pupils and marking does not always help pupils to improve. This prevented the teaching and learning from being judged good.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The curriculum provided by the school is good and pupils receive good levels of care. This helps pupils to be interested in school and feel valued as members of school. The school has very good links with parents, the community and other schools.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The leadership of the school is good . The headteacher provides clear leadership for the development of the school. She receives good support from the staff, both teaching and non- teaching, who carry out their responsibilities well. Management is effective. Governors are supportive of the school and work hard in fulfilling their duties. Governance of the school is good.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents have very positive views of the school. Indeed, parents did not express any significant criticism of the school prior to the inspection. Pupils also express very positive views of the school. They appreciate being listened to by teachers and feel they can go to an adult if they are worried about anything.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

The most important things the school should do to improve are: • Ensure high-attaining pupils achieve what they are capable of, especially in English and mathematics. • Improve pupils’ handwriting and the way they present their work. • Ensure pupils know what is good about their work and what they need to do to improve. Aspley Guise Lower School - 8

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Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects

Most pupils achieve well and reach standards that are above average in English, science and music. Standards in mathematics and all other subjects inspected are average . Some high- attaining pupils could reach higher standards.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Most pupils achieve well in most of the subjects inspected. • In the 2003 national tests for pupils at the end of Year 2, standards in English and science were above average. However, standards in writing observed during the inspection were lower than this and were average. • High-attaining pupils are sometimes set work that is too easy for them and they are capable of reaching higher standards. • Pupils’ standards of handwriting and the way they present their work are unsatisfactory.

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Commentary

1. In the 2003 National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 2, standards in reading were well above average, in writing they were above average and in mathematics average when compared with other schools. This represents good achievement in reading and writing because these pupils entered Year 1 with standards that were average. Achievement in mathematics for this year group is satisfactory. Standards in science were above average and this represents good achievement. With the exception of reading, the trend of improvement at the school in writing and mathematics is below that of other schools. However, because of the low numbers of pupils taking these tests each year, it is very difficult to draw meaningful conclusions from the results. Around twenty pupils take these tests each year and each pupil represents five per cent of the total. If a year group includes pupils with special educational needs, then the results for that year will be lower as a result of this factor

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Commentary

alone. For example, in Year 2 in 2003, there were six pupils with special educational needs, most of whom achieved well and reached the expected national standards. The following table illustrates the results over the past two years.

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Commentary

Standards in national tests at the end of Year 2 – average point scores in 2003

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Commentary

Standards in: School results National results Reading 17.1 (16.1) 15.7 (15.8) Writing 15.5 (16.2) 14.6 (14.4) Mathematics 16.6 (17.4) 16.3 (16.5) There were 20 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year

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Commentary

2. Inspection evidence indicates that at the end of Years 2 and 4, standards in reading and writing are above expected levels. However, some work seen during the inspection was not as high as this because pupils’ standards of writing and of the presentation of their work are unsatisfactory in some subjects. This is because teachers are not teaching these aspects well enough. In these respects, pupils, especially some high-attaining pupils including the gifted and talented, are not achieving as much as they are capable of. Standards in mathematics are at expected levels and good use is made of mathematics in other subjects, especially in science. Most pupils achieve well in mathematics because of good teaching. In all other subjects inspected, pupils achieve well because of good features in the teaching and this led to the overall judgement that achievement throughout the school is good. Aspley Guise Lower School - 9

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Commentary

3. Standards in science have improved since the last inspection and are now above expected levels in Years 2 and 4. Pupils, especially the boys, achieve well in science because of the strengths in the teaching of science, especially the emphasis given to practical and investigative work. Pupils at the end of Years 2 and 4 achieve well in ICT because they have good opportunities to use computers effectively throughout the school day for many aspects of their work. Teachers also have good expertise in using computers and they teach the subject confidently. They give good help to pupils who, in their turn, make good progress in the subject. Standards attained in ICT are at expected levels. High levels of teacher expertise in music help pupils achieve well in this subject also. Standards in music are above expected levels at the end of Years 2 and 4. The teaching of religious education is satisfactory and pupils’ achievement is also satisfactory. No judgements were

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Commentary

made about standards and pupils’ achievement in any other subject.

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Commentary

4. Standards on entry to the reception class are below average in personal and social development, literacy and well below in numeracy. Through good teaching, children learn and achieve well in reception. By the time they enter Year 1, with the exception of numeracy, most have reached the levels expected nationally for these pupils in all areas of their learning.

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Commentary

5. Throughout the school, pupils with special educational needs make good progress in most subjects. This is because teachers plan work according to the needs of these pupils and good help is provided for them by teachers and teaching assistants. The programmes of work planned for these pupils are reviewed regularly and different programmes set. On the other hand, with the exception of science, some high-attaining pupils do not achieve what they are capable of. Overall, teachers do not expect enough from these pupils. Targets set for them are too low and most reach them without too much trouble.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Attendance and punctuality are good . Pupils’ attitudes to school and to learning are good. Their behaviour in lessons and around the school is very good. Their personal development, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, is also very good.

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Main strengths

• Relationships are very good, leading to very good behaviour. • Pupils’ personal development is promoted very well, leading to high levels of confidence and self- esteem in pupils; pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development are promoted very well. • Pupils are helped to become mature and responsible. • Levels of attendance are above average .

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Commentary

6. Relationships in school are very good. Adults and pupils get on very well together and this helps to provide a secure environment in which pupils learn. The school has a very positive ethos, where everyone is valued. Pupils enjoy coming to school because everyone is friendly. They are confident there is someone they can turn to with a problem and that any minor issues of bullying or falling out with their friends will be dealt with quickly and effectively. Pupils work and play together very happily. In lessons, incentives such as the use of Golden Time and star charts motivate pupils to behave well. Both pupils and parents speak positively about these incentives. Teachers set pupils clear expectations of pupils’ behaviour which they understand well. The school makes good use of outside agencies to support its work with the few pupils who find it difficult to conform to the high standards of behaviour.

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Commentary

7. Pupils’ personal development is promoted well. Assemblies encourage thoughts on, for example, the value of friendship, justice and peace. Pupils are given a suitable amount of time to reflect about such issues. Lessons in personal, social and health education also provide good opportunities for pupils to reflect on and discuss issues of concern and interest. For example, the youngest pupils were thinking about people who help them keep safe. The school enjoys very strong links with local churches. Pupils know about some of the festivals of the main world religions and this Aspley Guise Lower School - 10 helps their cultural development. With other small, local schools they have recently been part of an Indian and African dance show, listened to a steel band and worked in school with an Indian dance theatre. Parents and members of the local community with experience of living abroad or travelling

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Commentary

extensively, willingly share their knowledge and understanding of other cultures. Good opportunities are also provided for pupils to work together. For example, during the termly “theme” days, pupils from different classes are grouped together, so that older and younger pupils work together. During the weekly “curriculum enrichment” time pupils from different classes are also given good opportunities to work together in different groups and to get to know other adults. Pupils’ awareness of others is also developed when they raise money for charities and are involved in environmental projects.

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Commentary

8. Throughout their time at the school, pupils are helped to become increasingly mature and responsible. The school council take their responsibility for purchasing toys and games for use at lunchtime very seriously. They carry out this task well and there is plenty of equipment available to keep pupils occupied at lunchtime as a result. “Show and tell” sessions encourage pupils to have the confidence to speak in front of their classmates. The very positive ways in which adults respond to pupils’ efforts in lessons increases pupils’ self-esteem. Pupils are often encouraged to think for themselves and take responsibility for their learning as in investigative science and mathematics for instance. However, the use of work sheets that do not require much thought limits such opportunities in other lessons.

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Commentary

9. Levels of attendance are above the national average. Pupils are happy to come to school and parents value the education their children receive and are keen they should attend. They also ensure that pupils arrive promptly. The school is rightly concerned that an increasing number of families are taking holidays in term time. It has recently started to award certificates to those pupils with a full attendance record. The school monitors and promotes attendance effectively.

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Commentary

10. These judgements are broadly similar to those recorded at the previous inspection.

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Attendance

Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (94.9%)

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Attendance

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data: 5.1 School data: 0.0 National data: 5.4 National data: 0.4 The table gives the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year.

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Attendance

11. There have been no exclusions for the past nine years.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The quality of education provided by the school is good . Teaching and learning are sound with good features. The curriculum provided by the school is good. The school provides pupils with good levels of care and looks after them well. Links with parents and the community are very good.

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Teaching and learning

Teaching and learning are satisfactory overall. In many lessons they are good. The good teaching is the main factor in ensuring that most pupils learn and achieve well. Assessment is satisfactory overall. However, marking does not always indicate to pupils how they might improve. Aspley Guise Lower School - 11

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teachers plan their lessons systematically. However, this does not always include hard enough work for high-attaining pupils. • Pupils behave well because teachers insist on high standards of behaviour. • Teachers encourage pupils in their work well, but they do not let them know sufficiently what is good about it or what they need to do to improve. • Pupils, especially those with special educational needs, receive good help in their work from teachers and teaching assistants. • Teaching in the Foundation Stage is good.

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Commentary

12. Teaching and learning are satisfactory overall with good features. During the inspection, just over half the lessons seen were judged at least good and two were very good. Teaching is good in the Foundation Stage. Because of the significant level of good teaching, most pupils are achieving well in a number of subjects. The two weaknesses in the teaching prevented an overall judgement that teaching is good. Teaching and learning have improved since the last inspection. The following table illustrates the numbers of lessons observed at each level.

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Commentary

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 25 lessons

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Commentary

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

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Commentary

The table gives the number of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons.

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Commentary

13. Overall, teachers are very successful in their insistence on high standards of behaviour. Most pupils respond positively to this and behave very well. This ensures that little time is lost in lessons correcting behaviour and learning can take place uninterrupted. Pupils like the reward of Golden Time each week; some speak of the times they misbehaved and lost five or more minutes of choosing activities for themselves during Golden Time. They think this system is fair and encourages them to behave well in class.

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Commentary

14. The help given to pupils with special educational needs is particularly good. Suitable individual programmes of work are set for these pupils to help them improve and teaching assistants, in particular, help them to carry them out successfully. Extra help is given to help them reach the nationally expected standards in reading, writing and mathematics. This is effective as many of these pupils reach these standards. However, high-attaining pupils are sometimes set work that is too easy for them and they complete it independently without having to work too hard at it. Having completed their tasks, they are not often set further work that causes them to think hard about what they have learnt. Individual learning targets that are set for these pupils are too modest and not challenging enough.

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Commentary

15. Teachers plan lessons well overall. They follow national and local guidance well and use this to work out what to teach in considerable detail. However, with the exception of science, not enough thought is given to providing high-attaining pupils with hard enough work.

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Commentary

16. Teachers and teaching assistants encourage pupils well in their work. Materials and equipment are prepared well for lessons and this enables pupils to get on with their work without having to find items of equipment that are not to hand. Teachers and teaching assistants praise pupils for their work and this raises their self-esteem and encourages them to continue trying and working hard.

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Commentary

17. Assessment procedures are satisfactory. The school administers end-of-year national tests in Years 2, 3 and 4 in English and mathematics. Results from these tests are used to set targets for improvement for the next year in reading and writing. However, some of these annual targets are too Aspley Guise Lower School - 12 easy to achieve, especially for some high-attaining pupils. In this respect, teachers’ expectations of pupils’ performance are too low. In order to reach these targets, teachers set shorter-term targets for pupils that represent useful stepping stones on the way to the annual targets. On the other hand, marking of work is unsatisfactory overall. Once work has been completed, teachers do not consistently let pupils know what is good about it or what they need to do to improve. Marking, although encouraging for pupils, is not thorough enough to raise standards. This slows down pupils’

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The curriculum

The school provides a good curriculum that includes a good range of extra-curricular activities. The accommodation is very good and the school is well resourced. The staff are well qualified and have good expertise.

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Main strengths

• National guidance for the teaching of literacy, numeracy and other subjects is used well. • Provision for pupils with special educational needs is well managed and effective. • The accommodation and resources help improve learning. • The school offers a wide range of extra-curricular activities. • Links with other schools are good.

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Commentary

18. The curriculum meets statutory requirements for the National Curriculum, religious education and collective worship. There is good provision for pupils’ personal, social and health education, including drugs education. The governors’ policy for sex and relationships education states that it is not to be provided. National strategies for literacy and numeracy are used well in the school. National guidance for teaching other subjects and for pupils in the reception class is used well in the planning of lessons. The curriculum is sensibly organised in a two-year cycle to provide a broad and balanced curriculum for mixed-age classes.

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Commentary

19. Provision for pupils with special educational needs is good. Suitable individual programmes of work are set for these pupils. They include specific targets for pupils to achieve. Pupils with special educational needs in Year 4 know their targets and are encouraged well to evaluate their own progress in achieving them. Teaching assistants work effectively with these pupils and they meet with teachers to discuss provision for the next week. Any adaptations that need to be made in the light of what these pupils have achieved are agreed at this time. Pupils with special educational needs are provided with useful prompts, such as spellings, that help them work independently. The special educational needs co-ordinator from the middle school attends the final annual review for pupils with statements to ensure transfer to their next school proceeds smoothly.

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Commentary

20. The school provides a wide range of extra-curricular activities for pupils, including netball, tennis, drama and computer club. These are offered to different year groups at different times of the week, so that as many pupils as possible are able to take part in them. Football coaches run a football club after school and this is well attended. A gardening club is held in the landscaped area of the school grounds. Visitors to the school contribute to the curriculum. For example, recently someone from the village came into school to talk about their experiences during World War II. Each week a useful and interesting session called “curriculum enrichment” is timetabled. This gives pupils the opportunity to work with different groups of pupils in different classes on activities such as construction and developing library skills. These sessions contribute to pupils’ social development and give the opportunity for pupils to improve their speaking and listening.

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Commentary

21. The school takes part in some national initiatives that help improve the curriculum. These include the TOPS programme in physical education and the Global Learning Initiative for ICT. The school regularly organises theme days which involve all the pupils working on the same area of the curriculum. The work on display from a recent “Maths Day” illustrates the good quality work that resulted from this day. Aspley Guise Lower School - 13 22. The school grounds are extensive. They include a large playing field and garden area. These provide ample space for outdoor activities as well as for sport. Accommodation for the Foundation Stage is very spacious. Classrooms are bright and include a good range of resources that are well organised and easily accessible. Two classrooms have computerised interactive whiteboards which help to improve the presentation of lessons. Displays around the school and in classrooms are

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Commentary

colourful, covering a range of different subjects.

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Care, guidance and support

Provision for pupils’ care, welfare, health and safety is good . Provision of support, advice and guidance based on monitoring is good. The involvement of pupils through seeking, valuing and acting on their views is very good.

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Main strengths

• Pupils’ views are taken into account very well. • The school has effective systems for ensuring pupils’ well-being, health and safety. • Pupils are known well by all adults in the school, who provide good support for their personal development. • There are good arrangements for admission to and transfer from school.

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Commentary

23. Pupils are confident that their views are respected and that they can make a difference to aspects of the school. The school council meets weekly and provides a good forum through which pupils can express opinions and contribute ideas on different aspects of school. Pupils are actively encouraged to write suggestions for the school council to discuss and the minutes of meetings are read to the school in assembly so that all pupils feel involved in the school council ‘s discussions. Ideas currently under discussion include the summer term theme day, improvement to a grassed area and ways of raising money to buy more toys and games for lunchtimes. These are important issues for pupils and show how the school values the opinions of pupils in making decisions that are of importance to them. Pupils periodically complete a school questionnaire and their views from these are also taken into account when further school developments are planned.

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Commentary

24. Child protection procedures, first aid and all aspects of health and safety are a priority for the school and are good. Effective measures for these areas are well known to staff. Pupils are always well supervised.

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Commentary

25. This small school engenders a strong sense of caring for others. A ‘buddy’ system operates in the playground, so pupils always have someone to talk to and play with. Pupils have good opportunities to work in mixed-class groups and with other adults, for example, during the weekly “curriculum enrichment” sessions and on termly “theme” days. All adults provide good support, particularly for pupils’ personal development. However, overall pupils do not receive enough guidance about how to improve their work.

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Commentary

26. Admission and transfer arrangements are good. Prior to admission, the youngest pupils visit the school with their parents so they are familiar both with the surroundings of the school and with their future teachers and teaching assistants. The Foundation Stage teacher visits the pre-school to meet new children. The pre-school group works well with the reception class teacher to compile an entry profile for each child. At the end of Year 4, arrangements for transfer to middle school have been carefully worked out. These ensure that pupils are familiar with the middle school, know their new teachers and have a ‘buddy’ to whom they can turn when they join their new school. They also know some pupils of their own age from other schools in the area because of the good joint events that the local schools plan. Very good information is passed on to the middle school about each pupil, part of which the pupils compile themselves.

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Commentary

Aspley Guise Lower School - 14 27. The school has made good progress in improving this aspect of its work since the last inspection, particularly in improving transition arrangements and in the work of the school council.

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Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

The school has very effective links with parents and the community. It also has very good links with other schools and colleges.

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Main strengths

• Parents provide very good support for the school and are very well informed about its work. • Good parental support for homework, especially reading and projects, makes a significant contribution to standards achieved by pupils. • The results of regular questionnaires for parents are reported back to them and lead to school improvements. • The school has very good links with the middle school and other lower schools.

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Commentary

28. Parents give very good support to the school. They raise large sums of money for the school and have contributed significantly to the purchase of an extra classroom. They have, in the past, paid for an activity trail and contributed towards the very good ICT resources. Parents also help in the classrooms, with swimming and transport to matches, and with improvements to the environment. For example, bulbs were being planted in the school grounds during the inspection and the millennium garden, established by parents, is now maturing to provide a quiet area for pupils. The school is highly valued by parents and the community it serves.

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Commentary

29. Parents are very interested in and very well informed about school life. Half-termly newsletters from each class explain the curriculum being taught and suggest ways parents can help at home. At home, many parents listen to their children read and help them with research for the topics they are investigating in class. Monthly newsletters keep parents up to date with wider school developments and events. The school prospectus and governors’ annual report to parents fully meet statutory requirements. This is an improvement since the last inspection. The headteacher and staff are readily available to speak to parents at the beginning and end of each day. Annual reports to parents about their children’s progress are detailed and include useful targets for improvement.

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Commentary

30. For some years, the school has been asking parents for their opinions of its work and has been incorporating suggestions from these questionnaires into the school development plan where at all possible. Parents appreciate that their views are canvassed and acted upon. This is very good practice and helps to improve aspects of the school’s provision.

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Commentary

31. The close co-operation with other local schools has resulted in successful bids for funding. As a result, pupils have access to a wide range of events that a small school would find difficult to provide using its own resources. For example, pupils have taken part in Indian and African dancing, visited a school that has a steel band and enjoyed a theatre group ‘in residence’. Good transfer arrangements to the middle school are due to the close co-operation the school fosters. The school consults with the middle school on curriculum planning and there is some joint monitoring of pupils’ work to ensure progression in learning from one school to the next. Year 4 pupils take part in the Manor Adventure Trip, along with pupils from other lower schools so that they have the opportunity to get to know others who will be with them when they go to the middle school.

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Commentary

32. The school also benefits from its willingness to take trainee teachers. These bring a fresh perspective to the work of the school. An after-school club, run by the YMCA, uses the school hall and brings in pupils from other schools, providing a very useful community service. Very close links with the church contribute not only to pupils’ spiritual and cultural development, but also encourage their involvement in community events. Members of the community come into school to hear pupils read and to talk to them about their experiences of living and travelling abroad. Aspley Guise Lower School - 15

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management are good . The headteacher provides good leadership and the management of the school is effective. The leadership provided by the governors is good.

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Main strengths

• The leadership of the headteacher shows a very clear vision for the future of the school. • The governing body makes a good contribution to the work of the school. • A high priority is given to building an effective staff team, and the induction of new staff is very good.

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Commentary

33. The leadership of the headteacher is good, and, together with the governors and other senior staff, shows a clear vision for the development of the school. This is clearly focused on improving the education of its pupils. After the last inspection, key goals were set which centred on improvements in the standards of teaching and learning in science, staff development, the provision made for pupils in the Foundation Stage and those with special educational needs. These goals have been reached and this illustrates good leadership and management. The headteacher has established an effective team of teachers and support staff, who feel valued by each other and by governors and parents. They are committed to meeting the needs of pupils and are effective role models for pupils. Staff have a good capacity to raise standards and they all contribute well to school improvements. Provision within school is regularly evaluated and improved upon. All staff take

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Commentary

responsibility well for various projects and events which are organised in order to raise the achievement of pupils. The race equality policy is implemented well.

p.15

Commentary

34. The governing body provides good leadership and ensures that the school fulfils its statutory duties. Each governor is assigned to and visits one of the classes regularly in order to have a good knowledge of the working life of the school. Governors look for practical ways in which to achieve the school’s vision. For example, they helped improve the school’s library and school grounds in order to help raise standards in reading and science. They understand the challenges that are currently facing the school and are very supportive of the headteacher and staff. The school’s financial and resource management effectively supports the implementation of the school’s priorities, and the principles of best value are applied well.

p.15

Commentary

35. Management is good. The school’s own self-evaluation is realistic, and the school’s improvement plan, which is very detailed, outlines suitable priorities for development. The targets set for teachers to help them improve their performance are usefully linked to the school improvement plan; the professional development of the staff is a priority for the school. Induction procedures for new staff are very effective. The school makes a good contribution to initial teacher training, having welcomed a number of students to observe and train in the school during the last year.

p.15

Commentary

36. The leadership and management of special educational needs are good. Well-focused individual programmes of work are set for pupils with special educational needs and they are reviewed each term. These reviews are arranged mid-way through each term, so that when pupils move into a new class the teacher has time to get to know them before having to set new targets.

p.15

Particular aids or barriers to raising achievement

37. The headteacher, staff and governors are clearly focused on school improvement and raising the achievement of pupils. Together they work hard and give generously of their time to improve provision and raise standards. Parents give very good support to the school and contribute significantly to its success. The school has a good capacity to improve and raise achievement further. No barriers to improvement were noted during the inspection. Aspley Guise Lower School - 16

p.15

Financial information

Financial information for the year April 2002 to March 2003

p.16

Financial information

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 298,433 Balance from previous year 38,528 Total expenditure 316,286 Balance carried forward to the next 20,675 Expenditure per pupil 3,012 Aspley Guise Lower School - 17

p.16

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Overall, provision is good and helps children achieve well.

p.17

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Overall, attainment on entry is below average. It is below average in children’s personal, social and emotional development, language and well below in mathematics. In all other areas, attainment on entry is average. Through good teaching, most children achieve well and reach the standards expected in all areas of learning by the end of their time in the reception class.

p.17

Personal, social and emotional development

Provision in personal, social and emotional development is good .

p.17

Main strengths

• Teaching in this area is good. • Children have positive attitudes to school and are eager to learn and please staff; they behave well. • Children work sensibly in groups and share toys and other equipment well.

p.17

Commentary

38. On entry to school, standards in children’s personal, social and emotional development are below average. The teacher and teaching assistants have clear objectives to help children improve in this area. Many good activities are planned that help children work together in groups. Children are taught very clearly and effectively how to behave in class. In their turn, they respond positively to this and learn to behave well. They do this quickly because their teacher is firm but fair in her teaching and this gives children a clear lead that they soon understand. Good teaching such as this helps pupils achieve well so that, by the time they enter Year 1, most have achieved the nationally expected levels in this area. Provision is similar to that reported at the last inspection.

p.17

Communication, language and literacy

Provision in communication, language and literacy is good overall.

p.17

Main strength and weakness

• Most children achieve well in developing most aspects of their language skills because they are given many opportunities to do so. • However, the literacy lessons during the morning are too long and not practical or interesting enough for children of this age.

p.17

Commentary

39. Attainment on entry in language is below average. The teacher provides children with many good opportunities to improve their skills in reading and writing. The sounds letters make are taught well and good opportunities given to practise writing them down within the context of simple words such as cat and car . Children are provided with many very good opportunities to improve their listening skills for example by carefully following instructions from their teacher. The teacher adopts an effective quiet but positive and assertive approach to this aspect of her teaching and this encourages children to listen intently and respond quickly to what is being said to them. Children are taught well overall and they achieve well in these aspects of their development and reach the standards expected nationally by the end of reception. This is an improvement since the last inspection. Aspley Guise Lower School - 18

p.17

Commentary

40. Good opportunities are provided for pupils to help them improve their speaking skills. Work in small groups under the close supervision of adults encourages pupils to talk about what they are doping. However, in a few lessons, children are not given enough opportunities to respond to questions from their teacher and teaching assistants in sentences or by developing their own ideas in words. Standards in speaking are average overall.

p.18

Commentary

41. The literacy lessons held during the mornings are too long for children of this age. On these occasions, children are expected to listen for too long on the carpet and then carry out pencil and paper exercises afterwards. They are not provided with enough short, practical and interesting activities that help them develop their speaking, reading and writing skills. This criticism is similar to that made at the last inspection and, as such, improvement in this aspect has been unsatisfactory.

p.18

Mathematical development

Provision in mathematical development is good .

p.18

Main strength and weakness

• Children are provided with some good opportunities to learn by using practical apparatus for counting and learning about simple shapes and this helps them to achieve well. • However, lessons held during the morning are too long for such young children and many activities require them to complete worksheets without giving enough opportunities to consolidate their understanding in practical ways.

p.18

Commentary

42. On entry to school, attainment is well below average. The teacher provides children with many practical activities that help them learn how to count forwards and backwards in ones, for instance. Children enjoy this type of activity because they can see clearly what is meant when they add or take away a cube from a group of others. When learning about the number of sides and corners that shapes such as squares, rectangles and triangles have, children were eager to volunteer to feel shapes in a bag. They counted the sides and corners of these shapes and told the rest of the class how many of these they had counted. Their classmates were keen to guess what shape was being described. Good teaching such as this helps children achieve well but many do not reach the standards expected by the end of their time in the reception class because they have a lot of ground to make up.

p.18

Commentary

43. However, in spite of this, children are required to sit and work on some pencil and paper exercises when they have not fully grasped the mathematical ideas well enough by using practical apparatus. This slows down the progress they would otherwise have made. Provision in mathematics is similar to that recorded at the last inspection.

p.18

Knowledge and understanding of the world

Provision in knowledge and understanding of the world is satisfactory .

p.18

Main strengths

• Children achieve well in their computer skills and reach standards that are above expected levels. • Children achieve well in their skills of cutting and sticking paper together.

p.18

Commentary

44. Standards in this area are average when children first enter school. Teaching is satisfactory overall and this enables children to reach the expected standards by the time they enter Year 1. This is similar to the last inspection. However, the teaching of computer skills is good and children learn well in this area and reach standards that are above expected levels by the time they leave the reception class. This is because the teacher has good expertise with computers and children are keen to use them and follow instruction carefully. The reception class is equipped with six computers Aspley Guise Lower School - 19 that provide pupils with plenty of opportunities to use them and this helps them learn. Most children control the computer mouse very well and follow programmes confidently and skilfully. Many print out their work well without being prompted to do so.

p.18

Commentary

45. Children are taught well how to use scissors to cut out paper shapes. Teachers and teaching assistants help pupils by holding the paper for those who are having difficulties with this and this encourages children and helps them carry out the task successfully. Children stick gummed shapes on to paper successfully, and a few high-attaining children, make their shapes into a recognisable pictures. Children are aware that they live in a village and most feel they know how to find their way home. They talk about their grandparents and refer to them as having lived a long time. They talk about how flowers grow from seeds and about parts of the sunflower that they had painted. Children’s achievement is satisfactory and their attainment is at expected levels in the design and technology, geography, history and science aspects of this area. This is similar to the last inspection.

p.19

Physical development

Provision in physical development is satisfactory .

p.19

Main strength

• Pupils are taught well to use pencils and small equipment such as scissors.

p.19

Commentary

46. The achievement of children is satisfactory and they reach the standards expected by the end of reception. Children are taught well how to use small equipment such as pencils and scissors. They are shown by their teacher and teaching assistants how to hold equipment properly and use it to carry out certain tasks, such as cutting out shapes. Children are taught well how to control a computer mouse skilfully. This good teaching helps children to achieve well in these aspects. Children’s use of larger apparatus, such as bikes, and their movements around school are less skilful and their achievement in this aspect is satisfactory. Teaching in this area is satisfactory overall.

p.19

Creative development

Provision in creative development is satisfactory .

p.19

Main strength and weakness

• Children have good opportunities to paint but are sometimes asked to paint pictures that are beyond their experiences.

p.19

Commentary

47. Children’s attainment in this area is at expected levels and their achievement satisfactory overall. Children learn to use colours well and they produce a number of colourful pictures as a result. However, they are sometimes asked to paint pictures in the style of other artists and this is too difficult for them. Children sing tunefully for their age. They act out roles well. For example, they acted as policemen or accident victims in the role-play area using walkie-talkies effectively. Overall, teaching in this area is satisfactory. Aspley Guise Lower School - 20

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• In the 2003 National Curriculum tests, pupils in Year 2 achieved well and reach standards that were above average. • Pupils with special educational needs achieve well. However, some high-attaining pupils are not always challenged enough. • Monitoring and evaluation of the subject are good. • Pupils’ work is not always marked in a way to help them know what they should do to improve. • Standards of handwriting and the presentation of work are unsatisfactory.

p.20

Commentary

48. In 2003 the results of National Curriculum tests for Year 2 pupils were well above average in reading and above average in writing. This means that the achievement of this group of pupils in Years 1 and 2 was good. Inspection evidence indicates that standards in Years 2 and 4 are above expected levels. Although much written work was above expected levels in all classes, some did not match up to this standard and was at expected levels for pupils’ ages; sometimes, pupils’ handwriting and the presentation of their work were untidy. This is because teachers do not always insist on high enough standards of work. However, in spite of this, pupils’ achievement over time is good. Pupils in Year 2 listen attentively to their teachers, and speak about their own experiences clearly. They read well, many of them fluently. Some write well and achieve above average standards when they use paragraphs in their writing. Pupils in Year 4 recognise patterns in poetry

p.20

Commentary

and describe them using correct language such as ‘repeating motif’ and ‘rhyming couplet’. High- attaining pupils read fluently with expression and can explain how to find out information from non- fiction books. They enjoy using the recently built library and being able to choose their own books to read. High-attaining pupils in Year 4 write in a variety of styles depending on the purpose of the writing.

p.20

Commentary

49. Pupils with special educational needs receive good help from teachers and teaching assistants and achieve well in relation to their abilities. Teachers provide them with extra support with spellings to help them with their writing. Teaching assistants work alongside pupils with special educational needs and encourage them to think for themselves and work independently whenever possible. For example, one pupil with special educational needs answered a question in a whole- class session because he had rehearsed beforehand what to say with a teaching assistant.

p.20

Commentary

50. Teaching in English is satisfactory overall with some good features. Lessons are clearly planned and teachers discuss the purposes of lessons with pupils. In the best lessons, pupils are interested and motivated by stimulating activities. Teachers clarify ideas by explaining them in different ways so that pupils understand and by making links to pupils’ previous learning. Pupils are encouraged to explain their ideas fully, and are expected to use interesting vocabulary to make their work more stimulating for the reader. In less successful lessons, high-attaining pupils are given tasks that are too easy for them and only a few of them write to a high enough standard for their capabilities. Except in one class, marking does not let pupils know what is good about their work and what they need to do to improve. The school works well with parents in helping pupils improve their reading at home.

p.20

Commentary

51. Leadership and management of the subject are satisfactory. Lessons are monitored by the subject co-ordinator and the headteacher. The strengths and weaknesses of teaching are identified through monitoring and a plan of action devised to correct weaknesses. As a result of monitoring, a reading club was established to improve reading in the school. This proved popular and an effective way of raising standards. A new initiative to improve standards in writing is being implemented. This initiative needs more time before its success can be judged. All pupils have individual targets for writing and it is hoped these might help to raise standards. Teachers have identified pupils working at Aspley Guise Lower School - 21 just below the nationally expected level and teaching assistant support is being provided for these pupils to help them reach the required standards by the end of Year 2. This proved successful in the

p.20

Commentary

2003 tests. Improvement since the last inspection is satisfactory.

p.21

Language and literacy across the curriculum

52. The presentation of written work in subjects such as geography, history and religious education is often untidy and unsatisfactory. This is because teachers do not always expect high enough standards of pupils’ writing in these subjects. Other activities, such as when pupils work on practical tasks in groups, provide good opportunities for speaking and listening, discussing ideas and working collaboratively. Pupils make good progress in speaking and listening on these occasions.

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils achieve well and reach standards that are at expected levels by the end of Year 2. • Leadership and management are good. • Good support is given to pupils with special educational needs. • High-attaining pupils are not always set work that encourages them to use their thinking skills to solve problems. • The new computerised whiteboards are used very well to help improve pupils’ learning.

p.21

Commentary

53. Standards in mathematics at the end of Year 2 and 4 are at expected levels. The national tests taken at the end of Year 2 in 2003 indicate that results are at the national average. Based on previous levels of attainment, these results represent good achievement. Overall, achievement in lessons is good across the school.

p.21

Commentary

54. Overall, the quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory with good features. Features of good teaching include the good subject knowledge of staff which results in good questioning of pupils and good pace of learning in most lessons. Teachers explain new learning well. The new computerised whiteboards are used effectively and these help pupils develop their understanding well. Good help is given by teachers and teaching assistants to pupils with special educational needs. This encourages these pupils to achieve as well as they can. These features, together with good attitudes and behaviour from the pupils, contribute to good learning and good achievement. Pupils are generally well motivated and focused on the tasks set.

p.21

Commentary

55. However, standards of presentation are sometimes unsatisfactory. The quality of marking varies between classes; some teachers provide pupils with comments to help them improve, but this is not always the case. On occasions, some high-attaining pupils do not make as much progress as they should because they are not given tasks that cause them to think hard enough or give them enough opportunity to achieve as much as they can.

p.21

Commentary

56. The leadership and management of mathematics are good. Standards of teaching and learning are monitored regularly through classroom observation and results from national tests analysed. However, the focus for raising standards is on low-attaining pupils reaching the nationally expected level rather than on high-attaining pupils achieving the higher level. The school’s assessment procedures are systematic but individual targets set are not high enough, particularly for high-attaining pupils. This lowers teachers’ expectations of what these pupils can achieve. National guidance for teaching mathematics is followed well. Resources and accommodation for mathematics are good. The new computerised whiteboards are proving to be a very good resource in the teaching of mathematics. Provision in mathematics is similar to that at the last inspection. Aspley Guise Lower School - 22

p.21

Mathematics across the curriculum

57. Mathematics is used well in other subjects. For example, in a Year 4 science lesson, pupils timed their investigations then displayed their results on a graph. A Year 2 and 3 display includes a timeline from 1900 – 2004 on which important world events are highlighted. A recent mathematics day involved the whole school in investigating and solving mathematical problems across different subjects.

p.22

Main strengths

• Standards are above the levels expected in Years 2 and 4 and pupils achieve well. • Teaching and learning are good. • Pupils are given good opportunities to carry out their own investigations and they understand how to carry out a fair test well for their ages. • Leadership and management are good.

p.22

Commentary

58. Teaching and learning have improved since the last inspection and are now good. Pupils are provided with good opportunities to carry out their own investigations. Teachers and teaching assistants guide pupils well in these activities by asking them questions that cause them to think what might happen during their investigations. For example, in one lesson, pupils were asked to predict whether flour, salt, sugar and sand would dissolve when stirred in water. When they stirred these substances in water, pupils were asked whether it mattered how long each was stirred. They also were asked to consider that if they stirred one substance for a period of time other substances should be stirred similarly to make the test fair. In this way, pupils’ thinking about how to carry out a fair test is developed well.

p.22

Commentary

59. Teachers plan and prepare materials and equipment for lessons well. Lessons have a clear focus that is discussed with pupils so that they know what they are about to learn. Investigations are written up well using a good scientific framework for recording. Recording of investigations is accompanied by useful and clear scientific diagrams that are labelled well. Pupils respond well to this good teaching and enjoy science. They achieve well and reach standards that are above expected levels throughout the school, including in Years 2 and 4. Standards in science have improved significantly since the last inspection.

p.22

Commentary

60. The subject co-ordinator leads and manages the subject well. Strengths and weaknesses in science are identified well through systematic monitoring and evaluation of standards achieved and the quality of teaching. Science was identified as a key issue at the last inspection. Improvement is such that science is now a strength of the school.

p.22

Main strengths

• Teaching and learning are good; the school provides good opportunities for pupils to use ICT. • Leadership and management are good. • ICT is used well across the curriculum. Aspley Guise Lower School - 23

p.22

Commentary

61. Standards in ICT are at nationally expected levels and pupils’ achievement is good. Pupils have good opportunities to use ICT for word processing, drawing and designing, taking photographs using a digital camera and using control devices such as Pixie, a programmable robot. Most pupils use ICT confidently. In Year 2, they know how move the cursor to enter text into a new text box and how to save their work. They explain how to retrieve their work both by opening files when a programme is active and by locating the document within a folder of saved work. Year 4 pupils produce presentations that involve research, importing pictures and editing text. They print their finished work.

p.23

Commentary

62. Teaching and learning of ICT are good. Teachers ask searching questions which enable pupils to explain their ways of working and give pupils suggestions about how to improve their work. Discussions about how to open saved work and demonstrations on the interactive whiteboard mean that all pupils start on their activities quickly. Pupils work individually and in pairs and they remind each other of skills they have previously learned. They try things out with confidence and this enables them to learn new skills, for example, erasing text without affecting the background.

p.23

Commentary

63. Leadership and management of ICT are good. The co-ordinator has produced a good programme of work, taking account of the resources in the school. A useful assessment sheet has been devised that records individual pupil’s progress in developing their ICT skills. Teachers and teaching assistants are provided with training on different aspects of ICT and this is helping staff to teach effectively. There has been good improvement since the last inspection.

p.23

Information and communication technology across the curriculum

64. ICT is used regularly in other areas of the curriculum. Younger pupils have produced good pictures with captions in religious education and history. In English, pupils use writing frames and the spellchecker on the computer confidently to help them with their writing. Pupils in the Year 3 and 4 class show their history presentations on their computers to the rest of the class. This also provides them with good opportunities to develop their speaking and listening skills.

p.23

HUMANITIES

Geography and history were not the main focus of the inspection and no judgements were made about provision in these two subjects. One history lesson and one geography lesson were observed during the inspection. Examples of pupils’ work were inspected in books and through displays.

p.23

Geography and history

The programmes of work for geography and history are based on national guidance. This gives pupils a good coverage of the National Curriculum in these two subjects. In geography, pupils in the Year 1 and 2 class were learning about Mary Seacole. They discussed why she is well known and what her contribution to society was. Pupils’ understanding of other famous people and events from the past was obvious from colourful displays around the school.

p.23

Geography and history

However, the presentation of pupils’ written work in these two subjects is unsatisfactory. It makes very little contribution to developing pupils’ literacy skills. A significant amount of work remains unmarked and very little help is given to show pupils how they can improve their work. In addition, geography and history work is included in the same book. These books often include some written work from other subjects also. This means that it is very difficult for pupils or their teachers to see any progression in learning in these subjects. Aspley Guise Lower School - 24

p.23

Religious education

Provision in religious education is satisfactory .

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teachers have good subject knowledge. • Pupils reflect on and share their thoughts and beliefs well. • Not enough account is taken of pupils’ different abilities in religious education.

p.24

Commentary

65. Standards are at expected levels and pupils’ achievement is satisfactory overall. Pupils learn about religious leaders such as Buddha and Saint Alban. Pupils in Year 2 retell some of the events of Jesus’ life and know that he is special to Christians. In Year 4, pupils understand the symbols of the Christingle, how they relate to the life of Jesus and the meaning they hold for Christians. Much of the time in religious education lessons is spent in discussion, enabling pupils to listen to the thoughts and ideas of others. They reflect upon their thoughts and beliefs carefully and contribute their ideas well to the topic under discussion. However, the written work produced, especially by high-attaining pupils, does not match up to the high quality of their discussion and understanding. Overall, too little account is taken of the different ability levels of pupils in religious education.

p.24

Commentary

66. The teaching of religious education is satisfactory with some good features. Teachers have good subject knowledge and make good use of artefacts and objects to engage pupils’ interest. In one lesson, the teacher established a reflective atmosphere by lighting the candle on the Christingle orange, and quietly posing questions to extend the pupils’ thinking. The pupils were respectful and attentive and the discussion that followed showed the good extent of their understanding and willingness to share their thoughts and beliefs with each other.

p.24

Commentary

67. The leadership and management of the subject are satisfactory. Provision in religious education is similar to that noted at the last inspection.

p.24

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

No judgements can be made about provision in art and design and design and technology. Because of the shortness of the inspection, no lessons were observed in either subject. Pupils’ work on display could be seen for both subjects. A discussion was held with the co-ordinator for design and technology.

p.24

Art and design and design and technology

Art displays are satisfactory. They are colourful and attractive and indicate that pupils work with paint, crayons and pastels. Most classes have displays of pupils’ portraits that are produced in accurate proportions in all classes. Pupils make good attempts at replicating the skills of famous artists such and Van Gogh and Matisse.

p.24

Art and design and design and technology

There was little work in design and technology available at the time of the inspection. Most classes had produced some decorations for Christmas. Teachers sensibly teach art and design and design and technology in different class topics. There is evidence from teachers’ plans that national guidance is followed in the teaching of these subjects. Aspley Guise Lower School - 25

p.24

Main strengths

• Standards are above expected levels. • Staff expertise in music is good. • Teaching and learning are good. • Pupils show real enjoyment in lessons. • Music makes a good contribution to pupils’ awareness of other cultures.

p.25

Commentary

68. Standards at the end of Year 2 are above nationally expected levels. Achievement by the end of Year 2 and Year 4 is good. Pupils sing tunefully in assemblies. Year 2 pupils imitate different rhythms, link these to words and reproduce them on to paper in musical notation. Pupils in Year 4 develop a good sense of rhythm through the use of the interactive whiteboard. They were amazed by the way in which rhythms could be so easily changed on the whiteboard and they quickly progressed from concentrating on one simple rhythm on a monotone to adding volume, emphasising unusual beats in the bar and changing the pitch. They then performed these changes on three chime bars.

p.25

Commentary

69. The quality of teaching and learning is good. A teacher who has special expertise in music teaches the oldest two classes. He acts as a good role model for the pupils, and through good subject knowledge, leads music lessons at a fast pace, gradually increasing the level of difficulty which the pupils thoroughly enjoy. Pupils learn correct musical language, such as “beat” and “rhythm”. The teacher’s skills are enthusiastically communicated to the pupils and they, in their turn, are keen to learn. At the end of each lesson, the pupils perform what they have achieved, giving the teacher opportunity to assess their progress. This assessment informs the planning of the next lesson. The attitudes and behaviour of the pupils are good.

p.25

Commentary

70. Leadership and management are satisfactory. Teaching is monitored well and this helps to improve learning and pupils’ achievement. The accommodation and resources are good. Good use is made of the new interactive whiteboards during music lessons. The programme of work is based on a commercial scheme which helps teachers teach the National Curriculum. Twelve pupils learn keyboard, piano or violin with two teachers from the local education authority. All pupils in Years 3 and 4 learn to play the ocarina. The school uses the local church for services, such as Christingle, Easter and harvest. An annual concert is held in school and this is appreciated and enjoyed by parents. In class and whole school assemblies good standards of singing are encouraged well. Various other activities add to the variety in the music curriculum. For example, last year, pupils took part in a term’s lessons on African drumming and Indian dancing, following which they joined with

p.25

Commentary

pupils from other schools to perform at a local upper school. These activities help to develop pupils’ awareness of cultures other than their own. Provision in music is similar to the last inspection.

p.25

Commentary

71. Because of the shortness of the inspection, no overall judgements were made about standards and teaching in physical education. One physical education lesson was observed and a discussion was held with the subject co-ordinator.

p.25

Physical education

In the dance lesson observed pupils responded imaginatively to the music. This was because the teacher demonstrated effectively moves that might be in keeping with the mood of the music. Pupils listened carefully to what they were being taught and thought carefully what they might do when it was their turn. All pupils were encouraged well to join in the lesson. Pupils achieved well and standards in this lesson were at expected levels.

p.25

Physical education

The co-ordinator leads the subject well. Physical education is monitored well and strengths and weaknesses in the teaching identified. A programme for improving provision and standards has been Aspley Guise Lower School - 26 developed following this monitoring. Clear guidance on health and safety is provided for teachers. The school has recently been presented with a Gold Active Schools Award.

p.25

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

Provision for pupils’ personal, social and health education is good . Pupils talk about their own experiences and beliefs and question each other about things that are important to them They play and work co-operatively, including helping each other to remember skills they have previously learned. Older pupils have been involved in choosing their personal targets for writing, and know that they should work hard towards them. Pupils understand about making promises, for example, when they join Brownies or Cubs. The school council gives pupils the opportunity to take responsibility and to make decisions. Prospective members of the school council have to explain why they would be a good choice to be on the council. Pupils discuss and agree class rules. High-attaining pupils take part in discussions about the environment with a local employer and they bring the issues raised back to school for further discussion. During Healthy Schools Week, pupils learned about healthy

p.26

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

eating and the importance of taking exercise. They learn about the dangers of the misuse of drugs. The school has recently received the Healthy Schools Award. Aspley Guise Lower School - 27

p.26

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The overall effectiveness of the school 3 How inclusive the school is 3 How the school’s effectiveness has changed since its last inspection 3 Value for money provided by the school 3

p.27

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Overall standards achieved 3 Pupils’ achievement 3

p.27

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities 3 Attendance 3 Attitudes 3 Behaviour, including the extent of exclusions 2 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2

p.27

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The quality of education provided by the school 3 The quality of teaching 4 How well pupils learn 4 The quality of assessment 4 How well the curriculum meets pupils needs 3 Enrichment of the curriculum, including out-of-school activities 3 Accommodation and resources 2 Pupils’ care, welfare, health and safety 3 Support, advice and guidance for pupils 3 How well the school seeks and acts on pupils’ views 2 The effectiveness of the school’s links with parents 2 The quality of the school’s links with the community 2 The school’s links with other schools and colleges 2

p.27

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The leadership and management of the school 3 The governance of the school 3 The leadership of the headteacher 3 The leadership of other key staff 3 The effectiveness of management 3

p.27

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Inspectors make judgements on a scale: excellent (grade 1); very good (2); good (3); satisfactory (4); unsatisfactory (5); poor (6); very poor (7).

p.27