Birchfield Primary School

BIRCHFIELD PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 22 to 24 March 2004

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BIRCHFIELD PRIMARY SCHOOL

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 Birchfield Primary 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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BIRCHFIELD PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Primary School category: Voluntary aided Age range of pupils: 3 - 11 Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 221

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Birchfield Avenue Gildersome Leeds West Yorkshire Postcode: LS27 7HU

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: 0113 2533009 Fax number: 0113 2533009

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: Governing body Name of chair of governors: Mr Michael Dean

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 5 - 8 May 1998

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

The school, which is similar in size to most primary schools, is popular with families who live in its locality. It is a stable community with 221 pupils on roll; 98 of them are boys and 95 are girls. Thirty- five boys and 21 girls attend the nursery on a part-time basis. When they join the school most children’s attainment is typical for their age. Pupils mainly live in homes in the village that are either privately owned or owned by the local council. The percentage of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is below average. The percentage of pupils whose first language is not English is lower than in most schools. These pupils are mainly from Asian or African minority groups and all of them speak fluent English. The percentage of pupils with special educational needs is well below average, most have difficulties with English and mathematics. A below average percentage of pupils have a Statement of their Special Educational Need for emotional and behavioural problems,

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

difficulties with speech and learning. A relatively high percentage of new pupils joined last year’s Year 6 mainly from the time they were in Year 4. The school gained the Investor in People Award in 2002 and the Schools’ Achievement Award in 2003. It is involved in the Dissemination and Excellence in Cities initiatives and co-ordinates programmes for gifted and talented pupils in a group of local primary schools. Birchfield Primary School - 4

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

20810 Sheila Pemberton Lead inspector Foundation Stage Science. 9224 Michael Vineall Lay inspector 21993 Dorothy Atkins Team inspector Mathematics Geography History Music Religious education. 19041 Roger Linstead Team inspector English French Information and communication technology Design and technology. Special educational needs English as an additional language 14591 Richard Perkin Team inspector Art and design Physical education.

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

The inspection contractor was: Independent School Inspection Services (ISIS) 3 Harrowby Road West Park Leeds LS16 5HN

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

Any concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be made initially to the inspection 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.ofsted.gov.uk). Birchfield Primary School - 5

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 8

Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects

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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 11

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

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OVERALL EVALUATION

This is a good school. Strong leadership from the headteacher, senior staff and governing body combines with effective teaching to ensure that the school achieves good standards in national tests. The school gives good value for money.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are: • Good leadership and management maintain good standards and bring continuing improvements to the school. • Pupils’ enthusiasm for learning stems from good teaching and a rich curriculum. • Parents are very supportive and pleased with all aspects of the school’s provision. • The school is not checking closely enough on teaching and learning in lessons. • Some children in the Foundation Stage are not getting the help they need to overcome difficulties with their learning. • Teachers take good care of pupils’ welfare, health and safety and do everything they can to promote good relationships. • Not enough opportunities are available for writing in the Foundation Stage.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school has made good improvements since its last inspection. It has met most of the many issues identified at that time with considerable success. Teaching is now consistent and mostly good. Because assessment and planning have improved, teachers are better at meeting the needs of different groups of pupils. Resources are good and pupils have access to a much wider range of books. An improved curriculum is based on detailed programmes of work for all subjects. All aspects of information and communication technology (ICT) are taught and pupils’ achievement is good. Curriculum leaders have greater responsibility in planning for improvement although a weakness still exists in the monitoring of teaching and learning. Pupils often organise their own learning and also learn through research. Targets are prioritised clearly in planning for school improvements.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

all schools similar schools Results in National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 6, compared with: 2001 2002 2003 2003 English C D B D mathematics B B A A science C B B C Key: A - well above average; B – above average; C – average; D – below average; E – well below average Similar schools are those whose pupils attained similarly at the end of Year 2.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Pupils’ achievement is good. In 2003, standards in Year 2 were well above average in reading and above average in mathematics. Although satisfactory, standards in writing and science were lower because more able pupils missed the level they were capable of in both subjects. Girls did better than boys in reading, writing and mathematics. In this year’s Year 2, standards in writing and science have risen because the attainment of boys and more able pupils has improved.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Standards in Year 6 are above average this year in reading, mathematics and science. Standards are satisfactory in writing because too few pupils are working at a high level in the subject. More able pupils did well in national tests in 2003 in English and science and very well in mathematics. Boys and girls did better than boys and girls nationally. Comparisons with similar schools were

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

unreliable in 2003 since almost a quarter of pupils were not in Year 2 and most joined the class in Years 4, 5 and 6. When compared with all schools nationally in 2003, the school added good value to Birchfield Primary School - 7 pupils’ achievement in English, mathematics and science between Year 2 and Year 6. Standards are very high in art and design and are higher than in most schools in ICT in Year 6. With the exception of writing, a good proportion of children are close to reaching the goals expected at the end of the reception year and their achievement is good. Their achievement is mostly very good in personal, social and emotional development.

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

development, is good. Pupils behave well, work hard and enjoy the wide range of activities available to them in school. They get on well with one another and their teachers and have positive attitudes to learning. Attendance and punctuality are good.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The school provides a good education . Teaching and learning are good. Very good teaching is evident in Years 3 to 6 when teachers use their specialist knowledge of a subject to teach it to all four classes. Satisfactory provision is made for pupils with special educational needs and good provision for pupils who speak English as an additional language. Not all children in the Foundation Stage get the extra help they need to improve their learning. Teachers in reception, Years 1 and 2 use homework very effectively to improve pupils’ reading. Not enough opportunities are available for children in the Foundation Stage to practise writing. A good curriculum is enriched by plentiful resources, attractive accommodation and a very interesting range of activities outside lessons. Very good partnerships with parents add to pupils’ learning and confidence in school. Very positive links with other schools and good relationships with the local community strengthen the education the

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The leadership and management of the school are good. The headteacher works closely with senior staff and the governing body to provide good leadership and continuous improvement to the school. Members of the governing body make helpful contributions to the work of the school and assist the headteacher in the very efficient management of the school’s finances. Although the senior management team systematically checks the standards the school achieves, this monitoring is not extended to examining the quality of teaching and learning in lessons.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents have very positive views of the school . They are pleased with their children’s achievement, high standards of care and the way the school is led. Pupils enjoy lessons and are enthusiastic about the additional activities the school provides. They find their teachers kind, friendly and helpful and especially love lessons in art and design, educational visits and work with computers.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

The most important things the school should do to improve are: • place greater emphasis on developing children’s writing in the nursery and reception classes • monitor the quality of teaching and learning in lessons • provide help and guidance for all children in the nursery and reception classes who have special educational needs. Birchfield Primary School - 8

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Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

Achievement is mostly good . The school has steadily raised and improved standards in English, mathematics and science over recent years.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Most children do well in all areas except in writing in the nursery and reception classes. Their achievement is very good in personal, social and emotional development. • Standards in English, mathematics and science in Year 6 have improved at a better rate than in most schools nationally. • The achievement of boys has improved in reading and writing in Year 2. • Standards are above average in reading, writing, mathematics, science and art and design in Year 2. They are good in reading, mathematics, science and ICT in Year 6 and very high in art and design.

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Commentary

1. When they enter reception, children’s attainments are typical for their age. Their achievement is mostly good in the nursery and reception classes and a high proportion achieve the goals established for their learning in communication, reading and mathematical development by the end of the reception year. Many children reach high standards in their personal, social and emotional development and their achievement is very good. The achievement of more able children is so good that in reception they are already working towards the first level of the National Curriculum in reading, writing and mathematics. However, because of limited opportunities for writing, most children attain higher standards in reading than they do in writing. This pattern has been evident throughout the school since the last inspection. Several children in reception make a slow start to reading and writing. This is because their special educational

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Commentary

needs are not formally identified and they are not receiving the help and guidance they need to improve.

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Commentary

2. Standards were good in Year 2 and satisfactory in Year 6 when the school was last inspected. In recent years, however, standards have risen faster than the national trend in both year groups in National Curriculum tests in English, mathematics and science. Standards in writing and science have improved in this year’s Year 2 and are comparable with existing good standards in reading and mathematics. Most pupils now reach the level expected for their age and a significant proportion achieve a higher level. There is no evidence this year to suggest that boys are not doing as well as girls in Year 2 in reading, writing and mathematics. This is because the school has taken steps to reverse this trend by providing boys with tasks that stimulate their enthusiasm for writing and books that increase their interest in reading. Although very few pupils receive free school meals this factor gives an inaccurate picture of the socio-

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Commentary

economic status of families in the locality and consequently lowers the school’s comparative results. As a result, with the exception of mathematics, where standards were in the top five per cent nationally, comparisons with similar schools were below average in reading and writing in 2003. Comparative results were better but were still inaccurate and too low for more able pupils in Year 2, who attained above average standards in reading, and satisfactory results in mathematics.

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Commentary

3. Compared with all schools nationally in 2003, the school added good value to pupils’ achievement in English, mathematics and science between Year 2 and Year 6. However, standards in English are satisfactory rather than good in this year’s Year 6. This has happened even though pupils’ reading has improved to a good standard since they were in Year 2 and Birchfield Primary School - 9 their achievement is good. Their attainment has been systematically boosted through homework and considerable additional help for their learning in lessons. It is in writing, where fewer pupils are currently reaching the higher levels, that standards, although satisfactory, are not as high as in reading. Lower attainment in writing, results specifically from the weak achievement of boys. The school has given considerable attention to this issue over the last two years and although its efforts are beginning to pay off, improvement is not yet evident in this

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Commentary

year’s Year 6. Because of the help and guidance they receive, the achievement of pupils with special educational needs is mostly good. Pupils throughout the school who speak English as an additional language use confident, fluent English. Consequently, the standards attained by these pupils are similar to those reached by others in their year groups and their achievement is good. Gifted pupils in Years 3 to 6 do very well in mathematics and ICT.

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Commentary

4. Standards in ICT are good and are better than in most schools. In art and design, standards are higher than expected in Year 2 and very high in Year 6.

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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 17.0 (18.6) 15.7 (15.8) Writing 14.6 (17.4) 14.6 (14.4) mathematics 17.0 (18.0) 16.3 (16.5) There were 28 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year

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Commentary

Standards in national tests at the end of Year 6 – average point scores in 2003

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Commentary

Standards in: School results National results English 27.8 (26.2) 26.8 (27.0) mathematics 29.5 (27.8) 26.8 (26.7) Science 29.9 (29.3) 28.6 (28.3) There were 31 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Behaviour is good , as are pupils’ attitudes to work and the school. Good personal development is based on positive relationships in the school. Good attendance has been maintained since the last inspection and pupils arrive at school on time.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils’ good attitudes and positive behaviour make learning productive and enjoyable. • Friendly relationships between staff and pupils underpin good personal development. • Good social, moral and cultural development contributes to pupils’ understanding and respect for others. • The school has good procedures to monitor and improve attendance and punctuality.

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Commentary

5. As at the last inspection, pupils’ attitudes to work and the school are almost universally good. Children in the nursery and reception classes demonstrate good ability to work together in pairs Birchfield Primary School - 10 and small groups. They soon become aware of the advantages of sharing equipment. This skill is also evident when pupils in Years 3 to 6 work productively and amicably in pairs with new computers. By the time they reach Year 6, pupils’ approaches to their work are confident and mature. Behaviour is also good, especially when managed by teachers. These personal attributes contribute to an orderly school and to an inclusive ethos. Parents appreciate the way that the school affects their children’s values. They think that behaviour such as bullying is rarely experienced and is handled effectively by teachers if it ever occurs.

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Commentary

6. Clearly, this harmony is achieved by the way that teachers foster the good relationships that contribute to successful personal development and the confident assuredness of so many pupils. The sensitive way that staff usually deal with their difficulties promotes the personal development of pupils with special educational needs. A visit to the playground is rewarded with spontaneous conversations with pupils who offer confident opinions about the strengths of the school. Teachers’ strategies to develop social and moral development are good. From their time in the nursery, pupils’ understanding grows about the difference between right and wrong and their responsibilities to one another. In a lesson in Year 4, for example, pupils spoke openly about their faults with remarkable self-knowledge and showed great respect for one another’s contributions.

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Commentary

7. An improvement since the last inspection lies in pupils’ ability to take responsibility for their learning. Carrying out independent research and investigative work is now a significant feature of their personal development. Greater access to computers has increased opportunities for independent activities. Good cultural development incorporates imaginative initiatives that allow pupils to experience cultural diversity and to combat racism. The teaching of French adds a further cultural tone. Spiritual development remains satisfactory. While assemblies, lessons in personal, social and health education and contacts with a local church assist, opportunities to develop spirituality are rarely grasped in different subjects of the curriculum. Attendance and punctuality are good, with the school and parents working well together to achieve this.

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Attendance

Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

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Attendance

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data 4.5 School data 0.2 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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Exclusions

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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Exclusions

Categories used in the Annual School Census No of pupils on roll Number of fixed period exclusions Number of permanent exclusions White – British 215 0 0 White – any other White background 2 0 0 Mixed – White and Black African 1 0 0 Asian or Asian British – Indian 3 0 0 Birchfield Primary School - 11

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Teaching and learning

Teaching and learning are good. Arrangements to check and track pupils' progress are good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils’ good achievement is based on good teaching throughout the school. • Specialist teaching enhances pupils’ learning in Years 3 to 6. • Teachers in the Foundation Stage are not meeting the difficulties that some children encounter with their learning. • Teachers’ skilful use of national strategies is responsible for the school’s improving standards. However, the teaching of writing has not improved in the Foundation Stage since the last inspection. • Because teachers expect pupils to do their best, pupils are encouraged to work hard and enjoy new learning. • Thorough assessment maintains good standards in English, mathematics and science. • Some of the work is not matched carefully enough to pupils’ varied abilities.

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Commentary

8. Teaching shows a good improvement since the last inspection when some of the teaching was unsatisfactory and very good teaching was rare. This is because joint planning, training and team work have combined to improve the consistency of teaching and learning throughout the school. Very good teaching in the nursery and reception classes gives children a secure foundation for their personal and social development. However, although satisfactory, the teaching of writing has not progressed since the last inspection and children in the Foundation Stage still have limited opportunities to record their ideas and work. Good teaching in English, mathematics and science has allowed the school to maintain an above average trend in attainment over recent years in national tests in Year 2 and Year 6.

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Commentary

9. A very effective feature of the school’s provision is the use of specialist teaching in Years 3 to 6 in science, ICT, French, design and technology and music. This innovation enables teachers to make best use of their strengths and enthusiasms and its impact is evident on standards and the quality of pupils’ learning. Good links with a local curriculum centre have contributed to the raising of standards in ICT by giving pupils in Years 5 and 6 weekly access to additional expert teaching and high-quality resources. Lessons in French for pupils in Years 3 to 6 extend their understanding of language and add to their cultural development.

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Commentary

10. The school employs a very effective strategy to meet the needs of different learners in Years 3 to 6. When more able pupils in Years 3 to 5 join the year above their own for English and mathematics, they enjoy the challenge of an arrangement that extends their learning. Teaching for pupils with special educational needs is good in most lessons because teachers plan their work with care. They match activities closely to pupils’ needs and to the targets of their individual education plans. The work of two part-time teachers provides good additional help for pupils with special educational needs and for gifted pupils. The same support is not available for children in the Foundation Stage who have difficulties with their learning. As a result, the achievement of these children is unsatisfactory because they are not getting the help they need to improve.

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Commentary

11. Skilled use of the National Numeracy Strategy throughout the school has continuously raised standards in Year 6 over recent years. The strategy is effective because of lively mental and oral work at the beginning of lessons and the careful match of work to pupils’ varied needs. A Birchfield Primary School - 12 significant improvement since the last inspection is evident in the way that teachers organise activities so that pupils learn through investigation and inquiry. For example, pupils in Year 1 enjoyed investigating two and three-dimensional shapes because the teacher arranged five different levels of work to match and challenge their capabilities. Teachers in Years 3 to 6 use the National Literacy Strategy flexibly. This allows for the innovative development of links between subjects such as English and history. Some of the teaching is not matching the work in different subjects to the varied capabilities of different groups of pupils and as a result, the

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Commentary

quality of learning is reduced. This shortcoming is particularly evident in the work of less able pupils in science.

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Commentary

12. Pupils usually work hard, happily and enthusiastically because teachers’ thorough knowledge of the curriculum leads to lucid explanations and demonstrations. In the few lessons where learning is less effective, teachers do not develop activities well enough to allow pupils to achieve the aims. This is because teachers have not thought through what and how pupils are to learn, as opposed to what they are to do. The school has developed effective ways to measure pupils' learning and their progress in English, mathematics, and science. The quality of assessment in art and design is very good. Careful analysis of the results of tests highlights weaknesses in teaching. This allows teachers to adjust their planning and establish targets that improve pupils’ learning.

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Commentary

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 33 lessons

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Commentary

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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Commentary

0 (0%) 6 (19%) 18 (54%) 9 (27%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) The table gives the number of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons; figures in brackets show percentages where 30 or more lessons are seen.

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The curriculum

The school provides a good curriculum that is enriched by a very wide range of activities outside lessons. The accommodation is satisfactory and teachers use it well. Resources are good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Specialist teaching, mainly in Years 3 to 6, widens the curriculum in science, ICT, art and design, music and French. • Gifted and talented pupils benefit from a challenging programme provided by a group of local schools. • Some children with learning difficulties in the Foundation Stage lack access to a full curriculum. • The escalator system extends the curriculum for more able pupils in literacy and numeracy. • The school has greatly improved the curriculum for ICT. • A very good range of extra-curricular activities enriches pupils’ learning. • The school has made considerable improvements to its facilities and resources.

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Commentary

13. The curriculum has improved since the last inspection. It is good and meets statutory requirements. Strong emphasis on literacy and numeracy contributes to the school’s good standards. Specialist teaching extends the curriculum, mainly in Years 3 to 6, in science, ICT, art and design, music and French. The impact of this initiative is evident in art and design throughout the school and in ICT, science, French and music in Year 6. Curricular planning has improved since the school adopted nationally recommended programmes of work that ensure the continuity to learning lacking at the last inspection. Good provision for personal, social and Birchfield Primary School - 13 health education is reflected in pupils’ positive attitudes, sensible behaviour and contributions to becoming a healthy school.

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Commentary

14. Pupils in Years 1 to 6 with special educational needs receive good help to improve their learning and other difficulties they encounter. However, the learning difficulties of some children in the Foundation Stage are not formally identified or targeted for improvement. Consequently, these children are denied access to a full curriculum. Although some pupils are taken out of lessons for extra support, this is managed well and does not affect their entitlement to a full curriculum.

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Commentary

15. Extra-curricular provision is very good. The school provides clubs that develop pupils’ interest in art, music and sport. Their interest in sport is also extended through specialist coaching in tennis, soccer, rugby, and basketball. The curriculum for gifted and talented pupils is widened through special projects in mathematics, art, ICT, orchestral work, dance and drama. During special weeks, the school boosts pupils’ learning by emphasising health, multi-cultural and anti- racist education. Good links with the local community bring benefits such as visits from the nurse, vicar, police, fire- fighters and sporting bodies. Visits to places of educational interest also enrich the curriculum. A residential visit makes a positive contribution to the personal, social and cultural development of pupils in Year 6. The school shows its care for others through charitable fund-raising and invitations for senior citizens to attend its events.

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Commentary

16. A good number of experienced teachers and teaching assistants teach all aspects of the curriculum. Resources are plentiful and have improved since the last inspection. To provide a good curriculum in the Foundation Stage, the school makes a continuous input of resources and modifications to teaching areas. Considerable improvements to its accommodation make the school a better place for teaching and learning. The school has invested heavily into facilities and resources that have raised standards and improved the curriculum for ICT.

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Care, guidance and support

The school maintains good systems to ensure that pupils learn in a safe, secure and healthy place. Pupils’ involvement in the school’s development is good. Support and guidance are satisfactory.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school provides a safe, secure and healthy environment to promote learning. • It has good procedures for introducing new children to the school and easing pupils’ transition to secondary education. • Good procedures allow teachers to track academic progress and to provide pupils in Years 1 to 6 with clear guidance to improve their learning. • Several children with special educational needs in the Foundation Stage lack the help they need to develop their learning.

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Commentary

17. The school takes good care of its pupils and provides a safe, secure and healthy place for learning. Health and safety issues are recognised, recorded and dealt with by a team that includes governors, the headteacher, the caretaker and administrative staff. Child protection procedures have improved since the last inspection and are now effective. A newly-nominated teacher, who has received the relevant training, has taken responsibility for the role and carries it out effectively with guidance from the headteacher. Staff are aware of their responsibilities and periodic training is organised. Parents speak warmly of the care the school provides and are full of praise for the way that issues contributing to their children’s well-being are dealt with.

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Commentary

18. The school works well to introduce children to the routines of the nursery and helps pupils to start their secondary education with the minimum of stress for them and their parents. Home Birchfield Primary School - 14 visits are effective in introducing children to the nursery and a meeting for new parents provides smooth transition to the reception class. Introduction to the secondary school includes two-way visits, curricular links and an exchange of information about pupils’ progress. The information the school provides about the progress of pupils with special educational needs provides them with a good start to their secondary education. Most children with special educational needs in the Foundation Stage lack targeted plans and support for their learning.

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Commentary

19. Good relationships contribute significantly to the school’s caring ethos as does the detailed knowledge teachers have of individual pupils, their backgrounds and needs. Pupils’ academic achievement is tracked systematically as they move through the school. By setting personal targets with pupils at the start of each school year, teachers provide them with helpful guidance to improve their attainment. In 2002, for instance, the school began tracking the progress of boys in Years 3 to 6 who make slow progress with their learning. Boys’ progress is now tracked from Year 1 and extra help is provided for those who need it to improve. A working group of teachers and governors monitors the progress of this group over time.

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Commentary

20. The school is good at involving pupils in its development. It regularly seeks and frequently acts upon their views. Pupils learn valuable citizenship skills in a forum that is working to achieve the Leeds Healthy School standard. As members of the forum, pupils address a wide range of issues, such as improvements to the toilets, changing facilities for pupils in Years 3 to 6 and better resources for outdoor play. The school shows that it values pupils’ opinions by providing an ideas box for their suggestions and concerns. Pupils in Year 6 contribute to the smooth- running of the school by carrying out responsibilities such as acting as monitors or caring for younger children.

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Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

Partnerships with parents and with other local schools are very good . Links with the community are good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Very good links with parents bring a wide range of benefits to teaching and learning. • Pupils’ learning is improved by the help that parents provide at home and in school. • Good communication with parents provides them with insights into their children’s attainment. • Very good links with local schools increase teachers’ expertise and pupils’ learning. • Good links with the local community enhance the curriculum and learning.

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Commentary

21. A very strong feature of the school is the way that its outward-looking attitude results in beneficial links with parents, other local schools and colleges and the local community. Very good partnerships bring tangible benefits to parents and pupils alike. A highly active association, Friends of Birchfield School, provides enjoyable social activities that establish goodwill between parents and staff and very generous financial support. The association, together with a group of Millennimums , recently raised funds for a safe route to school, a mosaic at the entrance to the building and planted areas around the playground. A sum of £10,000 was contributed towards the construction of a new computer room that now provides a high-quality resource for teaching and learning. Parents contribute to their children’s education by helping in classrooms. Their work in reading with pupils, baking, organising the library or assisting on

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Commentary

educational visits widens and extends pupils’ learning. At home, many parents make a very good contribution to the work of the school by helping their children to read and by assisting with homework such as project work. Birchfield Primary School - 15 22. The school keeps in tune with its parents by supplying them with clear information in newsletters, on notice boards and through conversations that take place before and after school. Parents’ evenings provide helpful information about pupils’ learning and written reports provide parents with good summaries of their children’s achievement. However, targets for improvement are not always helpful because their meaning is sometimes unclear. Good insights are offered to parents about how their children are taught, not only through letters that explain what pupils will learn next but also through workshops on different subjects. Good arrangements involve parents in the work and progress of pupils with special educational

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Commentary

needs. Helpful links with other primary schools and local secondary schools ensure that there are no breaks in the help available for these pupils. Contacts with outside agencies and health professionals further strengthen support.

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Commentary

23. The school has very good relationships with local schools and colleges. It plays a very active role with a group of schools in sharing expertise, initiatives for gifted and talented pupils, training days and courses for teaching assistants. Links with a nearby secondary school provide pupils in Year 6 with different approaches and extensions to the work in subjects such as mathematics. Mutual benefits stem from the visits of students gaining experience of the world of work. Similar benefits are gained from the presence of trainee teachers and other students who add to the range of experiences available for pupils. Weekly visits to a unit that extends provision in ICT make a very positive contribution to teaching and learning. Good use of the facilities of the local community does much to enhance the curriculum. Visits to a church in the village, field work in the locality and contacts with an environmental group are just some of the

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Commentary

ways that the school works with the community to extend pupils’ learning. Also of benefit, are the many visits from organisations and individuals. All the links the school has forged outside its limits add much to education within it.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management remain good and have gained from experience and increased in effectiveness since the last inspection. Governance is supportive and good. The effectiveness of the school’s policy for promoting good race relations is assessed for its effects, its influence on teaching and the resources that are used.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Good leadership and management are responsible for sustaining good standards and managing improvements to the school’s provision. • Very effective financial management has placed the school in a secure position to acquire the resources and improvements needed for teaching and learning. • Effective governance is provided by governors who are involved and interested in the school. • Co-ordinators lack an overview of provision in their subjects because they are not checking the quality of teaching and learning in lessons. • The management of provision for pupils with special educational needs does not extend to all children in the Foundation Stage. Birchfield Primary School - 16

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Commentary

24. The headteacher, with support from senior staff, has worked systematically to maintain high standards and bring a wide range of improvements to the school’s provision since the last inspection. Progress and change have been achieved because the headteacher has involved teachers and support staff in a planned programme of training and in the local education authority’s initiative for self-evaluation. This investment in acquiring increased expertise has not only benefited the individuals involved but also has brought gains to other members of the staff team. An instance of this is evident in the nursery, where a teaching assistant who is training to be a teacher brings new ideas to the school that add to the quality of provision for the children. Development planning has improved and now provides an agenda for improvement that manages innovative teaching strategies, an enriched curriculum and a continuous programme

p.16

Commentary

of renovation and extension to the building. All this activity combines to raise and maintain good standards and to refine the quality of teaching and learning.

p.16

Commentary

25. The governing body provides well-informed and energetic dedication to a school of which it is proud. While providing good support for the headteacher and staff, governors are analytical of aspects of provision, aware of all initiatives and take an active role in the school’s development. After three periods in office, the chair of governors has a clear overview of the work of the school and a good understanding of its strengths and areas for improvement. The headteacher and governors work together very efficiently to place the school on a secure financial footing. By maintaining very strong goodwill from parents and seeking access to additional funding, the headteacher and governors fulfil their commitment to maintaining high-quality resources and the good levels of staffing needed to make the school an effective place for learning.

p.16

Commentary

26. The role of co-ordinators has improved since the last inspection. Co-ordinators are involved in planning for improvements to standards in their subjects, analysing the results of national tests and evaluating the effectiveness of the school’s provision. There is still room for improvement in the work of co-ordination, however, as co-ordinators lack the understanding and knowledge gained from monitoring the quality of teaching and learning in lessons. This lack of monitoring has meant that although the school has made good progress since the last inspection, some of the weaknesses identified in teaching and learning still exist. The management of provision for special educational needs, while good for pupils in Years 1 to 6, is satisfactory overall since children in the Foundation Stage are sometimes excluded from the help and guidance they require. Although few pupils speak English as an additional language, management of their

p.16

Financial information

Financial information for the year April 2002 to March 2003

p.16

Financial information

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 662,300 Balance from previous year 35,750 Total expenditure 678,380 Balance carried forward to the next 19,670 Expenditure per pupil 2,670 Birchfield Primary School - 17

p.16

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Achievement and teaching is mostly good in the nursery and reception classes. It is very good in personal, social and emotional development. Many children attend a playgroup before joining the nursery and assessment indicates that when starting school, their early attainment is mainly typical for their age.

p.17

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in personal, social and emotional development is very good .

p.17

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children’s achievement is very good. It has improved since the last inspection. • Children gain confidence, independence and a sense of security in welcoming and well-equipped areas for learning. • Very good teaching provides children with interesting activities and imaginative, enjoyable experiences. • Staff provide a wide range of opportunities for children to learn respect for others and themselves. • Teachers offer very good role models for children to use when dealing with one another and communicating their feelings.

p.17

Commentary

27. An outstanding feature of very good achievement in the nursery and reception classes lies in the very good range of materials, high-quality resources and activities that teachers provide. There are so many interesting things to do that children are kept busy exploring new experiences and ideas, making friends and growing increasingly confident and independent. By establishing a warm, friendly atmosphere, where parents and children are welcomed and put at ease, staff provide a place for learning where children are valued, and made to feel secure. There is a strong sense of purpose in children’s absorbed activity. While they depend on adults to help them when shopping at the greengrocers , they know that time is also available to develop their interests to greater depth. A girl in the nursery took advantage of a quiet time when many children were outside to spend a long period of concentrated effort playing with the

p.17

Commentary

wooden family in a dolls’ house. She made herself comfortable with a cushion on her chair and appealed to a teaching assistant to make sure that she could go playing uninterrupted until the end of the session.

p.17

Commentary

28. Because teachers value children’s achievements, children learn to value themselves. Staff show their pleasure when children do something well with the result that children react with pride when others look at their work. A visible reaction was evident in his attitude and demeanour when adults and children went to look at a stable made with large constructional materials by a boy in reception. He pointed out the places where the horses lived and explained confidently where their food was kept and how the building was arranged. Teachers adopt a firm and consistent approach to dealing with unacceptable behaviour. When a boy in the nursery pushed a girl in the playground he was left in no doubt about the feelings of those around him and knew that the best course of action was to apologise quickly, without fuss or argument. The friendly and well-established relationships that staff have with one another

p.17

Commentary

provide very good role models for children and free them to share their feelings and to trust the adults who care for them. Birchfield Primary School - 18

p.17

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Provision in communication, language and literacy is good .

p.18

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Achievement is good in reading and very good in developing the skills of communication and language. • Although the teaching is mainly good, teachers are better at developing early reading than writing. The development of writing has not improved since the last inspection. • Teachers effectively develop children’s competence in the use of spoken language.

p.18

Commentary

29. As at the last inspection, the teaching of writing does not include enough opportunities in the nursery or reception classes for children to practise and develop their skills in a range of styles and situations. When children were shopping for instance, there was no requirement for the shoppers to produce shopping lists or for the shop keepers to work from the lists. Expertise and encouragement for children to develop their own writing is not strong enough. At one point, it looked as though a girl in the nursery was using the children’s office to write for a lengthy period of time. In fact, she was using the pens provided for writing to colour in drawings of animals of different type and size. Without teachers intervening, opportunities like this to gain children’s interest in writing are missed. In a lesson in reception, however, where the teacher was developing children’s knowledge of the sounds and shapes of letters, more able children

p.18

Commentary

extended the activity themselves. They proudly showed that they could not only write the first letter of a word but could also produce a whole word and combine several words in a simple phrase. A few of them showed their interest in punctuation by ending their sentences with exclamation marks!

p.18

Commentary

30. The skills of early reading receive far greater emphasis from teachers. Attractive book corners in both the nursery and reception classes are usually filled with browsers who clearly gain pleasure and enjoyment from books. At the end of the second term in reception, many children are making sense of simple stories with help from adults and will reach the goals for their learning at the end of the year. Several more able children read simple stories independently and with reasonable fluency and their attainment is at the first level of the National Curriculum. A similar group of children finds it difficult to make progress with reading and writing and has a lot of catching up to do before reaching the targets for their age. These children lack the help and guidance that stems from early recognition of their difficulties with learning.

p.18

Commentary

31. Teachers are also good story-tellers. In the nursery, the teacher told a story about unusual fruit in an African setting. This extended children’s experiences in the greengrocer’s shop , added to their cultural development and increased their interest in books. Teachers make very good use of the support many parents provide for their children’s learning. Parental interest increases the opportunities children have to practise their reading. In reception, children’s enthusiasm and ability to listen for lengthy periods represents good achievement in communication. It also shows good progress from the nursery where they are better at listening to stories in small groups. When the teacher in reception told the tale of Rumplestiltskin , the children were totally spell-bound. No-one moved or interrupted and many of their faces showed sympathy and indignation at the sad plight of the queen. Their teacher uses children’s enjoyment of new

p.18

Commentary

words very effectively to extend their vocabularies. She provides children with words that match their understanding and asks them to think of words that are opposites . With a great sense of achievement and fun, children added to their success by taking over from the teacher and making the task harder and more challenging. Birchfield Primary School - 19

p.18

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in mathematical development is good .

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teachers make use of all opportunities to ensure good achievement and to promote children’s understanding of mathematics. • Plentiful resources and planned activities promote children’s learning and interest in mathematics. • Good teaching in mathematical development stems from teachers’ knowledge of the needs of young children.

p.19

Commentary

32. Teaching and learning in mathematical development remain as good as there were at the last inspection. As a result, a high proportion of children is close to reaching the goals established for their learning at the end of their second term of the reception class. Both the nursery and reception teachers provide plentiful resources to interest children in number and shape. They make counting and the recognition of number enjoyable by involving children in rhymes, songs and games. Teachers develop mathematical language, the recognition of coins and the properties of two-dimensional shapes through work with the whole class. They encourage individuals and small groups of children to calculate the price of their purchases from lists in the shops . Children apply their knowledge of shape in activities that develop their creativity. A clear example of good achievement in the recognition of shape was evident in the nursery. A boy,

p.19

Commentary

who was cutting and sticking coloured paper, drew the attention of his teacher to the pile of triangles, squares and circles that he had spontaneously produced. He confidently named each shape as he glued it to a piece of coloured paper.

p.19

Commentary

33. The price list in a greengrocer’s shop in reception had real meaning for the children. They were taking note of the cost of different pieces of fruit and a variety of vegetables and doing their best to match the price with corresponding coins. More able children carried out this task with considerable success and could also record their efforts in their books. The activity marked good progress from children’s efforts in the nursery where the coins exchanged with a shop keeper were not used according to their value but according to quantity. Some girls who felt that the shop keeper was being less than generous when he distributed the coins appealed to their teacher. They knew that there were not enough coins for them to go shopping or to buy the fruit they were taking to a party. When selecting their own activities, the girls returned to the shop and spent considerable time filling and emptying their trolleys. They received good support

p.19

Commentary

in this activity from a teaching assistant who intervened in the activity and extended their mathematical vocabulary by talking about full, half-full and empty .

p.19

Commentary

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD , PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT AND

p.19

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

34. No lessons were observed and, other than in creative development, too little recorded work was seen to make judgements about these areas. Examination of children’s art on display indicates that achievement is good and that standards in drawing and painting are better than those usually achieved by children in nursery and reception classes. Many children in reception are already reaching the goals for their learning in aspects of creative development. Birchfield Primary School - 20

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils achieve well, except in writing in Years 3 to 6 where achievement is satisfactory. • Teaching is good, especially of reading. • Teachers provide good opportunities to develop the skills of speaking and listening. • Lack of monitoring during lessons prevents the school addressing problems in teaching and learning.

p.20

Commentary

35. Achievement is good and enables pupils to make good progress each year. This represents a satisfactory improvement since the last inspection but with good improvement in Years 1 and 2. Achievement in speaking and listening and reading is strong throughout the school. However, although achievement in writing is now good in Years 1 and 2, it is satisfactory in Years 3 to 6 mainly because of weaknesses in boys’ writing. This creates a greater gap between the standards reached by girls and those achieved by boys in Year 6 than in most primary schools. It is also the main reason why standards in English in Year 6 are lower than those in mathematics and science.

p.20

Commentary

36. Pupils make good progress in reading because of the high quality of provision and support. This is a good improvement since the last inspection. Pupils now enjoy a good range of interesting books. Parents strongly encourage pupils’ early steps in reading, and maintain an interest in their children’s progress all the way to Year 6. As a result, pupils become fluent and confident readers earlier than in most primary schools. They read for enjoyment and also to broaden their learning. Pupils make good use of a small but well-organised reference library for research. Most classrooms have accessible and attractive displays of books. Many lessons develop pupils' ability to analyse texts, often with high-quality and challenging excerpts. For example, the teacher’s very good knowledge of literature and history inspired more able pupils in Year 5 to work hard to make sense of an extract from Hamlet.

p.20

Commentary

37. Good relationships underpin teachers’ successful development of pupils' skills in speaking and listening. Good listening supports effective learning in most lessons. Lessons in French in Years 3 to 6 and regular singing in music throughout the school improve the quality of listening, diction, expression and confidence. Skilled questioning extends pupils' ideas and encourages shy pupils to join in. Methods fostered by the National Literacy Strategy have increased discussions between a whole-class and small groups and pairs of pupils. Teachers also skilfully develop pupils' use of spoken language as the means of learning. For example, work with partners often stimulates lively and thoughtful conversation when pupils collaborate on challenging projects.

p.20

Commentary

38. The school has made steady progress since the last inspection in improving writing in Years 3 to 6. Regular practice ensures that standards are satisfactory in spelling and handwriting. Pupils' work shows good gains in vocabulary, punctuation, grammar and different types of writing. However, presentation, effort and the detail in girls’ writing are better than in those of boys. Initiatives to improve pupils’ writing have paid off in Years 1 and 2, however, and standards in Year 2 are above average as a result. Arrangements to accelerate pupils’ learning in Years 3 to 6 help more able pupils to achieve high standards. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress towards their individual targets because of good teaching and effective support. Marking is not always rigorous enough to help pupils to improve their work. Birchfield Primary School - 21 39. Teaching is good and has improved since the last inspection. Occasionally, teachers do not

p.20

Commentary

expect enough of pupils and do not translate aims into stimulating activities. For example, pupils in Year 4 spent too much time copying out a play script to improve a few stage directions. By contrast, in a very good lesson in Year 6, pupils produced highly charged and realistic radio journalism after analysing a spoof of Orson Welles' classic from the 1930s, War of the Worlds . The school’s policy of not monitoring lessons does not get to the bottom of variations in the quality of teaching and learning, the effectiveness of marking, or boys’ slower progress. Although the co-ordinator is an advanced skills teacher, who monitors and demonstrates teaching in other schools, his own school does not call on his expertise in these areas. A further consequence is that despite real advances since the last inspection, some of the same areas for improvement linger on.

p.21

Language and literacy across the curriculum

40. The development of language and literacy in other subjects is satisfactory. Teachers develop spoken language well in mathematics, where skilled questioning encourages pupils to explain their ideas using mathematical language. In ICT, art and design and science, discussions develop both technical and imaginative language. Pupils’ good skills in reading improve their use of the Internet, and in history and geography they use reference books effectively for research. In science, there are good opportunities for observational writing. However, the school does not make best use of opportunities to improve standards of writing in other subjects.

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Good teaching in mathematics throughout the school ensures that pupils achieve well. • Teachers place strong emphasis on number work and mental calculation. • The learning of more able mathematicians benefits from an escalator system that gives them access to work at a higher level than expected for their age. • The attainment of less able pupils is improved by working in booster groups. • Analysis of test results and tracking pupils’ progress enable the co-ordinator to bring about improvement. • The co-ordination of provision in mathematics is less effective than it could be because it lacks opportunities to check the quality of teaching and learning in lessons. • Teachers make good use of mathematics to support pupils’ learning in other subjects.

p.21

Commentary

41. Standards in this year’s Year 2 are above average and pupils’ achievement is good. In Year 6, very good results in national tests in 2003 resulted from teaching that was equally good for all pupils including gifted mathematicians and pupils with special educational needs. The achievement of less able pupils and pupils with special educational needs is good because their difficulties are targeted and met through extra help in lessons or in booster groups. The school’s escalator system, which meets the needs of the most able mathematicians, has a positive impact on standards. It allows these pupils to undertake more challenging tasks and investigations with pupils in an older age group. Although pupils currently in Year 6 are not attaining as high a standard as last year’s class, standards and their achievement are good. 42. Teaching is consistently good and sometimes very good. Clearly structured lessons begin with

p.21

Commentary

brisk mental sessions that engage pupils in developing their skills with numbers. Teachers make good use of time for pupils to bring a variety of approaches to tasks and to explain their thinking. A very good example was seen in Year 2 where the teacher used the objectives for Birchfield Primary School - 22 Year 3 for work with Venn and Carroll diagrams. Through skilful questioning, the teacher tested pupils’ understanding of the work. Explanations and demonstrations were very clear and relevant to pupils’ experience. As a result, pupils listened very attentively and made good progress with their learning. The activities that followed were challenging but enjoyable, and so all pupils achieved very well as a result of very positive interaction and support. Another good example of effective teaching and learning was evident in Year 6 when pupils collected and used data. The teacher made good use of instruction and the modelling of scatter graphs.

p.21

Commentary

Enquiry-based learning boosted pupils’ achievement as they worked collaboratively, sensibly and with considerable effort.

p.22

Commentary

43. Teachers base written tasks effectively on the strategies used in mental calculation. They gradually replace informal methods of recording with more formal recording that is presented well and reflects high expectations. Work is displayed effectively so that all can learn from it. Teachers use information from the analysis of tests and assessments very effectively to track pupils’ progress and to set targets for improvement. Although the subject is led well and managed effectively by a knowledgeable co-ordinator, the co-ordinator lacks an overview of strengths and weaknesses in mathematics that is based on monitoring teaching and learning in lessons. There has been good improvement in standards and provision since the previous inspection.

p.22

Mathematics across the curriculum

44. Teachers provide good opportunities for pupils to use their knowledge of mathematics to improve their understanding of other subjects. In science, for example, pupils use the skills of accurate measurement to read and record numerical information in a form that is easy to analyse. They use graphs to quantify and present information in geography and in art and design, make symmetrical patterns.

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils attain good standards and achieve well. • Teaching and learning are good. Specialist teaching improves pupils’ learning in Years 3 to 6. • Investigation and experimentation enhance pupils’ understanding of the subject. • Pupils work together productively and have positive attitudes to the subject. • Planning and assessment are thorough. • Less able writers lack opportunities to record their work in ways that meet their needs. • Although leadership and management of the subject are good, a lack of focused monitoring in lessons restricts improvements to the quality of teaching and learning.

p.22

Commentary

45. Throughout the school, teachers’ thorough planning, and knowledge of expectations for science impact favourably on pupils’ learning and the standards they achieve. Since the last inspection, pupils in Years 3 to 6 have benefited from the specialist teaching of the curriculum co-ordinator. The emphasis this teaching places on investigative and experimental work has increased pupils’ understanding of the subject and provided them with the skills they need to carry out fair tests and to record their findings in a good variety of ways. At the same time, the co-ordinator effectively links the work in science with pupils’ skills in literacy and numeracy. In Year 6, for example, pupils confidently interpreted the scales on force meters and discussed their work in clear vocabulary that is relevant to the subject. The teacher in Year 6 adds to the co-ordinator’s Birchfield Primary School - 23 strong teaching by making the best of regular opportunities to increase pupils’ scientific

p.22

Commentary

knowledge. When added to the benefits of specialist teaching, this strategy helps to boost the results of national tests.

p.23

Commentary

46. Although teachers use regular, planned assessments to discover how well pupils attain in science, a lack of opportunity for monitoring the quality of teaching and learning in lessons detracts from pupils’ learning. In both Year 2 and Year 6, for instance, the formats provided for less able pupils and pupils with special educational needs to record their findings are so onerous for them that they spend too little time working on the planned investigation. A strong feature of investigative work is the way that pupils work together in pairs and small groups. They work purposefully on tasks with good levels of concentration while adding to one another’s understanding.

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Improvements to teaching, resources and the accommodation since the last inspection provide very good opportunities for learning. • Specialist teaching enables pupils in Years 3 to 6 to achieve well. • The same opportunities are not available for pupils in Years 1 and 2 and as a result, their achievement is satisfactory. • Standards are good in Year 6, especially in multimedia work. • Teachers make good use of ICT in most other subjects. • Assessment is not related closely enough to levels of the National Curriculum.

p.23

Commentary

47. Major improvements in teaching, accommodation and resources have transformed provision since the last inspection. The school has met all inspection issues about standards, learning, the curriculum and resources. A new high-quality computer suite has begun to provide pupils in Years 3 to 6 with opportunities to work with state-of-the-art technology. Very good leadership and energetic management have kept training up-to-date and improved teachers’ expertise. For example, two classroom assistants specialising in ICT give effective support to all classes. Pupils in Years 3, 4, 5 and 6 benefit from specialist teaching. Weekly sessions at a local curriculum centre further enrich their learning.

p.23

Commentary

48. Considerable improvements to resources generate very enthusiastic teaching, learning and good achievement. All pupils in Years 3 to 6 benefit from high-quality resources and teaching. These resources are not accessible to pupils in Years 1 and 2 where standards and achievement are satisfactory. Teachers expect a great deal of pupils who work hard to meet the challenges. In Year 5, for example, pupils made rapid progress when producing storyboards about racist bullying by sequencing images, creating dialogue and adding sound effects. They achieved good levels of independence and collaboration because of the quality of the software, the clarity of the teacher’s demonstrations and explanations. Their interest in the work enabled pupils to absorb and follow complex instructions. This strong engagement in learning stimulated expressive language and developed pupils’ understanding of the problems caused

p.23

Commentary

49. Achievement in multimedia work is very good in Years 5 and 6. For example, using excellent resources in a local curriculum centre, pupils in Year 6 created imaginative trailers for B movies with filmed digital video material, and skilfully edited music, voice and sound effects. Very good team work and very effective teaching enabled pupils to engage in key aspects of Birchfield Primary School - 24 film-making with considerable independence. Conversations with pupils and observations of them working with computers showed their confidence and good achievement. They have covered nearly all the National Curriculum programmes of study and have satisfactory knowledge of the wide applications of ICT in daily life. Scrutiny of the electronically saved work of pupils in Year 6 shows high standards in multimedia applications.

p.23

Commentary

50. In Years 3 to 6, very good planning and well-chosen software engage pupils’ interest in the work. As the deputy headteacher teaches ICT in these year groups, he is in a good position to gain an overview of pupils’ learning and monitor effectively. Consequently, the school has precise information about achievement in each unit of work. However, as assessment is not sufficiently related to levels of the National Curriculum, it is difficult to gauge standards precisely against expectations for age. No checks are made or overview gained by the co-ordinator of the learning of pupils in Years 1 and 2. These pupils work mainly in groups outside their classrooms with guidance from teaching assistants. The school is aware of this variation in provision and plans to provide access to new resources to raise standards in Year 2.

p.24

Information and communication technology across the curriculum

51. Teachers’ good use of ICT in most other subjects both enhances pupils’ learning and reinforces their skills with computers. ICT is very well used in English where it gives a very strong stimulus to work in speech, drama, publishing, word processing and imaginative writing. Half of the pupils in Year 6 e-mail their homework to their teacher. Good-quality programs help pupils to learn spellings and multiplication tables. They make satisfactory use of the Internet to research information for work in religious education and geography. The development of computer skills in history is good; for example, pupils created web pages after Internet research about World War II. Good software contributes significantly to very good progress in art and design. However, there is room for improvement in applications to science, design and technology and music.

p.24

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

Provision is religious education is satisfactory.

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils’ knowledge of Christianity is much stronger than of the world religions prescribed in the locally Agreed Syllabus. • Although teachers provide good opportunities for pupils to reflect on moral issues, they weaken the impact of lessons by linking them to personal and social education. • The co-ordinator lacks an overview of teaching and learning in the subject.

p.24

Commentary

52. Through lessons, assemblies and visits to a local church, pupils have good knowledge of the beliefs and practices of Christianity. They learn about special times in the religious calendar and know that Sunday is a special day for Christians. Teachers encourage pupils to use their experiences of ceremonies such as baptisms and weddings to appreciate that they are often held in a church. All pupils understand that churches are places for worship and name many of the objects to be found there. They also recall events from stories from the Old and New Testaments.

p.24

Commentary

53. While gathering information about Christianity, teachers introduce pupils to Hinduism, Judaism, and Islam. Coverage of these religions is patchy, and as a result, pupils’ knowledge of them is Birchfield Primary School - 25 insecure. At the previous inspection, religious education was taught solely by the co-ordinator. This situation no longer exists and the subject is taught by class teachers, some of whom lack enthusiasm for the subject. Although pupils are developing the ability to reflect on moral issues, their knowledge of the religious life is diminished because of the way that religious education is absorbed into personal and social education. As a result, although standards and teaching in Year 2 and Year 6 are satisfactory, pupils’ achievement is not as good as at the previous inspection.

p.24

Commentary

54. Although pupils visit a local church, they lack first-hand experiences of temples, synagogues and mosques. Consequently, to ensure that pupils gain parallel experiences of other faiths, the school is dependent on videos and books. However, teachers provide good materials that raise pupils’ interest in the subject. Although leadership and management are satisfactory, the co- ordinator lacks the overview of standards and provision gained from monitoring teaching and learning.

p.25

GEOGRAPHY

Although only one lesson was observed, evidence about standards was gathered from teachers’ planning, work displayed and in pupils’ books and discussion with pupils and the co-ordinator.

p.25

GEOGRAPHY

55. Standards in Year 2 and Year 6 are at the level expected of seven and 11-year-olds and achievement is satisfactory. This is the same picture as at the previous inspection. Teachers in Years 1 and 2 use the locality effectively as a focus for study. Work on display indicates that teachers also make good use of the Birchfield Bears to extend pupils’ knowledge of places in Great Britain and around the world. Pupils in Year 4 took part in a successful project to improve the school grounds by creating a wildlife garden. They have also completed wide-ranging studies of a developing country. Pupils n Year 6 research the Internet effectively to gather information about mountains and volcanoes. This capacity to direct their learning marks an improvement since the last inspection. Visits to Filey, Whitby and the Yorkshire Dales, together with a residential visit in the Lake District, enrich the school’s provision and pupils’ social and

p.25

HISTORY

As no lessons were observed, no judgements are made about teaching and learning. Evidence about standards comes from teachers’ planning, assessed work, pupils’ books, folders, displays and discussions with pupils and the co-ordinator.

p.25

HISTORY

56. Standards are above average in Year 2 and pupils achieve well. In Year 6, standards are average and achievement is satisfactory. This reflects a similar picture to that at the previous inspection. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 develop good historical knowledge and skills. They are aware of famous people such as Florence Nightingale, Mary Seacole and Guy Fawkes and appreciate the events surrounding the Great Fire of London and the Gunpowder Plot. When studying the Victorians, the Tudor dynasty, Ancient Greece and Ancient Egypt, pupils in Years 3 to 6 use the Internet competently to carry out independent research. This ability to work independently is an improvement since the last inspection. A good range of visits to places of historical interest enrich the curriculum and enliven pupils’ interest in history. The co-ordinator manages the subject well.

p.25

ART AND DESIGN

Birchfield Primary School - 26 Provision in art and design is very good .

p.26

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils’ achievement is good. • Very good teaching has raised standards to a very high level by the time pupils reach Year 6. • Teachers provide a very rich curriculum boosted by out-of-school activities, visits and visitors.

p.26

Commentary

57. Energetic leadership of the subject ensures that pupils experience a very broad and exciting curriculum to which they respond positively and productively. Standards are good in Years 1 and 2 and very good in Years 3, 4, 5 and 6. Pupils of all abilities and needs achieve well because teachers ensure that tasks and the support provided match their requirements and interests. The achievement of more able artists is enhanced by attending the Arty Smarty club and the art club for pupils in Year 2. These pupils also have occasional opportunities to work with local artists. Those who are less able, including pupils with special educational needs, are given the help they need by teachers. All pupils are challenged to evaluate their own work rigorously.

p.26

Commentary

58. Pupils become familiar with a broad range of techniques and media and develop the skills of aspects of art and design such as observational drawing, painting and sculpture as they progress through the school. They encounter a good range of artwork and artists from around the world and are skilled at basing their work on examples of great art. For instance, after looking carefully at the work of some early twentieth century Italian artists, pupils in Year 6 produced two-dimensional paintings that gave the impression of movement. Pupils attending the Arty Smarty club worked well together to produce a most impressive wire, material and bead dream-catcher to hang from a ceiling.

p.26

Commentary

59. Teaching is characterised by very confident knowledge, expertise and enthusiasm for the subject. This leads to high levels of response and effort from pupils. Very assured class management results in very good behaviour and high quality relationships. Lessons have a brisk pace and there is a strong focus on self-evaluation and very high expectations. For example, a lesson in Year 5 introduced pupils to a new form of printing. The teacher efficiently demonstrated the technique and the pupils quickly settled to making patterns of initial letters from a template they made before printing the results. All worked very hard with high levels of concentration and all produced prints of which they were proud. The best were original and showed a mature sense of form. The teacher ensured that pupils evaluated both their patterns and the technique they used for printing, pointing out, for example, the need to avoid unplanned

p.26

DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

There was not enough evidence to make judgements about provision as no lesson was seen. The curriculum meets statutory requirements, and makes good use of the latest national guidance.

p.26

MUSIC

Only one lesson was observed, consequently, no judgement is made about teaching, learning or standards.

p.26

MUSIC

60. Singing was good in an infant assembly. Pupils sang with enjoyment, expression and a good sense of rhythm. Their diction was clear and the tone was good. Samples of pupils’ work contain evidence of good compositional skills. Many pupils use both graphic and traditional notation and have a good awareness of symbols and musical form. The school makes effective Birchfield Primary School - 27 use of the skills of teachers who are musicians. Peripatetic teachers enhance both teaching and learning in the subject and allow pupils to benefit from tuition in wind and string instruments. Parents appreciate the concerts and musicals that are put on by pupils. All this activity makes a good contribution to pupils’ social and cultural development.

p.26

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

No judgement is made about provision in physical education because only one lesson was seen.

p.27

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

61. Strong leadership and management ensure a good curriculum that is very well enhanced by out-of-school activities such as a line dancing club and the many sports clubs and teams. Very good links with local soccer and rugby clubs and specialist sports coaching in tennis, football, basketball and rugby improve the skills of those who attend. Individual pupils and teams are successful in a wide range of competitions in, for example, gymnastics, swimming, athletics, soccer and rugby league.

p.27

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

Two lessons in personal and social education were observed during the inspection, but both were in Year 4. Consequently, no judgements can be made about standards, teaching and learning.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

62. These lessons, however, coupled with displays of pupils’ work show that teachers encourage pupils to examine their attitudes in the light of their impact on others. This was evident when pupils shared a video about racism in sport with a former footballer. He discussed an incident on the film that involved him and encouraged pupils to consider its effect on his life and his feelings.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

63. Aspects of health education are taught effectively in science. The work of pupils in Year 2 demonstrates their understanding of how a lack of exercise has negatives effects on their bodies. It also shows their awareness of the importance of healthy eating and of maintaining healthy teeth by avoiding too much sugary food. Birchfield Primary School - 28

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The overall effectiveness of the school 3 How inclusive the school is 4 How the school’s effectiveness has changed since its last inspection 3 Value for money provided by the school 3

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Overall standards achieved 3 Pupils’ achievement 3

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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 3 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 3

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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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

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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).

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