Brixham Church of England Primary School

BRIXHAM CHURCH OF ENGLAND INFANT SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 24 th -26 th November 2003

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BRIXHAM CHURCH OF ENGLAND INFANT SCHOOL

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 Brixham C of E Infant School - 2

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Infant School School category: Voluntary Controlled Age range of pupils: 3-7 Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 94 School address: Higher Ranscombe Road Brixham Postcode: TQ5 9HF Telephone number: (01803) 882575 Fax number: (01803) 882575 Appropriate authority: The governing body Brixham CE Infant School Name of chair of governors: Rev Andrew Allan Date of previous inspection: 6/7/1998

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

Brixham Infant School is a smaller than average school which serves a mainly residential area in the northern area of the town of Brixham. There are broadly similar numbers of boys and girls and 52 children who attend the Nursery on a part-time basis. The proportion of pupils receiving free school meals is broadly average. There are no pupils from ethnic minority groups. There are 17 pupils on the school’s register of special educational needs in Years R, 1 and 2 and five pupils in the Nursery. Five pupils have statements of special educational needs, including one pupil in the Nursery. This represents a higher proportion than is found in most schools. These pupils have varying needs, including moderate and specific learning difficulties. A significant number enters the school with speech and communication difficulties. Attainment on entry to the Nursery is variable but is generally lower than seen in most schools. This is also lower than in the school’s previous inspection, when

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

attainment on entry was similar to most schools. The school has received a number of awards which recognise the wide range and quality of opportunities offered to pupils in the school. These include the Artsmark and Basic Skills Quality Mark. The school has also been awarded the Healthy Schools, Schools’ Achievement and International Schools’ Awards. It is also one of only ten schools in the south west of England to have been recognised as an Eco school.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

This report may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that all extracts quoted are reproduced verbatim without adaptation and on condition that the source and date thereof are stated. 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. Brixham C of E Infant School - 3

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

23434 Marie Gibbon Lead inspector English, history, geography, art and design and design, music, religious education and special educational needs. 9092 Ron Elam Lay inspector 10808 Allan Britton Team inspector Mathematics, science, information and communication technology, design and technology, physical education and the Foundation Stage.

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

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

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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.oftsed.gov.uk). Brixham C of E Infant School - 4

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 7

Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 7

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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OVERALL EVALUATION

The quality of education provided by the school is good with some very good features. Standards in the National Curriculum tests have been above average for the last two years. Standards seen in the inspection in Year 2 were generally average with some subjects where standards were higher. Pupils, including those who have special educational needs (SEN), achieve well as they move through the school because, overall, teaching and learning are good. The curriculum is broad and enriches pupils’ experiences very effectively. The good leadership and management of the headteacher and the key staff are effective in ensuring pupils’ good achievement. The governors are good at monitoring the work of the school and, together with the headteacher and key staff, provide clear educational direction for the school. The school offers good value for money.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are: • The good leadership of the headteacher and the school‘s strong ethos support pupils’ very good moral and social development effectively. • The quality of teaching and learning is good overall and enables pupils to achieve well. • The very good enhancement of pupils’ experiences is a significant factor in promoting above average standards in science, information and communication technology and art and design and design. • Very good relationships in the school help pupils to behave well and to have positive attitudes to school and their work. • Relationships with parents are good and support the pupils’ learning well. • Attendance is below the average. • Information from assessment is not used consistently to provide clear forecasts of pupils’ future progress and attainment.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school has made a good improvement since it was inspected in 1998. The key issues for action from that inspection have been addressed well. The quality of teaching and learning has improved and is now good. Pupils are clearer about they will learn in lessons, national planning guidelines are now used and day-to-day assessments have improved. The school has coped well with the disruption caused by ongoing building work, limiting as far as possible the impact on pupils’ learning.

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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

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

reading D A B B writing B A A A mathematics B A C C 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

Achievement is good. Pupils enter the school with generally below average attainment. In the Foundation Stage, achievement is satisfactory. It is good in the Nursery, Years 1 and 2, and satisfactory in Reception. Children are on course to reach the goals they are expected to reach by the end of Reception in all areas of learning except in communication, language and literacy, mathematical development and knowledge and understanding of the world where standards are below those expected. In Year 2 achievement is good and standards are average in reading, writing, mathematics and religious education (RE). They are above average in science, information and communication technology (ICT) and art and design and design. Brixham C of E Infant School - 6

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development are good. Their social and moral development is very good. Pupils’ attitudes,

behaviour, and punctuality are good. Pupils’ attendance is below the national average. Pupils have good attitudes and behave well in lessons and around the school. They are interested in their work and in all their activities in school. They care for each other and appreciate their responsibilities, which they take seriously. The school is working with the local education authority to target the rate of absence as a priority.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The quality of education provided by the school is good with some very good features. Overall the quality of teaching and learning is good. Teaching and learning in Reception are satisfactory with some good features. There are very good relationships throughout the school and all staff expect pupils to behave well. This helps pupils to have good attitudes to their work and to pay good attention in lessons. Teachers have a good understanding of what pupils of this age need to know and do and this helps them to plan interesting activities and tasks. In most lessons, these are well matched to pupils’ needs. The organisation and management of some lessons in the Reception class do not always ensure that all pupils take part in the full range of activities. There is good and effective teamwork in the Nursery to help the school’s youngest pupils to settle into school quickly and well. There is a good range of assessment systems and procedures to monitor and record

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

pupils’ progress. However, the information from these assessments is not used consistently to provide clear goals for pupils’ future development. The headteacher’s leadership is significant in the strong ethos of the school, which creates a feeling of family and community and reflects the close links with the church. There are good and productive relationships with parents, which enable them to be well involved in school activities and to make sure homework is completed.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The leadership and management of the school are good. The good leadership of the headteacher is influential in providing pupils with a rich range of experiences and in their good achievement. All staff make good contributions to the school’s good management. There is a strong team spirit in the school. Equality of opportunity and fairness to pupils are evident throughout the school. The governors have a good understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. Their financial management is prudent and rigorous and they have a secure understanding of aspects of seeking value for money. The school meets all statutory requirements.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents are very positive about the school. This is evident in the fact that the only change suggested was their strong support for the school to seek primary status. They feel welcome in the school and are kept well informed about their child’s progress.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Pupils like the school and the staff. They feel very well supported and involved.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

The most important things the school should do to improve further are:

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

• Improve the rate of attendance. • Ensure that information from assessment is used consistently to establish clear goals for pupils’ future development. Brixham C of E Infant School - 7

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Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

Overall, achievement is good. Achievement is satisfactory in the Foundation Stage and good in Years 1 and 2. Standards in Year R are below those expected nationally. By Year 2, standards are average.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards in the national tests in reading and writing have been above average in the last two years. Standards in science, assessed by teachers, were also above average. • Pupils achieve well in the Nursery and in Years 1 and 2. • Pupils with SEN achieve well because they have good support from teachers and support staff. • Standards achieved in science, art and design and design and ICT are above average. • The achievement of the children in the Reception class is not as good as in other classes in the school where teaching and learning are relatively stronger.

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Commentary

1. Achievement in the Foundation Stage is satisfactory. Pupils enter the Nursery with variable levels of attainment which are generally below average. The quality of teaching and learning in the Nursery is good overall and children achieve well. The quality of teaching and learning in Reception is satisfactory overall but has good features. The focus on what pupils are expected to learn is not always sufficiently clear to ensure good achievement. By the end of Reception, standards are below those expected in communication, language and literacy, mathematical development and knowledge and understanding of the world. In all other areas, standards are at the expected level for children of this age. Standards in national tests at the end of Year 2 – average point scores in 2003 Standards in: School results: National results: Reading 16.5 (17.2) 15.7 (15.8) Writing 16.1 (15.9) 14.6 (14.4) Mathematics 16.7 (18.4) 16.3 (16.5)

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Commentary

There were 26 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year.

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Commentary

2. In the end of Year 2 national tests in 2003, standards in writing were well above average compared with all schools nationally, above average in reading and average in mathematics. When their results are compared with similar schools, based on the numbers of pupils eligible for school meals, the same judgements on standards apply. When the school’s results are compared over the previous four years, the variations reflect some of the differences between groups of pupils in a small school.

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Commentary

3. The findings of the inspection are that standards in Year 2 are above average in science, ICT and art and design. In these subjects, pupils benefit from the wide range of enhanced opportunities and the good planning for links with other areas of the curriculum. These provide a good level of challenge and extend pupils’ skills and understanding effectively. Standards are average in speaking and listening, reading and writing, mathematics, design and technology and physical education (PE). Standards in religious education (RE) meet the expectations of the Agreed Syllabus for Devon and Torbay. These were the only subjects where sufficient evidence was gathered to make valid judgements. Pupils’ literacy and mathematical skills are used satisfactorily across the curriculum. ICT is used well to support pupils’ progress in a good number of subjects.

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Commentary

4. Where the evidence allows comparisons to be made, these standards are broadly similar to those seen in the school’s previous inspection in English, mathematics, ICT, and RE. Standards are now higher in science but lower in PE. The judgements of the inspection are not as high as the school’s results in the 2003 national tests in reading and writing. This is because a different group of pupils, Brixham C of E Infant School - 8 which has a higher proportion of pupils with statements of SEN, is involved. These pupils have identified difficulties in literacy. It also reflects the recurring variations in the school’s generally upward trend in standards, due to this factor.

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Commentary

5. Overall, pupils in the school achieve well. Discussions with pupils showed that they felt they were generally expected to work hard and to do their best. Parents felt similarly positive about their children’s progress. Pupils with SEN reach standards which reflect good achievement against their different starting points, and some achieve similar standards to their peers. This good achievement is the result of good and effective support. The school’s results in the national tests over the previous three years indicate that girls do better than boys in reading and writing and mathematics. Analyses of the information provided by the local education authority, on assessments made when pupils enter Reception, show that, in some strands of their attainment, boys are equal to girls. They do not exceed girls in any significant way. In some years, boys’ attainment is below the level of girl’s attainment in a number of areas relating to communication, language and literacy and mathematical

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Commentary

development. This difference is particularly marked in the current Year 1. There is a higher proportion of boys on the school’s register of SEN. The findings of the inspection are that the school works hard to support and develop boys’ achievement and no significant differences in their achievement were observed. Although there are currently no pupils identified as being gifted and talented, the school has appropriate strategies in place to identify pupils and give them support.

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Commentary

6. Pupils who have SEN, make good progress towards the targets set for them. This is because teachers and support staff know their pupils well, set appropriate and achievable goals and give them good support to help them in their work. The school is justly proud of the very good progress made by individual pupils, such as the pupil who had communication difficulties in class, now being able to talk at some length to pupils about his family’s memorabilia from World War 2. This view is supported by parents and outside agencies involved with the school.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Pupils' attitudes to school and behaviour are good. Attendance is unsatisfactory. The provision for the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils is good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils behave well, have positive attitudes to work and enjoy being at school. This shows an improvement since the last inspection. • The level of attendance is well below that of similar schools nationally. • The school's very good provision for social and moral development leads to very good relationships and social awareness. • Pupils like coming to school and feel secure in the school environment and with staff in the school.

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Commentary

8. Pupils' social development is very good. The school values its members and encourages pupils to integrate well both at work and at play. Good emphasis is given to pupils’ personal, social and emotional development in the Nursery and Reception classes. As a result, by the end of the Reception year pupils have achieved the nationally expected levels. Pupils' very positive relationships with their peers and with adults have improved since the last inspection, and contribute to the quality of work in lessons and to the progress they make. They are interested in the ideas of others and listen respectfully to the contributions in class discussions. The pupils show maturity in fulfilling their responsibilities around the school. For the older pupils, these include being school councillors who lead an assembly each week and being Guardian Angels who are trained in peer mediation. The roles rotate during the year to ensure all the Year 2 pupils undertake these duties. Pupils have a

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Commentary

good awareness of the wider world from the variety of lessons that build upon the range of contacts the school has in different countries. Brixham C of E Infant School - 9 9. Pupils’ moral development is very good. The school stands for positive values and there are clear expectations of high standards of behaviour and acceptable conduct to which the pupils respond. Pupils behave well in the classroom, at play and lunch times. They are well mannered, polite to adults and to each other and welcoming to visitors. They move around the school in an orderly way, even when not supervised. Pupils confirm that there is no bullying or aggression. There were no exclusions last year as shown in the table below.

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Categories used in the Annual School Census No. of pupils on roll No. of fixed period exclusions No. of permanent exclusions White – British 94 0 0 The table gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

10. The pupils' personal development is good. Their good spiritual development was seen on several occasions during lessons such as the Year 1 pupils working with great concentration when going on a ‘bear hunt’. The school provides good opportunities for pupils to appreciate the world around them and makes good use of the school grounds to develop their awareness. School assemblies enable pupils to develop their sense of belonging to a whole school community and, each week, to celebrate the contributions and achievements of others. The school provides good opportunities in lessons for the pupils to develop their problem solving skills and to work by themselves and in groups. Pupils are starting to develop independence in their learning. 11. The pupils' attitudes towards learning are good. This includes those of pupils with SEN. Pupils concentrate well, enjoy their work and want to do well. They listen attentively, follow instructions well

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

and settle quickly to the task given. These positive attitudes reflect the quality of teaching with, for example, the good pace and variety of activities maintaining the pupils' interest. They have confidence in their own abilities and are eager to contribute their ideas as was seen in a Year 2 design and technology lesson making puppets. 12. The provision for cultural development is good. Its strength lies in the fact that various subjects provide pupils with a fuller understanding of the world around them. The school provides many opportunities for pupils to learn about the lives of people around the world. At the same time, it enables them to appreciate the multicultural nature of British society. The school has developed good contacts with schools in various countries by means of the internet as well as visits by staff. Painting and music develop aesthetic awareness and artwork includes Western artists as well as

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Indian Mendhi work and Aboriginal finger painting. 13. The table below shows the attendance figures for the school. The attendance rate has shown a steady deterioration since the last inspection. In part, this is due to a few pupils requiring a higher than usual number of absences due to particular medical conditions. Nevertheless, after allowing for these factors, last year's level of attendance was still below the national average. The school has agreed a plan for improvement with the education welfare service. This includes first day telephone calls home for any unexplained absences and awards for good attendance. However, the school has not extended its monitoring of the level of attendance during the year to provide an early indication of where any problems may be occurring and whether its strategies for improvement are being effective. Punctuality is good in the morning with few pupils arriving late and, even then,

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

normally by only a few minutes. The very effective arrangements at that time result in the pupils settling very quickly and thus ensuring a prompt start to the day.

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Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data: 7.8 School data: 0.4 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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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

Brixham C of E Infant School - 10 14. The quality of education provided by the school is good with some very good features. Very good teaching by the headteacher in both Years 1 and 2 and the good teaching seen in all years support pupils’ achievement well. There is a strong ethos in the school which is well promoted by the headteacher’s good leadership. Provision for pupils’ personal and social education is very good and leads to pupils’ good attitudes and behaviour and very good relationships in the school. There are good links with parents.

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Teaching and learning

The quality of teaching and learning is good. Teaching and learning are satisfactory in Year R. Assessment is satisfactory overall. There are good systems and procedures but the use of information from assessment is satisfactory.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Very good relationships and consistent expectations for good behaviour promote positive attitudes to learning. • Open ended questions are used well to extend pupils’ learning. • Effective team work in the Nursery, ensures that the school’s youngest children have a good start to their learning. • Teachers’ secure subject knowledge helps them to plan and create interesting and varied learning opportunities, particularly in science, art and design and ICT. • There is very good use of teaching assistants to support both pupils with SEN and others. • A good range of assessment strategies and procedures enables pupils’ progress to be tracked across the curriculum. • Assessment information is not used consistently across the school to establish clear, challenging targets for each year group and to drive forward pupils’ good achievement.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 20 lessons

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 20 lessons

0 2 12 6 0 0 0 The table gives the number of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 20 lessons

15. In the school’s previous inspection in 1998, teaching was judged to be satisfactory. A key issue arising from that inspection was to: • define learning intentions more clearly; • improve guidance for teachers on expected progression of skills where progress is variable.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 20 lessons

The school has addressed these issues well. Most teachers communicate clearly to pupils what they are going to learn and what they are expected to know by the end of the lesson. Curriculum planning is now based on nationally recognised guidelines and provides a secure basis on which to develop pupils’ skills. In this inspection, there was no unsatisfactory teaching. There has been a good improvement overall in the quality of teaching. Both parents and pupils felt that teaching was good.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 20 lessons

16. Strengths of the best teaching include very good relationships, which give young pupils confidence in contributing to, and taking part in, lesson activities. Good knowledge of individual pupils’ needs and good, and often very effective, partnerships with teaching assistants enable teachers to plan work which is well matched to pupils’ needs and which helps them to achieve well. In the Nursery, all staff have a good understanding of how to encourage and support young children and Brixham C of E Infant School - 11 give them confidence to explore and widen their range of experiences and skills. Teachers make good use of open ended questions to challenge more able pupils and to extend pupils’ thinking. In many lessons, ICT is used well to support both teaching and learning. These features were seen in a Year 2 English lesson where pupils were learning how to write instructions. The previous practical

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 20 lessons

lesson was well reviewed because the teacher had made good use of the digital camera to record a group of pupils making winter bird food. Pupils were delighted to have their work used as a basis for discussion in the lesson and enthusiastically explained the different stages they had followed. As a result of this positive atmosphere and the teachers’ well focused questions, pupils’ confidence in speaking and the range of their vocabulary developed well. The pace of the lesson was brisk and purposeful and pupils’ interest was maintained throughout. When pupils moved to work in their groups, teaching assistants and the teacher used the practical elements of the activity and the photographs effectively. This ensured that all pupils were more secure in understanding how to sequence instructions and how to organise the recording of them in their books.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 20 lessons

17. In Reception the organisation and management of activities in some lessons do not always ensure that all pupils participate fully. There are, however, a number of good features which contribute to children’s learning. Children are given good support to develop their speaking and listening skills when they share a ‘picture walk’ and identify and offer additional rhyming words. The teamwork between the teacher and the teaching assistant is effective when they work with small groups of children, particularly in developing their skills in ICT.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 20 lessons

18. The quality of teaching and learning for pupils with SEN is good. The school emphasises pupils’ personal and social development. This helps pupils with SEN to behave more confidently and appropriately in the classroom and supports their learning well. Teachers plan carefully for pupils’ identified needs and teaching assistants work effectively with small groups of pupils mainly within the classroom. Where pupils are withdrawn from the classroom for additional support for language and communication skills, their work is closely linked to the work of the rest of the class and ensures that pupils are receiving the full curriculum.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 20 lessons

19. ICT is used well to support pupils’ work in a range of subjects. Teachers have a good understanding of how pupils can apply and develop their skills and make good use of resources such as the digital camera and microscope in a good range of subjects including art and design, science, geography, mathematics and literacy. This has helped to maintain the above average standards seen in the previous inspection.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 20 lessons

20. In the school’s previous inspection, the procedures for assessing and monitoring pupils’ progress were judged to be satisfactory but day-to-day assessment, with the exception of the Nursery, was unsatisfactory. A key issue from the inspection was to:

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 20 lessons

improve the quality of day-to-day assessment so that: • assessment feeds into planning for the next session; • pupils’ progress can be monitored.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 20 lessons

The school has addressed this issue well. All teachers now keep well detailed records of pupils’ progress, particularly in English and mathematics and use the information to plan the following lessons. There are clear consistent systems in all other subjects to monitor pupils’ learning which are used to inform teachers’ planning and to give a useful overview of how well pupils are progressing. There are good strategies in English and mathematics for keeping ongoing records of different aspects of pupils’ learning and the school has identified the need to develop the systems of assessment in science to match those already in place. The information from assessment is used effectively to translate these into targets in English and mathematics. These are given to pupils in straightforward which language they are able to understand and are shared with parents. These targets have a prominent place in the classroom and pupils are familiar with their use. Teachers

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 20 lessons

mark pupils’ work with care and refer clearly to what pupils were expected to learn. Pupils are confident that teachers will help them if they do not understand. 21. The school carefully analyses the results of national tests to identify areas of strength and weakness. However, it does not use this information, or the information from end of year Brixham C of E Infant School - 12 assessments, consistently to identify how well the school expects pupils to achieve and to provide goals for each year. This is particularly relevant when the school’s variable attainment on entry is taken into consideration. The school has recognised this as an area for improvement in its own self evaluation.

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The curriculum

Curricular provision is good. The enrichment of the curriculum is very good. Provision for pupils’ personal and social development is very good. Provision for pupils with SEN is good. The school’s accommodation is satisfactory. Overall, the curriculum is satisfactorily resourced.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school offers pupils a very good range of projects and activities, which extend their learning and experiences very effectively. • All pupils are valued and respected equally and receive good equality of opportunity. • The school places a high value on the development of all pupils’ self esteem and their participation in the life of the school. • There are good arrangements for pupils to transfer to the junior school. • Good understanding of the needs of pupils with SEN enables the school to provide a curriculum, which is well matched to their needs. • Good use of the school grounds to support the curriculum. • Very good resources for ICT. • The school’s accommodation is currently restricted by the building project which limits Foundation Stage children’s access to a secure adjoining play area.

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Commentary

22. The school has a strong ethos. It is a caring, supportive community, which values and appreciates the full range of pupils’ achievements and treats them as individuals. Teachers have a good understanding of the needs of pupils of this age and know pupils well as individuals. Pupils with SEN are fully included in all aspects of the curriculum. Provision is well matched to their needs and they receive good support from teachers and support assistants to help them in their work. The school has recently introduced a well organised programme of support for those with identified speech and communication difficulties. This programme is effectively linked to pupils’ work in literacy and is carefully monitored.

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Commentary

23. The school emphasises and works hard to enrich and extend the curriculum and pupils’ experiences. This is a particular strength of the curriculum. There is a good breadth across the curriculum for the youngest children in the school, which meets their needs well. Pupils in Year 2 are introduced to the French language and respond enthusiastically to the opportunity. There are well established and active links with schools in the United States of America and India and has developed links with Tanzania through the work of the United Nations. Pupils have exchanged letters, postcards and emails and teachers have visited each other’s schools. The school has good links with the Devon Arts Schools’ programme which has, over the past few years, provided artists in residence. These links have not only greatly enhanced pupils’ skills and experiences but have significantly added to the quality of the school’s physical environment. These memorials, created by

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Commentary

artists, pupils and teachers have included a living willow maze, a whale mural for the hall and a cast iron sculpture screen for the library. Good use is made of the specialist skills of visiting staff from the local Community College to support aspects of PE. Visitors to the school also support pupils’ learning well. These have included local police, firemen and pupils’ relatives and friends to talk about their memories of the past. The school grounds have been developed effectively to provide pupils with first hand additional experiences of growing and living things. There is a good range of extracurricular activities for the size of the school and the age of the pupils. This term these activities have been restricted by the building project but pupils are usually offered ‘stretch and relax’ activities, gardening, recorder, ICT and drama clubs. Pupils take part in inter school competitions for Brixham C of E Infant School - 13

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Commentary

swimming, football and sports’ days. While most of these activities usually involve older pupils, during the year younger pupils are encouraged to take part in ‘taster sessions’, which are organised by the older pupils.

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Commentary

24. Arrangements for pupils to transfer to junior school are well organised through well established links between the pupils and staff in both schools. This helps pupils to move smoothly into the next stage of their learning.

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Commentary

25. The school has responded well to a key issue from the previous inspection to improve guidance for teachers on the expected progression of skills. The curriculum is now carefully monitored to ensure that pupils’ skills and knowledge are developed in appropriate stages. Teachers are aware of the need to plan for pupils of all abilities, including the more able pupils in the school. There are effective links across subjects, which make good use of curricular time and of broad topic areas. This is not yet fully linked with subject planning and the school has identified this as an area for further development.

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Commentary

26. There are currently restrictions on some aspects of Nursery and Reception outdoor accommodation due to the building project. However, there are also good features, such as the school library, which has been recently extended and reorganised. It is now a bright attractive space, which is well organised to give good support to pupils’ information retrieval skills and contains a good number of good quality fiction and non fiction books. The new accommodation for the Nursery enables the full range of indoor activities to be planned and supports these young children’s learning well. The school makes good use of small rooms to provide spaces for supervised group and support work.

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Commentary

27. Resources generally meet the needs of the curriculum appropriately. There is very good range of provision for the development of pupils’ skills in ICT. The school makes good use of the digital camera and microscope to enhance pupils’ learning in a number of subjects, including art and design and science. In art and design, resources are good because they are well supplemented by parents’ contributions to the school’s range of materials. Resources for children in the Nursery and Reception provide for children’s needs well, in both the indoor and outdoor activities.

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Care, guidance and support

The arrangements for pupils' care, welfare and health and safety are good and support pupils' learning well. The provision of support, advice and guidance based on monitoring is satisfactory overall. The involvement of pupils in the school's work through seeking, valuing and acting on their views is very good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The adults in the school are very caring and supportive of the pupils. • The school provides very good opportunities for pupils to express opinions about life in the school. • There are good arrangements to help pupils settle on entry to the Nursery. • The school has good systems for monitoring pupils’ academic work and progress. • Arrangements for monitoring pupils’ personal development are effective.

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Commentary

28. Staff show good concern for the needs of the pupils and build upon the strong Christian ethos. They provide good role models to encourage development. Parents are pleased with the level of support in the school, seeing it as a caring community where staff are approachable if there are any problems. In particular, parents agreed that their children were well supported when they first came into the school. There are also good arrangements to smooth the transition from the Nursery to the Reception class. Pupils consider that they are supported very well by staff and know to whom they would go if they needed help. In the Ofsted questionnaire, they also indicated that the teachers listen to their ideas. The school council meets regularly and representatives from Year 2 visit each Brixham C of E Infant School - 14 classroom to report on the matters discussed. They have been actively involved in discussing

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Commentary

various matters such as a 'happy stop' bench in the playground and running a competition to decorate the waste bins. Their self-esteem is raised by the way they are praised by the staff and by the recognition of achievements at a weekly assembly.

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Commentary

29. The arrangements for child protection are good with the headteacher ensuring that all staff receive guidance on what to look for and what procedures to follow. The arrangements for first aid are good and all staff have had either full or emergency training. The governors are actively involved in health and safety through their committees. The school has recently carried out a wide range of risk assessments overseen by the local education authority

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Commentary

30.Teachers and support assistants have a good understanding of pupils’ needs and provide carefully matched support and monitoring. The speech and language therapist, the educational psychologist and other outside agencies visit regularly and together with the school, address pupils’ specific and other needs well. There are good procedures for monitoring pupils’ achievements on a day-to-day basis and academic monitoring is used well to inform pupils’ reports. Good tracking systems are in place to check on pupils’ progress and targets in English and mathematics are given a high profile in classrooms and are familiar to pupils.

p.14

Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

Links with parents are good overall. Links with the local community and other schools are good. Community provision is satisfactory.

p.14

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Parents hold the school in high regard. • The parents' support at home and in school makes a good contribution to pupils' achievement. • The school provides a wide range of information about school life. • Links with other schools are good. • The school makes good use of the variety of opportunity and expertise in the local community to enhance the curriculum and pupils’ learning. • There is good and effective liaison with the parents of pupils with SEN which enhances the support their children receive.

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Commentary

31. As at the time of the last inspection, parents are pleased with what the school provides. They consider that the staff are approachable and that they are generally well informed about their children's progress. The inspectors confirm that the arrangements for providing information are good. The school sends home regular news and other letters about general matters and outlining what is to be taught in each class. Teachers are readily available and parents are welcomed into school at the start and end of the day. From the relaxed, informal conversations seen to take place during the inspection, it is apparent that parents are comfortable talking to the staff. The annual reports on the progress pupils have made provided in the summer term generally have a good summary of what the children know and can do in each subject and include targets for improving achievement in English and mathematics.

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Commentary

32. Parents’ involvement with the school makes a good contribution to its work and to the achievement of the pupils. Pupils confirm that their parents usually insist on the homework being completed. A significant number of parents and other relatives regularly help in school each week especially for swimming and trips out. The ten or twelve parents and grandparents in the water helping with a Year 1 swimming class ensured that all the pupils were well supported and made good progress. Many parents come to the consultation evenings with the teachers who, nevertheless, have to follow up non-attenders to maximise the numbers seen. The committee of the parent association works hard to organise successfully both fund raising and social events. Parents Brixham C of E Infant School - 15 are actively involved in helping to formulate school policies by responding to questionnaires sent out each year before the school improvement programme is prepared.

p.14

Commentary

33. The school has good links with other schools. Staff are encouraged to go on training courses which provide good opportunities to share good practice. The facilities of the nearby community college are used for sports day and after school activities. In addition, the college's staff take some sports lesson in school. The involvement of the wider community, especially the church, is good and broadens the experiences for pupils' personal, social and academic development. They benefit from a variety of visitors such as artists, boat builders and fishermen. Pupils in all classes make a variety of visits to the local area and further afield. They have opportunities to work for the benefit of other people in the community by, for example, carol singing in the town and collections for charity. Particular mention must be made of the various people that have helped the pupils to construct a variety of attractive garden areas such as living willow sculpture, Japanese and wildlife gardens.

p.15

Commentary

Parents’ understanding of how to help their children are enhanced by the sessions on basic skills and 'Keeping up with the children' run by the local community education service. Parents who have attended these courses recognise that they have been helped to understand how their children develop and how they have been enabled to support their children's education. One parent is continuing to study for a vocational qualification. 34. Parents of pupils who have SEN are well involved and have good links with the school. This view was supported by parents at the parents’ meeting. This is an improvement since the last inspection when some parents were not fully aware of the provision being made for their child. The school has appropriate formal and good informal arrangements to meet with parents to discuss their child’s progress and to address any concerns. Where there are communication difficulties, the school has

p.15

Commentary

a regular diary contact with parents. There are useful and regular links with outside agencies and other schools in the area, which ensure that pupils move on to the next stage of their education smoothly. 35. The school currently offers satisfactory community provision. Together with the local education authority (LEA), it provides adult education classes in basic skills and ‘keeping up with the children’ courses. Parents have valued these insights into how their children are learning and some are continuing to develop their understanding with further courses. The school premises are also used for additional evening classes for which the school provides a crèche facility. In order to meet the more widespread needs in the area, the school will shortly be extending its provision to the community beyond that already associated with the school. It has successfully obtained funding to establish a neighbourhood Nursery to provide facilities to children, and their families, aged up to five

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Commentary

years. This will also include the provision of a toy library for local playgroups and child minders. The necessary building work is close to being finished and a Nursery day care manager has been appointed. Educational provision is managed by the Foundation Stage co-ordinator. The planning and the arrangements are well organised and the work is on target to open in the spring next year.

p.15

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The leadership and management of the school are good. Leadership roles within the school, including the headteacher’s, are fulfilled well. The management of the school is good. The school’s governance is good.

p.15

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The good leadership of the headteacher and her very clear vision for the development of the school creates a strong feeling of community within the school. • The strong team spirit within a small school where all work well in their management roles to ensure pupils’ good achievement. • The governing body have a good understanding of the strengths and needs of the school. • Well established performance management procedures which are well linked to school’s priorities and provide very good opportunities for staff development. • The school improvement plan establishes clear and appropriate priorities for the development of school which are well focussed on raising standards and achievement. • The school does not always use information and data from assessment sufficiently sharply to ensure that there is a clear and consistent picture of all pupils’ achievements. Brixham C of E Infant School - 16

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Commentary

36. The leadership and management of the school are good. The headteacher has a clear vision for the development of the school. At its heart is the well being of the school community, which includes the effective partnership of pupils, teachers and parents. She provides a very good model herself in her own teaching and is involved in the work and development of the school at all levels. There is a strong ethos and system of shared values, which reflects the close team work of all staff and the school’s partnership with the church. These views are supported by the local education authority’s reviews of the school. 37. The school is a well organised community with clearly defined responsibilities which all staff understand. Despite the disruption caused by major building works and refurbishments, the school day functions smoothly. The headteacher is well supported by the staff, who undertake their management roles effectively. In this small school, there is a good, shared understanding of the

p.16

Commentary

strengths and areas for development and this is evident in the school’s self evaluation. Currently, the headteacher manages a high number of curriculum subjects in addition her teaching and leadership responsibilities. These responsibilities are well managed and prioritised. As part of the national initiative ‘Raising standards and tackling workload’ the school has reviewed the deployment of support staff and has identified the need to review the managerial structure of the school as the school develops. The school effectively encourages a good level of discussion between staff, governors, pupils and parents to identify priorities which contribute to the school improvement plan. Provision for pupils with SEN is well managed within the school and all staff are well involved with the provision. The school gathers a good range of assessment information and analyses national test and school assessment data carefully to support pupils’ good achievement. However there are

p.16

Commentary

some inconsistencies in the way that this information is recorded and used in order to understand the rate at which pupils achieve. 38. The governing body have a good understanding of the strengths and needs of the school. They are very supportive of the work of the school and, through their good involvement, are developing a good understanding of how the school functions. Good use is made of the expertise of individual members when they are linked to subjects in the curriculum and in their roles in the governing body. They visit on a regular basis and provide useful feedback to the rest of the governing body and to the school. They provide a useful forum for discussion of the next stages of the school’s development and are well involved in discussion of the priorities of the school improvement plan and budget allocations. There is a good mixture of well established members of the governing body who have

p.16

Commentary

had a long association with the school and newer members who bring a range of different views and skills. 39. Performance management is well established and is closely linked to the priorities of the school improvement plan. It forms the basis of a very good range of opportunities available to all staff to develop their professional expertise in line with school priorities. This helps the school, for example, to benefit from well trained support staff who deliver additional curriculum programmes. There is a good level of monitoring, including that of the LEA, that gives a clear picture of the work and the effectiveness of the school. The school makes a good contribution to the initial training of teachers. It regularly has students on teaching practice and provides a secure base for this training. The school has a good blend of full time and part time staff and staff with varied experiences. The school

p.16

Commentary

deploys their skills and expertise well and has an effective support programme for new members of staff and those who return to teaching after a period of absence. 40. The school’s finances are managed prudently and effectively. The above average financial reserves are intended to finance the increases in the numbers of pupils and the additional teacher required after January in Year 1, when some pupils in the Reception class move to Year 1. Financial information for the year April 2002 to March 2003 Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 326,249 Balances from previous year 17,180

p.16

Commentary

Total expenditure 292,406 Balance carried forward to the next 33,842

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Commentary

Expenditure per pupil 3,110 Brixham C of E Infant School - 17

p.16

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

The overall provision for children in the Foundation Stage is good

p.17

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

41. The school has maintained its good provision for children in the Foundation Stage and they continue to receive a good start to their education. There were no issues identified for the provision for children in the last inspection. At the time of the inspection, three and four year old children were attending the Nursery for half a day, either in the morning or the afternoon. Fifty two children are on roll in the Nursery. At the moment, eight Year 1 pupils are included in the Reception class. There are good induction arrangements for introducing children to the school. This means that most are happy to leave their parents and quickly get used to school routines. Attainment on entry to the Nursery is generally below average, particularly in communication, language and literacy. In both the Nursery and Reception classes, children with SEN are very well supported and achieve well.

p.17

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

42. Teaching and learning are, overall, good. They are good in the Nursery and satisfactory in Reception. Teachers plan well in all areas of learning and very detailed records of children’s individual development and progress are kept in both the Nursery and Reception classes. These records are used well by teachers and support staff to plan future lessons and to identify children who need extra help or those of higher ability. The organisation and management of the wide and varied activities provided for children are good in the Nursery class. However, in Reception, learning outcomes are not always sufficiently clearly defined to ensure that all children are given opportunities to participate equally in the various activities. The Foundation Stage is well led and managed by an experienced and well qualified Nursery teacher. All teachers, the Nursery nurse and support staff work exceptionally well as a team. Achievement is satisfactory overall although it is good in the

p.17

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Nursery. Resources are good and the present accommodation is satisfactory.

p.17

Personal, Social and Emotional Development

Provision in personal, social and emotional development is good

p.17

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The quality of teaching and learning is overall, good and enables all children to achieve well. • An emphasis is given to personal, social and emotional development in all areas of learning. • Very good relationships are apparent between staff and children.

p.17

Commentary

43. The quality of teaching and learning in this area of development is good in both classes and children achieve well. Good emphasis is given to children’s personal, social and emotional development through all aspects of their school day. There are good arrangements to settle Nursery children into school both before they enter and when they start. The routines established in both classes help children to feel secure and develop independence, for example, they are given opportunities to choose activities and to tidy up after lessons. The Nursery staff technique of playing an ‘Abba’ record during tidying, encourages all children to participate quickly and quietly. They quickly learn to share equipment and to listen when others are speaking. Relationships between children and staff are very good and all staff provides very positive examples of how to behave. In both classes, children are attentive and well behaved and this is also apparent when they go to the

p.17

Commentary

hall for whole school assemblies. Nearly all children are on course to reach average standards in this area of learning by the time they leave the Reception class.

p.17

Communication, Language and Literacy

Brixham C of E Infant School - 18 Provision in communication, language and literacy is good

p.18

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Most children make good progress in this area of learning from a below average start. • The teaching, learning and curriculum for speaking, listening, reading and writing are good and enable children to achieve well. • Most children are unlikely to reach average standards in this area of learning by the time they enter Year 1.

p.18

Commentary

44. Most children make good progress in developing new skills in the Nursery and Reception classes. The teaching and curriculum for speaking, listening, reading and writing are good. Few children are confident speakers and staff, therefore, make every effort to engage them in conversation by explaining their ideas both in formal and informal situations. There was good teaching of phonics, for example, in the Reception class lesson when children were encouraged to explain the pictures in the story, ‘Each Peach, Pear and Plum’. All children listen to stories with interest and attention and, in the Reception class, many know about books and how to use them, for example, some they can identify the title and author of a book. Children in both classes share books with parents and school staff at the beginning of the day. Lesson observations and a scrutiny of children’s work, however, indicate that, although most children achieve well, they are unlikely to

p.18

Commentary

reach average standards in the speaking and writing aspects of this area of learning by the time they join Year1.

p.18

Mathematical development

Provision in mathematical development is satisfactory, overall.

p.18

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The quality of teaching and learning is good in the Nursery. • The mathematical activities are planned well to give children the opportunity to develop their skills by the provision of practical activities. • In the Reception class, children’s knowledge and understanding of numeracy are not used to solve practical problems.

p.18

Commentary

45. One lesson observation in the Reception class, an analysis of teachers’ planning and scrutiny of activities indicate that the quality of teaching and learning is good in the Nursery and satisfactory in the Reception class. Children’s achievement is satisfactory in both classes. They learn and enjoy a number of rhymes and songs and these extend their number knowledge and understanding well. The mathematical activities are planned well and children are given many opportunities to participate in practical activities to develop their numeracy skills. For example, in the Nursery children lay the tables ready for groups to have milk and fruit and count the plates and mugs needed. Adults question children while they are engaged in these activities and they always trying to draw out and encourage mathematical understanding. Most Reception children indicated that they can count to ten and beyond but the use of this knowledge to solve practical problems is under-developed. Most

p.18

Commentary

children are unlikely to reach average standards in their mathematical development due to a limited ability to use their skills to solve practical problems and explain their working.

p.18

Knowledge and understanding of the World

Brixham C of E Infant School - 19 There is satisfactory provision for developing children’s knowledge and understanding of the world.

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children in both classes are given a wide range of resources to explore real life. • The outdoor areas provide a stimulating environment for children throughout the year. • Children’s achievement in the use of the computer is above average. • Most children are unlikely to achieve average standards by the time they leave the Reception class, due to their relatively, limited vocabulary.

p.19

Commentary

46. A scrutiny and analysis of the planning and displayed work in both classes showed that children were given a wide range of experiences to explore and observe real life, as, for example, the Reception children who visited the supermarket to buy ingredients for their cooking session. Construction work in both classes is purposeful and children use a wide variety of kits and bricks to explore and create models. The outdoor areas provide a very stimulating environment, throughout the year, to ensure that all the children’s natural curiosity is enriched. Computers are used well in both the Nursery and Reception classes and most children’s ability is better than expected for the age group in this aspect of their knowledge and understanding of the world. Children’s awareness of religious and cultural traditions is enhanced through special events such as the celebration of festivals and attendance in whole school assemblies. Teaching and learning are good in the Nursery

p.19

Commentary

and children achieve well. Staff use questioning effectively to encourage pupils to be observant and to develop the appropriate language to talk about their activities. Teaching and learning are satisfactory in the Reception where the variety and match of activities to children’s needs are not so effective. Children in this class achieve satisfactorily. Most children are unlikely to achieve average standards in this wide area of learning before they leave the Reception class because of the limitations of their vocabulary and their abilities to use language to talk about their observations.

p.19

Physical development

Provision in physical development is good

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Provision in physical development is good and enables all children to achieve well, including those with SEN. • Teaching and learning are good and enable nearly all children to achieve the expected standards by the time they enter Year 1. • There is no covered area and outside activities are limited due to current building work.

p.19

Commentary

47. The children achieve well in developing physical control, mobility and awareness of space both indoors and outdoors. Considerable building work is taking place in the school grounds so that there is no immediate access to an outside activity area for either class. However, staff use every opportunity to take children to the main playground and environmental areas to enable them to use large wheeled toys confidently. Children with SEN are particularly well supported. As a result, children are reaching standards close to those found in most schools in both the Nursery and Reception classes. However, there is no covered area, although one is planned at the end of the building programme and this restricts outdoor activities when the weather is bad. No physical development lessons were observed in the Reception class but an observation of the Nursery children in the hall indicated satisfactory standards in children’s ability to use space and balance

p.19

Commentary

when making small and large shapes. Children are provided with a suitable range of experiences to help develop their finer manipulative skills. For example, the early morning jigsaw activities in the Brixham C of E Infant School - 20 Reception class and the encouragement in the Nursery for children to cut and stick a variety of materials. Teaching and learning are good in both classes in this area of learning.

p.19

Creative development

Provision in creative development is good , overall.

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• All staff participate in role play activities to encourage children to talk and extend their vocabulary. • Teaching and learning are, overall, good and all children achieve well.

p.20

Commentary

48. All children are reaching standards close to those found in most schools in their creative role play both in and outdoors. Many activities are offered in both classrooms including home corners and practical displays which enable children to explore and use their imagination. During the child initiated activities in the Nursery, staff were observed in active participation engaging children in conversation and developing their language to extend their thoughts and ideas. Evidence from wall displays showed examples of their exploring colour and using a variety of colours in their artwork. Children learn a wide range of songs by heart to reinforce other areas of learning like their mathematical development. This was evident from their outdoor activity of ‘What’s the time, Mr Wolf’? Teaching in this area of learning is overall good and enables most children to achieve well.

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils’ achievement is good. • Teaching is good overall. • Very good relationships create a positive climate for learning. • There is good use of teaching assistants, both in the classroom and in delivering additional curriculum programmes. • Good procedures and systems for assessing pupils’ abilities in reading and writing. • The subject is well managed. • Match of tasks to pupils’ abilities to allow them to work independently is weaker in a small number of lessons. • Information from assessment systems is not always used sufficiently sharply to provide clear goals for year groups to work towards. • There are no formal systems in place for assessing pupils’ progress in speaking and listening.

p.20

Commentary

49. Standards in English are average in all areas by Year 2. Analyses of pupils’ work in the previous year and the school’s assessment data indicate that pupils achieve well. This includes pupils with SEN and more able pupils. Similar standards were observed in the school’s previous inspection but achievement is now good because pupils enter Year 1 with below average rather than average skills in aspects of communication, language and literacy.

p.20

Commentary

50. Throughout the school, teachers work hard to ensure that pupils are given good opportunities to develop their confidence in speaking and listening. A significant number of pupils on the register of Brixham C of E Infant School - 21 SEN have speech and communication difficulties. To support these and other pupils, the school works effectively and closely with the speech therapist. The school has developed an additional programme of oracy to help pupils who have not achieved the expected standards at the end of Reception. These approaches are effective in ensuring that pupils respond to questions in class relevantly and some higher attaining pupils explain their ideas in good detail. The range of pupils’ vocabulary is generally around the familiar and everyday and only a few more able pupils in Year 2 are able to use and understand a wider range. Although most pupils in the school listen carefully and

p.20

Commentary

with good attention in class, a small number of pupils, mainly boys, need reminders about appropriate listening and concentration.

p.21

Commentary

51. More able pupils in Year 2 are reading confidently and a few of these pupils are becoming fluent, independent readers. A good number of higher attaining and average pupils understand and use their knowledge of letter sounds to help them read unfamiliar words. Lower attaining pupils benefit from the additional support of phonic programmes to help them use their strategies more securely. Most are able to give simple facts about the books they are reading and some higher attaining pupils are able to recount interesting details. However pupils are not often able to identify books they enjoy reading outside school or to talk about favourite authors. Higher attaining pupils are able to use the library confidently and explain clearly the systems they use to borrow books. They are developing their understanding appropriately of some of the simple differences between story and information books.

p.21

Commentary

52. Analyses of written work from the previous Year 2 indicate that pupils are offered a good range of regular writing opportunities. More able pupils in the current Year 2 have a secure grasp of the spelling of common words and are able to record their ideas in simple sentence statements. A few of these pupils are beginning to include a range of more interesting and varied words in their writing but generally the range of pupils’ vocabulary is more limited. Most pupils are able to communicate meaning in their writing and are aware of some of the basic elements of sentence structure. However lower attaining pupils are at an early stage of understanding how to use basic punctuation and to use their knowledge of letter sounds to help them in their spelling.

p.21

Commentary

53. Teaching in English is of good quality overall. Teachers have a secure understanding of the national literacy strategy and use it effectively to support pupils’ learning. In both classes teachers use questions well to ensure that pupils consolidate and extend their understanding and to give them good opportunities to develop their vocabulary and their confidence in speaking. Teaching assistants have good partnerships with teachers and are well informed and involved in lessons. They play an important role in the good learning of pupils with SEN as well as a range of other pupils. Very positive relationships with all staff give pupils trust and confidence to tackle their activities with interest. In Year 2 partnership is very effective because it is carefully planned and because teaching assistants have a very good understanding of pupils’ needs. Pupils benefit from the Early Literacy Support programme which is delivered by a well qualified and experienced teaching assistant. Teaches use

p.21

Commentary

interesting and varied resources to interest and engage pupils in their learning and in the most effective teaching texts are well matched to pupils’ needs. In a Year 1 lesson, the teacher had planned a ‘dinosaur’ hunt around the classroom with dinosaur footprints to match. Pupils’ use of language and engagement with their work were well enhanced as a result. Extension activities provide more able pupils with a good level of challenge. Lessons are well organised and have a clear focus on what pupils are expected to learn. However, in a small number of lessons, pupils are working on group and individual tasks which are not sufficiently well matched to their needs when working independently. On these occasions, their attention wanders and the rate of their learning falls.

p.21

Commentary

54. The management of English is good. The coordinator has a good understanding of her role and has established relevant and useful priorities for the development of the subject. There has been a good improvement in teaching and learning, pupils’ achievement and management in the subject since the previous inspection. Resources in the subject are well supported by the school’s library, which is well organised and attractive and gives good support for pupils to develop their information and retrieval skills. Brixham C of E Infant School - 22 55. There are good assessment procedures in the subject for reading and writing, including well detailed day-to-day assessments. This is also an area which has improved since the previous inspection. Pupils have individual targets for writing and reading and these are given a high profile in the classroom while pupils are working. However, information from all these assessments is not

p.21

Commentary

always used sharply enough to provide clear goals for the end of each year. The school has already identified the need to develop more coherent systems to monitor pupils’ skills in speaking and listening. The subject makes a good contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural skills through its good involvement of pupils in the texts they read and discuss.

p.22

Language and literacy across the curriculum

56. Pupils are given a good range of opportunities in subjects across the curriculum to develop speaking and listening skills. Teachers use open ended questions well to increase pupils’ confidence and to help them use a wider vocabulary. There are good opportunities for pupils to develop their writing skills and the organisation of their work in subjects such as science, where pupils label and annotate their drawings and diagrams, and in RE where pupils retell Bible stories they have learnt. In geography and history, pupils make lists, charts and spider graphs when they explore the features of different localities and organise questions to interview ‘visitors’ from the past.

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The quality of teaching and learning is good overall and helps pupils to achieve well. • Teachers provide good, practical activities during lessons, to enable pupils to make good progress. • Very good levels of support offered to pupils who have SEN enable them to achieve as well as their classmates. • Leadership and management of the subject are good. • Thorough assessment tracking is in place for all pupils. • Mathematics is used well in ICT work. • The use of this assessment to forecast pupils’ future progress and attainment is not sufficiently developed. • Pupils are not always encouraged to explain their methods of working in mental work.

p.22

Commentary

57. In the current Year 2, standards are average and pupils achieve well. This indicates a good improvement in pupils’ achievement since the last inspection as the general attainment on entry of pupils is now lower than at that time. Standards are also roughly in line with last year’s national tests and standards in similar schools. Pupils’ achievement, which takes into account their capabilities and previous attainment, is good. The 2003 national tests indicated a decrease in the number of boys achieving the higher Level 3. This has been recognised by the school and is mainly due to boys forming a much higher proportion of those with SEN.

p.22

Commentary

58. The quality of teaching and learning is good overall. This is an improvement since the previous inspection when standards were satisfactory. In the lessons observed, two were good and one very good. A scrutiny and analysis of pupils’ work also indicated good teaching and learning over time. Teachers take every opportunity to develop and encourage pupils’ awareness of numbers. For example, in a Year 1 group lesson, taken by the headteacher, when a number of Nursery children passed through the hall they were counted out and back to ensure that the same number returned.

p.22

Commentary

59. In all lessons, teachers provide good practical activities to enable all pupils to make good progress during their lessons. This good learning is also due to the very good support offered by teaching assistants in all classrooms, especially to pupils with SEN. ICT is used well by all Brixham C of E Infant School - 23 teachers, for example, in the Year 1 lesson when the teacher used an appropriate, recorded, television programme to extend pupils’ knowledge on two digit numbers and what each number represented. Computers were also used in other classes like the Year 2 lesson when pupils with SEN increased their ability to use their knowledge of the two and ten times tables to work out associated problems mentally.

p.22

Commentary

60. In all the lessons seen, pupils who have SEN were given very good levels of support, both from teachers and teaching assistants. For example, the headteacher teaches a group of lower ability pupils from Year 1 as a ’booster’ group in order to raise standards of achievement. All classes are organised so that pupils are grouped according to their levels of attainment. A scrutiny of pupils’ work indicated that extension tasks are provided for pupils of higher ability. Consequently, pupils of all abilities achieve satisfactorily.

p.23

Commentary

61. All teachers have established good classroom routines and all are working to the format of the National Numeracy Strategy. This gives teachers confidence in teaching mathematics and leads to appropriate progress by pupils. As a result, pupils behave well and remain on task. Most are keen and interested in mathematics. Good evidence of this was observed when pupils were encouraged to discuss a numeracy problem with their partners before discussion as a whole class. However, pupils are not always encouraged to explain their methods of working during the mental numeracy session.

p.23

Commentary

62. Leadership and management in the subject are good. The subject co-ordinator, the headteacher, is experienced and well qualified and is aware of any weaknesses in mathematics, for example the recent poor performance of boys in the higher Level 3 in the national tests. She is currently teaching a group of Year 1 pupils to ‘boost’ standards in the subject. Thorough individual target tracking has been introduced throughout the school and is used well to identify pupils who need extra support and those of above average ability. However, this assessment is not always used efficiently to forecast all pupils’ future performance accurately.

p.23

Mathematics across the curriculum

63. Several examples of the use of mathematics in other curriculum subjects were observed during the inspection. These included design and technology and science. Examples of block graphs and data collection were used in pupils’ science work and mathematics skills were used well in most of their ICT work.

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards are above average throughout Years 1 and 2. • Pupils of all abilities achieve well. • The quality of teaching and learning is good in both year groups. • ICT is used well in the subject • Science is well led and managed by the headteacher. • Science is well linked to other curriculum subjects. • Assessment of individual pupils’ progress needs is not as good as it is in English and mathematics.

p.23

Commentary

Brixham C of E Infant School - 24 64. Standards in science are above average in Year 2. This judgement is the same as that made by the school’s last inspection. However, at that time, pupils were judged to enter the school at average standards, whereas they now enter at below average standards. The current judgements, therefore, represents good achievement and an improvement compared with the findings of the previous inspection. The good achievement is promoted by good teaching and learning of science in both Year 1 and Year 2 classes. The above average judgement of standards matches the teacher assessment for the end of Year 2 science. There is no significant difference between the attainment of boys and girls.

p.24

Commentary

65. The quality of teaching and learning is good. In the Year 1 lesson observed, pupils’ understanding of light sources was well developed by a practical investigative lesson that gave pupils the opportunity to discover the ‘blocking’ and ‘bouncing’ effects of light. By the end of the lesson, most pupils could explain what had happened in their experiments and the reason why. Some pupils were able to record their findings. Year 2 pupils’ understanding of the properties of various materials was enhanced when they had to choose an appropriate material for a screen for a shadow puppet show. This lesson was well linked to their work in design and technology which involved making puppets for their Christmas Show. Pupils were encouraged to work in groups during this investigation in order to develop their speaking, listening and social skills. Pupils’ scientific vocabulary was also increased by the introduction of appropriate words like ‘transparent’,

p.24

Commentary

‘translucent’ and ‘opaque’. Some pupils had the opportunity to examine a shed snake skin under a digital microscope to find out which category of the learned vocabulary it came under. Teachers encourage pupils very well and this, allied to an insistence on good behaviour, results in good achievement by all pupils.

p.24

Commentary

66. The subject is very well managed by the headteacher. The school’s curricular planning and work in the pupils’ books show that all aspects of science are well taught and there is a particular emphasis on investigative work. Good use is made of the school’s environmental area, for example, in pupils’ work on life processes and living things. The school’s analysis of assessment information is used appropriately and a current school priority is to bring the tracking of individual pupils’ progress in science in line with the assessment standards in English and mathematics.

p.24

Commentary

67. The good use of ICT was evident during the inspection both in lessons and in the scrutiny of pupils’ work. Apart from a good ratio between pupils and the number of computers available in classrooms and the library, all classes possess a digital camera and a digital microscope. All are well used by teachers and pupils to improve their knowledge and understanding of all aspects of science. Pupils with SEN are well provided for and experienced and well qualified teaching assistants support these pupils, especially in investigative sessions. This enables them to achieve well in line with their classmates. Science work is usually well planned to enable pupils of all abilities to achieve well and extension tasks are provided for those of higher ability especially in Year 1.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils’ standards are above those expected by the end of Year 2 • Achievement is good in both year groups. • Teachers make good use of computers and other equipment both in and out of the classrooms. • The quality of teaching and learning is good. • The subject is well led and managed • ICT is used well across the curriculum. • There are no significant weaknesses.

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Commentary

Brixham C of E Infant School - 25 68. ICT is included on the timetable both as a discrete curriculum subject and linked with other subjects. Lesson observations, discussions with teachers and pupils, scrutiny of pupils’ workbooks and subject portfolios indicate that pupils attain standards above those expected for their age by the end of Year 2. This judgement indicates the maintenance of standards since the last inspection. At this early stage of their final year in the school, most pupils are able to type out words and produce simple sentences. They are able to delete and make simple corrections to their work. They collect data on their class’s favourite animals and transfer the information to the computer in the form of a simple block graph. All pupils are able to use a painting program to create their own pictures like their ‘Spring Pictures’ and they have designed Christmas cards and wrapping paper using a

p.25

Commentary

commercial software. A discussion with Year 2 pupils indicated that they could program a moveable toy to make it move around the room, after giving it simple instructions. Pupils of all abilities achieve well due to the good teaching and support and wide range of available resources.

p.25

Commentary

69. Teachers make good use of computers in the classroom. For example, in a Year 2 mathematics lesson, a group of pupils with SEN were working with support, on a program to develop their skills in using their knowledge of their two and ten times tables to solve problems mentally. In a Year 1 numeracy lesson, the teacher used a recorded television programme for pupils to understand the significance of two digit numbers. She continually stopped the programme to ascertain pupils’ understanding. Digital cameras and a digital microscope were observed in good use by pupils and support staff several times during the inspection in science and PE lessons.

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Commentary

70. The quality of teaching and learning is good. All teachers have received appropriate training and accordingly have a good, subject knowledge of the ICT curriculum. All pupils are given opportunities to work either independently, or with support, to build up their confidence in using computers and other equipment. Work is carefully planned to build upon pupils’ previous learning and support allotted to those who need most help. Systems are in place to assess and track pupils’ progress in the subject. Current assessment procedures are satisfactory and this shows an improvement from the previous inspection.

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Commentary

71. Good leadership and management of the subject have ensured that all staff, including support staff, are well equipped to teach all the various strands in the ICT curriculum. A comprehensive action plan shows clearly how standards have been raised in the quality of teaching and learning, the use of ICT across the curriculum, assessment procedures and resources. The school has E-mail links to other parts of the world including India and Australia. Pupils are always supported when using the internet and the school has a very good awareness of child protection in conjunction with parents’ support. The subject co-ordinator regularly monitors pupils’ work and classroom displays and has produced levelled portfolios for each class.

p.25

ICT across the curriculum

The use of ICT across the curriculum is good. Evidence from lesson observations, scrutiny of pupils’ work, discussion with teachers and pupils and classroom displays indicated links with art and design, science, PE, geography, literacy and mathematics

p.25

HUMANITIES

No history or geography lessons were seen during the week of the inspection and inspectors did not obtain enough evidence to make comments on these subjects.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

Brixham C of E Infant School - 26 • Pupils’ knowledge and understanding of Christianity is being developed appropriately. • Their learning makes a good contribution to pupils’ spiritual, personal, social and moral development. • Pupils have a sound awareness of some simple features of other faiths.

p.26

Main strengths and weaknesses

72. Standards of attainment seen during the inspection meet the expectations of the Agreed Syllabus. At the time of the last inspection, similar standards were observed. There was insufficient evidence to judge the quality of teaching and learning in the whole school as only one lesson was observed during the inspection. This was a joint lesson and session of collective worship for all Year 1 and 2 pupils, as preparation for their celebration of the advent season. The school regularly plans joint year group lessons such as these, to introduce new themes and units of work. There was a limited range of written work to examine as most lessons centre around discussions. However, analyses of the written work available and discussions with pupils in Year 2, indicate that pupils’ achievement is good throughout the school. Pupils enter the school with varied experiences of religious observance. Through its direct provision and its strong ethos, the school provides a firm

p.26

Main strengths and weaknesses

foundation for pupils to develop their understanding of religious beliefs and practice in the Christian and other faiths.

p.26

Main strengths and weaknesses

73. In the lesson seen, the quality of teaching and learning was good with some very good features. The school hall was effectively organised to allow pupils to sit in a circle and listen to calm music. These factors helped to create a reflective and special atmosphere as pupils entered the room. An atmosphere of trust and encouragement established from the beginning helped pupils to feel confident in contributing their own responses. The teacher managed the large group skilfully and sustained their interest through her own lively and enthusiastic exploration of the different ways candles are used in celebrations. Pupils were well involved in the small ceremonies she created as pupils celebrated a birthday, chose special candles and talked about what they had learnt about the meaning of Advent. Pupils were able to identify a Diwali candle and special advent candles used in church services. The atmosphere of celebration was sustained as they sang ‘Children of the world’

p.26

Main strengths and weaknesses

and sat quietly in reflection to think about what they had learned and experienced. The teacher had created a real feeling of community and, together with varied and interesting activities, contributed significantly to pupils’ appreciation of religious and Christian celebrations. 74. The school makes good use of its close links with the local church and clergy. These links enrich the ethos of the school, which is clearly based on Christian faith and principles. There are regular visits to the church during the main celebrations in the Christian calendar. The subject is well led and managed by the headteacher, who has a good understanding of both the spirit and the written requirements of the Agreed Syllabus. She has developed useful and appropriate strategies for monitoring pupils’ learning and the teaching of the curriculum. The subject makes a good contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

p.26

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

One lesson was seen in design and technology and pupils’ work and photographic evidence were sampled. One music lesson, one art and design lesson and two lessons in PE were observed. Inspectors also heard pupils singing in collective worship, spoke to groups of pupils, scrutinised pupils’ work in art and design and teachers’ planning documents and held discussions with the subject coordinators.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

75. Only one lesson was observed in design and technology, but evidence of pupils’ past work indicates that standards are broadly average in Years 1 and 2. There is insufficient evidence to make judgements about overall teaching and learning or about pupils’ achievements over time. In the Year 2 lesson observed, the topic was linked well to science when pupils had to design a moveable shadow puppet for their forthcoming pre-Christmas concert. Pupils used their knowledge and understanding of levers and the effect of light when working on this activity. The shadow puppet show was based on the story of, ‘Little Owl and the Star’. The teacher read the story to the class to give them an idea of the different characters that would be involved. This improved their vocabulary and stimulated their imaginations before they began their design work. A wide range of resources, Brixham C of E Infant School - 27

p.26

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

including photographs of previous performances and puppets, were used to encourage pupils to generate ideas by furthering their knowledge of materials and techniques. The quality of teaching and learning in the lesson was satisfactory. The teacher ensured that every eventuality concerned with the puppet design was covered, which resulted in the initial introduction to the lesson being overlong.

p.27

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

76. In music pupils sing with enthusiasm and a confident awareness of melody in songs they know. In the one Year 2 lesson observed, the quality of teaching and learning of a small group of pupils was satisfactory. Interesting links were made with pupils’ work in art and design and literacy as the teacher discussed with pupils how they had drawn pictures of a firework display following a reading of a poem about fireworks. She talked with them about the range of shapes they had used in their drawings, which could be linked to the long and short sounds they had been learning to identify in their listening to music. As result of this effective linking with other areas of learning, pupils were able to work more confidently with producing their own range of long and short sounds. There was a real sense of excitement when one pupil, who had found it difficult to produce contrasting sounds, succeeded in demonstrating his new found knowledge to the rest of the class. Pupils understood

p.27

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

how to use a range of simple percussion instruments but, in a small number of instances, they were not always sufficiently disciplined in their use and the teacher had to disturb the flow of lesson to remind pupils about appropriate listening.

p.27

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

77. The school makes good use of the specialist skills of a support assistant to teach music in Year 2 to pupils in small groups. The curriculum is carefully organised to ensure that the rotation of groups enables pupils to develop their skills progressively. Planning for the subject makes appropriate provision for all the elements of the National Curriculum and uses nationally recommended guidance as a basis for planning. The subject is appropriately managed by the headteacher who ensures that planning for the use of music in collective worship effectively reinforces pupils’ work in lessons.

p.27

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils have a very good variety of experiences through the use of a good range of different media. • They reach good standards in their observational drawings and in their use of colour. • The curriculum is well planned to ensure that pupils develop skills and knowledge progressively. • The specialist skills of the art and design coordinator are well used to support and monitor teaching and learning throughout the school. • Effective links with other areas of the curriculum. • The curriculum is well enhanced through well planned links with outside organisations and with artists in the community.

p.27

Commentary

78. Standards are above average in Year 2 and all pupils, including those with SEN achieve well as they move through the school. Throughout the school, pupils create well detailed observational drawings, showing good control and confidence in creating lines and shapes, for example when they draw poppies in a field. They have a good awareness of how to use their initial drawings and develop and transfer the drawing to another medium. This was seen in a good Year 2 lesson where pupils were using drawings of plants and seed heads they had done earlier, to develop further using textiles to create texture and shape. Good planning developed pupils’ skills progressively and ensured that most of them were confident in selecting their design. They were also able, sometimes with support, to select materials which would reflect the qualities of the original materials. They made good progress with their design because their teacher used a good range of questioning to help

p.27

Commentary

them clarify their ideas and they had good opportunities to select their own materials. Brixham C of E Infant School - 28 79. Pupils throughout the school use and develop ideas through a good range of media. The school makes good use of the kiln. Year 1 pupils use their self portraits to make individual clay tiles with details which are interesting and sometimes show good fine control. In a good link with their study of the work of the artist Andy Goldsworthy, Year 2 pupils explore and recreate in clay the texture and patterns in natural wood and stone shapes. Good use is made if the school’s resources in ICT, such as the digital camera and microscope to explore patterns and detail in natural shapes.

p.27

Commentary

80. The school enhances the curriculum very effectively through links with the Devon Arts partnership. Mural artists such as Ruth Oakley and Duncan Morrell have enriched the environment of the school and pupils’ experiences. The school grounds have been enhanced by a living willow maze which all pupils and teachers helped to create. As a result, the subject makes a very good contribution to pupils’ spiritual, social and cultural development.

p.28

Commentary

81. The subject is well managed by the coordinator who makes good use of her specialist skills to work in all classes in the school and to provide good support for other teachers. There has been a good improvement since the last inspection in standards, teaching and learning and in the range of curricular opportunities. There are effective systems in place to monitor and assess how well pupils are learning and to develop pupils’ skills at evaluating their own work. Resources in the subject are good and are well supplemented by parents when special projects are planned.

p.28

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards in swimming are above average for the Year 2 age group. • ICT used well for filming good gymnastics performances. • Good inclusion and support for pupil with SEN. • Good links to outside agencies to broaden PE curriculum for benefit of all pupils. • Small hall limits some gymnastic and dance activities due to temporary use as storage space during current building works. • Loss of time at the beginning of some lessons due to previous lesson over-running and slow changing by pupils.

p.28

Commentary

82. In the lessons observed, pupils reach similar standards in games and gymnastics to those found in most schools. No lessons were observed in dance activities, but an analysis of planning and teaching by a specialist teacher in this area of PE, indicates that standards are at least average. This represents satisfactory achievement, which is promoted by the satisfactory quality of teaching and learning in the lessons seen. Standards in swimming are above average for this age group of pupils. This is due to regular swimming lessons at the nearby swimming pool and the plentiful support and specialist teaching provided for the pupils.

p.28

Commentary

83. In the Year 1 gymnastics lesson observed, some time was lost at the beginning of the lesson while pupils changed slowly. In the hall, pupils displayed a good awareness of spacing even though the hall is small and part of the working area is restricted as storage space. The teacher and pupils demonstrated an appropriate knowledge of health and safety during the warm-up session. ICT was used well when a pupil, with support, used a digital camera to film examples of good practice in pupils’ performance. Good inclusion practice was also evident when a pupil with severe SEN participated in the lesson due to very good support by a teaching assistant. Most pupils showed a sound ability to develop their twisting and rolling movements in gymnastics. Groups of Year 2 pupils were coached in soccer by a football coach from the nearby community college. Boys and girls Brixham C of E Infant School - 29

p.28

Commentary

participated and they developed sound skills in their ‘dribbling’ prowess. All showed a sound ability to improve their soccer skills with practice.

p.29

Commentary

84. The small size of the hall, and its temporary use as storage space while the current building work continues, limits some gymnastics work but outside activity areas are used to good effect for climbing and balancing when the weather allows.

p.29

Commentary

85. Much good work has been carried out in developing pupils’ dance and gymnastics abilities recently. Teachers’ confidence in teaching the subject and pupils’ achievement have been enhanced by the introduction of a specialist teacher from a community college to work alongside teachers and pupils in both year groups. The subject co-ordinator is enthusiastic and has linked various outside agencies to the school such as, the local rounders league, professional soccer team and the Sport England Active Mark in order to broaden the curriculum for the benefit of pupils. Valid comparisons about changes in the subject since the school’s last inspection cannot be made because of the comparative lack of evidence available in some aspects of PE during the inspection.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

No specific lessons of personal, social and health education were seen during the inspection. Areas were identified in lessons seen, pupils’ work and photographic evidence were sampled and discussions were held with staff and pupils.

p.29

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

86. The school’s ethos has very good regard for pupils’ personal and social development and this is reflected through all the areas of the school. The high quality of relationships in the school and the care pupils show towards each other is evidence of the very good emphasis placed on the different aspects of pupils’ personal, social, health and citizenship education. The school has clear planning for the subject, which is both linked to other subjects and taught in its own right. ‘Circle time’ is well established in the school and pupils understand the importance of listening to each other and respecting each other’s views well. The principles, which underpin this provision, are a key feature of the very good relationships in the school and pupils’ good behaviour and attitudes. This was illustrated well in the joint Year 1 and 2 RE lesson where pupils were encouraged to greet each other and recognise each other’s special qualities.

p.29

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

87. There are very good links with outside agencies, which enhance pupils’ awareness, appropriate to their ages, of issues relating to personal safety, health and drugs education. Through their work in science, art and design, geography and history, pupils are given a good understanding of the world around them and their part in caring for the environment. Pupils’ sense of responsibility is very well fostered through opportunities to act as ‘Guardian Angels’ in the playground and as councillors in the school council. Brixham C of E Infant School - 30

p.29

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.30

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities 2

Attendance 5 Attitudes 3 Behaviour, including the extent of exclusions 3 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 3

p.30

The quality of education provided by the school 3

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

p.30

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.30

The leadership and management of the school 3

Inspectors make judgements on a scale: excellent (grade 1); very good (2); good (3); satisfactory (4); unsatisfactory (5); poor (6); very poor (7). Brixham C of E Infant School - 31

p.30