Broughton-in-Amounderness Church of England Primary School

PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: March 22 nd – 25 th 2004

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PRIMARY SCHOOL

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 Broughton-in-Amounderness C of E Primary School - 2 This report may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that all extracts quoted are reproduced verbatim without adaptation and on condition that the source and date thereof are stated.

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PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Primary School category: Voluntary Aided Age range of pupils: 5 – 11 years Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 244

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Church Lane Broughton Preston Postcode: PR3 5JB

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: 01772 862788 Fax number: 01772 866145

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: Governing Body Name of chair of governors: Mr M Anson

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

This long-established and average sized Church of England school, situated on the outskirts of Preston, serves a wide area of mainly private housing. The overwhelming majority of pupils are of white British origin, with four per cent of pupils coming from other ethnic groups. The percentage of pupils who have special educational needs is low; comprising mostly of pupils with moderate learning difficulties. One pupil has a Statement of Special Educational Need. Most pupils start in reception having attended a nursery or playgroup elsewhere. In most instances they begin school with a level of attainment above that normally expected of children of this age.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

The school received the Basic Skills Quality Mark in 2000 and received an Achievement Award in 2002 for result in National Tests. Broughton-in-Amounderness C of E Primary School - 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

21094 John Brennan Lead inspector Science Information and communication technology Physical education Personal social and health education English as an additional language

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

32671 Chris Gosling Lay inspector 17787 Chris Ingham Team inspector Mathematics Art and design Design and technology Foundation Stage

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

16761 Mel Hemmings Team inspector English Geography History Music Special educational needs

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Independent School Inspection Services (ISIS)

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

3 Harrowby Road West Park Leeds LS16 5HN

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

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

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 8

Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 8

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 11

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

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS 30

Broughton-in-Amounderness C of E Primary School - 6

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OVERALL EVALUATION

This is an effective school . Teaching is good and pupils achieve well. Pupils show very positive attitudes towards school and are happy. They benefit from good standards of care and from the very close partnerships the school establishes with parents and the community. Good leadership, especially by the headteacher, has ensured that previously high standards have been maintained, the curriculum has become more interesting and other staff and governors are drawn into playing an increasingly influential role in school. The school provides good value for money

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are: • Pupils progress well in English and science and very well in mathematics to reach standards that are well above average. • The school promotes very good relationships so that the school operates as a harmonious community in which pupils work hard and respect each other. • Although pupils make satisfactory progress, they are capable of achieving more in information and communication technology (ICT). • The curriculum for children in reception is not practical enough and does not suitably use play as a means of promoting children’s learning. • The school makes good use of assessment to track the progress of pupils and to set targets for improvement. • The school works hand-in-hand with parents and with the wider community. • The school makes great efforts to seek and act on the views of pupils.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school has made satisfactory progress since the last inspection. It has met with mixed success in tackling areas for improvement identified in the last inspection. Good progress has been made in improving the way it assesses pupils but not in the use made of the shared practical area (Stepping Stone Centre) for infants. Very high standards in English, mathematics and science have been maintained and standards in art and design have risen. The leadership of governors has improved. However, the school has not kept up to speed with developments for children in reception, and standards in ICT have declined.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Results in National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 6, compared with: all schools similar schools

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

English A A A* A Mathematics A A A* A Science A A A* A Key: A - well above average; B – above average; C – average; D – below average; E – well below average Similar schools are those whose pupils attained similarly at the end of Year 2

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Overall pupils achieve well. When they start in the Foundation Stage, children’s skills and knowledge are generally above those typical for their age, apart from in their personal development which is typical for their age. Children make steady progress so that many start Year 1 already working on the National Curriculum. From Year 1 on, the rate of learning picks up speed and in English and science pupils make good progress, and in mathematics very good progress, so that by the time they leave the school they are very able readers, can write with flair, solve complicated mathematical problems and they have a very good knowledge of science and can plan and carry out experiments. This progress is reflected in results in National Tests. In 2003 they were well above Broughton-in-Amounderness C of E Primary School - 7 average in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of Year 2 and, when compared with similar

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

schools, were still well above average in writing and above average in reading and mathematics. As pupils progress through Years 3 to 6 an increasing number achieve standards that are above those normally expected. This is seen in very impressive test scores at the end of Year 6, which placed the school in the top five per cent of schools nationally for English, mathematics and science. Over two- thirds of pupils reached the higher than expected level in English and mathematics and three- quarters achieved this level in science. Because of this, pupils achieve much better results than those in similar schools. Pupils who have special educational needs also progress well and most go on to reach the national averages in tests. Standards in art and design have improved since the last inspection; pupils achieve well and reach standards that are above average. Standards in ICT have, however, fallen. Although above average, pupils do not use computers in a way that makes them

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

think hard enough. Throughout the school, standards in music are above average, as they were at the time of the last inspection

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

are very good. Pupils have very good attitudes and on the whole behave very well, taking a mature and responsible approach to school. The exception to this is in reception, where on occasions children can lose interest in what they are doing and misbehave. Attendance rates are very high and make a strong contribution to the progress pupils make.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The quality of education is good. There is good teaching and learning through Years 1 to 6, with satisfactory teaching and learning in the Foundation Stage. The school assesses pupils well in English and mathematics. A wide range of after-school clubs and educational outings enriches the curriculum and recent innovations, such as the themed weeks; add interest and fun. The school is at pains to ask pupils their opinion of school and involve them in making life at school better for all. It forges strong links with parents and plays an important part in the life of the church community. There is a warm and caring ethos so that pupils of differing abilities are valued and their needs met well.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The leadership and management of the school are good overall. The headteacher leads the school well and is helped by good leadership of the governors, and by good leadership of English and mathematics and, at a senior management level, of assessment. The most significant barrier to further success is the absence of key staff and a tight school budget. Good planning has turned the financial position of the school around. However, the lack of leadership in key positions, most notably in reception and at senior management level, where leadership is thin, places an undue burden on the headteacher.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents have very positive views of the school and are happy with what it provides. Pupils enjoy school and speak very well of what is does for them.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

The most important things the school should do to improve are: • The provision made for children in reception by providing a more appropriate curriculum. • The level of challenge in ICT lessons. • The contribution of the senior management team to school improvement and the support given to the headteacher. Broughton-in-Amounderness C of E Primary School - 8

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Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

On the whole standards are very high and, through Years 1 to 6, pupils of differing capabilities achieve well. Children in reception achieve at a slower rate than the rest of the school.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards in mathematics are very high and pupils achieve at a very good rate. • Pupils progress well to reach standards in English and science that are well above average. • Although progress is satisfactory, children in the reception year do not make the progress that other year groups do. • The school does not consistently build on pupils’ good levels of skill in ICT. • Pupils achieve well in art and design to reach a standard that is above expected levels.

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Commentary

1. Children begin school with a level of skill above that normally expected, particularly in their familiarity with books and number. Because of shortcomings in the curriculum, the absence of leadership and some weaknesses in teaching, children do not build consistently on their capabilities. Although many start Year 1 with a level of skill in most areas of learning that is still above the expected levels, progress does not rise above satisfactory. In particular, the lack of insistence of appropriate standards of behaviour and the lack of structure in teaching independence mean that children begin formal schooling with satisfactory levels of personal development. This is below the level they achieve in literacy and numeracy.

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Commentary

2. From Year 1 onwards, the pace of learning picks up and, on the whole, pupils progress well. Results in the 2003 National Tests for seven-year-olds were well above average in reading, writing and mathematics and have consistently reached this level over the past few years. When comparisons are made with similar schools, results still remain positive and are above those of similar schools in reading and mathematics and well above in writing. In each of these subjects approximately 40 per cent of pupils achieved higher than expected levels.

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Commentary

3. This strong base is built upon well through Years 3 to 6, so that an increasing proportion of pupils achieved results in National Tests that were well above average. In 2003 two-thirds of the pupils achieved the higher level in English and mathematics, while in science, this figure rose to three-quarters. In 2003 the school achieved its best ever results which placed it in the top five per cent of schools for each subject. Results also compared very favourably with similar schools, being well above average in each core subject.

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Commentary

4. Inspection findings largely confirm this positive picture and standards remain at the very high level they were at the time of the last inspection. As they progress from Year 1 from an above average base, an increasing number of pupils reach standards that are above average. Achievement is particularly strong in mathematics where very skilful teaching helps pupils develop a range of ways of tackling problems and have instant recall of key mathematical facts. In English, effective leadership has pinpointed areas of writing and reading in need of development. Successful action ensures that pupils build on their very good level of basic skills to write with flair and at length across a range of genres, to read fluently and to develop confidence in giving opinions. In science, pupils leave the school with a very good knowledge of scientific facts and add to this an ability to apply scientific principles by working in a logical way

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Commentary

to solve questions and test hypotheses. Broughton-in-Amounderness C of E Primary School - 9 Standards in national tests at the end of Year 2 – average point scores in 2003

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Commentary

Standards in: School results National results Reading 17.1 (17.6) 15.7 (15.8) Writing 17.4 (16.9) 14.6 (14.4) Mathematics 17.9 (19.1) 16.3 (16.5) There were 33 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year

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Commentary

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

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Commentary

Standards in: School results National results English 30.8 ( 29.7) 26.8 (27.0) Mathematics 30.6 (29.6) 26.8 (26.7) Science 31.7 (31.8) 28.6 (28.3) There were 32 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year

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Commentary

1. Because their needs are assessed effectively and progress tracked carefully, the school is in a good position to intervene quickly when pupils experience difficulties. Pupils with special educational needs, therefore, make good progress and achieve well in relation to their prior attainment. This approach also serves the need of potentially able pupils who are identified early and pushed on. Because of this, an increasing number of pupils attain higher than expected levels of attainment as they progress through the school. The school has a small number of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds. No additional provision is needed for these pupils as all are fluent English speakers. These pupils achieve in the same way as all others in the school. The school is, however, beginning to draw upon the knowledge pupils have of differing cultures to add to the curriculum for all.

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Commentary

2. The picture is not as positive in ICT, where a lack of ambition in teaching contrasts with the challenging tasks that arise out of the work of an ICT specialist who is sponsored by a large business and by the work done in occasional themed weeks which combines many areas the curriculum under one banner. In these, pupils display an ability to use ICT in a thought- provoking manner, exploiting its potential to aid thinking. However, this is not the case in their usual lessons, which do not build upon the familiarity and confidence pupils have in using computers. Because of this pupils make steady progress and although they reach standards that are above average, they are capable of more.

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Commentary

3. Improved provision for art and design has led to higher standards than in the last inspection. Increased opportunities to be creative and practice techniques through the study of other artists are paying dividends and pupils are now achieving well. In music pupils achieve well and, by the time they leave the school, reach standards that are above average. This is the same as at the time of the last inspection. The good rate at which pupils acquire skills in literacy and numeracy stands them in good stead to apply them in a range of subjects and helps improve provision for other subjects.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Levels of attendance and punctuality and the attitudes and behaviour of the pupils are all very good . The personal qualities of the pupils are developed by very good provision for their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and the very strong Christian ethos of the school.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

Broughton-in-Amounderness C of E Primary School - 10 • The very high level of attendance is achieved because of the high expectations by the school and because pupils enjoy coming to school • The very strong Christian ethos of the school ensures very high standards of behaviour and encourages very positive attitudes from the pupils. • Not enough thought has been given to developing the personal qualities of children in reception. • Relationships between older and younger pupils are very good.

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Commentary

1. The school has very high expectations of parents and pupils so that parents become fully involved in school life and provide help to their children in their learning and personal development. Parents and pupils hold the school and its staff in very high regard and work hard to maintain the very high standards that the school strives to achieve. This extends to the standards expected in attendance and punctuality and this partnership has resulted in a very high level of attendance when compared to the national average. The pupils enjoy their lessons and fully participate in the wide range of extra-curricular activities that the school offers, both during the school day and afterwards. Pupils revel in school as a place where they not only have interesting lessons, but where they play, meet their friends and develop trusting relationships with adults and discover new and interesting activities. All of this ensures that they

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Commentary

like coming to school and are ready to make the most of the opportunities it presents.

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Commentary

Attendance in the latest complete reporting year 2002/03 (%)

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Commentary

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data 2.9 School data 0.0 National data 5.4 National data 0.4

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Commentary

1. Because of the Christian ethos of the school and the school’s very high expectations of the pupils, standards of behaviour and the attitudes of the pupils are very good. The pupils are confident and lively but also have a realisation that their behaviour affects others. Because of this, instances of poor behaviour or displays of irresponsible attitudes are rare and the pupils feel free from harassment and bullying. The ethos of the school fosters a caring and thoughtful attitude from the pupils, with the school assemblies and other lessons allowing time for reflection and spiritual awareness. The school works hard to build on the pupils’ confidence and self-esteem by building into the school day a very wide range of responsibilities that the pupils are eager to take on. These range from being a register monitor to more innovative ideas such as Year 6 pupils being in charge of the administration office at lunchtime so that they can

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Commentary

handle incoming ‘phone calls and take messages. The house system further strengthens a sense of belonging and of community responsibility, with older pupils taking on much of the responsibility for running meetings and leading their ‘houses’.

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Commentary

2. The exception to the well thought out ways the school develops pupils’ personal qualities is the curriculum for children in reception. A lack of regular routines, low expectations and a lack of understanding of how to use play-based activities purposefully enough to help children learn to accept responsibility, results in some poorer behaviour in this part of the school.

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Commentary

3. The ethos of the school fosters very good relationships between pupils and pupils and adults but the school also works hard to ensure that relationships between the youngest pupils and older pupils are also developed and encouraged. Year 5 and reception pupils enter into a ‘gardener’ and ‘seed’ relationship where the older child mentors the new arrival and so ensures that the younger child has a friend and settles into school life as quickly as possible. These relationships are strong and are taken on enthusiastically, at times extending to beyond school to include, for example, a reception child being invited to the older pupil’s birthday party. Broughton-in-Amounderness C of E Primary School - 11 4. The improved provision for art and design and the emphasis placed on ‘performing’ adds to pupils’ cultural experiences. These are enhanced by regular visits, which help to give pupils a strong feel for their local culture. The school has given much thought to widening this view of

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Commentary

culture by ensuring that a multi-cultural theme is added to wider topics. Where possible this makes use of the cultural heritage of the few minority ethnic pupils attending the school. In a recent India day, for example, a boy shared his experiences of Indian food, with his mother also visiting school to help with a food tasting session. This work flowed naturally out of other aspects of the curriculum, such as geography, so that pupils began to appreciate multi-culture as something both within and beyond their immediate horizons. In this respect provision has improved since the last inspection.

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Exclusions

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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Exclusions

Categories used in the Annual School Census No of pupils on roll Number of fixed period exclusions Number of permanent exclusions White – British 233 1 0 Mixed – White and Black African 1 0 0 Mixed – White and Asian 1 0 0 Mixed – any other mixed background 3 0 0 Asian or Asian British – Indian 4 0 0 Asian or Asian British – any other Asian background 1 0 0 Chinese 1 0 0 The table gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The quality of education provided by the school is good because the quality of teaching and learning is good and the curriculum is well organised. The quality of education is stronger in Year 1 to 6 than in reception. The school takes very good care of pupils and works hand in hand with parents and the wider community for the benefit of pupils. All pupils benefit from a wide range of trips, and older ones from a range of clubs.

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Teaching and learning

The overall quality of teaching and learning is good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teachers help to create a very positive atmosphere for learning; they have high expectations of pupils who in turn work hard and contribute well in lessons. • Teaching reflects approaches recommended in the National Strategies for Literacy and Numeracy and in the case of numeracy, is particularly strong. • Work is mostly well matched to pupils’ differing capabilities, is interesting and stimulates and challenges pupils. • Teaching in reception does not link practical activities to clear learning intentions well enough. • Teachers are adept at finding links between subjects, except in ICT. Here, teaching is not ambitious enough. Broughton-in-Amounderness C of E Primary School - 12

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Commentary

1. Effective leadership of English and mathematics has ensured that the school has implemented the national strategies that guide these subjects well. These have had a telling impact of the quality of teaching, which is stronger in these subjects than it was at the time of the last inspection. Teaching has improved in mathematics in particular, with all lessons seen during the inspection being very good. This accounts for the increased percentage of very good teaching in the school.

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Commentary

2. Besides improving teachers’ knowledge of literacy and numeracy, the use of the strategies has equipped teachers with techniques that are being used well in other subjects. The quality of exposition at the beginning of lessons is high and is helped by good subject knowledge, for example, in science, and by the improved methods of questioning pupils. For example, it is not uncommon to find teachers using creative ways of involving all pupils in class discussions, so that all are well prepared for following work. There is still, however, the odd occasion when teaching slips into seeking answers from pupils who are prepared to put their hands up. When this happens, not enough pupils are involved and the understanding of all is not tested enough. Teachers have also become better at providing work that matches pupils’ differing capabilities. They are helped in this by the considered deployment of teaching assistants who are effective

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Commentary

when it comes to teaching groups of pupils. The spread of work given ensures that the needs of higher attaining pupils and pupils who have special educational needs are well met. This has also been helped by improved assessment in English and mathematics. Teachers know what pupils need to do to improve and plan work accordingly. Teachers also ensure that pupils are aware of what they should be trying to improve on when they are writing or reading or working on mathematical problems. This is having a positive effect on pupils’ achievement and their attitudes to work.

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Commentary

3. A lack of leadership in the reception year has meant that teaching here has not kept up to speed with national developments and so the quality of teaching has declined. Although not helped by some organisational problems, in particular the limited time children have to use the shared infant practical area, teaching in reception does not successfully link learning and play. These are considered by staff to be different, so activities can fluctuate between rather formal activities and those lacking in structure and purpose. Such an approach confuses children who see work and play as being separate, with the latter occurring when sufficient work has been done. This lack of understanding of how to plan play-based learning activities also spreads to Years 1 and 2 and, because of this, time spent using the shared infant area (Stepping Stone Centre) is similarly unproductive.

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Commentary

4. The bedrock of teaching is the very good quality of relationships that teachers establish with pupils. Apart from in reception, where weaknesses in management result in some inappropriate behaviour, pupils behave very well and work hard. The high expectations of teachers and well- organised classes, particularly of the large classes through Years 3 to 6, create calm classrooms. Teachers and pupils go about their work without being disturbed. Not a second is wasted and, because of this, classrooms are productive and pleasant places to be.

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Commentary

5. The best teaching exploits these conditions for learning by providing pupils with challenging tasks to do. This is consistently the case in mathematics, where the imaginative use of problems gives very good opportunities for pupils to apply their well-developed range of skills to work which makes them think. Although most of the tasks pupils do in English are also thought- provoking, there are more occasions here where pupils complete work which has too little purpose and does not make them think hard enough. Changes in the curriculum act as an additional stimulus to thought-provoking work. Pupils speak very highly of these occasions, not only because they act as a change from the usual timetable, but also because they allow for several subjects to come together. This requires risk-taking teaching, which fresh leadership has encouraged. This is paying dividends and is showing what pupils are capable of when

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Commentary

teaching is given a freer reign. Broughton-in-Amounderness C of E Primary School - 13 6. The link between English and mathematics also occurs on a more habitual basis, with teachers being good at using subjects for pupils to practice their basic skills. This is helped by the limited use of worksheets, which give pupils scope for shaping their responses to the tasks given. The exception to this is ICT. Here, training has increased teachers’ confidence in teaching ICT skills but, on the whole, tasks lack sophistication and context and are not exploiting pupils’ confidence in using ICT.

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Commentary

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 30 lessons

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Commentary

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor 0 10 (30%) 11 (36%) 7 (23%) 1 (3%) 1 (3%) 0 The table gives the number of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons; figures in brackets show percentages where 30 or more lessons are seen.

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The curriculum

Overall the curriculum is good. The curriculum is broad and balanced with very good opportunities for enrichment that extend beyond the school day. Accommodation and resources are satisfactory.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The recent innovations, led by the headteacher, have made the curriculum more interesting and relevant to pupils’ needs and have helped raise standards because tasks are more challenging and link across several subjects. • There are many good quality opportunities for pupils to practise and refine their literacy and numeracy skills across the curriculum but this is not the case in ICT. • The curriculum for children in reception is not practical enough and does not suitably use play as a means of promoting children’s learning. • Not enough thought is given to the use of the shared practical infant area for developing children’s skills. • There is an extensive range of extra-curricular activities, educational visits and visitors that enrich the curriculum

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Commentary

1. Changes made to the curriculum during the last year mean there is now a strong commitment to developing the pupils’ creative talents as well as their academic ones and they are able to take part in a variety of rich and exciting experiences in art, drama and music. The introduction of themed weeks, such as ‘business week,’ ‘book week’ and ‘arts week’ have led to better links being made between subjects, so that pupils are able to use skills learned in one subject to support their learning in others. There has been good use made of visitors, such as theatre groups, artists and musicians, who have worked with the pupils to develop a variety of skills. These are added to by opportunities for pupils to take part in musical and drama performances for parents and members of the community.

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Commentary

2. The school also gives all pupils the opportunity to take part in an extensive range of visits, including residential experience for pupils in Years 5 and 6, which enrich the curriculum by providing further significant learning experiences. Pupils can also take part in a wide range of extra-curricular activities, such as drama, choir, recorder groups and sports clubs. These experiences support pupils’ personal development well, as they give them chance to learn how to socialise with each other in situations away from the classroom.

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Commentary

3. Another successful development has been the creation of the ‘friendship curriculum’ for pupils in Reception and Years 1 and 2 on Friday afternoons, when they choose who they want to work with and decide which activities they want to take part in. This makes a positive contribution to Broughton-in-Amounderness C of E Primary School - 14 their personal development as it lets them show initiative and take some responsibility for their own learning. Pupils and parents speak highly of the ‘themed weeks’ and ‘friendship curriculum,’ having very positive views on how they add interest and fun to the curriculum.

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Commentary

4. The quality of the curriculum for children of reception age does not place a high enough emphasis on the children learning through play and first hand experiences, both indoors and outside. Planning reflects a lack of understanding of how practical experiences foster the children’s development across the areas of learning. Play activities are sometimes presented as a reward for completing ‘work’ rather than as a lynchpin for learning. The reception classroom is not effectively planned to promote active learning. Resources are mainly stored on the perimeter of the room and some are difficult for the children to access. The use made of the shared infant activity room is not well thought out. Although the children enjoy the opportunities to use the attractive resources, activities often lack a clear educational purpose. This room is used by all classes in the infants and this results in large parts of the day when

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Commentary

5. The curriculum for pupils in Years 1 to 6 is planned well so that there are many opportunities for pupils to use their literacy and numeracy skills to support their learning in other subjects. This makes a strong contribution to the very high standards that pupils achieve in English and mathematics. The same cannot be said for ICT, where links with other subjects are less well developed.

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Commentary

6. There is an appropriate match of teachers and support staff to the curriculum, so that the needs of all pupils are met well. The school makes satisfactory provision for pupils who have special educational needs. The curriculum is planned so that pupils have equality of access to all aspects of school life. Planning arrangements are secure, with the individual education plans having relevant and manageable targets in them. The accommodation, including extensive grounds and spacious classrooms with attractive displays of pupils’ work, provides an interesting environment in which to learn. The very advanced plans to build a new school hall will help overcome present shortcomings which make the teaching of physical education and gathering the school together for assemblies difficult to achieve.

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Care, guidance and support

The advice and support pupils receive is very good and is based on their individual needs. The house system is very good in ensuring that the school values and acts on the pupils’ views. The provision for the pupils’ care, welfare and safety is good with the school providing a caring and safe environment.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils have trust and confidence in their relationships with all adults at the school. • Pupils’ concerns and views are important to the school. • The school provides a safe and caring environment in which the pupils can learn and develop and has extended its care of pupils beyond the school day. • The school tracks progress well to set targets for pupils and to provide additional help.

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Commentary

1. The relationships between pupils and staff are very good so that the pupils are confident and feel secure in approaching staff if they have any problems. All adults employed in the school have a caring and supportive role with pupils nominating two members of staff who can be their mentors. Nominated staff encourage and foster contact with the pupils that have chosen them so that a close and trusting relationship is established and the pupils knows that their problems will be dealt with fairly and with sensitivity. The strong Christian ethos of the school reinforces Broughton-in-Amounderness C of E Primary School - 15 relationships within the school so that the pupils develop and show concern for others. This creates a very good environment for pupils to play and work together.

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Commentary

2. The school has a house system of four houses that also represents the views of the pupils. The headteacher supports the independence of the house system and strongly believes that all pupils should be seen to be treated fairly. To this end it is organised democratically, with defined voting procedures, so that the views of each class are put forward and results are fed back to pupils with assurances that the older pupils have not influenced house decisions unfairly. Pupils have confidence that the school listens to their views and acts upon their suggestions in a democratic and fair manner. Results so far achieved have ranged from the choice of playground toys to girls now being allowed to wear trousers. In addition to an annual budget of £50, pupils are looking forward to spending the profit they made from a recent week of activities organised around a business theme.

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Commentary

3. The staff and governors are fully committed to ensuring that the school is a safe environment for the pupils and staff. A large proportion of staff has had first aid training and there are regular fire alarm tests and health and safety audits so that pupils and staff have confidence in the safety of their environment. There are comprehensive risk assessment procedures in place with all visits outside of school having to be authorised by the governors and, in addition, any residential trips have to be cleared by the education authority. Child protection issues are satisfactorily covered but are not yet fully embedded in the school’s practices and procedures with the school relying, with justification, on the caring attitude of all adults employed in the school to ensure any concerns are reported.

p.15

Commentary

4. The school has extended its provision by providing a popular and well-used ‘Stay and Play’ club that is run by a voluntary management committee that includes the headteacher and a governor. The club provides a safe and controlled environment for the pupils with a varied range of activities so that parents are assured of their child’s well being. Because many of the staff who work in the club also work in the school they know the children very well and care for them under the same strong Christian ethos that the school promotes.

p.15

Commentary

5. Since the last inspection the assessment co-ordinator has put much thought into how best to track pupils’ progress. A well-constructed programme of tests, allied to regular analysis of progress, helps to identify those pupils who are capable of more. This helps to serve those pupils who have special educational needs and those who, although attaining high standards, are capable of more. Because of this, teachers and teaching assistants are well aware of who needs extra help and provide for this well within their usual lessons. For pupils with special educational needs in particular, ongoing assessments by teachers and teaching assistants contribute well to the regular reviews of pupils’ progress and successfully inform the setting of new targets. This represents good improvement since the last inspection. Broughton-in-Amounderness C of E Primary School - 16

p.15

Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

The school has very good links with parents and the community so that parents have a very high regard for the school and its staff. The school has good links to other schools.

p.16

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school’s links with parents fully involve them in the learning and development of their child. • The church plays a full and valuable part in school life. • Parents receive a great deal of information on all school activities and the school actively seeks their views.

p.16

Commentary

1. The school has very high expectations of parents and makes great efforts to provide them with a wide range of information so that they become involved in school life and can assist in their child’s education from home. The induction information parents receive is comprehensive and informative and parents also receive further information on activities and games that they can use with their child that are designed to assist in learning. The annual reports to the parents are very good, with reception reports being very descriptive and commenting on targets for development. In later years, the reports comment on progress, strengths and targets for development so that the parent has a clear understanding of how their child is developing. Parents and the child are invited to comment on the report in depth so that concerns can be addressed. The reports also contain data on the child’s attendance, punctuality in the morning

p.16

Commentary

and also lateness of being collected from school. The school reinforces the home-school agreement on an annual basis so that parents are reminded of the responsibilities the school has and also their own responsibilities towards the learning and development of their child.

p.16

Commentary

2. The church participates fully in school life with members of the clergy being regular visitors to the school and participating in assemblies and also in some lessons. This contributes to the very good pastoral care pupils receive. The school regularly holds assemblies in the church so that all pupils feel welcome and familiar with the church and regard it as a normal extension of school life. The pupils have respect for others because of the strong sense of spiritual awareness that the school and church together have created and the school’s participation in church services has also strengthened learning and the development of pupils. The school has strong links with its sister primary school in the diocese that further develops the sense of ‘family’ that the school and church has.

p.16

Commentary

3. In order to ensure that parents are fully informed of the many school activities that the pupils can engage in, the school produces a weekly newsletter that parents help to produce and distribute via a weekly rota. Parents are frequent visitors to the school, be it to help in classrooms, listen to reading or to participate in activity groups that do odd jobs around the school. The school has an active parent association that is informal in its organisation but has raised considerable funds for the school. The governors and the headteacher value and seek the views of parents with regular questionnaires so that concerns are addressed and improvements made if possible. Parents’ positive views of the school have been maintained since the last inspection and the very strong partnership between school and home ensures pupils continue to learn well.

p.16

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management are good overall. The headteacher provides good leadership and is aided by good governance. Broughton-in-Amounderness C of E Primary School - 17

p.16

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The headteacher places a high priority on developing leadership in others. • Effective leadership of English and mathematics has a positive effect on achievement. • The absence of senior members of staff has limited the contribution of the senior management team to school improvement. • Comprehensive use of assessment data and monitoring by the headteacher help the school target resources and plan effectively for improvement. • Not enough is done to determine the impact of past actions so that, despite best efforts, weaknesses can remain. • Financial planning is good

p.17

Commentary

1. Since the last inspection the school has been faced with two major challenges. Significant changes in personnel, followed by the prolonged absence of key members of staff, have meant that the school has had to reshuffle many responsibilities. In turn, pressure has also been put on the school budget, giving the school very little room for manoeuvre.

p.17

Commentary

2. The school has successfully overcome the latter. Effective governance has been central to this. Governors have sought to make the best use of finance by linking it closely to identified areas for improvement. They have increased the financial expertise they can draw upon, reviewed financial procedures and, most importantly, have become more proactive when it comes to keeping an eye on how the budget is progressing. In addition, they have sought to raise money by making the best use of the school’s assets, most notably by renting out school property. They have also been aided by the generous support of the parents’ fund raising committee. Because of this, the school is now in a much healthier financial position and is able to support significant developments, such as the building of a new hall, without undermining developments elsewhere.

p.17

Commentary

3. The fairly recently appointed headteacher has brought a vision of shared leadership to the school and has been instrumental in helping to improve the effectiveness of governors and staff with particular responsibilities. She has used the necessity to reallocate responsibilities to reassess how staff carry out their various roles and has put in place effective training and structures aimed at developing the staff team. To a large extent she has been successful in this. All co-ordinators now produce a plan for development based on the monitoring of the curriculum. Teachers’ plans are scrutinised and pupils’ work carefully examined. This gives the headteacher and governors a solid base of information from which they plan key whole-school improvements. Development planning is, therefore, effective and successfully links training, including the statutory performance management of teachers, and finances to agreed areas.

p.17

Commentary

4. The determined leadership of the headteacher and an attitude of developing leadership in others, mean that the school has established many of the habits needed when evaluating how well the school is doing. This is carried out most effectively by the English and mathematics co- ordinators, who are skilled at analysing data and, because of strengths in their own teaching, are in a good position to influence others. The school has not been tempted to sit back on very good test results and pinpoints weaknesses well, so prompt action is taken to tackle them. However, beyond these subjects, co-ordinators rely too heavily on gathering second-hand information, at the expense of visiting classrooms. This is largely done by the headteacher and while it has given her an overview of the quality of teaching, it is not measuring the impact of planned developments. In this way weaknesses remain. For example, staff have received

p.17

Commentary

extensive ICT training but too little has been done to check that teaching is skilled.

p.17

Commentary

5. Staffing issues continue to have an impact on the school and undermine the headteacher’s aims of empowering others and working in collegiate manner. In particular, she has a limited pool of senior staff on which to draw. This has placed great pressure on the headteacher, who has taken up many of the responsibilities of others, for example, the management of special Broughton-in-Amounderness C of E Primary School - 18 educational needs. This has not overcome all difficulties and so the management of phases of the school remains problematic. Because of this, there is no clear plan to develop the Foundation Stage or oversee the work of phases of the school. For example, the impact of the use of the infant shared area on the curriculum has not been considered. Where the headteacher has been able to work more consistently with senior staff, they have proved up to the job. For example, very clear structures of collecting and analysing data and tracking pupils’

p.17

Commentary

performance have been developed by the assessment co-ordinator, who is also a member of the senior management team. Because of this, resources are now well targeted and pupils given a boost when necessary. This simple and effective system has been refined further to allow for clear targets to be set for pupils to work on, which pupils and support staff are aware of. These are proving to be effective in driving up standards.

p.18

Commentary

6. As well as being effective in the financial management of the school, governors have also been adept at handling sensitive staffing issues, providing strong support for the headteacher in this. They understand the strengths and weaknesses of the school well. They have sufficient involvement in devising the school development plan and are able to compare the performance of this school with that of others. The very strong link they have with the wider church community of the school means that they understand the context in which the school operates. They fulfil their statutory duties and are more effective then they were at the time of the last inspection.

p.18

Commentary

Financial information for the year April 2002 to March 2003

p.18

Commentary

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 605,996 Balance from previous year 3,500 Total expenditure 563,108 Balance carried forward to the next 42,887 Expenditure per pupil 2,106 Broughton-in-Amounderness C of E Primary School - 19

p.18

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

The children are admitted to the reception year in the September following their fourth birthday into either the reception class or a mixed class of reception children and Year 1 pupils. Initial assessments indicate that, on admission, the children’s attainment is above that expected in all the areas of learning with the exception of social skills which are average. The children’s achievement in the reception is satisfactory.

p.19

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Teaching and learning are satisfactory overall. Strengths in teaching are the warm relationships with the children and the development of the children’s confidence as learners. However, there are weaknesses in teaching. Teachers do not always manage the children well and there are weaknesses in classroom organisation. Insufficient practical activities are planned to give opportunities for play, exploration and enquiry and this restricts the children’s progress. In the reception year, although activities are planned based on the National Curriculum for reception aged children, they are mainly approached through subject-specific lessons with a narrow range of learning strategies. Planning for lessons is often descriptive and does not indicate how the needs of different children will be met. The lack of a co-ordinator to lead the reception is a constraint to the improvement of teaching and learning. Provision in the reception has not improved since the

p.19

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in personal, social and emotional development is satisfactory

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The children’s induction is good. • Independence and confidence are promoted well. • Standards of behaviour are sometimes poor. • Routines and systems are not firmly established.

p.19

Commentary

1. The children settle quickly into the school because induction procedures are well organised. Teaching is satisfactory and good attention is given to raising the children’s self-esteem. These strategies also help to ensure children become confident in their learning and in the classrooms. For example, they make their own decisions as they use the activity room and initiate their own ideas. Relationships are positive and the children talk to one another as they work and form friendships. When the children have opportunities to be engaged in practical activities they concentrate and remain involved. Some of the children, especially boys, find it hard to contain their energy and on occasions are quick to misbehave when they are not closely supervised and when they lose interest in what adults are saying. The children are often over-enthusiastic and do not take responsibility for their own social behaviour. The staff do not

p.19

Commentary

reinforce and consistently apply codes of behaviour and routines such as ‘tidy time’, and systems to ensure the children are involved are not in place and, as a result, the children are not being trained to accept responsibility.

p.19

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Provision in communication, language and literacy is satisfactory Broughton-in-Amounderness C of E Primary School - 20

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The children’s spoken language is very well developed. • Early reading skills are well developed • Writing skills are not as well developed as other aspects of this area of learning.

p.20

Commentary

1. The children’s attainment in this area of learning is above the expected standard overall. In speaking it is well above, in reading it is above and in writing it is in line with expectations. Achievement overall is satisfactory. The children speak readily, using properly formed sentences and express their ideas with clarity and confidence. In an imaginative series of activities linked to the story of ‘The Querk’, the children, very confidently, explained what they thought a Querk would look like as they prepared for the first egg to hatch. Here, the use of ‘talk partners’ proved an effective strategy to develop the children’s speaking and listening skills. Elements of the National Strategy for Literacy are gradually introduced and this has successfully included group reading sessions. The children follow the words accurately with a card ‘pointy finger’ as they read aloud and in turn with the teacher. Good questioning

p.20

Commentary

encourages the children to predict and interpret the story. The children demonstrate interest, confidence and enthusiasm as readers. The children are making slower progress in writing independently although many achieve well in spelling simple words. The children mainly write only one sentence in each writing task. There are insufficient planned opportunities to challenge the more able children who could achieve more. Although there is a well-resourced writing area in the activity room, during language and literacy lessons this is not available to the children.

p.20

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in mathematical development is satisfactory

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The standards achieved are above those expected. • The children’s early number skills develop well. • Planning does not show how tasks will be matched to the different abilities of the children.

p.20

Commentary

1. In mathematical development the children attain standards that exceed those expected and many children are now working within the first level of the National Curriculum. The children’s achievement is satisfactory. In daily mathematics lessons the children develop their awareness of number relationships. The children use their knowledge of number well as they learn how to read clock times. The older children show a high level of competence as they quickly recall pairs of numbers adding to ten in a mental mathematics session. The children work with enthusiasm when tasks are practical, for example, using balances to arrange three objects in order from heaviest to lightest. However, the same activities are often presented to the whole group and this slows the learning of the more able children. Although staff do keep records of children’s progress, it is not clear from planning how provision and expected outcomes are

p.20

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

It is not possible to make an overall judgement of provision or standards as only one lesson was observed.

p.20

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

2. The work on display and that seen in the one lesson observed was above those expected. Here, the children demonstrated a good knowledge and understanding of the life cycle of a Broughton-in-Amounderness C of E Primary School - 21 caterpillar in activities linked to observation of butterfly eggs. The timetable includes three weekly lessons based on science, humanities and technology. Whilst this helps to ensure each element of this large area of learning is covered, it means that learning is fragmented. Limited access to the shared infant practical area is a barrier to learning.

p.20

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in physical development is satisfactory

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The children learn to use a good range of tools. • The development of the children’s skills when using the outdoor area is not sufficiently planned. • In physical development sessions the children display co-ordination in body movements.

p.21

Commentary

1. The children develop good hand/eye co-ordination and achieve well in the way they handle tools and equipment. The children use correct grips as they use pencils and paintbrushes. The outdoor area is small, access is down several steps and it does not have a soft play surface. All this makes it difficult for it to be used effectively. Whilst children enjoy using the facilities in this area, the role of the adult is mainly as a supervisor so children’s learning is not taken forward and outdoor play lacks purpose. In physical development lessons in the hall, the children display skills in controlling and co-ordinating body movements, for example, as they jump with feet together from a squatting position. Teaching in this area is, however, sometimes poor because the control of children is weak and the activities provided are inappropriate for the age of the children. Although children are on course to meet national expectations they are not

p.21

Commentary

making the progress they are capable of.

p.21

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

It is not possible to make an overall judgement on standards because no lessons were seen.

p.21

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

2. In the activity room a good range of resources are available to develop the children’s creative skills. Opportunities to maximise the potential of these facilities are constrained by the limited access for reception children and the lack of staff intervention to take the children’s learning forward. On several occasions during the inspection the children used the resources for unstructured play. Broughton-in-Amounderness C of E Primary School - 22

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Very effective leadership and management contribute much to the standards that pupils attain. • Teaching and learning are good and help pupils to achieve well. • Not enough thought is given to the use of the shared practical infant area for developing pupils’ literacy skills. • The very good attitudes of pupils are an important factor in the good progress that they make. • The curriculum is planned carefully to ensure that language and literacy skills are used well in other subjects, apart from in ICT, which is underused.

p.22

Commentary

1. Standards in writing and reading are well above average and throughout the school, pupils have very good speaking and listening skills. This shows that pupils achieve well in all aspects of the subject. The school has maintained the good provision noted in the previous inspection. Much of this is down to effective work by a co-ordinator whose high quality teaching provides a good role model to colleagues, and whose subject expertise enables her give them valuable advice. Because of this the National Strategy for Literacy has been implemented well.

p.22

Commentary

2. Effective monitoring led to an increased emphasis being given to further developing pupils’ writing skills. This has provided effective so that pupils write at length across a range of genres. Teachers organise and manage their lessons well, so that all pupils have a high work rate. They take pride in their work and so the standard of presentation of their written work is high. On the whole, pupils are given activities that are interesting and capture their interest. This gives them scope to draw upon very good levels of basic skills to produce work typified by flair and imagination. On the odd occasion where teaching is less successful, the independent activities lack a sense of purpose and are not linked well to the learning objectives. In general though activities build well on previous work and match pupils’ different abilities, so that all are effectively challenged and achieve as well as they can. The teamwork of teachers and teaching

p.22

Commentary

assistants plays an important role in the good progress made by pupils, particularly those with special educational needs.

p.22

Commentary

3. There is no room for complacency and, despite very good test results, analysis of test information by the co-ordinator also noted a slight decline in reading performance, especially among boys. As a result, a number of strategies have been put into place to develop pupils’ reading. These include a boys’ own section in class libraries, training to improve the teaching of the group reading sessions and the introduction of the Broughton Bookworm Club. The club is designed to support and encourage reluctant readers, nurture developing readers who are already progressing well and to extend and challenge able readers. Such developments are proving a success, with all pupils talking with enthusiasm about their favourite books and authors, and their reading skills being high. Such approaches are underpinned by good teaching of reading to groups of pupils. Here, teachers model the behaviour of an effective

p.22

Commentary

reader well, and so encourage pupils to read with enthusiasm and expression. This was exemplified in a very good lesson for pupils in Year 2, in which they made very good progress in their understanding of the setting and characters in the story ‘Momataro.’

p.22

Commentary

4. Relationships are such that pupils and teachers feel comfortable discussing views and sharing opinions. Where teachers make the most of this, pupils are encouraged to discuss ideas in small groups and with talking partners. This makes a positive contribution to the development of their speaking and listening skills because all pupils are involved. However, there are times Broughton-in-Amounderness C of E Primary School - 23 when questioning relies too much on seeking answers only from pupils who have their hands ups. When this happens some pupils remain quiet and are not as involved as they could be. A drama club helps to extend these skills well, and prepares pupils for performing in front of a large audience

p.22

Commentary

5. Assessment procedures are comprehensive and enable pupils to be set manageable targets for improvement. Pupils know these well and because they are at the forefront of their minds and evident in planning, they are helping drive up standards. However, not enough thought is given to how the shared practical area is used during literacy lessons in Years 1 and 2. At present these sessions are not adding to pupils’ experience in literacy because activities here lack a clear learning aim.

p.23

Language and literacy across the curriculum

6. There are many planned opportunities for pupils to practise and refine their literacy skills in other subjects, which serve literacy skills well. For example, as part of their work in history, pupils in Year 2 have found out about the Great Fire of London and then used their literacy skills to write a diary imagining they were living during the Fire. Speaking and listening skills are developed well during class discussions and when pupils report back to the rest of the class about what they have learned during the lesson. However, not enough thought has been given to using ICT to develop pupils’ literacy skills.

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards in mathematics are very high and pupils’ achievement is very good. • There is very good provision for higher attaining pupils. • There is a strong focus on developing pupils’ mental and written calculation skills. • Pupils have very positive attitudes to the subject and work hard in lessons, using mathematical skills and knowledge to solve problems. • The subject is well led by a knowledgeable, committed and enthusiastic co-ordinator.

p.23

Commentary

1. The pupils’ standards by the end of Years 2 and 6 are well above average. These high standards have been maintained since the previous inspection. The subject co-ordinator has an in-depth subject knowledge and brings tremendous enthusiasm for the subject. Leadership, therefore, is very strong. This rubs off on other staff so that there is a real zest for teaching mathematics and complacency has no place. The staff provide well for all groups and pupils achieve very well because of the very good teaching they receive in the vibrant mathematics lessons. The provision of ‘booster groups’ for Year 6 pupils has had a significant impact on the achievement of the less able pupils.

p.23

Commentary

2. Pupils really enjoy mathematics lessons and they are very keen to succeed. Pupils are quiet and listen attentively during lessons to teachers, they respond with confidence to the high challenges and delight in solving problems. Pupils work hard in mathematics lessons because the teachers successfully promote good learning habits and enthusiasm for the subject, so that pupils self esteem is high. Expectations by pupils themselves and their teachers are very high and absolutely no time is wasted during lessons.

p.23

Commentary

3. Teaching is consistently very good because teachers have an in-depth knowledge of mathematics and lessons are thoroughly planned with specific learning outcomes for all groups Broughton-in-Amounderness C of E Primary School - 24 of pupils. Teachers are also very confident in applying the principles of the National Strategy for Numeracy. The teachers are skilled in gaining pupils’ attention at the start of lessons through lively mental activities. The opportunities given for pupils to use their mathematical knowledge to solve problems are a real strength of the provision. In a very good Year 6 lesson, using their knowledge of shapes and abilities to calculate mentally, the pupils were able to work out the angles in a group of linked shapes when given the measurement of only one angle.

p.23

Commentary

4. The pupils demonstrate very high levels of competence in both mental and written calculation because teachers use direct teaching at appropriate times and ensure pupils use a range of strategies to solve problems. This was clearly demonstrated in a Year 4 lesson when pupils quickly grasped the idea of how to make multiplication easier by rounding and subtracting. Pupils make good use of their mental skills in calculations and many older pupils have instant recall of the multiplication tables and this speeds up the calculation process.

p.24

Mathematics across the curriculum

5. The mathematics policy reflects the commitment to developing mathematics across other areas of the curriculum and capitalising on opportunities to use mathematics for genuine purposes. Because of this links with other subjects are good. An excellent example was focused on ‘Business Week’ when each class participated in an activity to raise money through a business venture. These activities involved pupils in calculating costs of materials, and working out profit and loss. In the summer term, a science and mathematics week is planned to specifically make links between the two subjects. There are examples of ICT being used to aid mathematics. In Year 5, for example, very good use of an interactive whiteboard helped pupils to understand how to record using a Venn diagram and as the lesson continued the classroom assistant and a group of pupils used this equipment to develop an understanding of multiplication. However, this is the only class that enjoys these facilities and in general the use

p.24

Mathematics across the curriculum

made of ICT is inconsistent and heavily dependent on teachers’ individual confidence.

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The strong emphasis placed on experimenting develops pupils’ ability to think as scientists. • Teachers question pupils well, deepening their knowledge. • On occasions, too much is done for pupils which limits the choices they have to make for themselves. • Science is used well to develop skills in literacy and numeracy but too little use is made of computers to teach science. • Some elements of science are repeated because of a lack of clear assessment procedures.

p.24

Commentary

1. During the last inspection science was largely taught by a specialist teacher. Class teachers now have more responsibility and have risen to the challenge well, so that a greater breadth of expertise now exists. Pupils progress well through both the infants and juniors because of good quality teaching. The exception to this is Year 3, where progress slows because pupils complete too many worksheets and because the work they are expected to do is not hard enough. On the whole however, the high standards of the previous inspection have been maintained, so that by the end of Year 6, pupils reach a standard that is well above the average

p.24

Commentary

2. A strength of the teaching of science is the willingness of teachers to help pupils to experiment and is the major reason why teaching and learning are good. This is helped by the very good Broughton-in-Amounderness C of E Primary School - 25 relationships pupils have with teachers and an atmosphere of collaborative learning that pervades classrooms. Pupils put themselves in the ‘shoes' of scientists and are able to plan, carry out and evaluate experiments. In Year 1, for example, practical hands-on science enabled the teacher to question pupils carefully about the choices they would need to consider when planning an experiment to look at the effects of light on plant growth. Crucial to this lesson was the effective use of teaching assistants which enabled the teacher to plan a range of group tasks so that pupils received more individual attention than they would normally expect

p.24

Commentary

3. The best example of teaching pupils to experiment was seen in a lesson on separating different materials. A scientific challenge engaged pupils’ interest but what set this apart was the control pupils had over all stages of the experiment. Working in groups, each came up with a suggestion to solve the challenge. The merits of these were discussed by all the class, experimenting ensued and further discussion about how best to present findings was planned for. The freedom of thought that marked this lesson out gave pupils full scope to shape and initiate their response and had many positive spin-offs in helping pupils to work together, to justify opinion and explain thinking. This is not always the case and, on occasions, even within the realm of practical science, teachers make too many choices for pupils. For example, in how they must present their work. This rather formal approach gives pupils limited choices to

p.25

Commentary

make and rarely asks them to combine explanations, tables and diagrams into their own chosen format. When this happens, the large proportion of higher attaining pupils in class are not fully challenged. However, the judicious use of worksheets means that pupils are able to write about science and in this way science links well with literacy work. In addition, practical science gives pupils opportunities to put their knowledge of mathematics to good use. However, by comparison, there are fewer opportunities for pupils to use computers to aid science

p.25

Commentary

4. Because teachers have good subject knowledge they are able to question pupils well and so pupils also develop a very good knowledge of scientific information. In a lesson in Year 6, the teacher used his very good knowledge of thermal insulators to help pupils collectively plan a method of assessing the insulation qualities of differing materials. Insistence on correct vocabulary and on the need to justify opinion helped to develop pupils’ knowledge base, so that by the end of the session, they were able to apply this knowledge to decisions that builders make about the materials they would use to construct a house.

p.25

Commentary

5. On the whole, the co-ordinator has worked effectively to help improve teachers’ knowledge and to provide a structure for science. Test results reveal clear strengths and areas of concern. Plans to develop assessment procedures are well founded and will help overcome the problem teachers have of where to pitch work when a theme is revisited. At present, some overlaps exist and some time is lost, for example, in the study of electricity in Years 2, 4 and 6 because teachers have no information about what pupils have already learnt. Leadership and management are, therefore, satisfactory.

p.25

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Provision in information and communication technology (ICT) is satisfactory Broughton-in-Amounderness C of E Primary School - 26

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teachers’ demonstrations of skill are accurate and reflect sound technical knowledge, however, too much teaching is characterised by a lack of ambition. • The partnership with business and the use of themed weeks, give good opportunities for the thoughtful and demanding use of ICT. • Not enough thought has been given to implementing the scheme of work or to assessing pupils’ abilities. • ICT is not used well enough in other subjects.

p.26

Commentary

1. The school benefits from good facilities and from a partnership with business. These links have helped develop a well-equipped suite and, together with targeted training, have improved teacher knowledge of ICT. Assistance is also given with projects, which enable pupils to apply and extend their skills. However, although teachers are by and large confident in using ICT, too much of pupils’ ongoing work lacks ambition and teaching and learning doers not rise above satisfactory. Pupils have a high level of skill but do not always use this is purposeful enough way. Progress is satisfactory but, at present, does not consistently build on pupils’ expertise. There has been insufficient development since the last inspection. There are several reason for this.

p.26

Commentary

2. The partnership with businesses acts as an addition to the curriculum and is not as yet a method for improving pupils’ daily experiences. The work pupils produce when working with additional staff funded by business is of a high quality, for example, Year 2 pupils recorded sounds and cut them onto disks. The introduction of themed weeks is acting as a catalyst for pupils to combine ICT with other subjects and to use its capacity to encourage thought and to solve problems. In Year 5, for example, pupils used spreadsheets to calculate the unit cost of door plaques which they designed and made using computer controlled machinery. As a prelude to pupils selling their products, company adverts were made combining text and graphics well. Both the partnership with business and the quality of work produced in themed weeks goes to show what pupils are capable of. However, work of this quality is the exception

p.26

Commentary

3. A lack of clear assessment procedures makes it difficult for teachers to know where to pitch work. Too little is known of what pupils can do and teaching misses the key point that many pupils are skilled and confident in using computers enabling teaching to move on to using skills in a thoughtful manner. The scheme of work which the school chooses to use places too much emphasis on the acquisition, rather than the application and use of skills. Because of this, work in lessons tends to concentrate on showing pupils a new operation they can do with particular programmes. In a lesson in Year 4, the extent of new learning was to show pupils how to switch off or switch on an automatic pen when they were drawing shapes. This was not challenging enough and so achievement was not what it could be.

p.26

Commentary

4. Not enough thought has been given to how work links with other subjects and so provide a context for practising and extending the use of ICT.

p.26

Commentary

5. Although the co-ordinator has monitored planning, shortcomings have been missed. Not enough has been done to check whether teachers are using their increased knowledge well enough or that the scheme of work serves the need of pupils. In Year 6, for example, pupils have spent too little time using computers and have not got through the units of work required of them. Leadership and management, therefore, have lacked impact and have not been effective enough. Broughton-in-Amounderness C of E Primary School - 27

p.26

Information and communication technology across the curriculum

6. Too much is left to the discretion of individual teachers and although there are instances of ICT combining well with other subjects, such as in the themed weeks, practice is patchy. As well as not being planned for carefully enough, many of the computers pupils have available to them in their classrooms are not used enough. Because of this, links with other subjects are unsatisfactory.

p.27

HUMANITIES

In was only possible to sample provision in history and geography and it is, therefore, not possible to make an overall judgement of provision

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HUMANITIES

7. The curriculum in both subjects is broad and balanced, with good emphasis on developing pupils’ learning through first hand practical activities. For example, pupils are able to investigate the local area to find out about land use in Broughton, as part of their work in geography.

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HUMANITIES

8. In history, they are given the challenge of using a variety of sources to find out about the major events that have shaped the world in which they live. There is also good use made of visits to places of educational interest to further extend their learning in both subjects. Pupils in Year 6 have used their literacy skills well in history when writing about the experiences of children as evacuees during the Second World War.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

It was not possible to collect sufficient evidence in design and technology and physical education to make an overall judgement. These subjects were sampled. A limited amount of teaching and learning was seen, plans were examined and the co-ordinators talked to.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Effective leadership has led to increased creativity, better teaching and improved standards. • Teaching achieves a good balance between studying the work of other artists, practising techniques and pupils producing their own work. • Relationships are easy, organisation very good, so time is used well and pupils co-operate well with each other.

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Commentary

1. Standards in art and design are above average by the end of Years 2 and 6 and this represents good improvement since the previous inspection. Pupils’ achievement has also improved and is now good. The development of a very good scheme of work, which includes detailed guidance on skills development through different aspects of art and design, has significantly helped to guide teachers’ planning and ensure progression in the development of skills. A significant development is the introduction of individual pupil’s portfolios. These have a dual purpose as a tool to monitor standards and to form a collection of pupils’ work. Much of the work in the portfolios is of a good standard. Because of prompting by the co-ordinator, teaching now focuses more on creativity and innovation than at the time of the last inspection. In a lesson in Year 5, the school’s overall objective for art and design, ‘To experiment and have fun’

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Commentary

Broughton-in-Amounderness C of E Primary School - 28 is clearly in evidence. Here, pupils were totally absorbed in exploring materials to design features of their African masks. Leadership and management, therefore, are good.

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Commentary

2. There are many examples of good work in design, drawing, three-dimensional work and the use of a wide range of media and these opportunities have contributed to the improved standards. The targeting of skills is complimented by the study of particular artists. This gives pupils some techniques that they draw upon in their own work. In Year 6, for example, pupils enjoy experimenting with colours to reflect the work of William Morris.

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Commentary

3. A strength of the good quality of teaching lies in the skills of the staff to organise and manage large groups of pupils. This requires careful organisation and is only possible because of the very good relationship that exists between teachers and pupils and the high expectation teachers have of behaviour. A large group of Year 2 pupils worked extremely well together to create a river as a background for a large picture. The final result was very effective because the teacher continuously alerted the pupils to consider how water effects could be created and the need to be aware of the work of others.

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Design and technology

An overall judgement of provision in design technology cannot be made as it was not possible to observe lessons during the inspection.

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Design and technology

4. There is a wide range of work on display around the school, which is of a good standard. Good examples of work include the designing and making of robots in the Year1/2 class with moving parts and flashing eyes. The results of the work of pupils who attend the design technology club are of a very good standard with some imaginative models using wood.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The curriculum is planned well to give pupils interesting and varied activities. • Teaching and learning are good and help pupils achieve good standards. • Pupils have very positive attitudes and show much enjoyment in their musical activities. • Assessment procedures and the monitoring role of the co-ordinator are at an early stage of development.

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Commentary

1. Most pupils in Year 6 reach standards that are above those expected for their age, having achieved well as they pass through the school. There has been satisfactory improvement since the previous inspection.

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Commentary

2. The school’s commitment to developing the performing arts means that all pupils have a variety of good quality opportunities to take part in stimulating musical activities. They can join extra- curricular clubs such as the choir and recorders, or learn to play a musical instrument from peripatetic teachers who visit the school. Pupils are encouraged to take part in the musical performances held at various times of the year for parents and members of the community, such as when the choir sings at the Preston Guild Hall. Pupils’ singing in assemblies is tuneful and enthusiastic and this is a part of their school life in which they show much enjoyment.

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Commentary

3. Teachers' have secure subject knowledge and so emphasise the use of correct musical terminology in their lessons, which helps to extend pupils’ own vocabulary. They provide interesting activities that challenge pupils of all abilities. This was evident in a lesson for pupils Broughton-in-Amounderness C of E Primary School - 29 in Year 2 when the teacher’s expertise led them to making very good progress in their ability to create a group composition, incorporating layers of sound within simple musical structures. Because of such teaching, the pupils respond positively and show much enjoyment in their work. They handle musical instruments with respect and show appreciation of the musical talents of other pupils. Assessment procedures and the monitoring role of the subject leader are at an early stage of development. The scheme of work is being reviewed to see how it can better ensure that all aspects of the subject are taught in a progressive manner through the

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Physical education

Only one physical education lesson was seen and so it is not possible to make an overall judgement on provision.

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Physical education

4. Pupils achieved well in a games lesson observed because the teacher brought very good knowledge and enthusiasm to his teaching. Pupils are given good opportunities to practice skills in groups and apply them to a game situation. The co-ordinator has a well-developed plan for physical education, including the use of a new sports hall and exploring better provision for swimming. Swimming currently takes place in a pool which is very small. Since his recent appointment, the co-ordinator has lifted the profile of physical education and brought energy and commitment to the subject. This is evident in the several wide-ranging sport clubs he runs which greatly add to pupils’ experiences.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

It was only possible to sample this subject and so no overall provision can be made.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

5. Much of the pupils’ experiences are linked closely to work covered in religious education, with the open nature of relationships within the school allowing for a honest dialogue of sensitive issues. The expectation is that teachers will weave opportunities into other lessons to discuss issues as and when the opportunities present themselves. In addition to this, the school has a set programme in place for sex education.

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Inspection judgement Grade Broughton-in-Amounderness C of E Primary School - 30 The overall effectiveness of the school 3 How inclusive the school is 3 How the school’s effectiveness has changed since its last inspection 4 Value for money provided by the school 3

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Overall standards achieved 3 Pupils’ achievement 3

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The leadership and management of the school 3 The governance of the school 3 The leadership of the headteacher 3 The leadership of other key staff 4 The effectiveness of management 3

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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