Castor CofE Primary School

CASTOR CofE PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 17 – 18 November 2003

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CASTOR CofE PRIMARY SCHOOL

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 Castor CofE Primary - 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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CASTOR CofE 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. Castor CofE Primary - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Primary School category: Voluntary controlled Age range of pupils: 4-11 Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 126

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Stocks Hill Castor Peterborough Postcode: PE5 7AY

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: 01733 380280 Fax number: 01733 380280

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: Governing body Name of chair of governors: Mrs A Pounsett

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 27 April 1998

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

Castor C of E Primary School has 126 pupils on roll, aged four to eleven, including 15 part-time children in the Reception year. The school draws most of its pupils from Castor and local villages with approximately a third of the pupils from out of catchment areas. Most pupils are from relatively advantaged backgrounds, although all socio-economic groups are represented. Nearly all pupils are of white British heritage and a few pupils are of a wide variety of Indian, mixed race, or black British Caribbean. There are no pupils who speak English as an additional language. The levels of knowledge and understanding of children when they arrive at school vary from year to year – this year they are about average. The number of pupils eligible for free school meals is broadly in line with the national average. The proportion of pupils identified with special educational needs (SEN) is broadly average, although the number of pupils with a Statement of SEN is below national average.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

The number of pupils joining and leaving the school during the year is broadly average. The school has strong links with the local parish church and is involved in two local ‘Action Team’ initiatives. The school was in receipt of a School Achievement Award in 2003. Castor CofE Primary - 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

23886 Declan McCarthy Lead inspector Science Information and communication technology (ICT) Citizenship English as an additional language 19446 Susan Wood Lay inspector 28320 Robert Willey Team inspector Special educational needs English Art and design Design and technology Music Physical education 18027 Sheila Mawer Team inspector Foundation Stage Mathematics Geography History Religious education

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Serco QAA Herringston Barn Herringston Dorchester Dorset DT2 9PU

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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). Castor CofE Primary - 5

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 8

Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 8

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 10

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

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school’s effectiveness is good and it gives good value for money. Most aspects of the school’s work are good. Standards are above average and improving, and pupils’ overall achievement is good. Teaching and learning are good and the school is well led and managed.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

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OVERALL EVALUATION

• Standards are well above average in English by Year 6, and pupils achieve very well because of very good teaching. • Very good leadership by the headteacher and deputy head has ensured good improvements in teaching and learning, especially the development and use of information and communication technology (ICT). • Good use is made of performance data for planning and setting school priorities for improvement. However, assessment systems and the use of assessment by teachers are under-developed, particularly in foundation subjects. • There is limited space for children in the Foundation Stage for free play and activities to promote their physical development. Restricted space in the hall also limits teaching and pupils’ achievements in physical education (PE). • Very good provision for social development has resulted in pupils’ very good attendance, their very positive attitudes to learning and very good relationships with others.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

• Very good links with parents and inclusion have a positive effect on pupils’ achievements. • The management of the school is good overall. Monitoring by the senior management team is very good and governors monitor aspects of the school’s work well. However, co-ordinators have yet to develop formal arrangements for monitoring provision within their subjects.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school has made good improvement since it was last inspected in April 1998. The key issues from the last inspection have been well addressed. There have been good improvements in leadership, teaching and learning, and the curriculum, particularly in relation to ICT. Despite the efforts of the school, space remains restricted for the Foundation Stage and in the hall for PE. Standards have improved and pupils’ achievements are now good because they learn well as a result of better teaching. There has been satisfactory improvement in assessment because it is not yet fully developed in subjects other than English, mathematics and science.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

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

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Pupils’ achievements are good overall. Care must be taken when interpreting the results above, as there were only 17 pupils in the 2003 year group, three of whom were identified with special educational needs. This inspection shows that standards in Year 6 are well above average in English and above average in mathematics, science and ICT. The school’s own detailed analysis of pupils’ performance over time, confirmed by inspection findings, indicates that pupils in Years 3 to 6 are achieving well. The 2003 Year 2 results show that standards in reading are very high and standards in writing and mathematics are well above average. Trends over time (2001–2003) show that Castor CofE Primary - 7 standards are rising above the national trend in Year 2 and in line with the national trend in Year 6. Current pupils in Years 1 to 6 are achieving well. The achievements of children in the Foundation Stage are satisfactory, as most children should meet the goals expected by the end of Reception.

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

are good overall. Pupils’ attitudes are very good, they have very good relationships with others and behave well throughout the school. Provision for personal development is good overall with very good provision for social development. As a result, attendance and punctuality are very good. Although pupils are provided with good opportunities to learn about other world religions, other opportunities to raise multi-cultural awareness are limited.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The quality of education provided by the school is good. Teaching and learning are good overall with very good teaching of English throughout the school. Teachers have a very good knowledge of pupils, they maintain very good relationships in lessons and set high expectations for learning and behaviour. As a result pupils’ learning is good and they achieve well. Target setting in mathematics and science, and assessment in foundation subjects are not fully developed.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The curriculum is good, with good provision for pupils with special educational needs, very good inclusion for all pupils and a good range of extra-curricular activities. However, restricted space in the Foundation Stage and in the hall limits opportunities for free play, physical development and pupils’ achievements in physical education. The school provides good quality care for its pupils with very good collaboration and partnership with parents. These enhance pupils’ learning. Given the small size of the school, there are strong links with local schools and the wider community. As a result, there are enhanced opportunities to promote achievement.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management are good. Leadership by the headteacher and deputy headteacher is very good. They motivate other staff well and teamwork is strong. Monitoring and self-evaluation are good overall, particularly the use of performance data to raise standards. However, subject co- ordinators have yet to develop formal procedures for monitoring within their subjects. The work of the governing body is good. Governors have a good understanding of the school’s strengths and visit the school regularly to evaluate its work.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents and pupils have very positive views of the school and support the school strongly.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

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

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

• Develop formal systems of assessment within all subjects and ensure these are consistently used to systematically record pupils’ progress and guide planning. • In collaboration with the LEA, ensure that the accommodation is improved to eliminate the negative impact this has on children’s play opportunities and physical development in the Foundation Stage and pupils’ attainments and achievements in physical education. • Extend the formal monitoring role of the co-ordinators, as identified in the school improvement plan. Castor CofE Primary - 8

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Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

Overall achievement in the school is good; it is satisfactory in the Foundation Stage and good in Years 1 to 6. Standards are generally above average in Years 1 to 6 because pupils learn effectively as a result of good teaching. There have been improvements in most areas of learning since the previous inspection, particularly in English, mathematics, science and ICT.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards in English are well above the national average in Year 6 • Standards in mathematics, science and ICT are above average • All pupils achieve well overall, including higher attainers and those with special educational needs • Standards in reading are very high and standards in writing are well above average in Year 2

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Commentary

1. Standards in English are well above the national average in Year 6 because the National Literacy Strategy has been very well implemented and teaching is now very good. As a result pupils learn very effectively. By Year 2 standards in reading are very high and standards in writing are well above average for similar reasons. Standards in mathematics in Year 2 are above average. Care should be taken when interpreting the tables below as year groups are small and vary considerably from year to year. Trends over time show standards rising above the national trend in reading, writing and mathematics in Year 2 and trends over time in Year 6 are broadly in line with the national trend in English, mathematics and science. However, the findings of this inspection show that standards are well above average in English and above average in mathematics, science and ICT. This is due to good improvements in the quality of

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Commentary

teaching with a higher proportion of very good teaching in these subjects. Another factor is the well-planned curriculum in these subjects with good resources, particularly ICT, used to support teaching and learning. Standards in all other subjects are broadly in line with national expectations.

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Commentary

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

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Commentary

Standards in: School results National results reading 18.4 (16.9) 15.7 (15.8) writing 16.5(15.3) 14.6 (14.4) mathematics 17.5 (16.6) 16.3 (16.5) There were 20 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year

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Commentary

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 28.1 ( 28.7 ) 26.8 ( 27 ) mathematics 26.6 ( 28.4 ) 26.8 ( 26.7 ) science 28.1 ( 30.1 ) 28.6 ( 28.3) There were 17 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year Castor CofE Primary - 9 2. The attainment of children when they start school is broadly average. Satisfactory teaching enables them to achieve soundly. By the time they leave reception the early indications are that nearly all will meet the required standards in all areas of learning. This has been the pattern of attainment over the last few years.

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Commentary

3. Pupils of all abilities, including higher attainers and those identified as having special educational needs, achieve equally well because the school considers the needs of all pupils very well, and ensures that they are fully included in learning. Higher attaining pupils are challenged in their learning and the good use made of ICT for research within subjects promotes their learning well. The majority of pupils with special educational needs achieve well as a result of improved provision by the school over the past five years and the good support they receive from teachers and support assistants.

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Commentary

4. The school makes very good use of performance data to raise standards and maintain an upward trend. More challenging targets are set each year and these are based on good assessment information. However, the school fell short of its 2003 targets by 2 pupils because the targets set were a little too ambitious for this year group. The current Year 6 is a higher attaining group and this is reflected in the more challenging targets set for 2004.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Pupils’ attendance and punctuality are very good. They have very good attitudes to learning and concentrate on the work they are given. Their behaviour in and around the school is good. The pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good overall.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The pupils’ very good attendance rates are a result of parents who ensure their children attend school regularly and arrive at school on time • Pupils are very keen to learn and concentrate hard on their work • Pupils and staff show respect for one another, which is the result of the very good relationships throughout the school • Pupils’ social development is very good, as a result of the strong emphasis placed on inclusion and high expectations of behaviour

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Commentary

Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

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Commentary

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data 2.7 School data 0.7 National data 5.4 National data 0.4 The table gives the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year.

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Commentary

5. The attendance rates of the school are high in comparison with national figures. Pupils very clearly like coming to school to learn and this is having a positive affect on their overall attainment.

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Commentary

6. Pupils enjoy their work and say they like this school because their teachers make lessons interesting and this enables them to discover new information. They feel confident to ask for help when experiencing difficulty and take pride in the work they produce. Pupils listen carefully and are keen to share their own ideas. They work collaboratively as well as individually, enabling them to complete given tasks during the lessons . Pupils’ attitudes to learning in the Foundation Stage are good. They behave well and show increasing levels of confidence in their learning and a strong willingness to help and support one another, and they are on course to Castor CofE Primary - 10 meet expected standards in their personal, social and emotional development by the end of the reception year.

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Commentary

7. The school places strong emphasis on inclusion and good behaviour. Pupils are expected to respond positively in any situation and are actively encouraged to support each other in the classroom and during such informal sessions as lunchtime and playtime. As a result the behaviour throughout the school is good and pupils know what is expected of them. There are notably few recollections of inappropriate behaviour, bullying or racial harassment in the school although when they have occurred they are quickly and appropriately dealt with. Very occasionally, when pupils’ attention wanders they become distracted, fussy and fidgety. The school has strategies and support assistance in place to help pupils who have difficulties behaving appropriately in class or within relationships to modify their behaviour. Teachers seen during the inspection demonstrated good classroom control and affirmed good and courteous

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Commentary

behaviour. As a result behaviour amongst pupils with special educational needs is usually very good. There were no exclusions in the last year.

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Commentary

8. Relationships throughout the school are very good, with adults acting as good role models. This is nurtured throughout the school, and is demonstrated by the members of the school council, who show a growing maturity in organising their meetings. Pupils respond well and show respect for each other, the resources and buildings. Pupils are very polite to visitors and are delighted and enthusiastic to show their work and share their experiences at the school with them.

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Commentary

9. The school promotes spiritual and moral education well and it promotes social education very well. The school assemblies give opportunities for reflection, and displays enable pupils to be proud of their work and achievements. Opportunities are given to pupils to discuss issues and feelings through the personal, social and health education program whilst preparing them for their adult life. This program is currently being reviewed to bring into line with recently updated local authority schemes of work. The school often supports charities to raise pupils’ awareness of those less fortunate than themselves. Good opportunities are given to pupils to appreciate their own culture, though visits to the museum and gallery at Snibston, and role play at the Holdenby House. Multi-cultural awareness is well promoted through work on world religions and the celebration of world faiths in assemblies. However cultural development is satisfactory

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Commentary

overall, as more opportunities could be provided to prepare pupils for life in our multi-cultural society.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The quality of education provided by the school is good with some very good features, which include very good inclusion, a rich curriculum and many aspects of teaching and learning. Pupils are well cared for, there are good community links and there is a very good partnership with parents.

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Teaching and learning

Teaching and learning are good overall; satisfactory in the Foundation Stage and good in Years 1 to 6. This was confirmed by parents and pupils in their questionnaires and at the parents’ meeting. Assessment is satisfactory overall.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching of English is very good throughout the school • Teaching of mathematics, science and ICT is good • Very good use of learning objectives in lessons enables pupils to know what they will learn, but the use of assessment has yet to be fully developed • There is very good team work with support staff and very good management of behaviour • Good promotion of literacy skills and good use of ICT support teaching and learning Castor CofE Primary - 11

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Commentary

10. The quality of teaching is good overall and this is due to the very good leadership and management of the headteacher and deputy headteacher, who have ensured that teaching is regularly monitored and taken effective action to improve any weaknesses. The teaching of English throughout the school is very good because teachers make very good use of the National Literacy Strategy to support pupils’ learning. As a result, learning in English is very good and pupils’ achievements are very good. Mathematics, science and ICT teaching are consistently good and sometimes very good. This is mainly due to the investigative approaches used in practical science, in using and applying mathematics and in enabling pupils to use ICT as part of their learning routines within discrete ICT lessons and across subjects. Teachers of these subjects also have good subject knowledge and set high expectations for learning.

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Commentary

Where teaching is good, teachers promote literacy and numeracy effectively and they are increasingly using ICT to support teaching and learning. In other subjects, where teaching is satisfactory there is less emphasis on the use of ICT and the promotion of numeracy skills.

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Commentary

11. In the majority of lessons where teaching is at least good, teachers set high expectations for pupils’ learning. This was clearly evident in the homework tasks set and in the challenging questions teachers posed.

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Commentary

12. All teachers manage behaviour very effectively in lessons and maintain very good relationships with pupils. This ensures that pupils show respect, listen carefully to teachers, follow instructions and remain focused on their tasks. As a result very few incidents of disruption occur in lessons and when these arise, they are swiftly and effectively dealt with. Pupils also enjoy their lessons and acknowledge that teachers help them to learn new things.

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Commentary

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 19 lessons

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Commentary

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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Commentary

The table gives the number of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons; figures in brackets show percentages where 30 or more lessons are seen.

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Commentary

13. Teaching and learning in the Reception class are satisfactory because a temporary teacher is in post covering in absence and she is not sufficiently trained in the Foundation Stage. The children’s work is well matched to their abilities and when it is possible they receive a reasonable balance between teacher-led activities and some opportunities to plan their own learning. However, teaching and learning are affected negatively at times by a lack of space and some shortages in resources, especially for children’s imaginative play and their physical development. Adults have a good understanding of the needs of young children and relationships are warm and supportive.

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Commentary

14. Teachers and teaching assistants support pupils with special educational needs well and teamwork is very good. Working relationships with each other and with pupils are very good. They focus on helping pupils meet the targets on their individual education programmes and maximise access to the curriculum for them. They review targets frequently, setting new ones as appropriate. A competent, very well informed team of support assistants use time, resources and strategies effectively, reporting daily on outcomes.

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Commentary

15. Assessment is satisfactory overall. Assessments of children on entry are used appropriately for planning and literacy targets are set for pupils in Years 1 to 6. Although targets are set for pupils in mathematics in Year 3 they are not set yet set for pupils in other year groups and the school has yet to set targets in science and ICT. Although a start has been made in involving pupils in their own assessment through the ‘Assessment for Learning’ initiative, this has yet to be fully developed. Castor CofE Primary - 12

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The curriculum

The overall quality of the curriculum is good and meets all pupils’ needs well. It is satisfactory in the Foundation Stage and good in Years 1 to 6. There are good enrichment activities to widen and deepen pupils’ knowledge and understanding, except in what it means to live in a multi-cultural society. Resources are satisfactory overall but the accommodation, whilst satisfactory overall, imposes restrictions upon provision.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The curriculum focus on English, mathematics and science has been successful in raising standards in many subjects • Planning follows the latest national guidance in subjects across the school • All pupils have fair and equal access to the curriculum • The curriculum is enriched by visits, visitors and extra-curricular activities • The small school hall is inadequate for the needs of the physical education curriculum • The physical development of pupils in the foundation stage is being limited by the lack of suitable areas for play.

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Commentary

16. The main points for action relating to the curriculum that were identified in the previous inspection have been diligently tackled by the school with the result that the learning opportunities provided for all pupils are good despite the accommodation issues that remain.

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Commentary

17. The quality of the curriculum in Foundation Stage is satisfactory overall. Planning is sound and the curriculum as much as possible provides appropriate activities within the agreed areas of learning for children of this age in the mixed age class, apart from some aspects of physical development and imaginative play. A lack of space makes it difficult at times for children to move freely and engage in some practical activities. In their physical development the absence of a suitable outdoor area and lack of equipment prevent the children from gaining full access to the curriculum for their physical development and provision is unsatisfactory in this area of learning. There is a good focus on helping children to acquire their early literacy and numeracy skills.

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Commentary

18. The latest national guidance is followed when planning the delivery of the curriculum and good account has been taken of pupils’ differing ages and abilities. Topics have been organised in a three-year cycle for pupils up to Year 2 and in a four-year cycle for Years 3 to 6. Subjects are blocked so that geography and history, for example, alternate from term to term. Good use is made of the Library Service to supplement the school’s own well-resourced library and ensures that this pattern of working does not place undue pressure on books.

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Commentary

19. The areas of strength lie in the core subjects of mathematics, science and, particularly, English, which is used to underpin the whole curriculum. During the inspection, role-play was observed in history, reporting skills in science and play scripting in religious education. Links between subjects are now developing well. In a good Year 3 religious education lesson, links with design and technology and literacy were forged when pupils made puppets, prior to scripting a play based on a Hindu story. Computers are used well to support learning in many subjects. A cordless laptop was effectively used in a spelling lesson with pupils in Years 5 and 6. Good use is made of local and national funding to support work with targeted groups of pupils across the school, including literacy support for Year 1 and 2 pupils and “Springboard” and booster classes for pupils in Years 4, 5 and 6.

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Commentary

20. The school has a strong commitment to inclusion. The curriculum for pupils with special educational needs is as rich as that for other pupils. Staff know the pupils very well and plan for them very effectively with reference to individual education plans for pupils with special educational needs. The school has recently established a “Gifted and Talented” register and Castor CofE Primary - 13 these pupils are very well challenged in the majority of lessons. Pupils attend visits regardless of cost, clubs for pupils in Years 2 to 6 are available irrespective of gender or ability and questioning in lessons is used well to ensure all pupils are included. Displays about Diwali and Eid illustrate the school’s observance of religious festivals of all faiths. Although there was no evidence to show similar teaching about other cultures that would prepare pupils for living in multi-cultural Britain, this has had little impact on pupils’ attitudes and values.

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Commentary

21. The curriculum is enriched by subject related visits, such as those by pupils in Years 3, 4 and 5 to Holdenby House during their topic about the Tudors and pupils from Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 to the Butterfly Park at Long Sutton during their study of habitats in science. There is an annual residential visit for pupils in Year 6, which fosters their independence and social development. Visitors range from a theatre company coming to perform ‘The Trojan Horse’ during the topic about the Ancient Greeks to a parent coming in regularly to raise plants with the children. There is a good number of predominantly sporting club activities, including dance, and opportunities for pupils to learn a musical instrument.

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Commentary

22. The school’s provision for personal, social and health education is good but needs to be updated to come in line with recent requirements. Some aspects of health education, such as the dangers of misusing drugs, are delivered as part of the science curriculum. The school’s innovative approach to this topic includes a visit by a local pharmacist. The school nurse supports the sex education programme for pupils in Years 5 and 6. Circle time is sometimes used to deliver aspects of the personal, social and health education programme.

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Commentary

23. A blend of experienced and recently qualified teachers are well deployed to make full use of their strengths. Well-informed and appropriately trained support staff motivate lower attaining pupils well, especially those with special educational needs. The size of the classrooms is satisfactory except for Reception children, as they do not have sufficient space to play. All staff dread wet days, however, as the building is not large enough to allow pupils adequate recreational space. The hall is very small and significantly limits the opportunities for indoor physical education lessons. Resources overall are satisfactory and good in some subjects such as English and ICT. A well-resourced, centrally located school library is a very good feature.

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Care, guidance and support

The school provides a caring environment in which pupils feel safe and enjoy their learning. Pupils are well supported as they enter the school and their individual needs are sensitively provided for. The school provides good guidance to pupils, listens to their views and where appropriate acts upon them.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• There are good procedures in place for the health, safety and welfare of all who work in the school • Pupils are well prepared for school and sensitive induction procedures are in place regardless of the age that they are admitted to the school • Good opportunities are given to pupils to share their views and they are listened to • Risk assessments are in place but the recording of these is at an early stage of development

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Commentary

24. Pupils and parents feel this area is a strength of the school. Pupils feel confident that they can approach adults with concerns and worries. The clear procedures that are in place for health, safety and child protection ensure that the school provides a caring environment in which pupils can learn and develop in to mature adults. The school has recently begun to develop processes to record the risk assessments on the buildings in line with local authority guidance. The young children are carefully introduced to school life and they settle quickly into the daily routines of Castor CofE Primary - 14 the school. The school provides good guidance to pupils and is very sensitive to their individual needs, working hard to ensure that they are fully met. This is supported by the very effective assessment and monitoring of pupils’ work, which is clearly supported by class, group and individual targets in English for pupils to enable them to focus on and further develop. This is

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Commentary

less well developed in other subjects of the curriculum. The school listens to pupils’ views and these are acted on where appropriate. The work of the recently formed school council is a good example of this.

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Commentary

25. The care and support that children in Foundation Stage receive is good. There is a good balance between giving children opportunities to work independently and providing guidance and support. As a result the children are secure and valued and well cared for. Regular meetings take place with parents to discuss the children’s progress and there are good procedures to introduce both parents and their children to the school when they start in reception.

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Commentary

26. Pupils with special educational needs are very well integrated into the caring environment of the school. When a concern is first raised, either by a parent or class teacher, the pupil is monitored. If necessary, the pupil is identified as having special educational needs. Pupils requiring specialist help with speech, sight or a specific learning or behavioural difficulty, have the necessary support and guidance provided. Teaching assistants as well as class teachers and co-ordinators are very involved in consultations and liaison with external agencies. The school supports specialist help very well and, between reviews, classroom assistants support pupils in line with the specialist guidance.

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Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

Links with parents are very good; they are very supportive of the school and the work it does. The local community is well used for additional learning, and the school works closely with neighbouring schools.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Very good information is provided to parents to enable them to become fully involved in their children’s learning and the life of the school. • The school is very well supported by the active Friends of Castor School, who provide funding and resources for the school.

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Commentary

27. A range of very well presented information is provided for parents on the everyday routines of the school, the curriculum being taught in the classes and the progress their children make during their time at the school. They have many opportunities to share in their children’s learning and achievements, including through homework and school productions. The exceptional hard work of the Friends of Castor School, through social and fund raising events, has recently resulted in help with the funding of the library and benches for the playground. The school is fully appreciative of all the work that they do.

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Commentary

28. The school has developed very strong links with St Kyneburgha’s Church, where they hold services and productions. Walks in the local village contribute to geography lessons. The school partakes in inter-school activities including the local Folk Dance Festival, and is working with the secondary school on a science initiative.

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Commentary

29. The school has good relationships with parents of pupils with special educational needs. Parents know who the special educational needs co-ordinators are, and teachers have regular contact with the parents of pupils who have individual education plans to review the targets that have been set. Parents hold provision in this area in high regard and support the school and Castor CofE Primary - 15 their children and play a significant part in the progress made by pupils with special educational needs.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management are good overall. Senior managers provide very good leadership, and the leadership of subject co-ordinators is satisfactory. The school is well managed and governors provide good support for the school.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The headteacher provides very good leadership and is very well supported by the new deputy head • Formal arrangements for monitoring teaching and learning by co-ordinators are under- developed, despite some good aspects to subject leadership • Governors have a good knowledge of the school’s strengths and weaknesses, support the school well and effectively hold the school to account in its decision making • Financial management and day-to-day management of the school is good

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Commentary

30. The headteacher provides very good leadership and management for the school and is very effective in motivating staff and developing strong teamwork. She has been instrumental in driving the school forward and overseeing good improvements since the previous inspection. The headteacher has established a strong culture for raising standards, promoting inclusion and improving provision, which is reflected in the very good support from parents, the confidence in her leadership from staff and governors and the receipt of the School Achievement Award in 2003 for consistently high standards. The headteacher has also been instrumental in developing strong partnership links through the local ‘Action Team ‘ initiatives for leadership and management in small schools and ICT. She has recently appointed a very effective deputy headteacher who not only provides equally very good leadership for staff but is an excellent role model for teaching. Both the headteacher and deputy head share the same

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Commentary

vision for moving the school forward. This vision is also shared by staff and governors. Performance Management is fully in place and is directly linked to the school’s priorities for improvement, identified in the well-conceived school development plan and the continuing professional development of staff. A very good example of this can be seen in the very good improvements made to ICT provision, which have led to higher standards as a result of the effective training provided to staff. The headteacher also makes very good use of performance data to set challenging targets, raise standards further and identify emerging priorities for improvement. She has used self-evaluation well and has clearly identified significant barriers to achievement, which include the small size of the school and falling rolls, due in part to unaffordable housing for young families.

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Commentary

31. Significant aids to achievement include the strong team work of staff who share the same vision for raising standards and school improvement as the headteacher. Staff also have good knowledge of their pupils, identify any problems quickly and act to ensure pupils achieve. A good range of resources, particularly ICT and the development of a new library also promotes achievement.

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Commentary

32. Subject co-ordinators provide satisfactory leadership and management overall. Although the co-ordination of English, mathematics, science and ICT is good, co-ordinators have yet to fully develop formal arrangements for monitoring teaching and learning. Furthermore, assessment for learning is not yet fully developed in all subjects. As a result co-odinators do not have a full understanding of how well assessment is used by teachers to promote learning and pupils do not have a full knowledge of how well they are doing, despite good improvements to planning and the use of learning objectives in lessons. Castor CofE Primary - 16 33. The leadership and management of the Foundation Stage are satisfactory. The role is being carried out currently by the headteacher in the absence of the co-ordinator. The unit is organised efficiently and the teaching assistant is generally well briefed and clear about her

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Commentary

role. In spite of the best efforts of the co-ordinator and the school there have been no improvements to the weaknesses in accommodation that were noted at the last inspection. The lack of space and limited resources remain a significant weakness and the main barrier to achievement that is impacting at times on standards, teaching and achievement.

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Commentary

34. The headteacher and a class teacher undertake co-ordination of special educational needs jointly. They have clearly defined roles and meet regularly to share information and concerns. Teachers and support assistants have easy access to both co-ordinators and this is particularly valued when one of them is not available. Although the class based co-ordinator has no release time from class, between them they have a good overview of provision and the progress that pupils make. The school has clear procedures in place to identify pupils who may have a learning or physical disability. Individual education programmes are good and improving. The special educational needs co-ordinators are currently addressing the need for a greater focus on the criteria for determining when a target has been fully achieved. This they regard as a priority. They have enabled support assistants to play a full role in the review and target

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Commentary

setting processes and established a climate of co-operative working welcomed by teachers, support assistants and parents. Teachers and support assistants set pupil targets and the co- ordinators monitor pupils’ individual education plans.

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Commentary

35. School governance is good. Governors have a good understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses and they provide good strategic support for the school, particularly through their formalised links with subject co-ordinators. Governors regularly visit the school and meet with their subject leaders. They also monitor lessons and other aspects of the school’s provision, reporting back to the full governing body. The governing body fulfils its responsibilities for pupils with special educational needs efficiently. The supportive special educational needs governor has recently been appointed. She has a long connection with the school and as a result is well informed and has a clear vision for developing the role. The governing body receives regular reports about provision and developments for special educational needs pupils.

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Commentary

Financial information for the year April 2002 to March 2003

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Commentary

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 409,131 Balance from previous year 24,383 Total expenditure 384,748 Balance carried forward to the next 13,970 Expenditure per pupil 2,850

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Commentary

36. Financial management is good. Governors scrutinise the budget carefully and are ably assisted by the school’s very effective finance officer. The school makes good use of strategic resources and ICT to support school administration, and uses money allocated to special educational needs well. The specific budget for spending on learning resources for these pupils is used mostly for personnel, who are effectively deployed. The budget is well managed and monitored and any minor overspend from year to year is met from the school’s basic budget. The school closely adheres to the principles of best value, achieving this well. Castor CofE Primary - 17

p.16

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Provision is satisfactory overall in the Foundation Stage and this has been maintained since the last inspection. There are 14 children in a mixed reception and Year 1 class, with the seven youngest children attending in the mornings only. By the beginning of the spring term all will be full- time. The attainment of children on entry to reception is broadly average. By the time they leave reception the early indications are that almost all will reach the levels expected for their age in all areas of learning. This has been the usual pattern of attainment over the past few years. The limited space in the classroom and the absence of an outdoor area has a negative impact on the children’s physical development and the opportunities to learn through play. Because of a lack of space the range of resources that are used are also restricted. In these difficult circumstances and with the added challenge of teaching a mixed age class, teaching is satisfactory and children achieve

p.17

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

soundly in all areas of learning. Planning is satisfactory and provides appropriate activities for the different age groups in the class. Assessment procedures are currently being carried out informally as the permanent teacher in reception is absent. Leadership and management are satisfactory and are currently being overseen by the headteacher on a temporary basis. As a result, despite some good aspects, provision is satisfactory overall.

p.17

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in personal, social and emotional development is satisfactory

p.17

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching provides good levels of support to children so they become more confident • Children’s attitudes and behaviour are good, although they are less willing to take turns in literacy and numeracy lessons • Children have very good relationships with others

p.17

Commentary

37. There is a good focus in the teaching at the beginning of term in providing effective levels of support. This has helped the children to develop their social skills well and gain confidence in their learning. They have all quickly settled into classroom routines and their behaviour is good, knowing clearly what is expected of them. When working with adults in small groups they show good levels of concentration and are keen to learn. Adults are skilled at intervening at the correct time. In one of these group session in the ‘hospital’ there was some very sensitive support and guidance from the teaching assistant, which enabled the children to share and take turns. The children are less willing to wait for their turn to speak or listen to others in the large class sessions for literacy and numeracy.

p.17

Commentary

38. The children have good attitudes to learning and take a pride in their work. They have very good relationships with one another and a strong desire to help and support each other. For example when a child was unable to find an envelope to send a letter he had written, a member of his group spontaneously made him one so that he could complete his task. They are expected to clear up after an activity and they do this willingly without any prompting. In free choice activities space and resources are limited. Because of this there are fewer opportunities for children to learn through initiating their own ideas in play. They also tend to move fairly quickly between activities. At times this impacts negatively on learning and achievement.

p.17

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Provision in communication, language and literacy is good. Castor CofE Primary - 18

p.17

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching of language and literacy skills is good • Children enjoy books and share these at home, and as a result they make good progress in reading • Occasionally there is not enough discussion to help children in their writing

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Commentary

39. There is a good focus on helping children acquire their early literacy skills and this prepares them well for the challenges of the National Curriculum and leads to above average standards as pupils move through the school. Every opportunity is taken to extend children’s spoken language in spite of the limited opportunities for play. At times the teacher needs to be stronger and insist that all children listen to the contributions of others during the large group literacy session. During a session in the ‘hospital’ the teaching assistant joined in as a patient. Through her skilful questioning she extended their play by helping the nurses and doctors to choose the correct words and phrases to describe how they were caring for the patient.

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Commentary

40. Early reading and writing skills receive a high priority with regular practice in learning sounds and words. Already most children write their own names and their free writing shows a sound understanding of most letter sounds and a few words. A more able child writing about the ‘Three Little Pigs’ wanted to spell ‘wolf’ correctly. She went independently to find the book and the word and copied it correctly into her story. At times in shared writing more discussion is needed to help children to form their own ideas of what to put in their stories. Although very keen to write a letter to ‘Handa’ after hearing the story, the children struggled to think of anything to write and needed more support with ideas during the shared writing session. Children enjoy books and are already sharing them at home and school with a few reading short sentences correctly. The teacher values highly the support that children receive at home and the positive

p.18

Commentary

contribution this makes to their progress and achievement in reading.

p.18

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in mathematical development is good .

p.18

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching is good and ensures children acquire early number skills • Restricted space, limits practical activities to extend learning

p.18

Commentary

41. The numeracy lesson is used well to help children acquire their early number skills and develop mathematical understanding. Although little recording of work has been done so far this term, the children are beginning to have a good understanding of numbers to ten and can place them in the correct order in a number line, knowing which numbers are missing. One higher attaining child knew she had seven counters and needed three more to make ten. Effective questioning helps the children to develop a good understanding of numbers. For example they are questioned well in their sorting activity in Noah’s ark to find out how many more animals are needed to make up the sets. Because space is limited the opportunities to extend learning through practical activities is limited. For example it is not possible to have both sand and water activities in the classroom at the same time. However the sand tray with the focus on the story

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Commentary

of ‘Handa’s surprise’ gave children some opportunities to sort and count different fruits.

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Commentary

42. It was not possible to observe all aspects of children’s knowledge and understanding of the world during the inspection. The lack of space makes it difficult to plan a challenging range of activities. In particular planning and displays shows that children miss out at times on regular Castor CofE Primary - 19 opportunities to solve problems and investigate with different materials and to learn from first hand experience how living things grow and change. However in the current work on senses the children are enjoying learning about different fruits from around the world and have the opportunity to taste a variety of them and express their preferences. Visits and visitors help to compensate for the lack of space by providing some experiences for children to explore and learn from, such as a visit to a butterfly farm and a local playground. Children’s computer skills are developed effectively. They are confident in moving the mouse correctly to make pictures

p.18

Commentary

and patterns. By the end of reception they are using the keyboard to write simple sentences, can find the correct program and print out their own work.

p.19

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in physical development is unsatisfactory .

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• There is no outdoor play area for children and this impacts negatively on their achievement • Regular lessons in the hall ensure that pupils’ achievements in physical development are satisfactory

p.19

Commentary

43. There is no outdoor area in reception although the school is working hard to provide funding to enable an area to be built. Children therefore have no access to the range of activities recommended for their physical development at this age and this impacts negatively on standards and achievement. Because of this the provision in physical development is unsatisfactory at the moment. There are no regular opportunities for children to develop their movement, balance and control skills as there are no wheeled vehicles, climbing frames or large construction equipment. They do have regular sessions in the hall for physical education and use the grounds in summer for games. This enables them to meet the expected standards by the end of the year and to achieve soundly. In the lesson observed, the children showed satisfactory levels of co-ordination and control when they moved in different ways around the

p.19

Commentary

hall. A few find it difficult to hold the shapes they are asked to make in a fixed position and their balancing skills are weaker, demonstrating the need for daily exercise to provide opportunities to practise these skills more regularly and raise standards further.

p.19

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Provision in creative development is satisfactory .

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• A lack of space restricts the full range of activities offered to children • Children have satisfactory opportunities for painting and playing musical instruments • There are well planned opportunities for music

p.19

Commentary

44. Creative development is the area in which adults are particularly stretched to provide the full range of activities because of lack of space. Although there are opportunities for children to mix their own paints and work within a limited range of tools and materials, there is no space to have free access to paint each day. There are no listening centres or a music corner for children to listen to stories and songs or add accompaniments to stories they make up together. In spite of these limitations, the displays show that children have satisfactory opportunities to paint pictures, to make and play their own musical instruments, to experiment with different materials to make patterns and to draw their journey from home to school. Their Castor CofE Primary - 20 observational paintings of different fruits show that they are on line to achieve the expected standards for their age. The children also take part in well-planned music making sessions with

p.19

Commentary

adults and are building up a good repertoire of songs and rhymes. There are also regular opportunities for some imaginative play in the home corner and the focus is changed regularly to keep interest levels high.

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Achievement is good and standards by the end of Year 6 are well above average • Very good teaching helps pupils to make good progress in lessons • The refurbished library supports learning across the curriculum • Very good subject leadership is improving standards and resources • Not enough use is made of target setting in English

p.20

Commentary

45. The full implementation of the national literacy strategy has taken place since the last inspection and this has improved the quality of planning, teaching and assessment in the subject. Standards at the end of Year 2 are above average. By the end of Year 6, pupils’ attainment is now very good and their work demonstrates standards that are well above average. Achievement is good throughout the school.

p.20

Commentary

46. A number of factors have contributed to these improvements. The quality of teaching and learning is very good overall. Teachers have high expectations and most provide challenging work for pupils. Lower attaining pupils and those with special educational needs make good progress because they are supported well by teaching assistants who ensure that they know what they have to do to improve. The good quality of this support is a particular strength of the teaching, enabling pupils of all levels of attainment to achieve well. The pace of lessons maintains pupils’ interest and teachers’ focused questions ensure the involvement of all.

p.20

Commentary

47. The refurbishment of the library has provided the school with a resource of over four thousand books, including much new fiction, which is supplemented by class libraries and topic collections borrowed from the local library service. Throughout the school, pupils are adept at scanning bar codes to register the borrowing and returning of books and pupils in Years 1 and 2 were able to write simple, clear instructions to describe the process.

p.20

Commentary

48. Teachers encourage high standards of speaking in terms of clarity and delivery in all lessons. In a Year 6 mathematics lesson, pupils were given very good opportunities to discuss a range of different strategies for problem solving and to explain how they had worked out their answers. In a Year 3 history lesson, pupils were using role-play and ‘hot seating’ to discover facts about Henry VIII. After their first question was answered, they were encouraged to ask spontaneous supplementary questions. This gave them good experience of thinking and articulating clearly without any opportunity to prepare what they wanted to say.

p.20

Commentary

49. Teachers give reading a high profile throughout the school so by Year 2, higher attaining pupils read with expression and good intonation, paying attention to punctuation. Both they and less able pupils use phonics well to attempt new words. All pupils knew the difference between fiction and non-fiction and how to use a contents page, an index and a glossary. By Year 6, pupils are reading very fluently from a range of texts. They demonstrate very good attitudes to their reading and have preferred authors such as Jacqueline Wilson, J.K. Rowling and Dick King Smith about whose books they talk with enthusiasm. They have a clear understanding of Castor CofE Primary - 21 how to locate information not only by using books but also by using information from the Internet.

p.20

Commentary

50. Teachers set a good range of writing for pupils. This means that they have good opportunities to explore a variety of styles, acquire new skills and develop their ideas. The higher attaining pupils in Year 6 had captured Roald Dahl’s style and humour when writing a narrative in the style of Miss Trunchbull, a character in ‘Matilda’, and whilst the writing of the lower attaining pupils lacked sparkle, it was composed clearly and coherently. Across the school, the basic skills of literacy are taught well. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 choose words appropriate to the subject and have a growing understanding of punctuation. In all classes, books are regularly marked and teachers include excellent comments to challenge pupils’ thinking and show them how their work might be improved.

p.21

Commentary

51. The co-ordinator leads and manages the subject very well. The good planning, which allows teachers to build on what pupils have already learned, is the result of her high quality analysis of the strengths and weaknesses seen in pupils’ work. She is developing the use of target setting begun last year and pupils in her class are establishing their own targets to improve the quality of their work. In other classes, the class teachers still determine targets but there is a lack of consistency and none were seen in books in Years 5 and 6. In most classes pupils’ targets are shared with parents.

p.21

Language and literacy across the curriculum

52. Teachers ensure that pupils throughout the school have opportunities to use their literacy skills in other subjects. Pupils’ speaking and listening skills are developed during the oral start to lessons and in the plenary session at their close. Vocabulary specific to each subject is emphasised and opportunities for pupils to develop their reading and writing skills occur in many subjects.

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards have improved since the last inspection • Pupils achieve well because of good teaching and learning • There is a good focus on problem solving and investigations • Pupils have very good attitudes to learning in lessons and are keen to do well • Formal systems for assessing how well pupils do in lessons are not yet in place • The monitoring of teaching and learning is not sufficiently developed • Whilst satisfactory, the use of numeracy is not formally planned in other subjects

p.21

Commentary

53. Standards in Years 1 to 6 are above average. This represents good levels of improvement from the last inspection when standards were at an average level. In the 2003 national tests, Year 2 reached standards that were well above average while Year 6 reached expected levels. Being a small school, standards vary from year to year. However, since 2000 they have consistently been at expected levels or better. Over a third of the Year 2 pupils achieved the higher levels of attainment (Level 3 or above) in the tests in 2003 and this year about half the pupils in Year 6 are on course to achieve higher levels of attainment (Level 5 or above).

p.21

Commentary

54. The quality of teaching and learning is good and because of this pupils achieve well from their average starting point on entry to school. Pupils with special educational needs, who are well supported by teachers and other adults, achieve as well as their classmates. The most Castor CofE Primary - 22 successful teaching is characterised by high expectations of what pupils can achieve and a confident and imaginative delivery of the lesson. Explanations are clear and questions are effective so that pupils know what to do to complete their tasks successfully. Wherever possible a practical approach is used with good visual aids to enrich the learning and this captures pupils’ interests and enthusiasm for learning and they behave very well. All these positive features were observed in a very good lesson in Year 2 in which pupils learned the language of direction and achieved very well.

p.21

Commentary

55. Problem solving and investigations are strong features of many lessons. Pupils are positively encouraged to explore as many different approaches to solving problems as they can and explain their working out using the correct mathematical vocabulary. They confidently rise to the challenge in Year 6 by working out rules for the sequencing of numbers. They learn from their mistakes when the teacher uses their errors as teaching points and significantly improve their numeracy skills by accurately solving practical everyday problems. Because relationships in the school are warm and supportive and lessons are meaningful and varied, attitudes to learning are very good with pupils displaying high levels of motivation and a keen desire to do well. This impacts very positively on learning and achievement.

p.22

Mathematics across the curriculum

56. Satisfactory opportunities are provided for pupils to use their mathematical skills in other subjects in an informal way rather than as planned provision. The use of ICT to support mathematics has improved since the last inspection and there are some good examples of pupils producing well presented graphs to record results of experiments in science and investigations in mathematics. However, there is much less focus on interpreting results or drawing conclusions.

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils achieve well because teaching is good • There has been good improvement to the curriculum with more emphasis on learning through scientific investigations • Pupils enjoy science and have very good attitudes to their learning • Leadership of the subject is satisfactory but the co-ordinator has yet to formally monitor teaching and learning

p.22

Commentary

57. Standards in science vary from year to year with different groups of pupils and care must be taken when considering the results. Results in 2003 show that standards by the end of Year 6 were just below average, with slightly fewer pupils gaining the higher National Curriculum Level 5. However the small year group had an above average number of pupils with special educational needs and few higher attainers. In the 2003 National Curriculum Teacher Assessments, pupils in Year 2 reached standards in the top five percent nationally. Trends over time indicate that standards throughout the school are rising above the national trend.

p.22

Commentary

58. Current standards in Years 1 to 6 are above average. Evidence from lessons seen and from pupils’ work shows that all pupils are achieving well. This is mainly due to good teaching. Teachers have good subject knowledge, they specify clear learning objectives, which they review with pupils at the end of lessons and they promote personal development, literacy, numeracy and ICT well, For example in a Year 5 and 6 lesson on measuring pulse rate the teacher developed speaking and listening well through discussion of pupils’ findings from their investigations. They worked in pairs, measuring and recording pulse rate and shared ideas, Castor CofE Primary - 23 taking turns and respecting others opinions. Pupils recorded their results using a spreadsheet and calculated the average pulse rate. As a result of this hands-on experience, pupils’ achievements are good. For example, Year 2 pupils know that there are five senses and they

p.22

Commentary

classify foods according to taste. They understand that sound travels through air and they carry out a fair test to find out which materials make the best ear defenders. Pupils in Year 6 develop their skills and knowledge of fair testing through, for example investigating types of electrical circuits.

p.23

Commentary

59. A strong emphasis on scientific investigations ensures that pupils achieve well in all areas of science and has led to higher standards over the last three years. Pupils develop secure skills of observation and scientific recording. They form their own hypotheses and test these out methodically.

p.23

Commentary

60. Pupils enjoy science because they have good opportunities for investigations. As a result, they remain focused on their lessons activities. Teachers provide good opportunities for pupils to work together in small groups, which they do sensibly. Pupils show respect for staff and for each other, work safely in lessons and treat equipment properly.

p.23

Commentary

61. Some good assessment procedures are in place, which are used for planning the next stage of learning. However, pupils do not have individual science targets, to further their understanding of how to improve their work.

p.23

Commentary

62. The headteacher is providing satisfactory co-ordination for the subject on a temporary basis. There has been good improvement in science since the last inspection, with an improved curriculum and wider opportunities for visits and the use of the wild-life area in the school to enrich pupils’ learning experiences.

p.23

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Provision in information and communication technology (ICT) is good.

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards are above national expectations and pupils achieve well throughout the school • The quality of teaching is good and impacts positively on pupils’ achievements • There has been very good improvement since the last inspection, particularly in the curriculum • Very good partnership links have been established to enhance provision, through the Action Team initiative • Leadership of the subject is good but the co-ordinator has yet to formally monitor teaching and learning

p.23

Commentary

63. In Years 1 and 2, pupils learn how to use computers and gain basic skills of word processing, for example in writing down their favourite book. They change font styles, colour, size of text and they use paint programs to create portraits and abstract pictures. Pupils in Years 3 and 4 build on their prior learning, for example, in using numbered bullet points to make lists and accessing websites to learn more about healthy teeth. Pupils in Years 5 and 6 input graphics and pictures, create text boxes and develop the use of spreadsheets. They use databases with increasing skill, for example in recording information about evacuees in local history, and they make good use of CD-Roms to support research.

p.23

Commentary

64. Teachers make good use of computers in lessons and have significantly improved their confidence in the use of ICT as a result of their good development of ICT skills. As a result pupils learn well, remain focused on their activities and acquire new knowledge and skills quickly. Teachers set high expectations for learning, which was not only seen in lessons but also in pupils’ work. For example, in a Year 3 lesson where teaching was very good ICT was Castor CofE Primary - 24 used very effectively to promote purposeful writing. Pupils were encouraged to research facts about teeth using the Internet. They made lists and word processed key information about teeth in sentences.

p.23

Commentary

65. In the previous inspection, the development of planning for ICT within subjects was identified as a key issue. All subjects now include opportunities for the use of ICT in planning, resources have been greatly improved and staff are now better trained to teach and support learning in the subject more effectively. Very good partnership links with local schools have been established to support the development of ICT, through the local ‘Action Team’ initiative. This has led to increased staff expertise, which has impacted positively on pupils’ learning and achievements. Leadership and management of the subject are good. However, the co-ordinator has yet to establish formal systems for monitoring teaching and learning and assessment has rightly been identified as an area for development.

p.24

Information and communication technology across the curriculum

66. The use of ICT across the curriculum is good. Pupils are provided with good opportunities to apply and develop their ICT skills in English, mathematics, science, art, history, geography, and religious education. They are also encouraged to use computers at home, for example, as part of extended topic work, which positively impacts on their achievements.

p.24

HUMANITIES

Religious education was inspected in detail and is reported in full below. Only one lesson was seen in history although work was sampled across the school. In geography no teaching was observed and work was only seen in Years 1 and 2, so it is not possible to form an overall judgement about provision in these subjects.

p.24

HUMANITIES

In history, standards are broadly average and have been maintained since the last inspection. Good use is made of visits and visitors to bring the subject alive and capture pupils’ interest and imagination. The pupils in Year 6 enjoy history and spoke enthusiastically about their recent visit to a Tudor house and the exciting activities that took place. By dressing up in costumes, making food of the time and studying the buildings they learnt from first hand experiences about aspects of life in Tudor times. Back at school, although pupils have good opportunities to carry out research from books and ICT, there is a shortage of other resources and artefacts to enable pupils to continue to find out about the past. This is why the range and depth of pupils’ knowledge and understanding of history is not higher, as well as some weakness in pupils describing the reasons why events happened as they did. Pupils’ literacy skills are developed effectively through history with good

p.24

HUMANITIES

examples of well-written reports and stories. For example pupils in Year 3 wrote their own Tudor adventure and included some relevant historical facts to make it more interesting. These pupils are also making their own Tudor houses in design technology. This is just one example of where effective links are being made across subjects.

p.24

HUMANITIES

In geography the planning shows that there is generally less focus on visits in Years 3 to 6 and some missed opportunities to use the local area for fieldwork. In both history and geography assessment procedures are underdeveloped. The co-ordinators have not had time to monitor the teaching and learning or examine pupils’ work in order to assess the strengths and weaknesses in provision. However, geography is being reviewed shortly as part of the schools’ improvement plan.

p.24

Religious Education

Provision in religious education is satisfactory. Castor CofE Primary - 25

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Strong links have been established with the local Christian churches. • Good focus on teaching world religions but no visits to different faith centers. • Good links made with other subjects. • Pupils have less understanding of the effect of religious teaching and worship on everyday life. • There are no assessment procedures or the monitoring of teaching and learning.

p.25

Commentary

67. Standards in religious education are in line with the expectations in the locally agreed syllabus and similar standards were found at the last inspection. From the evidence of sampling work, talking to pupils and observing lessons, teaching, learning and pupils’ achievement are satisfactory through the school.

p.25

Commentary

68. Pupils have a satisfactory knowledge of Christianity and Judaism and understand some features of other world religions, especially how the festivals are celebrated. The local church and nearby cathedral are used regularly to enrich the teaching of Christianity. This is helping pupils in Year 2 to know why a place of worship and its features are special to people who use it. The importance of prayer has been a recent topic. Pupils have written their own prayers and described some similarities and differences between how Christians and Muslims pray. Opportunities are missed to visit other places of worship where people of different faiths gather. However, occasionally parents who practise different faiths visit the school to talk to pupils about their religion. Recently a parent cooked Jewish food with the pupils.

p.25

Commentary

69. The pupils in Year 6 speak enthusiastically about their study of Judaism and the sukkot festival. They show the sukkah house they made in design technology and their well presented information leaflets using ICT, with facts about how and why sukkat is celebrated. This is just one example of the good links made with other subjects, which makes lessons more relevant and interesting. There are fewer opportunities in Years 3 to 6 to compare and contrast the different world religions. For example the pupils in Year 6 had no knowledge about the importance of the Ten Commandments to both Christians and Jews. Overall there is a much weaker understanding by pupils of how belonging to a different faith group can influence people’s everyday lives.

p.25

Commentary

70. The co-ordinator has supported teachers well with improved planning and better resources and sets a good example in her own confident teaching. In a lesson she taught in Year 3 good links were made with other subjects by making puppets and scripting the story of ‘Rama and Sita’ in preparation for a puppet play. Pupils showed high levels of interest and motivation in this successful lesson. There have been no opportunities for the co-ordinator to monitor the teaching and learning of other staff to enable her to have a clear picture of standards and the strengths and weaknesses in teaching. Assessment procedures are underdeveloped, as they were at the last inspection. Teachers make every opportunity to develop pupils’ literacy skills in lessons, which supports the good standards in English.

p.25

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

All these subjects were sampled, as not enough teaching was seen to enable secure provision judgements to be made.

p.25

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

71. Standards in art and design at the end of Year 2 and Year 6 are similar to those found in most schools and pupils make satisfactory progress in the subject across the school. The school uses the latest national guidance to underpin planning for the subject and all requirements of the National Curriculum are met. As no teaching was seen and the subject leader was absent, judgements are based on curriculum plans, talking with pupils in Year 6, work in the art and design portfolio and displays around the school. Pupils experience a wide range of media Castor CofE Primary - 26 including charcoal, pencils, pastels, collage, screen-printing and batik. Although there was little evidence of three-dimensional work around the school, pupils talked about working with clay and other modeling materials. Art and design is popular and pupils in Year 6 remembered a range of artists including Van Gogh, Klee and Picasso whose styles they had studied. A display

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

of work by pupils in Years 4 and 5 showed well-worked versions of Van Gogh’s portrait of Dr. Gachet. These demonstrated good line and tone, capturing the impressionist form well. Resources in the subject appear adequate. Good use is made of computers to generate pictures and the school’s web site contains good examples of pupil’s paintings and batik work.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

72. Although no design and technology teaching was seen during the inspection, the analysis of pupils’ work showed that the criticisms made at the time of the last inspection have been addressed. Planning follows the latest national guidance and all aspects of the subject are covered. Attainment has improved and this now matches the standards found in most schools. Pupils achieve satisfactorily throughout the school. They understand the sequence of design, construct and evaluate and the reasons for it. Evaluation is done in writing in Years 2 to 6 and by discussion in Year 1 supported by digital photographs. There is, however, no programme of formal assessment or means of recording the skills acquired by pupils. The co-ordinator has collected examples of pupils’ work although these have not yet been gathered into a structured portfolio. It is clear from talking with pupils that they enjoy the subject and take pride in the work

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

they do. Whilst there is a sufficient quantity of tools, the budget does not allow for a good supply of consumables that would allow pupils a wide choice of materials in which to work. Leadership and management of design and technology are satisfactory but the co-ordinator is not given the opportunity to acquire an overview of the subject beyond noting the displays she sees around the school. As she is not given the opportunity to see lessons being taught, she cannot judge strengths and weaknesses in the subject and issues that could be addressed through appropriate training.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

73. Music is timetabled for classes across the school and teachers’ planning identifies coverage of all aspects of National Curriculum requirements. The headteacher is now the subject leader and a learning support assistant helps to teach the music programme across the school. Resources are satisfactory. As no teaching was seen and there was no work to examine, no judgements on standards, teaching, learning and pupils’ progress can be made. Music has a good profile in the school and a discussion with Year 6 pupils indicated a good interest in lessons. Pupils talked knowledgeably about music from the Baroque period and identified Handel as a major composer from the time. A good number learn instruments such as clarinet and flute with a visiting woodwind teacher whilst others learn the recorder and sing in the choir. The singing in the whole school assembly, accompanied by the headteacher, was tuneful and

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

sensitive. The music curriculum is enriched by involvement in local festivals.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

74. In physical education, the school complies fully with the requirements of the National Curriculum, including the majority of pupils in Year 6 reaching the minimum swimming standard of 25 metres. By the end of Year 6, standards in games and athletics are above average and achievement is good, as is demonstrated by the success of school teams in local festivals. Out of school clubs give pupils the opportunity to develop their skills in games as well as developing their ability to work in teams. The limitations of the small hall, described at the time of the last inspection as affecting the development of gymnastics, have been, in part, overcome by the use of the sports centre of a local firm. Unfortunately, this is due to close so it will no longer be possible to circumvent the restrictions imposed by the school’s own buildings in this way. Whilst the school hall provides adequate space for the youngest pupils, it seriously affects the

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

teaching of older pupils in school. It restricts the school’s provision in the subject as teachers cannot use a variety of activities safely and large pieces of apparatus such as horses and boxes cannot be accommodated. Dance can be safely taught in the hall and this aspect of the subject is due to be developed. There is already a country dancing club, which is open to pupils from Year 2 and above. The school ‘s small outdoor pool, which was used extensively in the summer term at the time of the last inspection, was removed as the pool was unsafe. It later became a temporary classroom The pools at the local high school and leisure centre in Peterbrough are used instead but travelling time is now lost to curriculum use, a concern Castor CofE Primary - 27 explored in depth by governors. Swimming continues as it was decided that the acquisition of potential life-saving skills outweighed the cost and curriculum time invested.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

This subject was sampled as no lessons were seen to enable secure judgements to be made.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

Enough time is allocated for the teaching of personal, social and health education (PSHE). During these sessions, pupils are encouraged to reflect on their own actions and consequences. PSHE permeates all aspects of the school’s work. The strong links with the parish church promote Christian values so that pupils show kindness and consideration towards others and assemblies promote an understanding and acceptance of different beliefs. Adults provide good role models for pupils and the strong emphasis on inclusion promotes the acceptance of differences in others. The PSHE programme helps to prepare pupils for adult life by giving them greater responsibility within school. This programme is currently being reviewed to bring into line with recently updated local authority schemes of work. The school also supports a number of charities to raise pupils’ awareness of those less fortunate than themselves.

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The overall effectiveness of the school 3 How inclusive the school is 2 How the school’s effectiveness has changed since its last inspection 3 Value for money provided by the school 3

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Overall standards achieved 3 Pupils’ achievement 3

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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