Mornington Primary School

DUNHAM ON TRENT CE PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 13 – 16 October 2003

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DUNHAM ON TRENT CE PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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DUNHAM ON TRENT CE 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. Dunham on Trent CE Primary School

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Primary School category: Voluntary Controlled Age range of pupils: 5 – 11 Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 91

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Laneham Road Dunham on Trent Newark Nottinghamshire Postcode: NG22 0UL

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: 01777 228383 Fax number: 01777 228383

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: Governing body Name of chair of governors: Reverend J Calvert

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 14 – 17 September 1996

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

Dunham on Trent is smaller than other primary schools and has 91 pupils on roll. Nearly all pupils are white United Kingdom with one from a mixed white and Asian heritage. Ten per cent of pupils are entitled to free school meals which is broadly average. Ten pupils are on the register for special educational needs, two of whom have a statement. This is lower than in most schools. The main needs are emotional and behavioural difficulties, specific learning difficulties and hearing impairment. Over half the pupils come from out of the catchment area of the school. The socio-economic circumstances of the school are average. Pupils’ attainment on entry to school is variable – it is average in 2003. The rate at which pupils join and leave the school is below average. Dunham on Trent CE Primary School

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

2905 David Shepherd Lead inspector Mathematics, science, information and communication technology, religious education, citizenship, special educational needs 9569 Jan Leaning Lay inspector 22657 Mark Madeley Team inspector English, art and design, design and technology, geography, history, music, physical education, Foundation Stage

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

Altecq Education Ltd 102 Bath Road Cheltenham GL53 7JX

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

Any concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be made initially to the 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). Dunham on Trent CE Primary School

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 9

Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 9

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 12

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

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OVERALL EVALUATION

Dunham on Trent CE Primary is not an effective school and provides unsatisfactory value for money . The school is going through a period of instability in its staffing. At the time of the inspection, both the headteacher and deputy headteacher were on long-term sick leave and there was a vacancy for a part-time teacher in the oldest class. Three supply teachers plus a part-time acting headteacher were at the school – only two teachers were on the school’s permanent staff. The new part-time acting headteacher is providing sound leadership and management and is being supported well by other staff, including teaching assistants. She has rightly gained the confidence of governors and parents.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are: • the acting headteacher has united the staff, governors and parents around the priorities that are included in the interim development plan; the staff have the enthusiasm and capacity to improve the school’s weaknesses • standards in English, mathematics and science in Year 6 are below average and pupils’ achievement is unsatisfactory. However, pupils with special educational needs achieve well because they receive good help from teachers and their assistants • the management of the behaviour of a significant number of pupils in Years 4 to 6 is ineffective and this slows down the learning of their classmates • teaching, learning and assessment are unsatisfactory overall • curriculum leadership is unsatisfactory; the leadership provided by governors is poor • the school takes good care of pupils’ welfare and their safety and provides for pupils a good range of extra-curricular activities and educational visits

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OVERALL EVALUATION

• links with parents and other schools are good, and those with the community very good

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school has declined significantly since the last inspection. Standards are not as high as they were then and many older pupils underachieve. Teaching and learning, especially of older pupils, is not as good as it was. Leadership and management have declined.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school has sought to correct most of the main issues that were identified at the last inspection. Standards in literacy have improved significantly and the role of subject co-ordinators has been developed well. However, because of the long-term illness of the headteacher from the beginning of the summer term, these improvements have stopped. Standards in literacy have started to decline and subjects are not being co-ordinated well.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school has serious weaknesses in a number of areas. Teaching and learning in the Year 5 and 6 class are unsatisfactory. Pupils in this class underachieve and standards are too low. The disruptive behaviour of a significant number of pupils in Years 4 to 6 is a further serious weakness because this slows down the learning of others in those classes. Because of long-term staff absence, curriculum leadership is unsatisfactory. The leadership provided by the governing body is poor.

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Year 6 results

all schools similar schools Results in National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 6, compared with: 2000 2001 2002 2002 English A C 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 Dunham on Trent CE Primary School Similar schools are those whose pupils attained similarly at the end of Year 2

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Year 6 results

The results achieved by pupils in Year 6 between 2000 and 2002 were well above average. In mathematics in 2002, they were in the top 5 per cent of schools. However, results fell in mathematics and science in 2003. Standards now are very different from those reported in the table above. Overall, standards are below average and pupils’ achievement is unsatisfactory . This year, most pupils entered the reception class with average levels of attainment. Their achievement is satisfactory and most are likely to reach the goals expected by the end of the year in literacy, number and in their personal development. Overall, in Year 2, the achievement of most pupils is good in relation to that of which they are capable in reading, writing, mathematics, science and information and communication technology. Standards in Year 2 are above expected levels in reading and writing and in information and communication technology. Standards in mathematics, science and

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Year 6 results

physical education are at expected levels. The achievement of most pupils in Year 6 in English, mathematics, science and religious education is unsatisfactory and standards are below average in these subjects. Standards in physical education are at expected levels and good in swimming.

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Year 6 results

Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is satisfactory . Pupils’ attitudes to school are satisfactory , but the inappropriate behaviour of a significant number of pupils in Years 4 to 6 makes behaviour overall unsatisfactory . Pupils’ attendance and punctuality are satisfactory .

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

Overall, the quality of education is unsatisfactory . Teaching and learning are unsatisfactory. They are good in Years 2 and 3, satisfactory in reception and in Years 1 and 4. They are unsatisfactory in the Year 5 and 6 class and this leads to an unsatisfactory judgement overall. The curriculum provided by the school is satisfactory and pupils receive good levels of care . The school has good links with parents and other schools and very good links with the community.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The leadership and management provided by the school are unsatisfactory . Governors are supportive of the school but do not provide the leadership required; governance is poor . Because of staff absence, curriculum leadership is unsatisfactory . The part-time acting headteacher, appointed just three weeks ago, is providing sound leadership and management during a period of instability. She has established a clear direction and produced a good interim development plan for the school. However, she had not been at the school long enough at the time of the inspection for her plans to have taken effect and to have improved the behaviour in Years 4 to 6 and standards in the Year 5 and 6 class.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Overall, parents hold positive views of the school. However, some parents thought the school was not well led and managed following the long-term illness of the headteacher, though they think the part-time acting headteacher is leading the school well this term. An analysis of the pre-inspection questionnaire for parents indicates that a significant proportion of pupils do not behave well, the school does not seek the views of parents enough and they are not kept well enough informed about the progress of their children. Inspectors agree that a significant proportion of pupils do not behave well. Annual reports to parents are satisfactory and the acting headteacher is providing sound leadership and management at the school. Many pupils in Years 3 to 6 do not find lessons fun, they find some children misbehave and that other children are not friendly. Some do not find teachers fair. Inspectors agree that some lessons are not fun and behaviour is a problem for the school to tackle.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

All teachers treated children fairly. Dunham on Trent CE Primary School

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

The most important things the school should do to improve are: • raise the achievement of pupils and improve the quality of teaching and learning in the Year 5 and 6 class; • improve behaviour in Years 4 to 6; • improve the leadership and management of governors and of the curriculum; • improve assessment by making better use of data, devising assessments for all subjects and improving marking;

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

and, to meet statutory requirements: • comply with the regulations for the school prospectus and the Governors’ Annual Report to Parents. Dunham on Trent CE Primary School

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Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects

Many pupils are underachieving and standards are below average. This is because in the Year 5 and 6 class, most pupils are not achieving what they are capable of and standards are below average. In most other classes, pupils’ achievements are satisfactory and standards are at expected levels. In the Year 2 and 3 class, pupils achieve well and standards are above expected levels.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• In Year 2, standards in mathematics and science have improved from the previous year and are now average; pupils achieve well in these subjects • In Year 2, standards in information and communication technology are above expected levels and pupils achieve well • In Year 6, standards in English, mathematics and science are below average and many pupils do not achieve what they are capable of • In Year 6, standards in religious education are below expected levels and pupils’ achievement is unsatisfactory

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Commentary

1. In the 2002 National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 6, standards in English, mathematics and science were well above average when compared with all schools and similar schools. They were in the top 5 per cent of schools in mathematics and science when compared with similar schools and in the top 5 per cent of all schools nationally in mathematics. In the 2003 tests, standards in English were similar to those of the previous year, but have declined significantly in science and mathematics. Overall, standards in National Curriculum tests between 2000 and 2002 in Year 6 in English, mathematics and science have been well above average. In 2003, the school exceeded its target for English, but did not meet its target in mathematics by a long way. In Year 6, girls achieve better than boys in English and mathematics, but similarly in science. The following table shows the results achieved by pupils

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Commentary

Standards in national tests at the end of Year 6 – average point scores in 2002

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Commentary

Standards in: School results National results English 29.0 (27.2) 27.0 (27.0) Mathematics 30.7 (28.7) 26.7 (26.6) Science 31.0 (31.1) 28.3 (28.3) There were 18 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year

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Commentary

2. The reason that standards are lower in mathematics and science in 2003 than in previous years is that the part-time Year 6 teacher (the headteacher) went on long-term sick leave a few weeks before the tests were due to be taken. The school found it difficult to employ an experienced supply teacher at this time. This meant that the last minute revision in these subjects was not carried out well to prepare pupils for the tests. This adversely affected the results in mathematics and science where last minute revision is more important than it is in English. As a consequence, the achievement of this group of pupils in science since they were in Year 2 was only satisfactory, but in mathematics it was unsatisfactory. In English, they achieved well and improved their results significantly from where they were in Year 2. Over the years, the school Dunham on Trent CE Primary School has come to expect that the good teaching in Years 5 and 6 will be the reason why pupils’ results

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Commentary

rise significantly between Years 2 and 6. This did not happen in 2003.

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Commentary

3. In the 2002 National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 2, standards in writing were above average when compared with all schools and well above compared with similar schools. Standards in reading were average compared with all schools and below average compared with similar schools. Standards in mathematics were well below average when compared with all and similar schools. In the 2003 tests, standards in reading and writing were lower than the previous year but much higher in mathematics. More pupils reached the higher level in reading and writing than in the previous year. Overall, standards in reading and mathematics have fluctuated over the past few years depending on the abilities of the groups of pupils. Standards in writing have been more consistently above average during the past few years. In recent years in Year 2, girls achieved better than boys in writing, but not as well in mathematics. They achieved equally in

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Commentary

reading. The following table shows the results achieved by pupils in Year 2 in 2002.

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Commentary

Standards in national tests at the end of Year 2 – average point scores in 2002

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Commentary

Standards in: School results National results Reading 15.7 (16.7) 15.8 (15.7) Writing 15.4 (15.3) 14.4 (14.3) Mathematics 15.4 (16.4) 16.5 (16.2) There were 11 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year. Care should be taken when interpreting these results because of the low numbers in the year group.

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Commentary

4. Inspection findings identified that standards in English, mathematics, science and religious education in Year 6 are below average and that many pupils are underachieving. This is because the teaching and learning in this class are unsatisfactory. High-attaining pupils, in particular, are not achieving enough because the work set for them is too easy. Work set for other pupils is often dull and repetitive. This makes pupils bored and some become distracted easily and start wasting their time. Low-attaining pupils, including those with special educational needs, make good progress overall. This is because they receive good help from their teachers and their assistants. Standards in information and communication technology and physical education are at expected levels and pupils’ achievement is satisfactory. Lack of evidence prevented judgements from being made in other subjects.

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Commentary

5. In Year 2, standards in speaking, listening, reading, writing and in information and communication technology are above average and pupils achieve well in these subjects. This is because of the consistently good teaching pupils in Year 2 receive. Most pupils achieve well in mathematics, science and physical education and attain average standards. This is because this group of pupils entered Year 1 with standards that were below average. Both high- and low-attaining pupils, including those with special educational needs, achieve well because they receive good help from their teacher and teaching assistant. Lack of evidence means that it is not possible to make judgements about standards and achievement in other subjects.

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Commentary

6. Standards in the Foundation Stage are at the levels expected for children of this age. In 2003, most children entered school with average levels of attainment. This varies year by year depending on the group of pupils – it is often below the local education authority average as was the case with the current group of Year 2 pupils. The achievement of this year’s reception children is satisfactory and they are on course to reach the expected levels in personal and social development, literacy and mathematics by the end of the reception year. Lack of evidence means that no judgements are being made about their knowledge and understanding of the world, creative development or physical development. Dunham on Trent CE Primary School

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Attendance is satisfactory . Pupils' attitudes are satisfactory overall. Behaviour is unsatisfactory because a significant number of older pupils do not behave well. Provision for pupils' personal development, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, is satisfactory.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils’ self-esteem, moral and social development are promoted well • Pupils in Years 2 and 3 have positive attitudes to their work • A significant minority of pupils, mainly boys, in Years 4 to 6 do not behave well

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Commentary

7. The school sets high expectations for pupils’ attitudes to work and for their behaviour. Most pupils are keen to come to school and are polite, courteous and respectful to each other and to adults. This creates an atmosphere in which their personal development can develop satisfactorily. Most pupils respond positively to this and relate well to each other and adults. They handle resources with care and respect the school’s premises. For example, they helped in the construction of a willow tunnel and conservation garden.

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Commentary

8. Most pupils settle down quickly to work, listen carefully and concentrate well in lessons. This is because the school promotes their social and moral development well. Provision for pupils’ spiritual and cultural development is satisfactory overall. Pupils learn about different religions, such as Hinduism. They learn about life in India through sponsoring a child in India. The school's involvement in the Comenius Project helps pupils learn about life in other schools, both in England and in Europe.

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Commentary

9. However, a significant number of older pupils in Years 4 to 6 do not have such positive attitudes to school; they misbehave and waste too much time in lessons. This is because some teachers do not manage pupils’ misbehaviour well enough. In the Year 5 and 6 class, it is also because some lessons are dull and uninteresting. A number of these pupils do not pay enough attention to midday supervisors in the playground at lunchtimes and disrupt the games played by other pupils. For these reasons, behaviour at the school is judged to be unsatisfactory.

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Commentary

10. Pre-inspection evidence indicated that a number of pupils and parents do not think that the behaviour policy was applied consistently last year, especially during the summer term. The acting headteacher has now corrected this and pupils and their parents now recognise that behaviour is being corrected in a fair and consistent way, although not always successfully, by different staff.

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Commentary

11. Attendance is satisfactory and most pupils are punctual. However, a minority of parents take their children out of school for holidays in term time and this lowers overall levels of attendance, which would otherwise be good. The following table illustrates attendance during the last year.

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Commentary

Attendance in the latest complete reporting year 2002

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Commentary

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data: 5.6% School data: 0.0% National data: 5.4% National data: 0.5% The table gives the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Dunham on Trent CE Primary School 12. In the previous year, one boy was excluded for two fixed periods and he has now left the school.

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Commentary

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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Commentary

Categories used in the Annual School Census No of pupils on roll Number of fixed period exclusions Number of permanent exclusions White – British 90 2 0 Mixed – White and Asian 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 unsatisfactory overall. Teaching and learning are unsatisfactory . The curriculum provided by the school is satisfactory . The school provides pupils with good levels of care and looks after them well. Links with parents are good and with the community very good .

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Teaching and learning

Teaching and learning are unsatisfactory overall. The quality of the assessment of pupils’ work is unsatisfactory .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching and learning are consistently unsatisfactory in the Year 5 and 6 class; however, they are consistently good in Years 2 and 3 • Behaviour management of a few disruptive pupils in Years 4 to 6 is often ineffective • work for the older pupils is not always set at the levels they are capable of; it is often dull and uninteresting • With the exception of the Year 5 and 6 class, teachers have good subject expertise • Lessons are planned well in most classes and teaching assistants are used well • Not enough use is made of data from national tests or of assessments of work in other subjects to help pupils improve

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Commentary

13. Teaching and learning are unsatisfactory overall. This is because in five out of seven lessons in the Year 5 and 6 class, they were judged unsatisfactory or poor. Elsewhere in the school, teaching and learning are satisfactory. In Years 2 and 3, they are consistently good. Teaching and learning have declined since the last inspection.

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Commentary

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 29 lessons

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Commentary

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very poor

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Commentary

The table gives the number of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons. Dunham on Trent CE Primary School 14. Most teachers have good subject knowledge and they teach the full range of the National Curriculum satisfactorily. Teachers’ expertise in information and communication technology is good and this subject is taught well. Good subject expertise enables teachers to help pupils effectively when they are stuck so they can improve. The temporary teachers in Years 5 and 6 do not have the same levels of subject knowledge as other teachers and this holds back the learning of many pupils, especially the high-attaining pupils.

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Commentary

15. Teaching assistants fully understand their roles and they carry them out well. They provide teachers with good help when lessons are being prepared and with helping lower-attaining pupils in particular, including those with special educational needs, very well during their lessons. This helps these pupils to achieve well throughout the school.

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Commentary

16. Most teachers plans lessons carefully making sure they are setting work at the correct levels for pupils. However, in some cases, pupils are set too many tasks at the same level of difficulty and this causes them to become bored and begin chatting to their classmates. Some work set for older pupils, especially high-attaining pupils, is too easy for them; they already know what they are being taught before they begin working.

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Commentary

17. A significant factor in the teaching of pupils in Years 4 to 6 is that the behaviour of a few disruptive pupils spoils the learning of other pupils in these classes. Teachers do not manage to control these pupils well enough, and, as a consequence, lessons include too many interruptions to correct behaviour. Pupils in these classes are not always achieving what they are capable of.

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Commentary

18. The school does not analyse the data from national tests in English, mathematics and science and use the outcomes to improve teaching and pupils’ learning. Work in other subjects is not assessed and records of pupils’ progress are not kept so teachers do not know how well pupils achieve in them. Teachers mark pupils’ work regularly but, with a few exceptions in one class, pupils do not know what is good about it or what they need to do to improve.

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The curriculum

The curriculum is satisfactory overall. A good range of extra-curricular clubs and educational visits are provided. Overall, the accommodation and resources are satisfactory .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Many pupils take part in the good range of extra-curricular clubs • The school provides a good range of educational visits that help to link the curriculum to life outside school • The school follows national guidance on teaching literacy and numeracy well • Teaching assistants give good support to teachers, especially with computers • The selection of topics to be taught is not suitable for pupils in Year 5 • The hall is too small for some physical education lessons and reception children do not have enough opportunities for outside activities

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Commentary

19. The school meets statutory requirements for the National Curriculum, religious education and collective worship. The national strategies for literacy and numeracy are well established in the school. Planning for the Foundation Stage has improved since the last inspection and now follows national guidance for teaching in this age group.

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Commentary

20. All the staff, with considerable parental help, offer a good range of extra-curricular clubs. They are well attended by both boys and girls of all ages. The school organises visits to local places of educational interest. These visits extend pupils’ learning well as they provide good links Dunham on Trent CE Primary School between work in class with life outside. They include visits to art galleries, sports events and technology exhibitions. Older pupils have a good opportunity to take part in a residential visit but the most recent one was cancelled because of staff absence.

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Commentary

21. Pupils’ personal, social and health education is most often taught through whole class discussions, called ‘Circle Time’. However, these lessons are not always successful because teachers do not give everyone an opportunity to speak. The school has purchased a programme of work for personal, social and health education, but, because of staff absence, this is not used. Sex and relationships education is taught through science and by the school nurse, but this provision is not systematic enough to ensure all pupils understand the issues involved. The school makes good use of a local drugs and substance awareness campaign to supplement science topics such as ‘healthy living and growth’.

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Commentary

22. The planning of individual topics is detailed and easy to follow. However, the organisation of which topics are to be taught to which age groups is unsatisfactory. It was well planned to meet the needs of pupils in previous years, but because Year 5 pupils are now in two different classes, the former planning is no longer effective. Teachers have made sound decisions on which topics to teach. For example, both older classes are teaching the Year 5 history topic ‘The Tudors’. This is suitable for the Year 5 pupils, but not for the Year 4 and Year 6 pupils in these classes who are being taught this same topic as well. These pupils are missing out on topics that should be taught to their age groups. In other instances, Year 5 pupils are taught Year 4 or Year 6 topics depending which class they are in. This means that some pupils are repeating topics the following year.

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Commentary

23. Teaching assistants are well qualified and experienced. They provide very good help for teaching staff. Some have considerable expertise with computers and provide very good help in these lessons. They provide good help for pupils with special educational needs and are able to explain to them clearly what is being taught. This enables these pupils to make good progress throughout the school in relation to their capabilities. They handle incidents of poor behaviour calmly and with great sensitivity.

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Commentary

24. With the exception of the Year 5 and 6 class, teachers have good subject knowledge to teach all aspects of the National Curriculum. Teachers in the Year 5 and 6 class are temporary and do not have enough expertise to teach the full range of the curriculum. They also have difficulties controlling the behaviour of a number of pupils in this class. This class is one quarter of the school and this means that the overall judgement is that there is an unsatisfactory match of teachers to the needs of the curriculum.

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Commentary

25. Classroom accommodation is sufficient and outside play areas are extensive. The hall is too small for some physical education lessons. This restricts what can be taught to older pupils in particular. A weakness in provision is that there is no separate outdoor play area for Foundation Stage children, which was a minor issue at the last inspection. Consequently, reception children do not have the opportunities they should have for outdoor learning. Resources are satisfactory - for physical education they are good. There has been a substantial improvement in the provision of all types of books and greater use is now made of the library. However, it is currently untidy and unappealing.

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Care, guidance and support

The school looks after the welfare, health and safety of its pupils well . The care, support and guidance given to pupils are good. The involvement of pupils in the work of the school is satisfactory.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Relationships are good as are the levels of care provided for pupils Dunham on Trent CE Primary School • Older children look after the younger ones very well • Most pupils are confident they can turn to an adult for help if needed • Parents appreciate the good care provided for their children; however, the supervision of outdoor play at lunchtime is unsatisfactory • Pupils’ views are not taken into account sufficiently

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Commentary

26. Staff know pupils well and relate well with them. The school has good procedures for first aid, child protection and other health and safety matters . The school has maintained its standards since the last inspection of providing high levels of care.

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Commentary

27. The school provides pupils with good advice and guidance. Pupils trust their teachers and know they can turn to them when needed. In their pre-inspection questionnaire, the majority of pupils indicated they would feel comfortable in turning to teachers for help and guidance. During the inspection, pupils regularly turned to teaching and non-teaching staff and asked questions about their work or other issues at play and lunchtimes. At the pre-inspection meeting for parents, it was clear that many parents appreciate the high levels of care, support and guidance that the school provides for their children. Procedures for introducing pupils to the reception class are good; parents are introduced to school procedures at a meeting with the headteacher, and children and their parents visit before children start school. As a result, children settle down very well. The high standards of care help pupils to feel safe at school and

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Commentary

28. The only weakness in this area is that during the inspection the supervision of outdoor play at lunchtime was unsatisfactory. Midday supervisors work hard and get on well with the pupils. However, only one supervisor was allocated to being outside and this would cause a problem of supervision if a child had an accident or became unwell. The midday supervisor then would have the dilemma of accompanying the unwell pupil into school and leaving the rest of the pupils unsupervised for a few minutes or sending in the unwell pupil with another child and continuing supervising the rest of the children. Either choice has problems associated with it.

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Commentary

29. The school does not provide enough opportunities for the views of pupils to be influential in improving school life. Pupils are expected to follow school procedures and rules. Their views about aspects of school are not sought in any formalised way and pupils are not involved enough in the running of aspects of their school.

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Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

The school's links with parents are good overall and links with other schools and the community are very good . However, not all information provided for parents meets statutory requirements.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Overall, the school provides information for parents that is of good quality; however, the governors’ annual report and the school prospectus do not meet statutory requirements • The school has good links with other schools and the community • Parents feel welcome in school; some help in school and on school visits • A significant number of parents are concerned about the provision for their children in the oldest class because of the long-term absence of those teachers

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Commentary

30. Overall, parents are satisfied with the school's provision for their children. Some provide good help in school on a regular basis; they assist with swimming, after school activities and on visits to places of interest. Many more help their children well at home. Parents feel welcome in school and are invited to assemblies and school productions. At the pre-inspection meeting, a Dunham on Trent CE Primary School few parents felt that the school could ask them for more help and were unsure that their views were taken into account. The acting headteacher is aware of these concerns and is taking good steps to respond positively to any concerns parents have.

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Commentary

31. However, during the long-term illness of the headteacher and deputy headteacher, some parents have become disturbed by the effect of a number of different supply teachers on their children’s education. Their greatest concern is about the quality of teaching and standards of behaviour in the Year 5 and 6 class. Inspectors have indicated that parents are right to be concerned about these issues because of the unsatisfactory teaching and learning taking place at present in this class.

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Commentary

32. The school provides parents with good information about their children's progress. Parents receive written annual reports, which are clear and helpful. They include the next steps in their children’s learning and provide parents and their children with an opportunity to reply to teachers. Regular meetings provide parents with good opportunities to discuss their children's progress with teachers. Regular newsletters keep parents well informed about events in school. The school prospectus and the governors’ annual report to parents are informative but lack some essential information and, because of this, do not meet statutory requirements.

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Commentary

33. The school has very good links with other schools and the local community. There are good links with the local secondary school and very good provision for pupils joining the school. Pupils transferring to the local secondary school attend an induction day to familiarise themselves with their new school. Teachers from the secondary school visit the pupils who are transferring to them. The school joins in activities with other local schools where issues of common concern to the headteachers are discussed. Local visitors, for example the vicar, the school nurse and the community policeman, visit regularly. The vicar is the chair of governors and regularly takes part in assemblies. Pupils entertain elderly people at Christmas and provide gifts at Harvest Time.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Overall, the leadership and management of the school are unsatisfactory . The acting headteacher is providing satisfactory leadership but the lack of subject co-ordinators due to long-term illness means that curriculum leadership is unsatisfactory . The management of the school is ineffective . The governance of the school is poor .

p.16

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The part-time acting headteacher is providing sound leadership for the school; the interim improvement plan provides a clear direction for the school • The governing body does not know the school well enough • Teaching and learning are not monitored and evaluated well enough • Teachers’ performance is not regularly reviewed

p.16

Main strengths and weaknesses

34. At the time of the inspection, the part-time acting headteacher had been at the school for only three weeks. In that short time, she has quickly gained the confidence of staff, governors, parents and pupils. She has successfully pulled the staff together into a team that is now beginning to work well. In consultation with staff and governors, she has produced a sound interim plan for improvement during the next few months. This identifies and attempts to remedy most of the main weaknesses in the school. However, actions stemming from the plan have not had a significant impact on the weaknesses because they have only just been introduced and have not had enough time to take effect.

p.16

Main strengths and weaknesses

35. The governing body is fully supportive of the school, its staff and the new part-time acting headteacher. Governors are very appreciative of the efforts everyone has made during the current difficult staffing situation. However, it contributes little to the direction of the school other Dunham on Trent CE Primary School than wanting ‘the best’ for the children. Governors do not visit the school often enough to gather sufficient first-hand information on which to assess the school’s strengths and weaknesses. Without this knowledge, governors are unable to contribute fully to their school improvement plan or the reasons why the budget is allocated to certain areas. Their role as a ‘critical friend’ to the school is also weak. For instance, they have not asked key questions about the achievement of pupils. They do not meet statutory requirements regarding information provided for parents in their annual report, in the school prospectus and the

p.16

Main strengths and weaknesses

provision of a review of the performance of teachers.

p.17

Main strengths and weaknesses

36. Since the last inspection, the work of subject co-ordinators has improved. Standards and teaching have been monitored to a satisfactory standard and weaknesses corrected. This, though, is not the case now. Because of the long-term absence of the headteacher and deputy headteacher, and the retirement of a third teacher, most subjects now do not have a subject co-ordinator. As part of the interim plan, the part-time acting headteacher has arranged for the key subjects of English, mathematics and science to be co-ordinated. This is a sensible action to take but, at the time of the inspection, these newly-appointed subject co-ordinators had not had time to carry out any of their roles. As a consequence, curriculum leadership is unsatisfactory.

p.17

Main strengths and weaknesses

37. A significant issue for curriculum leaders to tackle is to ensure that pupils in Years 4 to 6 receive their entitlement to the National Curriculum. This has occurred because the Year 5 group of pupils is split this year between both Years 4 and 6. Unless quick action is taken, pupils may duplicate work and thus make unsatisfactory progress.

p.17

Main strengths and weaknesses

38. Monitoring and evaluation of teaching and learning are unsatisfactory. The part-time acting headteacher has given advice to teachers about their teaching. This has been eagerly accepted by all teachers because they are all keen to do their best for the pupils and the school. However, she has not had enough time to bring about the major improvements in teaching and learning that are needed in the Year 5 and 6 class. Performance data from end- of-year tests and assessments had not been analysed and evaluated in sufficient depth to improve provision and teaching. For example, the differences in the achievement of boys and girls over the past three years have gone unnoticed by the school.

p.17

Main strengths and weaknesses

39. Financial planning is satisfactory overall. The budget is adequately linked to the school improvement plan and funds that are carried over at the end of the year are mainly allocated to long-term projects. Day-to-day financial management by the secretary is good and helps the school keep abreast of spending. The school seeks a number of quotations before making decisions about spending. This ensures that the best value for money is obtained. The following table shows in summary the budget for the past year. Because the school is small, expenditure per pupil is very high in national terms.

p.17

Main strengths and weaknesses

Financial information for the year April 2002 to March 2003

p.17

Main strengths and weaknesses

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 330,673 Balance from previous year 24,435 Total expenditure 316,047 Balance carried forward to the next 14,625 Expenditure per pupil 3,160 Dunham on Trent CE Primary School

p.17

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

40. Overall, provision is satisfactory and children’s achievement in the Foundation Stage is satisfactory . Improvement since the last inspection has also been satisfactory .

p.18

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

41. Attainment on entry has been below the local education average for a number of years. However, the attainment on entry of children currently in the reception class is average. The majority of children are likely to reach the nationally expected goals in all six areas of learning by the end of the reception year. Higher-attaining children will exceed these goals. Children with special educational needs achieve well and have positive attitudes towards school.

p.18

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

42. Teaching and learning are satisfactory overall. The teacher plans lessons carefully and teaches in a sensitive way. Children respond positively to this and learn well. However, the mixture of reception children and Year 1 pupils makes it difficult for the teacher. The literacy and numeracy lessons that are taught to the class are too long for the younger children.

p.18

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

43. The co-ordinator of the Foundation Stage was not in school during the inspection and so no overall judgement has been made about the leadership and management of this stage. There are good links with the local playgroup, which shares the school site, and this helps children settle quickly into school.

p.18

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision for pupils’ personal, social and emotional development is satisfactory .

p.18

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children co-operate with each other and share well • They have very positive attitudes to school and behave well towards each other and adults

p.18

Main strengths and weaknesses

44. Children are eager to come to school. They achieve satisfactorily and virtually all will reach the national targets in this area by the time they enter Year 1. They carry out small tasks well. For example, milk is given out and children respond politely using the words ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ when asking for and receiving milk. Children take pride in taking the register to the school office. They cooperate well with each other. For example, two girls worked well together making patterns with coloured pegs. Tasks and equipment are shared well. Children show their independence by choosing sensibly from a bag of physical education apparatus. They chose the correct sized ball to go with a bat. Most change for physical education lessons by themselves, politely requesting help for difficult buttons. The teaching of this area of learning is satisfactory.

p.18

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Provision for the development of pupils’ communication, language and literacy skills is satisfactory .

p.18

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Big books are used well to interest children in reading • Children learn to write clearly about many aspects of their lives • During long lessons children lose interest Dunham on Trent CE Primary School 45. Children’s achievement is satisfactory and the majority will reach the national goals by the time they enter Year 1. They are fully involved in most of the lesson, particularly enjoying sections of the stories they remember. They learn how to handle books, know that print conveys meaning and confidently name specific aspects of a book, such as the front cover and author. They learn letter sounds well. Higher-attaining pupils already read a few common words confidently.

p.18

Main strengths and weaknesses

46. Children answer questions using full sentences following the lead given to them by their teacher. They listen well, for instance, stopping when required in the hall, and take turns to speak, for instance when discussing a Bible story. Children’s early writing skills are promoted well. Children write in books either practising letter shapes or, with their teacher’s help, recording their thoughts. Some higher-attaining pupils already write for themselves, spelling common words correctly.

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

47. Teaching is satisfactory. Resources are used well to broaden children’s vocabulary. The teacher has high expectations of what children can do. She also expects them to behave well. The teaching assistant supports children with special educational needs particularly well. However, the children spend too long on the carpet listening to their teacher and some become restless. Literacy lessons are too long for the age of these reception children and they do not make as much progress as they should as a result.

p.19

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision for pupils’ mathematical development is satisfactory .

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Overall, children are learning about number well • Teaching of mathematical ideas does not always follow logically

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

48. Children’s achievement overall is satisfactory and the majority will reach the national target by the time they enter Year 1. Children have a good knowledge of number. Most already recognise, write and count confidently to five, with higher-attaining pupils working with numbers up to ten and beyond. They use larger numbers in conversation confidently, for example. ‘today is the fifteenth’. However, no difference is taught between counting one, two, three and so on from first, second, third and the like. This does not help children to make the connection between these two ways of ordering numbers. Flat shapes are recognised and named but little work has been done on length and capacity.

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

49. Whilst teaching is satisfactory overall, the analysis of children’s books showed that addition had been taught some weeks ago and later the children returned to the basic understanding of numbers up to ten. This happened because the class has had more than one teacher this term and the record-keeping system did not indicate what had been learned previously. This has meant that children have not achieved as much as they should have done.

p.19

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

50. No judgement has been made about the provision for the development of pupils’ knowledge and understanding of the world because only one lesson in this area, in information and communication technology, was observed during the inspection.

p.19

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

51. The teaching assistant is highly skilled with computers and helps the children well with them. Children have good opportunities to use computers. They manage the difficult roller-ball mouse on the laptop computers well. They create good patterns using a feature of an art program. They later filled the shapes with colours of their choice well. Dunham on Trent CE Primary School

p.19

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision for pupils’ physical development is satisfactory .

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Good opportunities are provided for cutting, working with pencils and using building blocks • Outdoor activities are not integrated fully into lessons • Physical education lessons do not provide children with enough opportunities to move by themselves

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

52. Children’s achievement is satisfactory. Children learn to use small tools and equipment accurately because they have good opportunities to practice these skills. Teaching is sound overall with the teacher having high expectations of what the children can do. She also expects them to behave very well. Children were inventive when asked to show different ways of moving in a physical education lesson and even began to combine movements with a partner. However, overall in physical education, children do not have enough opportunities to move around independently and try out different ways of moving.

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

53. Outdoor play is timetabled for use in a few lessons per week – it is not part of the learning in each lesson. The teaching assistant helps children well during outdoor play activities offering them a range of activities from riding a tricycle to playing with small balls. The lack of an outdoor area allocated to reception children slows down children’s physical development because they are not provided with enough opportunities for developing their physical skills.

p.20

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

54. No judgement has been made about provision for pupils’ creative development. No lessons were observed in this area.

p.20

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

55. Children enjoy creative activities. During the inspection, they enjoyed singing a song about buying cakes in mathematics or making quilts following an interesting story in English. Children’s use of pencils is not co-ordinated well so their illustrations when drawing pictures are rushed and lack detail. They have successfully mixed paints to make a skin tone with which to paint their faces.

p.20

ENGLISH

The quality of provision is unsatisfactory .

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards in Year 2 are now above average and pupils’ achieve well; teaching and learning in Years 2 and 3 are consistently good • Standards in Year 6 are now below average and pupils’ achievement is unsatisfactory; teaching and learning in Year 6 are unsatisfactory • Leadership and management are unsatisfactory • Improvement since the last inspection is unsatisfactory

p.20

Commentary

56. Standards overall are below average and pupils’ achievement is unsatisfactory. Standards in Year 6 are below average and pupils do not achieve well enough because the teaching is unsatisfactory overall. Teachers in Year 6 do not control pupils’ behaviour well enough. On the Dunham on Trent CE Primary School other hand, standards in Year 2 are above average and pupils achieve well because the teaching is consistently good.

p.20

Commentary

57. These judgements are very different from evidence of previous years. During the past three years, pupils’ attainment in the National Curriculum tests in Year 6 has been consistently well above average and most pupils have achieved well. This picture continued in the 2003 national tests with Year 6 pupils achieving very well and attaining results that are similar to previous years’. However, with small groups of pupils taking these tests, it is likely that the results will vary from year to year depending on what pupils are capable of. The current Year 6 pupils are not as capable as those from previous years and their standards are not as high as a consequence. In addition to this, teaching now is not as good as it was and the current Year 6 pupils are not achieving as much as they could. Standards in this year’s Year 6 class are too low. However, pupils with special educational needs in Year 6 achieve well because they

p.21

Commentary

receive good help in their work from teaching assistants.

p.21

Commentary

58. In previous years, standards in Year 2 have been variable but broadly average. Pupils’ achievement has been satisfactory. In the 2003 national tests, Year 2 pupils are likely to have attained below average results. This is because this was a small group of pupils and, overall, they were not as capable as those in previous years.

p.21

Commentary

59. Over the past few years, girls have achieved much better than boys in writing. The school has not done enough to identify why this is the case because the co-ordinator has not carried out a sufficiently detailed analysis of end-of-year test results.

p.21

Commentary

60. Inspection evidence indicates that in Year 2, pupils’ speaking and listening skills are above average. Pupils use a good range of vocabulary and usually answer questions in sentences. They rarely interrupt each other, listening well to others’ points of view. In Year 6, pupils speak clearly using good vocabulary but a significant minority of mainly boys are immature during question and answer sessions. They do not listen to others and call out regularly. Standards in speaking and listening in Year 6 are below expected levels.

p.21

Commentary

61. Year 2 pupils read well for their age. They use the school and local libraries well and receive regular encouragement in their reading both at home and in school. Most Year 6 pupils read clearly, but standards are below expected levels. Higher-attaining pupils read with expression and are interested in what they read. Average- and lower-attaining pupils are much less keen on reading, partly because they do not receive enough support from their teachers.

p.21

Commentary

62. By Year 2, most pupils’ writing is interesting, well ordered and usually well punctuated. Spelling of simple words is usually accurate and they have a good try at harder words. Standards are above expected levels. Few Year 6 pupils take pride in their work. They still use pencils for their writing instead of pen. They use both ends of their books for the two different teachers and this gives an untidy appearance to their books. Pupils are taught handwriting regularly, but this is not evident from the poorly presented work in many books. Standards are below expected levels.

p.21

Commentary

63. Overall, teaching and learning are unsatisfactory. They are consistently good in Years 2 and 3 and with the exception of the Year 5 and 6 class, they are satisfactory elsewhere in the school. In the Year 5 and 6 class, they are unsatisfactory. Good teaching is well prepared and involves pupils from the start of lessons. Teachers ask probing questions that are targeted to help individual pupils. This gives pupils at different levels of ability good opportunities to take part in lessons and helps raise their self-esteem as they give the correct answers. Activities are geared to pupils’ individual needs and explained well so that pupils can carry them out successfully. An inability to manage pupils’ behaviour and understand the individual needs of pupils are weaknesses in the unsatisfactory teaching. When pupils’ behaviour is not managed well enough, pupils are not motivated to give of their best during lessons and they do not

p.21

Commentary

achieve well. Dunham on Trent CE Primary School 64. Improvement since the last inspection has been unsatisfactory. Standards and achievement have improved in Year 2 but they have declined significantly in Year 6. The overall leadership and management of English are weak. However, the recent changes in subject co-ordinators amongst the permanent staff should help to provide better subject leadership.

p.21

Literacy and literacy across the curriculum

65. Overall, pupils have satisfactory opportunities to use their literacy skills in other subjects. Most use research skills in history topics well. For example, they use their knowledge of contents and indexes to books well to locate information they require. Different types of writing style are used in other subjects. For example, pupils write in a report style in science and write letters when imagining they were an evacuee in history. In these ways, literacy skills are used to research for information well and record findings using different styles of writing depending on the topic being recorded. However, the school has not developed the use of literacy skills in other subjects systematically enough.

p.22

MATHEMATICS

Provision in mathematics is unsatisfactory . This is a decline since the last inspection.

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

• In Year 2, pupils, including high- and low-attaining pupils, achieve well; pupils receive good help with their work when they are stuck • In Year 6, the work set for low-attaining pupils is too hard • Overall teaching and learning are unsatisfactory; some teachers do not expect pupils to complete hard enough work; marking does not consistently inform pupils what is good about their work and what they need to do to improve • Good use is made of mathematics in other subjects • Leadership and management are unsatisfactory

p.22

Commentary

66. Standards in the 2002 National Curriculum tests for Year 6 pupils were well above average when compared with all schools and in the top 5 per cent when compared with similar schools. Standards in the 2003 tests were much lower than this. This is because these pupils were not as capable as those from the previous year. When in Year 2, these pupils were below average in mathematics. Since that time, through sound teaching they achieved satisfactorily but their performance was still below average. However, these same pupils attained standards in English that were well above average in 2003 and, with focused revision on areas of weakness immediately before the national tests, the school expected them to reach higher standards than they did. Standards in the 2002 tests for Year 2 pupils were well below average when compared with all schools and similar schools. Through good teaching, standards rose

p.22

Commentary

in the 2003 tests when all pupils achieved the nationally expected level and two out of eleven pupils achieved the higher level.

p.22

Commentary

67. Evidence from the inspection indicates that standards at the end of Year 2 are at expected levels. Pupils, including those that are high- and low-attaining, achieve well in Year 2. The work set for them makes them think hard in relation to what they are capable of and they receive good help when they are stuck from their teacher and teaching assistant. Standards in Year 6 are below average. Pupils in Year 6 do not achieve well overall; some work set for high- attaining pupils is too easy for them and that for low-attaining pupils, including those with special educational needs, too hard. Work set for other pupils is sometimes not explained well enough and they make too many mistakes because they do not understand what they are doing. These pupils are not achieving well at present. Dunham on Trent CE Primary School 68. Teaching and learning are unsatisfactory overall because they lack sufficient challenge. In Year

p.22

Commentary

2 and 3, the teacher holds high expectations of what pupils can achieve and this helps them achieve well. Some lessons are planned imaginatively and include interesting activities. For example, during a warm-up start to a lesson in Years 4 and 5, pupils competed in teams to answer multiplication and division sums from the board. Pupils, especially the boys, were captivated by this activity and took part in it eagerly thus helping them consolidate their times tables. A more general strength is that teachers and their assistants give pupils good help when they are stuck and this helps them to learn well.

p.23

Commentary

69. However, teaching and learning are not always as positive as this. In some classes, teachers do not always set work for pupils that is at the right level; sometimes the work is too easy for high-attaining pupils and too hard for low-attaining pupils, including those with special educational needs. For example, teaching assistants have to explain tasks carefully to some low-attaining pupils to enable them to carry out what is required of them; some high-attaining pupils know already how to carry out tasks asked of them and waste their time repeating what they already know. On occasions, other pupils do not understand fully what they have to do. Sometimes, pupils are asked to carry out too many sums at the same level. They become bored with this repetition and do not achieve as much as they should. The management of behaviour is not effective in some lessons and some pupils distract others by their immature

p.23

Commentary

behaviour as they interrupt their teacher and their classmates. On these occasions, pupils do not achieve as much as they should. With a few exceptions, teachers do not mark pupils’ work to indicate what is good about it and what they need to do to improve.

p.23

Commentary

70. Leadership and management are unsatisfactory because of staff absence. During the past few weeks, the acting headteacher has sensibly rearranged the responsibilities of the permanent teachers in order to allocate a co-ordinator for the subject. Previous to this, the former co- ordinator was on long-term sick leave. The new co-ordinator, who held this responsibility just over a year ago, has not had time to identify the present strengths and weaknesses in mathematics and help raise standards. For example, end-of-year national tests have not been analysed to identify what pupils know and do not know. The co-ordinator previously devised a useful system of recording pupils’ progress though the National Curriculum. This has the potential to provide teachers with good information for setting learning targets for groups of pupils.

p.23

Mathematics across the curriculum

71. Mathematics is used effectively in other subjects. For example, in a science lesson, pupils in Years 2 and 3 measured parts of their bodies when gathering data about growth. This enabled them to see how parts of their bodies vary in size when compared with those of their classmates. They measured force in newtons, used block graphs to record data about the properties of materials, such as clay, wood and jumpers and calculated averages during their investigations. In information and communication lessons, pupils enter data on computers so that it can be collated and analysed ready for use in, for instance, science and geography lessons.

p.23

SCIENCE

Provision in science is unsatisfactory . This is a decline since the last inspection.

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards in Year 2 have improved from the previous year and high- and low-attaining pupils achieve well • Teaching and learning in Year 2 are good; good help is given to pupils when they are stuck • Standards in Year 6 have declined from the previous year and pupils do not achieve well Dunham on Trent CE Primary School • Teaching and learning in Year 6 are unsatisfactory; expectations of pupils’ achievements are not high enough • There are good links to numeracy • Leadership and management are unsatisfactory

p.23

Commentary

72. Standards in the 2002 National Curriculum tests for pupils in Year 6 were well above average. Standards in the 2003 tests were average. This is much lower than they have been for a number of years. Nonetheless, in spite of this, this represents satisfactory achievement since these pupils were in Year 2. This is because the teaching during Years 3 to 6 has been satisfactory. The school was disappointed with these results because they expected higher results had the last minute revision for the tests been carried out focusing on the main areas of weaknesses of these pupils. This was because their regular teacher was absent a few weeks prior to the tests and the supply teacher did not know the pupils’ weaknesses well enough in order to carry out such focused revision. Standards in the 2003 tests for Year 2 pupils improved from the previous year because of the good teaching they received. All pupils

p.24

Commentary

achieved the nationally expected level in these tests.

p.24

Commentary

73. Inspection evidence indicates that standards in Year 6 are below average. This is because the teaching and learning are unsatisfactory. Teachers’ expectations of pupils’ achievement are too low; pupils at all levels of ability are set work that is too easy for them and they do not make the progress they should as a result. Standards in Year 2 are at expected levels and pupils achieve well. This is especially the case with high- and low-attaining pupils who receive good help from their teacher and teaching assistant. This helps pupils learn well because they are helped to carry out their tasks accurately when they are stuck. A strength of the science teaching is the good links that are made between science and numeracy. Teaching and learning are good in Year 2. This leads to these pupils making good progress and achieving well.

p.24

Commentary

74. A temporary co-ordinator for science had been appointed a few weeks before the inspection because of the long-term absence of the permanent co-ordinator. This was a sensible decision to make but the co-ordinator has not had time to influence standards and teaching before the inspection. As a result, leadership and management at the time of the inspection were unsatisfactory. The school has not identified the strengths and weaknesses in science to improve standards.

p.24

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Provision in information and communication technology is good.

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Most pupils achieve well • Teaching and learning are mainly good • Teachers and some teaching assistants have good expertise in using computers; good use is made of computers in other subjects • Some laptops do not work properly • Pupils’ work is not assessed well enough

p.24

Commentary

75. Standards in information and communication technology are at expected levels in Years 2 to 5. Standards in Year 1 are above expected levels. No evidence was available to judge standards in Year 6. Most pupils are keen to work with computers and achieve well. Dunham on Trent CE Primary School 76. Teaching and learning in information and communication technology are good overall. Teachers and some teaching assistants have good expertise in teaching computer skills. They help pupils well when they are stuck and this helps them improve. Lessons are well planned and prepared; the school’s laptop computers are fully charged and ready for use at the appropriate time in lessons. However, some laptop computers do not always work properly and this frustrates pupils and slows down their learning.

p.24

Commentary

77. At the time of the inspection, the co-ordinator was on long-term sick leave. Leadership and management are satisfactory overall. The school follows national guidance for the teaching of information and communication technology and this provides a secure basis for planning; planning is good. However, the school does not assess and record pupils’ learning well enough in the subject.

p.25

Information and communication technology across the curriculum

78. Good use is made of computers when teaching other subjects. For example, in geography, pupils in Years 4 and 5 entered data on a spreadsheet to produce block graphs and pie charts of where pupils at the school live. In art and design in Years 1 to 3, pupils used a program to draw and colour repeating patterns. In science in Years 2 and 3, pupils entered data to find out how many of them had blue eyes and brown hair. Using computers in this way adds significantly to learning in other subjects by enabling pupils to look at data visually.

p.25

HUMANITIES

79. Lack of evidence means that no judgements are made about the quality of provision in geography or history. One lesson in geography and one in history were observed. School planning was also analysed. The subject co-ordinators were on long-term sick leave during the inspection.

p.25

HUMANITIES

80. Good links were made to mathematics during the geography lesson observed as pupils calculated the cost of a journey to the shops as well as products they sold. Pupils enjoyed working from a real-life context and concentrated well throughout the lesson. The history lesson was spoilt by the inappropriate behaviour of a group of older pupils. They disturbed the lesson by interrupting the teacher by calling out answers during the whole class teaching about Tudors. The planning of topics for geography and history is satisfactory throughout parts of the school but unsatisfactory in Years 4 to 6. The current Year 5 pupils are split between two classes with one group following the Year 6 topics and the other the Year 4 topics. Next year, when in Year 6, these pupils will follow the Year 5 topics. This means that the group following the Year 4 topics this year will not have completed the Year 6 topics by the time they leave the

p.25

HUMANITIES

school. This is unsatisfactory. In addition, the school does not know how well pupils are doing in geography and history because they do not assess pupils’ attainment in these subjects well enough.

p.25

Religious education

Provision in religious education is unsatisfactory. This is a decline since the previous inspection.

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards in Year 6 are below expected levels and pupils’ achievement is unsatisfactory • Pupils do not produce enough written work in religious education

p.25

Commentary

81. Standards in Year 1 are at the levels expected in the local education authority’s agreed syllabus and pupils make satisfactory progress in the subject. Pupils in Year 6 are not set hard Dunham on Trent CE Primary School enough work and they do not achieve as well as they should. Standards in Year 6 are below expected levels. Pupils in this class are not given enough opportunities to learn from the religious practices and stories about which they learn. This is not the case in the Year 4 and 5 class where pupils are given good opportunities to apply what they learn from religions to their own lives. Overall, pupils are not given enough opportunities to consolidate their learning in religious education by writing down what they are being taught; too often pupils are set easy tasks like drawing or colouring during religious education lessons. Such tasks are largely a waste of time as they do not consolidate pupils’ learning well enough. The school teaches the

p.25

Commentary

agreed syllabus as required by statute, but does not know how well pupils are doing because no assessment of their work takes place. Leadership and management of the subject are unsatisfactory.

p.26

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

82. Lack of evidence means that no judgements about the quality of provision in art and design, design and technology and music were made. No lessons were observed in these subjects.

p.26

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

83. Displays of pupils’ work in art and design indicate that teachers make good links between art and poetry in the ‘foil art’ and ‘concrete poetry’ displays. In Year 2, pictures of portraits in the style of Van Gogh are of good quality and show that many pupils are developing sound skills in the use of brushes. Pupils in Year 1 have experimented well with colour mixing to get suitable skin tones for their portraits. Art and design makes a good contribution to pupils’ cultural development through visits to galleries and sculpture parks. During these visits, pupils learn about the work of other artists as well as learning artistic techniques themselves. An artist has visited the school and worked with pupils to produce some attractive work on weaving withy twigs. This has broadened pupils’ understanding of styles and techniques in art.

p.26

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

84. Topic planning for art and design and design and technology is sound in most classes, but not for pupils in Year 5. Similar comments about the unsatisfactory arrangements for Year 5 pupils in geography and history apply to art and design and design and technology. As with geography and history, the school does not know how well pupils are doing in art and design, design and technology and music because no assessments of pupils’ achievement in these subjects are carried out.

p.26

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

85. Pupils’ singing in assemblies is tuneful and enthusiastic. The school uses a sound music syllabus that provides non-specialist teachers with some good ideas for their teaching. However, some teachers have difficulty planning work at the correct levels that builds on what pupils already know. Pupils are offered good opportunities to learn to play musical instruments because of the specialist teaching provided by the local education authority.

p.26

Physical education

The quality of provision is satisfactory in the range of activities inspected.

p.26

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school has a good selection of resources for physical education • The school has received the national award, Activemark • The school provides a good range of out-of-school clubs and activities • Good opportunities are provided for pupils to learn to swim in all classes and standards in swimming are good • The hall is too small for many physical education lessons, especially for older pupils

p.26

Main strengths and weaknesses

86. The school offers pupils a good range of physical activities and has recently received the national award of Activemark in recognition of this. Overall, standards are at expected levels in Years 2 and 6. This is similar to standards at the last inspection. Pupils attend swimming Dunham on Trent CE Primary School lessons in all classes, and many pupils swim very well. Pupils in Year 2 work enthusiastically in gymnastics. They have good physical control for their age and link up a series of different movements well. Year 6 pupils have a good understanding of the rules of games.

p.26

Main strengths and weaknesses

87. Teaching and learning are satisfactory. Teachers encourage pupils to achieve their best and most pupils rise to this challenge. Teachers raise pupils’ self-esteem by asking some to demonstrate the skills they are learning, such as rugby passing in Years 4 and 5. This gives other pupils good opportunities to learn how they can improve their own skills. Pupils in Years 2 and 3 are well aware of safety in the hall because the teacher emphasises this well in lessons. Regular swimming lessons from qualified instructors, with good help provided by the teaching assistant, quickly get the youngest pupils confident in the water. A wide range of out-of-school clubs and activities are provided. These include football, netball, basketball and hockey.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

88. Leadership and management are unsatisfactory. The subject co-ordinator has recently retired and there is no subject co-ordinator at present. There is a good supply of resources. However, teachers do not know how well individual pupils are doing because they do not assess their performances well enough and build on them in future lessons. The hall is not big enough for lessons using large apparatus or indoor games.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

89. Lack of evidence means that no judgements about provision in personal, social and health education can be made. The school sensibly teaches personal, social and health education in each class. A new programme of work has been purchased and introduced during the last year. It is too early to judge how effective this is until it has been taught for a longer period of time. This programme sensibly includes a period of reflection during ‘Circle Time’ on issues that most affect pupils. Pupils benefit also from being part of the healthy schools initiative in that they drink water when they need to do so and younger pupils are part of the national fruit scheme. Older pupils are introduced by the school nurse to an important programme of sex and relationships education, and by a police officer to a programme on the effects of drugs misuse. These are valuable complements to the school’s provision in these areas.

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The overall effectiveness of the school 5 How inclusive the school is 4 How the school’s effectiveness has changed since its last inspection 4 Value for money provided by the school 5

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Overall standards achieved 5 Pupils’ achievement 5

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities 4 Attendance 4 Attitudes 4 Behaviour, including the extent of exclusions 5 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 4

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The quality of education provided by the school 5 The quality of teaching 5 How well pupils learn 5 The quality of assessment 5 How well the curriculum meets pupils needs 4 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 4 The effectiveness of the school’s links with parents 3 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 5 The governance of the school 6 The leadership of the headteacher 4 The leadership of other key staff 5 The effectiveness of management 5

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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). Dunham on Trent CE Primary School

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