East-the-Water Community Primary School

East-the-Water Community Primary School

Dates of inspection: 22 nd – 25 th September 2003

p.1

East-the-Water Community Primary School

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

p.1

East-the-Water Community 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. East-the-Water Community Primary School - 3

p.2

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Primary School category: Community Age range of pupils: 3 – 11 Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll; 250

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Mines Road Bideford Devon Postcode: EX39 4BZ

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: 01237 475178 Fax number: 01237 423439

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body Name of chair of governors: Mrs Pam Webster

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 8 th October 2001

p.3

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

This average-sized primary school serves a community of mixed private and rented housing in North Devon. Many pupils have left over the last two years and numbers on roll are falling. Almost all pupils are white, and none use English as an additional language. The percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals is above average, reflecting some characteristics of social deprivation. Children’s attainment on entry to the nursery is below average, and several children have poor communication skills. Children’s attainment on entry to the reception class is lower than average in most aspects of their development. Over the whole school, an average percentage of pupils have special educational needs, but the percentage with a statement of special educational needs is higher than average because the school has a special unit for pupils with hearing impairment, known as the Hearing Support Centre. At present six

p.3

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

pupils attend this unit, which can accept up to ten pupils from all over North Devon. In the main school the special needs cover a wide range of difficulties, mostly to do with learning and behaviour problems. East-the-Water Community Primary School - 4

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

p.4

INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

21378 Mrs Jean Harding Lead inspector Special educational needs English Art and design History Music 31754 Mrs Charlotte Roberson Lay inspector 10611 Mr Martin James Team inspector The Foundation Stage curriculum Science Religious education Design and technology Physical education 29424 Mrs Vivienne Stone Team inspector English as an additional language Mathematics Information and communication technology Geography Personal, social and health education 32055 Mr Glan Davies Team inspector The work of the unit for pupils with hearing impairment

p.4

INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Juniper House 23 Abbots View Abbotswood Cinderford Gloucestershire GL14 3EG

p.4

INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

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.oftsed.gov.uk). East-the-Water Community Primary School - 5

p.4

PART B: COMMENTARY ON THE MAIN INSPECTION FINDINGS

Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

p.5

PART B: COMMENTARY ON THE MAIN INSPECTION FINDINGS

QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 12-16

p.5

PART B: COMMENTARY ON THE MAIN INSPECTION FINDINGS

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

p.5

PART B: COMMENTARY ON THE MAIN INSPECTION FINDINGS

PROVISION FOR PUPILS IN THE HEARING SUPPORT CENTRE 19-20

p.5

SUBJECTS IN KEY STAGES 1 AND 2

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS 33 East-the-Water Community Primary School - 6

p.5

OVERALL EVALUATION

The school provides a poor quality of education for its pupils and gives poor value for money. Pupils’ learning is unsatisfactory due to the unsatisfactory teaching, and so their achievements are unsatisfactory. Pupils demonstrate well below average standards in English, mathematics and science, and generally have standards that are below national expectations in other subjects. The curriculum is unsatisfactory due to the poor quality of the leadership and management.

p.6

OVERALL EVALUATION

The school’s main strengths and weaknesses 1 :

p.6

OVERALL EVALUATION

• Standards in English, mathematics and science are well below average by the time pupils leave the school, and pupils’ achievement is, at best, unsatisfactory, and sometimes it is poor. • Standards in most other subjects, including religious education, are below those expected. • The leadership is unsatisfactory and the management is poor at all levels, except of the Hearing Support Centre and the Foundation Stage. 2 • The teaching is satisfactory in the nursery and reception classes, but there are serious weaknesses in the teaching in the rest of the school, which are affecting pupils’ learning. • Apart from that provided in the Foundation Stage, the curriculum is unsatisfactory and its weak planning is affecting the teaching, especially that for pupils with special educational needs and for more able pupils. • The school is not efficient and although it has plenty of money for each pupil this is often wasted.

p.6

OVERALL EVALUATION

• In the Hearing Support Centre the quality of education, including the teaching, is very good, and so the pupils who have hearing impairment achieve very well. • Exclusions, although falling, are still at a very high level. • A significant number of parents are critical of the school and are taking their children away.

p.6

OVERALL EVALUATION

There has been very little improvement since the previous inspection. Some good improvement has been made to pupils’ behaviour, but it is still only just satisfactory. Although some satisfactory improvements have been made to standards in English and mathematics in Years 1 and 2, these have not been enough. Standards in English and mathematics in Years 3 to 6 have not improved. The very weak overall standards have not improved, and in some subjects standards are worse. Pupils’ achievement is unsatisfactory. Most of the key issues for action identified at the previous inspection have hardly been addressed, and so the inconsistencies in the quality of teaching remain. Some aspects of the school appear to have got worse, and many other weaknesses, noted in 2001, have not been improved.

p.6

In accordance with section 13(7) of the School Inspections Act 1996, I am of the opinion, and

HMCI agrees, that special measures are required in relation to this school.

p.6

STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Children start in reception with below average skills and understanding. Most children do not achieve the goals that they are expected to reach by the end of reception, but many demonstrate average skills in physical and creative development, and in personal, social and emotional development. The children in the nursery make faster progress in acquiring skills, knowledge and understanding than those in the reception class.

p.6

STANDARDS ACHIEVED

The overall standards achieved by pupils in Years 1 and 2 are below those expected Standards are well below average in speaking and listening, writing and science, and below average in reading and mathematics. Standards are below expectations in all other subjects, except physical education in which

p.6

STANDARDS ACHIEVED

1 The strengths and weaknesses are listed in order of significance.

p.6

STANDARDS ACHIEVED

2 The Foundation Stage caters for children from the age of three to the end of the reception year. East-the-Water Community Primary School - 7 pupils achieve as expected for their age. In 2002 pupils at the end of Year 2 did much worse in the national tests in English, mathematics and science than pupils from similar schools. Results are better in 2003, especially in writing and mathematics, and this is encouraging. The achievement of pupils at the end of Year 2 is unsatisfactory overall.

p.6

STANDARDS ACHIEVED

all schools similar schools Results in National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 6, compared with: 2000 2001 2002 2002 English E* E E E Mathematics E E E* E* Science E* E E* E* Key: A – well above average; B – above average; C – average; D – below average; E – well below average Similar schools are those whose pupils attained similarly at the end of Year 2.

p.7

STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Pupils’ achievement in Years 3 to 6 is poor and standards are well below average overall. Standards are well below average in English, mathematics and science, and, at best, below average in most other subjects. Results in the national tests from 1999 to 2002 have been consistently well below both the national average and the average for similar schools. In 2002 the results for mathematics and science were amongst the lowest five per cent of schools in the country. Results in 2003 hardly improved. Standards in information and communication technology, art and design, and religious education are below those expected. Standards in physical education are as expected.

p.7

STANDARDS ACHIEVED

The pupils in the Hearing Support Centre achieve very well, but in the rest of the school pupils’ achievement is unsatisfactory overall except in physical education in which it is satisfactory. The achievements of boys, pupils with special educational needs, and more able pupils are of concern, as is often the case nationally, as these pupils are not given work that is appropriate to their needs.

p.7

STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Pupils’ personal development is satisfactory. The provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is satisfactory overall, but their cultural development is unsatisfactory. Most pupils have satisfactory attitudes to school and their behaviour is satisfactory, but there are worrying variations in these. Attendance is satisfactory.

p.7

Support Centre, where it is very good, and in the Foundation Stage, where it is satisfactory,

teaching is unsatisfactory. The planning of lessons is not good enough to ensure suitable work for pupils of all abilities and assessment is not used properly. Teachers have low expectations, and time and resources are not used well. The positive relationships mean that behaviour in class is generally satisfactory. Pupils’ learning is unsatisfactory; they produce very little written work and find it hard to work on their own. They are lacking in basic skills, and they do not have enough chance to practise those that they have acquired.

p.7

Support Centre, where it is very good, and in the Foundation Stage, where it is satisfactory,

Except in the Foundation Stage and the Hearing Support Centre, the curriculum is unsatisfactory. It is not balanced, and pupils receive insufficient teaching in several subjects, including religious education. There is a satisfactory range of extra-curricular activities. Apart from one aspect of safety, pupils receive satisfactory care and support. Induction arrangements for children in the Foundation Stage are good. The school does not do enough to canvass pupils’ views on the running of the school and then address the issues raised. A significant number of pupils is dissatisfied with the school. The school has satisfactory links with parents, overall, but does not do enough to deal with their justifiable complaints. Links with the community are satisfactory.

p.7

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The leadership and management are poor overall . The leadership is unsatisfactory. The headteacher has vision but has not established conditions that can realise this. There has been no deputy headteacher for a long time. The management is poor at all levels of the school, except for the East-the-Water Community Primary School - 8 Hearing Support Centre and the Foundation Stage. Staff have few management skills. Development planning is extensive but lacks clarity and rigour in prioritising and pursuing areas for improvement. The management role of the curriculum co-ordinators is unsatisfactory and it is poor in science and the non- core subjects 3 , where staff have almost no knowledge of standards across the school. The monitoring and evaluation of teaching and standards are unrealistic and have not led to the necessary improvements. Financial management is unsatisfactory. The school is not run well by the governors and

p.7

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

some statutory requirements are not met. The governors are supportive but do not know what is going on in many aspects of the school and are not aware of the many weaknesses. They have not ensured best value for money and rising standards.

p.8

PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

A significant number of parents are unhappy with the school. Most parents feel that it has improved recently, but that it should be better. They say that it is a calmer place. They think that teachers work hard, but are over-stretched. They are critical about the communication and feel that they should be consulted more. A significant number feel that difficult issues are not well addressed by the headteacher. They like the way that pupils from the Hearing Support Centre are integrated.

p.8

PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Pupils are generally satisfied, but a significant number have complaints about the school. They feel that the bullying and bad behaviour have improved over the last year. They feel that behaviour of other pupils is generally satisfactory, but that those who misbehave should be punished more severely. They think that they are treated fairly and are cared for well. They know who to turn to if they are sick or worried. Most pupils like school, but a significant number are bored and would rather be elsewhere.

p.8

IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

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

p.8

IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

• Raise the standards in all subjects, but especially in English, mathematics and science. • Ensure that pupils of all abilities are given appropriate work so that each can achieve their best. • Devise effective systems and structures to ensure better planning, monitoring and evaluation of the standards, the curriculum, teaching and learning. • Improve the teaching and hence pupils’ learning. • Improve the management at all levels. • Be more realistic about the strategic planning and concentrate on the most important issues. • Improve the effectiveness of the governing body. • Listen to, and take more account of, the views of parents and pupils. • Continue to reduce the number of exclusions;

p.8

IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

• Devise an appropriate policy to ensure racial harmony in the school. • Ensure that all pupils take part in an act of collective worship every day. • Ensure that sufficient information to parents is given in the prospectus and governors’ annual report to parents; this was pointed out two years ago. • Ensure that pupils with special educational needs are provided with work that is appropriate to their needs.

p.8

IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

3 The non-core subjects are those other than English, mathematics and science. East-the-Water Community Primary School - 9

p.8

Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

Standards are well below average in core subjects by the time the pupils leave the school . Standards in most other subjects are below those expected. Pupils’ achievement is unsatisfactory overall. Pupils are starting to make better progress in English and mathematics through Years 1 and 2, but this is not yet secure. Pupils’ achievement is very good in the Hearing Support Centre, and satisfactory in the Foundation Stage. Pupils’ achievement is unsatisfactory in Years 1 and 2, and poor in Years 3 to 6.

p.9

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards in English, mathematics and science are particularly low by the time pupils leave the school; pupils’ achievement in Years 1 and 2 is unsatisfactory, and it is poor in Years 3 to 6. • Standards in information and communication technology, art and design and religious education are below expectations, and pupils’ achievement is unsatisfactory. • Standards are generally well below expectations in speaking and listening in Years 1 to 6, and this is affecting pupils’ progress in other subjects. • The achievement of pupils with special educational needs and those who are more able is unsatisfactory, and the school is unaware of this. • The achievement of pupils with hearing impairment who attend the Hearing Support Centre is very good. • Standards in some subjects are lower than they were reported to be at the previous inspection.

p.9

The Foundation Stage

1. Achievement is satisfactory, overall, for the children in the nursery and reception classes. Children start at the school with below average skills in important areas, such as personal and social development, communication, language and literacy, and in mathematical development. They make good progress in acquiring satisfactory personal and social skills and their achievement is satisfactory in other aspects of the curriculum, because of the satisfactory, and sometimes good, teaching.

p.9

Key Stage 1 4

2. Pupils’ achievements are unsatisfactory through Years 1 and 2, and so their standards are not as high as they could be. Higher grades in reading, writing and mathematics were obtained in the end of Year 2 National Curriculum tests in 2003, and this positive improvement is encouraging. This is because the school has recently put a big emphasis on writing and mathematics, and this has had a beneficial impact on the results that all pupils achieve. However, some improvements are small. Also, being only one year, and with a change of staff, these improvements cannot be considered secure; the work seen in writing and mathematics of pupils in Year 2 last year does not support a judgement of sufficient improvement. Very few pupils produce writing at a higher level, and this pulls down the overall results. Given the low standards achieved by pupils as they join Year 1 from reception, pupils’ progress is not good enough for them to achieve as they should. Standards in

p.9

Key Stage 1 4

science are low, and in information and communication technology and religious education they are below average. There was insufficient evidence to judge standards in art and design as there is almost no work from last year to see and no records are kept. Standards in physical education are average.

p.9

Key Stage 1 4

4 Key Stage 1, sometimes referred to as the infants, caters for pupils aged between 5 and 7 and refers to pupils who are in Years 1 and 2. East-the-Water Community Primary School - 10 Standards in national tests at the end of Year 2 – average point scores in 2002 5

p.9

Key Stage 1 4

Standards in: School results National results Reading 12.8 (13.5) 15.8 (15.7)

p.10

Key Stage 1 4

There were 39 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year.

p.10

Key Stage 2 6

3. Pupils’ achievements are poor through Years 3 to 6. Standards in English, mathematics and science in Years 3 to 6 are well below average. For the four years from 1999 to 2002 the National Curriculum test results were well below average, even in comparison with similar schools, and often very low. Standards have gone down since the last inspection, whereas the national trend has been one of improvement. The statistics are affected by the number of pupils that had been taken away by their parents. But the main factor in the poor achievement is the unsatisfactory teaching and, to some extent the unsatisfactory curriculum provided. For 2003 the results are better for pupils at the end of Year 2 but show little improvement for pupils at the end of Year 6. The targets for 2004 are ambitious considering the level at which the pupils are working at present.

p.10

Key Stage 2 6

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

p.10

Key Stage 2 6

Standards in: School results National results English 23.9 (23.9) 27.0 (27.0) Mathematics 22.3 (23.6) 26.7 (26.6) Science 24.4 (25.8) 28.3 (28.3) There were 49 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year.

p.10

Key Stage 2 6

4. The progress of pupils currently in Years 4, 5 and 6 has been particularly poor, as they have not had good enough teaching. The headteacher is aware of this. As teachers have not produced satisfactory individual education plans for pupils with special educational needs, and the targets identified on these are often not considered when planning work for these pupils, the achievements of pupils with problems are unsatisfactory, and sometimes poor. The pupils who are more able, and especially those who have been identified with higher ability and/or talent by the school, are not getting a fair deal; almost no special work is given to them and so their achievements are poor.

p.10

Key Stage 2 6

5. The low standards and pupils’ unsatisfactory achievements in non-core subjects, including religious education, are caused by unsatisfactory teaching, based on an unsatisfactory curriculum and unsatisfactory management of the subjects. Unsatisfactory provision for these is a cause for concern, as standards in many subjects were not identified as weak at the previous inspection, and lack of attention has caused this deterioration. Pupils have average standards in physical education because they join the school with satisfactory skills, the teaching and the curriculum for this subject are satisfactory, and there is a lot of time devoted to physical education. Insufficient time is devoted to other subjects such as history, geography, design and technology and music, and with so little work done, the evidence seen indicates that standards are below average.

p.10

Key Stage 2 6

6. Most parents think that their children are making satisfactory progress; parents are especially pleased with the improvements in mathematics, but the inspectors think that improvement, in Years 3 to 6, is not as good as parents suggest. However, a significant number of parents consider that

p.10

Key Stage 2 6

5 Average Points Scores. The average points scores table compares the school’s performance with the national results. The calculations are arrived at by using the total of all test scores gained by pupils, and dividing the total by the number of pupils with a test result. This calculation is carried out for each subject tested. 6 Key Stage 2, sometimes referred to as the juniors, caters for pupils aged between 7 and 11 and refers to pupils who are in Years 3 to 6. East-the-Water Community Primary School - 11 pupils with special educational needs and those who are more able are not well served by the school, and they are right. Pupils think they are doing alright, but several expressed disappointment that they were reading books that were too easy.

p.10

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Pupils' personal development is satisfactory. Attendance is satisfactory. Pupils’ attitudes and behaviour are satisfactory overall. Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is satisfactory.

p.11

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The attitudes and behaviour of most pupils are now satisfactory, which is a big improvement since the previous inspection. • There has been a high level of exclusions. • Children in the Foundation Stage make good gains in their personal, social and emotional development. • Acts of collective worship provide good input to pupils’ moral and spiritual development. • The overall lack of stimulation provided for pupils in their learning means that a significant number do not like school. • Pupils have limited knowledge and understanding of other cultures, because the curriculum is not planned well enough.

p.11

Commentary

7. The behaviour of the majority of pupils is satisfactory, and discussions with pupils show that they feel that this is much improved. Many report that bullying was a common occurrence in the past, but that it is now much reduced. When it does happen, it is dealt with quickly by members of staff. Some pupils think that others get away with bad behaviour. Pupils generally work and play sensibly together, both in class and when they move around the school. The 'Values Curriculum' is applied, in most cases, consistently and effectively. However, the school still has a number of disruptive pupils, but teachers’ response to friendly chatter in classes is sometimes a bit harsh. The exclusion rate, although much reduced, is still very high. The behaviour of the children in the nursery and reception classes is consistently good.

p.11

Commentary

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

p.11

Commentary

Categories used in the Annual School Census No of pupils on roll Number of fixed period exclusions Number of permanent exclusions White – British 225 23 1 White – any other White background 2 0 0 Chinese 1 0 0 Any other ethnic group 4 0 0 No ethnic group recorded 1 0 0 The table gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

p.11

Commentary

8. Pupils’ attitudes to work are satisfactory, overall, but on occasions some pupils show no great interest in providing contributions in lessons. This is because, in a number of classes, teachers tend to ask for answers from the same pupils, and they do not actively seek to involve everyone. When work activities are allocated, few opportunities are usually provided for pupils to develop their interest by taking the responsibility for their own learning. In such circumstances, the teachers fail to stimulate in all pupils a real desire to learn. When given suitably stimulating and interesting opportunities, however, many pupils are keen to learn. The improvement in pupils’ attitudes is a major factor in the small improvement to pupils’ achievement in Years 1 and 2. East-the-Water Community Primary School - 12 9. Most pupils are happy in school. They feel that it is a better place to be than it was a couple of

p.11

Commentary

years ago. They mostly think that they are treated fairly. A significant number do not like school and are concerned about their treatment. Few expressed any major interest in lessons.

p.12

Commentary

10. Although the promotion of pupils’ personal development is rarely formally planned, there is satisfactory input made for their spiritual, moral and social development. The school assemblies are pleasant and thought-provoking occasions, enjoyed by staff and pupils alike. However, not enough is done in the school to develop pupils' understanding of ethnic and religious diversity, and history, geography and religious education make an inadequate contribution to this area.

p.12

Commentary

Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

p.12

Commentary

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data: 4.9 School data : 0.7 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.

p.12

Commentary

11. Attendance is satisfactory because the overall rate is consistently very close to other schools nationally. Recent unauthorised absences were caused by a few families that were moving. The staff record who is absent and why, according to statutory requirements, and the few pupils who do not attend every day are properly monitored. Punctuality is satisfactory.

p.12

QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The quality of education provided is unsatisfactory in Years 1 to 6, satisfactory in the nursery and reception, but very good in the Hearing Support Centre. The teaching is unsatisfactory in Years 1 to 6. The assessment of pupils’ attainment is improving in English and mathematics but is unsatisfactory overall, especially as the results of assessment are not used properly. The curriculum is unsatisfactory, but there is a satisfactory range of extra-curricular activities. The accommodation is satisfactory. Resources are unsatisfactory as there are too few books. There is an important health and safety issue that must be addressed as a matter of urgency. The school tries hard to work with the community. Relationships with parents are not as good as they should be.

p.12

Teaching and learning

The teaching and learning are unsatisfactory overall. They are very good in the Hearing Support Centre, satisfactory in the nursery and reception classes and unsatisfactory in Years 1 to 6. Assessment and its use are unsatisfactory in Years 1 to 6.

p.12

Main strengths and weaknesses

• For pupils in Years 1 to 6 the teaching is not good enough to make a significant improvement in standards. Pupils’ learning is, therefore, unsatisfactory. • The teaching of pupils with hearing impairment is very good, and so these pupils make very good progress. • There are good elements to the teaching in the Foundation Stage, especially in the nursery. • Lessons are not planned well enough to cope with the needs of all pupils, especially those with special educational needs and the more able pupils. • Teachers’ low expectations mean that pupils produce very little work. • The monitoring of children’s progress is satisfactory in the nursery and reception classes but assessment is unsatisfactory in Years 1 to 6. • Pupils have lots of support from staff, but they find it hard to work independently as they rely on this support. • The teaching time is not used well, especially in Years 1 and 2. • The good relationships that staff have established have ensured that pupils’ behaviour is better than it

p.12

Main strengths and weaknesses

was. East-the-Water Community Primary School - 13 • Too little use of information and communication technology, or of literacy and numeracy skills, is planned in other subjects; therefore, what few skills pupils have are under-used.

p.12

Commentary

12. The teaching is best in the Hearing Support Centre, where nearly all the teaching observed was of high quality. The evidence of the learning of these pupils, over time, shows that it is very good, and so pupils with hearing impairment achieve very well. Staff in this special unit know what they are doing, and their rigour is a model for the rest of the school. Some good teaching was also observed in the Foundation Stage, where the evidence of the children’s achievement shows that the teaching is thorough and is satisfactory overall. Staff in the nursery and reception classes encourage children who respond well to all the activities. Teachers insist on high standards of behaviour and use support staff well. There is sound teamwork in the Foundation Stage. As a result of this teamwork and consistency, the children develop the capacity to work independently and play happily with others.

p.13

Commentary

13. In the rest of the school pupils’ learning is unsatisfactory, because the teaching is unsatisfactory. The teaching in the lessons observed was mostly satisfactory, although some good-quality teaching was seen. Most teaching that was judged as good was given by the staff in the nursery and reception classes and by the new deputy headteacher; the only very good teaching observed, apart from that for hearing impaired pupils, was given by this teacher. In comparison with the good quality of teaching seen in most schools, the teaching in this school is not of a high enough standard to be able to raise pupils’ attainment sufficiently and to help them to achieve their best.

p.13

Commentary

14. In Years 1 to 6 teachers generally have a satisfactory knowledge and understanding of the subjects they teach, but more training is needed in some subjects, such as aspects of English, mathematics and information and communication technology, and some non-core subjects such as art and design. The school has correctly identified that teachers need more training to manage the summing-up sessions at the end of lessons. The strongest aspect of teaching is the good relationships that staff have with their pupils. The school has worked hard at this, and it is starting to pay dividends in terms of pupils’ behaviour. However, when the work is inappropriate pupils’ behaviour tends to deteriorate and their learning is unsatisfactory.

p.13

Commentary

15. The aspect of teaching which most constrains the quality is the planning of lessons. Even in English, mathematics and science lessons are not planned in enough detail to ensure that there is appropriate work to cater for the needs of pupils of all abilities. Pupils with special educational needs are given staff support, but not the special work they need to be able to work independently. Their individual education plans are poor; they are not helpful for staff to plan appropriate work and are far too general. Staff need much more training in this aspect of teaching. More able pupils are not challenged and are often coasting.

p.13

Commentary

16. The unsatisfactory planning is based on unsatisfactory assessment. There is plenty of assessment done in English and mathematics, and the school has done detailed analyses of this data; but the results of this do not always feed into the planning for individual pupils. There is no evidence of effective use of assessment data to check on the achievement of pupils of different ethnic or social background, including those pupils who are looked after by people other than their natural parents. There is virtually no assessment in other subjects, and this is poor. There is very little evidence to show why some pupils have been identified as more able or talented; in any case, they do not receive special work. Teachers’ expectations are too low for more able pupils. Marking, carried out in accordance with the school’s supportive philosophy, does not serve the purpose. Pupils sometimes get away with sloppy work; corrections are not often done and work is often not

p.13

Commentary

marked. The serious lack of written work has not been picked up by the subject co-ordinators.

p.13

Commentary

17. The planning is sketchy, and does not include all the required elements for satisfactory teaching. Teachers do not plan for pupils to use their literacy, numeracy and information and communication technology skills in other subjects. When planning is in place it is not carried out properly and so pupils’ learning in these areas is not well promoted. Time is often wasted, especially in Years 1 and 2, and this is of concern as some subjects have too little teaching time. Lessons seen during the inspection were mostly satisfactory, but some of these were cautiously planned to reduce potential East-the-Water Community Primary School - 14 disruption, and so lacked challenge and spark. Too few opportunities were given for pupils to discuss, and the summing-up sessions at the end of lessons did not move pupils on in their learning. The headteacher knows that these sessions are often not good enough. Teachers do not

p.13

Commentary

plan for the development of speaking skills and this means that pupils are not making the necessary improvement in this aspect of their learning. The work of the support staff is not planned in sufficient detail by class teachers. Classroom assistants make a sound contribution to the teaching, but there are few records of what they do. The work of the support staff in helping small groups of younger pupils to sound out words is making a satisfactory contribution to the development of English skills. However, these experienced staff are sometimes used to prop up teachers who have weak behaviour management skills, and this is unsatisfactory.

p.14

Commentary

18. There have been some satisfactory improvements to the teaching of English and mathematics, after input from consultants from the local education authority. These improvements are not embedded yet, and, with a turnover of staff, and very inexperienced teachers now in post and finding their feet, further improvements will take time. The teaching in other subjects has been constrained by the unsatisfactory planning of the curriculum. Even if the teaching improves, and unsatisfactory teaching eradicated, a quality of teaching over time that is fairly mundane will not lead to good learning by pupils, and will not raise standards.

p.14

Commentary

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 46 lessons

p.14

Commentary

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very poor

p.14

Commentary

0 (0%) 5 (11%) 10 (22%) 26 (56%) 4 (9%) 1 (2%) 0 (0%)

p.14

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.

p.14

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The curriculum is not balanced, as some subjects are allocated too little time, and it is not planned in enough depth to ensure pupils make as much progress as they should. • The curriculum is unsatisfactory for science, and most non-core subjects, including religious education. • The time available for teaching is not used efficiently. • The specific needs of more able pupils and those with special educational needs are not met. • There is sound support from teaching assistants who contribute well especially in raising the standards of reading. • There are not enough books in the library or computers in the school.

p.14

Commentary

19. The curriculum is unsatisfactory. It does not meet the statutory requirement to provide all pupils with an act of collective worship every day. The curriculum for information and communication technology and that for art and design is unsatisfactory, and so, on the basis of the lack of planning and evidence of pupils’ attainment, is the curriculum for history, geography, music and design and technology. The time allotted to teaching some subjects, such as religious education, is too little. This means that pupils make insufficient progress, which results in low standards. The additional time given to physical education means that there is less time for other subjects and this also contributes to the low standards in the school. There are no policies for many subjects, so teachers do not have enough guidance when planning lessons. This has an adverse impact on the quality of the teaching and learning.

p.14

Commentary

20. The organisation of the curriculum does not ensure that pupils make sufficient progress from year to year in science, and art and design. Parallel classes follow identical lesson plans without taking East-the-Water Community Primary School - 15 into account the needs of different groups of pupils within each class. As a result, pupils with special educational needs, or who have been identified as being able and talented, do not achieve as well as they could. This is a similar picture to that at the time of the last inspection. The effect of the organisation of the curriculum on standards in the school has not been evaluated. This means that the school does not know what impact the curriculum is having on the standards reached by the pupils and cannot make planned improvements. For example, there is no evidence that the daily lesson that each class has in physical education is raising standards in other subjects. Overall,

p.14

Commentary

there is satisfactory provision for the personal, social and health education of the pupils with planned provision for sex and relationships education; relationships are, therefore, more positive than was reported previously.

p.15

Commentary

21. The provision for extra-curricular activities is satisfactory. A satisfactory range of clubs, which take place both during and after the school day, is offered to the pupils. The number of pupils attending some of them is low and this reduces their effect in raising pupils' enthusiasm for school. Pupils would like to see provision for football and dance.

p.15

Commentary

22. The school is generously staffed for the number of pupils, although many teachers lack experience and this reduces their effectiveness in leading and managing subjects as well as teaching. There is a high number of teaching assistants. They make a sound contribution to supporting the learning of pupils, but some of them need further training. Resources are unsatisfactory. The lack of books in the school library reduces opportunities for pupils to develop independent learning skills and a love of reading. There are not enough computers, and the computer suite is underused during parts of the day. This prevents pupils from achieving as well as they could in information and communication technology.

p.15

Care, guidance and support

Provision for pupils’ general care and well-being is now satisfactory. There are weaknesses in the guidance and support offered to pupils because assessment of all aspects of pupils’ development is unsatisfactory and their needs are not always fully met. This is not a happy state of affairs when, in most schools, this is a real area of strength.

p.15

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Induction arrangements for young children are good. • Staff are caring and want to do their best for the pupils. They relate kindly to pupils who are generally well supervised. • Detailed personal records of pupils are not consistently enough kept across the school. • Procedures and practice in first aid and in monitoring of attendance have improved since the previous inspection when there were many areas that needed tightening up. • Health and safety arrangements are satisfactory overall, but some areas for improvement were discussed with the headteacher. • Arrangements for child protection are satisfactory and staff have been adequately trained. • Current arrangements to involve pupils of all ages and abilities in the work and development of their school are unsatisfactory.

p.15

Commentary

23. Children in the Foundation Stage settle in relatively quickly because of good induction arrangements, which include home visits to families of nursery-age children. Children benefit from the close team of staff in the nursery class, and because numbers are low. Teaching assistants often give good support and care to small groups of pupils in withdrawal sessions. Pupils with hearing impairment are well integrated into the school. Behaviour is more easily managed than it was, and parents, pupils and staff think the school is calmer than it was, but the level of exclusions is still unacceptably high.

p.15

Commentary

24. Most arrangements to ensure that pupils are well looked after work well on an informal level, but there are few pertinent records to record what has happened and what needs to be done. Pupils East-the-Water Community Primary School - 16 are generally comfortable with their care and relate well to staff and each other. However, significant numbers of pupils say they sometimes feel worried during playtime or uncomfortable in noisy lessons, when pupils themselves do not consider each other kindly and when the quality of guidance slips.

p.15

Commentary

25. The school involves ten pupils in Year 6 in the Youth Action Patrol Scheme (YAPS). Their views are sought specifically on how they can improve an area of the school that year. This is a good experience for those few that are voted on the project in September, and pupils speak sensibly about their involvement. However, there are no other formal systems, such as a school council, which involve other pupils from reception to Year 5.

p.16

Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

The school’s partnership with parents, other schools and the community is satisfactory overall. There is no escaping the fact that the popularity of the school with parents has been in decline for several years. Numbers continue to drop. For those that remain loyal and relatively satisfied with provision, involvement has improved and is now broadly satisfactory.

p.16

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The numbers on roll are falling as parents take their children away, being dissatisfied with the school. • A significant number of parents are critical of the school. • A few parents now help voluntarily in lessons and are keen to support learning at home. Several attend monthly meetings when they can learn how their children are being taught, for example, in mathematics. • Although there is no formal parent-teacher association, activities were organised for parents during an Arts Week held for the first time this year, which was well attended and much enjoyed. • The annual report from governors to parents is well presented and readable, but it does not include all it should. Neither does the school prospectus. • There are very good links and very regular sharing of communication with parents of pupils in the Hearing Support Centre. This helps pupils with hearing impairment to achieve well.

p.16

Commentary

26. Many pupils have moved to a nearby school because complaints are not always resolved. Relationships with this school are reported to be not always easy. The headteacher tries to resolve issues as they arise and to promote partnerships with parents, but the manner in which she seeks to do this with some parents, for whatever reason, is not always successful. The record held of complaints is incomplete, and the monitoring of the ‘big picture’ of concerns does not involve enough open and constructive dialogue or sufficient involvement of governors. Some parents at the pre-inspection meeting with inspectors did not know the proper channels for raising their concerns.

p.16

Commentary

27. Some parents are happy with what the school provides and recognise that teachers work hard. They are happy with the efforts the school is making to involve them more in their children’s education. They think that leadership is carried out to the best of its ability. A small group has been telephoned at random, by a governor, to seek their views, but mostly there is no proper consultation with parents as a whole. With several vacancies on the governing body, there is scope to include and involve the voice of parents more.

p.16

Commentary

28. Links with the community and with other schools and institutions are satisfactory. The school is involved with several organisations in the community to enhance pupils’ self-esteem and to involve parents more. A great deal of time and effort has gone into these arrangements, but the provision is too new to be able to evaluate its effectiveness. The links established by staff in the Hearing Support Centre are effective. East-the-Water Community Primary School - 17

p.16

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The leadership and management are poor. The headteacher has vision but has not established systems to realise this, and so there has been poor improvement since the previous inspection. The leadership is unsatisfactory. The management is poor at all levels, and staff are not aware of many weaknesses. The governance of the school is unsatisfactory.

p.17

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The headteacher has high aspirations for the school and has worked hard to establish a culture of support and care. She has not, however, ensured that many aspects of the school have improved. • The direction from senior management, including the subject co-ordinators, is poor; this is because most are not given time, and all lack training and experience to be able to evaluate what is going on effectively. • The leadership of the Hearing Support Centre is good and so the pupils achieve very well. • In most of the school, the planning of many activities is unsatisfactory; this includes the development planning and the curriculum. As a result pupils’ achievement is unsatisfactory. • The finances are not managed efficiently; the school has more money than most schools and does not spend it effectively. • The governors are not aware of many weaknesses in the school. • Some statutory requirements are not met.

p.17

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The great difficulty that the school has had in attracting and retaining suitably qualified and experienced teachers has been a real hindrance to the improvements to the school. • Staff are not used efficiently.

p.17

Commentary

29. On her appointment the headteacher knew that she faced an uphill task to turn the school round. She set in motion a programme to change the culture of criticism and to raise pupils’ self-esteem. She was given credit for this in the previous inspection report and those inspectors suggested that she was capable of making further good improvements to the school. This, unfortunately, has not proved to be the case. The headteacher has established a culture of support and care that has improved pupils’ behaviour and this is starting to have a positive effect on their achievements. The climate for learning is better and is starting to change pupils’ attitudes to school. However, the headteacher has made very little improvement to most other aspects of the school. Some targets for improvement are unrealistic, and others difficult to measure.

p.17

Commentary

30. The school has received support from the local education authority over the last few years, but teachers are dependent on this support; insufficient analysis has been done as to why things are not better. There has been monitoring, from outside consultants as well as by the headteacher. The monitoring has been ineffective, because it has mostly concentrated on what is done rather than what has been achieved; monitoring has made some improvements but many more are needed. Improvements in pupils’ performance, especially in Years 3 to 6, have been marginal. There are some sound long-term strategies to improve the climate for learning, but there are too few systems and structures in place to ensure compliance and to check up on what is going on. For instance, there are few policies for subjects and few of the usual policies, such as one to guide teaching and learning, or a staff handbook, that are seen in effective schools. There are inaccuracies in the

p.17

Commentary

school’s documents, and the rationale for the class-groupings is based on pastoral issues, rather than what is best for pupils of different abilities in each year-group.

p.17

Commentary

31. Much of the weakness lies in the planning. The staff speak of a great deal of work being done, and this may be true, but it has not been effective. Hard work, in itself, does not lead to higher standards. There is no official curriculum co-ordinator apart from the headteacher. Many teachers did not know that the curriculum is co-ordinated. The unsatisfactory planning of the timetable has led to gaps in provision. The subject co-ordinators do not have the training or the experience to manage their subjects effectively. Many are not aware of standards in their subjects, and others are not aware of the national picture in these subjects. Staff do not know what is best practice in East-the-Water Community Primary School - 18 teaching. The culture of support is rather counter-productive. Monitoring has been too soft. Criticisms from outsiders, whether educational professionals or parents, have been glossed over.

p.17

Commentary

32. The management of the Foundation Stage is satisfactory, and so children make satisfactory progress. The management in the school to promote the inclusion of pupils of all abilities and backgrounds is poor and, in this respect, the school is not meeting its aims. The provision for special educational needs is managed by a part-time teacher, who has no class responsibility. Given the number of pupils with special educational needs in the school, which is about average, this is an extravagant use of an experienced teacher, especially as the headteacher also does not have a regular teaching commitment. Given the poor quality of the pupils’ individual education plans, which the special educational needs co-ordinator knows about, her input is unsatisfactory and her expertise could be better used. She is used to trial programmes that have not been proven, and which are not part of the pupils’ individual education plans. This is inefficient. There is little effective

p.18

Commentary

analysis of the progress of pupils who may have difficulties, or those who are more able. Decisions throughout the school are made on the basis of assumptions and feelings. There is little cross- checking. Test data is analysed for English and mathematics, and bits of this have led to improvements; there is little other analysis, except of behaviour, and that is not rigorous. The emphasis on behaviour and care has been necessary, but now looms too large in the minds of governors, staff and pupils.

p.18

Commentary

33. The governors have been pro-active in checking up on the improvements to pupils’ behaviour, but in many other respects they do not know what is going on. It is of concern that the school, staff and governors consider that improvement in standards has been satisfactory and that the school is doing much better than it was. The managers of the school do not have sufficient training to make a realistic assessment of what is the best value in the use of time, staff and money. For instance, the school spends a very large sum on staff; it spends a considerably higher amount per pupil on teachers than most schools and much more on its administration staff, even taking the needs of hearing impaired pupils into account. On support staff, the school spends three times the amount per pupil than the average school; although these staff give valuable assistance, the expenditure on them has not been evaluated to see if it has been worthwhile. The governors have not reduced staff

p.18

Commentary

numbers in line with falling rolls, yet still the teaching is not good enough. High staff numbers have not produced the desired rise in standards.

p.18

Commentary

34. The school spends more money per pupil than most schools, even taking into account the high expenditure on the pupils with hearing impairment. It has been eating into reserves to supplement current income, but that option no longer exists; the contingency for this year is less than one per cent, which is far too low, especially in a situation of falling rolls. Money has been spent on parts of the accommodation that cannot be justified, given the very low book stock. There has been staff training in highly sophisticated techniques of behaviour management when many staff lack basic skills in coping with poor behaviour, and their competence in managing subjects is weak. The value for money given by the school is poor because the spending has left so much still to do.

p.18

Commentary

Financial information for the year April 2002 to March 2003

p.18

Commentary

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 773,542 Balance from previous year 19,458 Total expenditure 747,950 Balance carried forward to the next 45,050 Expenditure per pupil 2,770

p.18

Commentary

35. Many of the difficulties are because of misused time and an insecure analysis of what is needed. The headteacher knows some of what is needed to improve things, but not how to go about them. Her philosophy is understandable, but ineffective. The culture is changing, but slowly, and is too dependent on the presence of the headteacher. All staff have not completely taken on her long-term approach to improvement. What is now needed is a culture of identifying specific actions that the school can take to bring about improvements, rather than looking to outsiders for backing, and blaming external factors for lack of success. East-the-Water Community Primary School - 19

p.18

Provision for pupils in the Hearing Support Centre

The provision for pupils in the Hearing Support Centre is very good. The provision for hearing impaired and deaf pupils adds to the ethos of the school. There is very good quality teaching and learning in a caring, secure and happy environment and, in this respect, it is a strength of the school.

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• There is very good teaching that is planned to meet the needs of the individual pupils. • The planning of the inclusion policy is good. • The use of total communication to develop pupils’ language is effective. • The use of sophisticated auditory equipment to make maximum use of pupils’ residual hearing is effective. • The Centre is well managed, and the manager promotes liaison with outside professionals very well. • Very good relationships exist between the staff of the Centre and the pupils. • In-service training to main school staff is good, but needs to be more regular. • The main-school marking policy does not work for pupils with hearing impairment; it does not enhance their confidence and self-esteem. • With few pupils on roll, the provision is expensive.

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

36. The local education authority has a well-established provision in the school for pupils with hearing impairment. At present there are six on roll, but the Centre can accept up to ten pupils. The Centre is well staffed. All the pupils have a statement of special educational needs before they are admitted. The statements are reviewed annually with all the interested professionals, the Centre teachers and the parents taking a lead role in the process; this is good liaison. There are good links with all the interested parties who are invited to attend the meeting or present a written report. From the statements and annual reviews, good individual plans are developed with appropriate targets for the coming year.

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

37. In relation to their degree of deafness and their abilities, pupils make very good progress. These very good gains in learning are a direct result of very good teaching and, in this respect, full advantage is taken of opportunities in the whole curriculum to reinforce pupils’ self-esteem and confidence. This is especially noticeable in pupils’ ability to integrate with hearing pupils using many methods of communication, and they obviously enjoy these experiences.

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

38. The inclusion policy and its implementation are very good. The pupils have access to all aspects of education provision. The pupils with hearing impairment are expected to obey the school rules and procedures. The school’s staff have had appropriate training in deaf-awareness. The staff of the school and the pupils in main school classes welcome the hearing-impaired pupils to their classes and work well with them on projects that are set. The Centre has appropriately modified the curriculum to meet the need of hearing-impaired pupils, and all the work is methodically differentiated to meet individual needs. Assessment is very good in the Centre and future programmes of learning are planned as a result of the assessment of their progress.

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

39. The quality of teaching in the Centre is very good. Lessons are carefully planned and conducted at a brisk pace that makes the best use of time available. The lessons are characterised by a wide range of activities undertaken and by the very good relationships between the pupils and all the staff. Pupils contribute positively and all show an interest and an understanding of the main theme and aims of the lessons. Good use is made of information and communication technology in literacy; for example, pupils use the computer to develop language and build up words that also enhance their spelling. By Year 6 the pupils are competent users of the computers for word- processing.

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

40. Links with parents and outside professionals are very good. The Centre has very good support from the speech and language therapist. The therapist also advises and guides the staff on the individual pupils’ programmes, and these are supplemented by the Centre’s staff. The Centre also has the valuable service of the deaf-family worker and the audiologist on a regular basis. The East-the-Water Community Primary School - 20 Centre considers the support and involvement of parents as vital in developing children’s full potential and has established many initiatives to secure this aim. Two-way communication and parental access to staff has the highest priority, to ensure that all pupils thrive through ongoing education, whether at home or school.

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

41. The Centre’s provision for deaf studies and British Sign Language (BSL) is very good, especially relating to the way pupils are taught. Their communication policy focuses on a child-centred approach to language, which is evident in the support provided to BSL users when deaf pupils are integrated in main-school classes. The status of BSL in the Centre, and its use in lessons, supports pupils’ progress and attainment in the language itself and their access to curricular skills and understanding. Pupils in main school have a good opportunity to learn BSL at an extra- curricular session after school. The activity is the signing choir, which is led by a teacher and thoroughly enjoyed by the pupils. The session observed provided challenge and enabled the hearing pupils to communicate more easily with their deaf classmates and also gave them an insight into the communication problems of the deaf.

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

42. The staff of the Centre are well qualified. The Centre’s audiological resources are very good and are used well. The Centre also recognises the different audiological needs of the pupil who has had a special device implanted, and staff have had appropriate training for this. The majority of the pupils have been issued with high-quality digital hearing aids that have been individually programmed. In the inclusion lessons, pupils use good radio hearing-aid systems. East-the-Water Community Primary School - 21

p.20

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

The overall provision for children in the Foundation Stage is satisfactory . The provision was judged to be good at the previous inspection, and so things are not as good as they were two years ago. Currently, the induction processes for new children are good. The leadership and management are satisfactory. Children's behaviour is good. There is satisfactory teaching overall and, as a result, children's achievement is satisfactory.

p.21

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision for personal, social and emotional development is good.

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children are on course to achieve the expected level by the end of reception. • Children are polite and well behaved. • They take turns and share the resources provided. • Children show some independence in their work. • Teaching is good, and this allows children to achieve well.

p.21

Commentary

43. Children have learnt how to behave in school, and be part of a social grouping. In the nursery, children learn to eat their snack and drink their milk in a most civilised manner. Those in reception readily share items, take turns and play together. Teachers, and other practitioners, provide children with a most appropriate mix of directed activities and opportunities for children to develop their independence.

p.21

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Provision for communication, language and literacy is satisfactory.

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children are likely to be below the expected level by the end of the reception year. • Children have limited speaking skills. • They enjoy handling books and developing their early reading skills. • Children use pencils confidently to produce simple writing. • The teaching is satisfactory, but opportunities are sometimes missed to develop children's speaking.

p.21

Commentary

44. Given their level of skills when joining the school, children’s achievement is satisfactory in this aspect. Children enjoy listening to stories, and teachers make good use of large storybooks to encourage this. Children's speaking skills are less well developed. A small number speak clearly, whilst others speak in single words, not possessing the vocabulary or the confidence to make longer contributions. Teachers sometimes miss the chance to improve these skills by talking at too great a length and failing to offer the children the chance to speak themselves. Children enjoy looking at books, and in reception they are able to recognise a number of words that they read to others. Teachers provide children with suitable opportunities to write, and whilst those in nursery develop their emergent writing skills, those in reception write their names and other simple words at a level that is expected.

p.21

Commentary

East-the-Water Community Primary School - 22

p.22

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in mathematical development is satisfactory.

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children are likely to be below the expected level by the time they leave reception. • Children know a range of songs and rhymes that help to develop their understanding of number. • Whilst most children can count up to ten when working together, many are uncertain in relating a number of items to the appropriate numeral. • Many children know a suitable range of simple mathematical vocabulary. • Teaching is satisfactory, but a range of extension activities is not always provided to suit the needs of more able children.

p.22

Commentary

45. Children’s achievement is satisfactory. Teachers provide many opportunities for children to count and use counting rhymes. In the nursery children try to count cartons of milk. Children also attempt to identify the correct number of items to match a numeral, but some find this difficult. Many children in reception have an appropriate vocabulary that allows them to talk about various concepts such as 'big' and 'small', as well as to name basic two-dimensional shapes. Teachers provide children with a variety of mathematical tasks and games, but they do not always give higher-attaining children the opportunities to extend their understanding with suitable extension activities.

p.22

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Provision in knowledge and understanding of the world is satisfactory.

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children are likely to be below the expected level when they enter Year 1. • Children are beginning to develop their understanding of plants and animals, as well as different places, although some have difficulties explaining their understanding. • Children successfully carry out practical activities, such as making food items. • Teaching is satisfactory. However, teachers do not always provide the children with enough opportunities to talk about their work, to clarify their understanding.

p.22

Commentary

46. Children’s achievement is satisfactory because teachers give them suitable activities and experiences that enable them to learn about the world. A number of children are able to explain their knowledge with some confidence, whilst others, with more limited language skills, sometimes find understanding and explaining more difficult. On occasions, teachers provide information for children which is rather hard for them to understand. Children are not always confident to talk about this work, and this limits what they learn. Practical activities, such as preparing food, are a regular feature in both nursery and reception, and these promote confidence as well as skills.

p.22

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in physical development is good.

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children are on course to achieve the expected level by the time they leave the reception year. They use a range of tools and equipment with increasing dexterity and confidence. • They have sound control of their bodies in physical education lessons. East-the-Water Community Primary School - 23 • Teaching is good, with many opportunities provided for children to develop their physical skills.

p.22

Commentary

47. Children benefit from the range of activities provided daily, and so they achieve well. Pencils, crayons, scissors, dough and a variety of construction toys and large apparatus are readily available, and children use them with enthusiasm. In the nursery children cut, stick, and thread beads on to a string with care. In reception they successfully produce models of houses and animals, which show appropriate development. Younger children use outdoor equipment well, climbing confidently and safely. Older children develop these skills further during lessons in the hall. Teachers support them well, providing clear demonstrations and much encouragement.

p.23

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

The provision in creative development is good.

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children are on course to reach the expected level by the end of reception. • They are presented with a variety of activities in music, painting, model-making and using their imagination, to which they respond well. • Children are particularly keen to tackle role-play activities. • The good teaching stimulates children's imagination, allowing them to achieve well.

p.23

Commentary

48. In both the nursery and reception a good range of activities is provided, which the children undertake with enthusiasm. Children play instruments, sing songs and produce suitable paintings and models at the expected level of skill. Children are especially happy to take part in activities in both the 'Safari Park' and the 'space-ship', and they show good levels of imagination when working with others. Teachers and nursery nurses complement each other well in supporting, encouraging and stimulating the children.

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils’ standards are well below average by the time they leave the school. • Pupils’ achievement is unsatisfactory in Years 1 and 2 and poor in Years 3 to 6. • The National Curriculum test results over the last few years have been consistently well below average, but there was a good improvement in the grades for writing at the end of Year 2 last year (2003). • In comparison with similar schools, the national test results from 1999 to 2002 have been poor for pupils at the end of Year 2 and Year 6. • Pupils do too little writing. • Standards in reading across the school have improved this year, but are still below average. Few pupils enjoy reading. • Pupils’ speaking and listening skills are poorly developed by the end of Year 6. • A lot of teaching time is given to English but this has yet to be reflected in a rise in standards in Years 3 to 6. • Pupils’ learning is not good enough, as the quality of teaching is unsatisfactory.

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

East-the-Water Community Primary School - 24 • The school has generally satisfactory procedures for assessing how well pupils do in reading and writing, but teachers do not follow the procedures consistently or always use the information effectively. There is no effective assessment of speaking and listening. • There are serious deficiencies in the provision of books, and the library is not used properly. • The management of English is unsatisfactory.

p.24

Commentary

49. The school has made insufficient progress in English since the previous inspection; most of the judgements in the previous inspection report could be repeated in this report, and some aspects appear to have got worse. When pupils join the school their attainment is below average overall, and sometimes well below the standard expected in language and communication. Very few pupils achieve as well as they should because the teaching is not planned well enough for the needs of all pupils. Pupils who have special educational needs make unsatisfactory progress because, even if they are identified early enough, and that is not always the case, they are not given effective support. Pupils’ individual education plans are of little use to teachers, and when they do point the way forward they are not used. Staff do not have the training to cope with pupils with specific learning difficulties, such as dyslexia. Pupils with special educational needs, especially of a

p.24

Commentary

behavioural nature, sometimes miss literacy lessons to do other activities, and this is counter- productive. More able pupils are insufficiently challenged and so do not attain the grades that they could, especially in Years 3 to 6. There is no proper planning to cope with the under-achievement of boys, which is a national problem.

p.24

Commentary

50. The biggest problem affecting pupils’ learning rests with the unsatisfactory teaching of literacy throughout the school, based on weak planning of lessons. Teachers plan together, for the whole term, for two or three parallel classes, each containing pupils from two year-groups. Staff teach to this planning. No lessons are prepared that are customised for the needs of the pupils in each class, and no effective system exists to go over work that has not been understood. The silent reading sessions, timetabled to improve pupils’ reading skills, are often a waste of time as pupils do not have the skills to read to themselves for the length of time allocated. A lot of time is devoted to English, and this has started to pay off in Years 1 and 2, but this time is not always used efficiently. A raft of special programmes and techniques has been implemented, but the extra literacy sessions used by most schools to boost the achievements of lower-attaining pupils have been

p.24

Commentary

abandoned. There is no proper analysis of the effectiveness of these programmes, as starting points are not secure and success criteria are not always set. The school has adapted an established programme, usually used for pupils in Year 1, to extend to pupils in Years 3 and 4; it is questionable whether the staff have the expertise and experience to do this effectively.

p.24

Commentary

51. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 have low standards of speaking and listening. By the end of Year 6 the pupils’ speaking and listening skills are poorly developed. The school does not have an effective programme to teach these skills actively. There is no assessment of pupils’ capabilities or evaluation of the results of focused discussion and partner work in lessons. There is very little planned use of drama, and this is unsatisfactory. Pupils find it hard to listen and respond to the ideas of other pupils. Younger pupils do not take turns, and interrupt the teacher and each other. A significant number of older pupils do not listen carefully to instructions and to the contributions of other pupils, although this is getting better as pupils’ behaviour improves. The pupils make poor progress in developing their speaking skills, as little is planned, constructively, to do this. Few pupils are confident speakers; many speak in short phrases or even give one-word answers. They

p.24

Commentary

lack an appropriate vocabulary to cater for the specialist words in other subjects.

p.24

Commentary

52. Pupils’ attainment in last year’s Year 2 was below average in reading and writing, but a significant number of these pupils have made satisfactory progress since they entered the school. This is because of the recent emphasis on raising standards in reading and writing. However, the work in pupils’ books does not reflect the encouraging national test grade for writing.

p.24

Commentary

53. The standard in reading is, at best, below average by the end of Year 2, and well below by the end of Year 6. Pupils need much encouragement to read, and have few strategies if they do not know a word. Pupils of lower ability are gaining in confidence, as they are given satisfactory support, either individually or in small groups, by the learning support assistants. Of real concern is pupils’ East-the-Water Community Primary School - 25 lacklustre approach to reading. Few enjoy reading and many do not read for pleasure, preferring to watch the story on film, or do something else. Most cannot discuss their favourite authors, and few recall any story that has been read in school. Their library and reference skills are poor. This is partly because the book stock is poor. The range of fiction books, particularly for the more able readers, is very poor. Pupils do not use the library enough, either independently or in groups or

p.24

Commentary

classes, to make an appreciable difference to their standards.

p.25

Commentary

54. Pupils’ attainment in writing is poor. Very little writing is done and, in some year-groups last year, very little work was produced for lengthy periods of time. Work is often scrappy. Standards of handwriting and presentation are well below average, and this suggests low expectations of teachers. Punctuation and spelling are weak, although spelling shows recent improvement. Some individual pupils’ work improves and then deteriorates over time, which suggests poor monitoring of work. Almost no work using information and communication technology was seen, and many opportunities are missed to use computers to draft and re-draft work. Little work is done using computerised reference systems, such as CD-ROMs.

p.25

Commentary

55. Pupils do not make sufficient progress because the quality of teaching is unsatisfactory. Teachers tend to talk too much and leave pupils little time to get on with their writing. They have established generally good relationships with the pupils, and so pupils are mostly polite and get on with the work, even if it lacks interest and challenge. Assessment is not used effectively, and a significant number of pupils are reading books that are too easy, and they know this, which causes some resentment. Targets for national test results at the end of Year 6 have not been met, as teachers do not know the level of attainment of their pupils, in spite of having data from standardised tests available. There are significant differences in the grades that teachers give pupils and those obtained in the national tests, such as in Year 6 last year. Many pupils are set reasonable targets, but a significant number of them cannot tell what they are. Teachers’ marking is not constructively

p.25

Commentary

critical. A significant amount of work is not marked and pupils rarely do corrections.

p.25

Commentary

56. The subject co-ordinator has little idea of the lack of effectiveness in the teaching of English across the school. The co-ordinators, the headteacher and outside consultants have monitored some teaching, and some positive improvements have been made. However, the monitoring has not led to a sufficient improvement in standards in most aspects of English across the school, especially in Years 3 to 6.

p.25

Language and literacy across the curriculum

57. Teachers take few opportunities to teach literacy skills in subjects other than English. Pupils write very little in other subjects, and what is written is not of the quality seen in English books. This is poor.

p.25

MATHEMATICS

Provision for mathematics is unsatisfactory.

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards in mathematics are not as high as they should be. • Pupils do not achieve as well as they could and do not develop quick recall of number facts. • The quality of teaching is unsatisfactory, and assessment is not used consistently to match work to the needs of pupils. • Pupils enjoy mathematics, even though their learning is unsatisfactory. • Pupils are not given enough opportunities to develop their numeracy skills in other subjects. • The management of mathematics is unsatisfactory.

p.25

Commentary

58. Standards in mathematics are below average by the end of Year 2 and well below by the end of Year 6. This shows improvement since the last inspection in Years 1 and 2. Pupils’ results were East-the-Water Community Primary School - 26 better in the national tests taken by pupils at the end of Year 2 last year, but this improvement is not always evident in the written work they did in class. There has been no improvement in pupils’ standards in Years 3 to 6. Pupils do not know basic number facts well enough, and this slows their progress. For example, higher attaining-pupils in Year 6, who were tackling work on ratio, could not change one metric unit to another; this prevented them from making sufficient progress in the lesson. Other pupils of average ability in Year 6 do not know their multiplication tables well enough. These gaps in learning reduce the possibility for pupils to work independently and to use their time

p.25

Commentary

efficiently in lessons. As at the time of the previous inspection, pupils continue to have difficulties in explaining their work and using mathematical terminology. Pupils with special educational needs make satisfactory progress in lessons when they are supported, but are dependent on this support.

p.26

Commentary

59. The quality of teaching is unsatisfactory. Teachers do not expect enough from the pupils in either quality or quantity. Much of the pupils' written work is untidy and lacks care. Marking does not show pupils how to improve their work, and opportunities are seldom provided for them to correct it. Day- to-day assessment of what pupils know and understand is not used sufficiently in lesson planning to plug the gaps in pupils' learning. Teachers are beginning to use questioning to probe pupils' understanding but give them too few opportunities to explain their thinking and share the strategies that they are using. Sometimes pupils repeat work they have covered in the previous year. For example, pupils in Years 1 construct a bar graph of eye-colour that is repeated in Year 2. This contributes to the slow progress made by pupils. Pupils are set targets for improvement, but these are not yet influencing the teaching in all classes. Not enough use is made of information and

p.26

Commentary

communication technology to support learning in mathematics.

p.26

Commentary

60. The management of mathematics is unsatisfactory. The co-ordinator is enthusiastic and aware of the weaknesses in the subject. She has taken some steps towards dealing with these, such as holding sessions to encourage parents to support their children's learning. However, extra booster sessions are not used in any year-group to raise standards. Monitoring is unsatisfactory. It has concentrated on the mental introduction to the lessons but has not yet addressed the main teaching part, and still pupils’ mental skills are not as they should be. It has not raised the quality of teaching sufficiently to raise standards throughout the school. Improvement since the previous inspection is unsatisfactory.

p.26

Mathematics across the curriculum

61. There is very little evidence that pupils’ numeracy skills are developed in other subjects, such as science, geography and design and technology. Teachers have sometimes planned where it can be used, but this cannot yet be seen in the pupils' work. This also reduces the opportunities to raise standards.

p.26

SCIENCE

Provision in science is unsatisfactory .

p.26

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards at the end of both Year 2 and Year 6 are well below average, as they were at the time of the previous inspection. Improvement has been unsatisfactory. • Pupils’ learning is unsatisfactory because the teaching and assessment are unsatisfactory. • The curriculum, especially in relation to planning, is unsatisfactory. • Leadership and management are unsatisfactory.

p.26

Commentary

62. The school has produced standards that are at least well below average for a number of years, both in comparison with all schools, and also with similar schools. There have been some small increases in the numbers of pupils reaching the required level in Year 2 and in Year 6, but there has been little sign of any significant increase in the numbers of pupils reaching the higher levels. Pupils generally have a reasonable knowledge of life processes and living things, but many are far East-the-Water Community Primary School - 27 less secure in aspects of work on materials and physical processes. However, the low standards being achieved owe much to weaknesses in pupils' skills in scientific enquiry, a factor that was also identified at the last inspection. Inadequate opportunities have been provided for pupils to carry out work in this area and, as a result the curriculum provided is unsatisfactory. Discussions with pupils

p.26

Commentary

indicate that many are not sure about the meaning of a fair test. Furthermore, a number of pupils are not secure in their understanding of scientific terms, and this is having a detrimental effect on their ability to tackle written questions.

p.27

Commentary

63. The low standard and very small amount of work in pupils' books show that teaching and learning are unsatisfactory. Whilst a reasonable range of work has been tackled, there is little evidence of challenge in the activities provided, or of a clear understanding by teachers of the standards expected. Until recently, pupils did not have science books, but the work was spread out in a number of books and worksheets. The work itself is not well presented generally, and little helpful marking is provided. Assessment has not been undertaken, and although the school has plans to introduce it, there is currently no formalised way to check on either achievement or progress. In the lessons seen during the inspection, individual lessons were satisfactory. Teachers had satisfactory subject knowledge and provided suitable resources where necessary. In all lessons they attempted to develop pupils' knowledge of scientific language and fair-testing, recognising these as important

p.27

Commentary

areas for development. However, over a period of time, planning has been very limited in this respect, especially in relation to challenge and high expectations in general, and to the needs of more able pupils in particular. The result is that pupils’ achievement has been unsatisfactory.

p.27

Commentary

64. Pupils generally enjoy science. Even though their knowledge is often insecure, many are prepared to talk about the work they have done. During the introductory sessions to lessons, some pupils are less keen to be involved, and they are difficult to motivate. However, when they tackle practical activities most pupils are more enthusiastic, and they readily work with others on the tasks set.

p.27

Commentary

65. The current co-ordinator has only recently taken over responsibility for the subject, but neither she nor her predecessor has been provided with any opportunity to monitor the work being tackled in school. This was also identified during the previous inspection. As a result, the co-ordinator has been unable to identify significant strengths or weaknesses in the subject, and has not had the opportunity to look at things such as presentation and coverage of the curriculum. The lack of assessment or tracking procedures has also meant that the co-ordinator has been unable to confirm the cause of the low standards and lack of progress in pupils' work, and has not put in place appropriate remedial action. Planning, at present, is limited to basic plans about a series of lessons. The co-ordinator and her predecessor are aware that these plans make no reference to the needs of different pupils, nor do they make adequate reference to such things as the use of

p.27

Commentary

science to help develop literacy and numeracy skills, or the use of information and communication technology to support learning in science. They fully appreciate the need to tackle all these issues as a matter of great urgency.

p.27

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Provision for information and communication technology is unsatisfactory .

p.27

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards are below expectations and pupils’ achievement is unsatisfactory. • The school needs more computers and the new computer suite is underused. • Not enough use is made of information and communication technology to support learning in other subjects. • Pupils enjoy using computers. • All teachers have received training.

p.27

Commentary

66. Standards are below expectations by the end of Year 2 and Year 6. Standards have deteriorated since the time of the last inspection when they were judged to be broadly as expected. The lack of information and communication technology resources available, before the recent opening of the East-the-Water Community Primary School - 28 computer suite, has contributed to the unsatisfactory achievement of pupils. However, the suite is currently underused, which prevents pupils from making up for lost time.

p.27

Commentary

67. Pupils have not acquired the basic skills for them to access the learning that is appropriate for their age. For example, more able pupils in Year 5 were hampered in their literacy work by not knowing how to change the font, and half the pupils in a class in Year 2 were unable to log in without support. Their lack of skills reduces opportunities for them to work independently and slows their learning. More able pupils are not challenged sufficiently and wait for other pupils to catch up. Despite this, pupils enjoy their information and communication technology lessons. They co- operate well together, and the subject is beginning to contribute to their social and cultural development. By Year 6 pupils have a good understanding of how to keep themselves safe when using the Internet.

p.28

Commentary

68. The teaching of information and communication technology is unsatisfactory. Assessment has not been used to identify what individual pupils know and understand. This means that, when planning their lessons, teachers are not able to pitch them at the right level to ensure maximum learning for pupils of all abilities. Teachers' planning does not identify with sufficient clarity what the pupils are to learn in a particular lesson. As a result, learning objectives are not always shared with pupils and pupils cannot then assess their own learning. The amount of work seen on pupils' class files is unsatisfactory, with particular gaps in some aspects, such as e-mail. Teachers make satisfactory use of their classroom assistants during information and communication technology lessons, but these staff require further training.

p.28

Commentary

69. The leadership of information and communication technology is satisfactory, but the management of the subject is unsatisfactory. The subject co-ordinator has ensured that teachers have been trained to an acceptable level, but the training has only very recently been completed and has yet to have an impact on standards. No monitoring of teaching has taken place to evaluate the effect of this training or to help teachers improve their skills. Additional funding for the development of information and communication technology has been used to develop the suite, but the number of computers is barely satisfactory and more will be needed very soon to reach the new recommended number per pupil. This reduces the opportunities for pupils to use information and communication technology independently to support their studies in other subjects.

p.28

Information and communication technology across the curriculum

70. The use of information and communication technology in other subjects is unsatisfactory. Teachers have identified where it can be used to support learning, but then do not make use of it in the ways indicated.

p.28

HUMANITIES

71. Almost no work was seen in history and geography for inspectors to be able to make a definitive judgement on standards and provision. However, these subjects have no policies to guide staff, and the time devoted to them is below that necessary for pupils to achieve high enough standards. There is no assessment and no records of pupils’ achievement in history and geography. The small very amount of work presented for scrutiny showed that these subjects are hardly used at all for pupils to practise their literacy, numeracy and information and communication technology skills, and this is unsatisfactory. Given this state of affairs, pupils’ achievements in history and geography are likely to be, at best, unsatisfactory.

p.28

Religious education

Provision for religious education is unsatisfactory .

p.28

Main strengths and weaknesses

East-the-Water Community Primary School - 29 • Standards by the end of both Year 2 and Year 6 are below those expected; they have fallen since the time of the previous inspection. Pupils’ achievement is unsatisfactory. • Teaching and learning are unsatisfactory. • The curriculum is unsatisfactory, and the subject makes little contribution to pupils' awareness of other cultures. • The leadership and management are unsatisfactory. • The attitudes of the pupils towards the subject are good; this is an improvement since the previous report.

p.29

Commentary

72. Pupils throughout the school generally have a sound understanding of appropriate aspects of Christianity. However, whilst they have been taught, for example, about Judaism in Year 1 and 2, and Hinduism in Years 3 to 6, they have no clear knowledge of these, or other faiths. This lack of understanding contributes significantly towards pupils' limited awareness of the multi-cultural nature of society.

p.29

Commentary

73. Standards are lower than they should be because the overall quality of teaching and learning is unsatisfactory, although some better practice was seen during the inspection. The curriculum provided is unsatisfactory, and, as a result, teachers' planning for the subject is very limited, both in terms of the work covered and the time allowed. Where work is undertaken, much of it is mundane, with little challenge for more able pupils. Teachers’ expectations are not high enough. Pupils do little writing and their work is not well presented. The teachers add few comments to help and encourage pupils, and this does not help pupils to improve their thinking, or their writing.

p.29

Commentary

74. The teaching is not good enough because the subject is not properly managed. The co-ordinator has not monitored standards in the subject, and so she has been unable to identify the shortcomings in either the curriculum or in the work being produced. The lack of any significant form of assessment has also meant that no indicators are available to let staff know about the low standards being achieved and the lack of progress being made.

p.29

Commentary

75. Whilst pupils do not undertake a great deal of religious education, observations in lessons, together with discussions, suggest that they enjoy the subject, and that their attitudes towards it have improved. They readily talk about the aspects that they know about, they handle artefacts with interest and, when given the chance, many are happy to offer their thoughts and ideas.

p.29

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

The inspectors concentrated on checking the standards in physical education and art and design, as so much time is spent on these subjects. There was insufficient evidence to make a judgement about provision in art and design in Years 1 and 2. Almost no work was seen in design and technology , and only a little singing was heard in music. However, the design and technology curriculum appears to be unsatisfactory as there is no policy or assessment, and little time is given to it. There are few design and technology links planned with other curricular areas and almost no work on display, or photographs of previous work. This subject is a source of concern for the headteacher. Music has had a low profile in the school, with no teacher until this term having musical skills. One of the support staff has provided sound support by taking some lessons and playing the piano for assemblies. The singing heard was

p.29

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

satisfactory, but there is no evidence of pupils’ achievement in other aspects of music, as there is no assessment or records. There is no policy to ensure that all the staff know what to do. A few pupils take part in extra-curricular music, such as an after-school club and choirs, and this promotes their interest and cultural development.

p.29

Art and design

Provision in art and design is unsatisfactory. East-the-Water Community Primary School - 30

p.29

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards are below expectations in Years 3 to 6, and pupils’ achievement is unsatisfactory. • Pupils’ learning is unsatisfactory as they have not received satisfactory teaching. • The curriculum is unsatisfactory and does not provide a sufficient input to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. • The leadership and management are unsatisfactory, although the new co-ordinator has a good idea about what needs to be done. • There has been insufficient improvement since the previous inspection.

p.30

Commentary

76. The headteacher knows that the provision for the subject is not as she would wish. Art and design does not support the philosophy of the school that aspires to be creative and to ensure that all pupils are given the chance to excel. The reason is that the subject has had a low profile whilst core subjects have been in the forefront. This has been unnecessary, as art and design could be used to promote pupils’ communication and information and communication technology skills, as well as their social and cultural development.

p.30

Commentary

77. Standards in the lessons seen were below those expected, and there is very little work in pupils’ sketchbooks to show any progress over time. These sketchbooks are scrappy and are not used properly. There is no assessment and no school portfolio of pupils’ work; neither is there any record of what has been done, such as an album of displays in the past. More able pupils are greatly disadvantaged as they know they could do better, but not how. Pupils’ with special educational needs are not given the help that they may need. The reason for this sorry state of affairs is that teachers do not have sufficient skills or experience to teach art and design. Some training has been done, but not enough. Lessons in art and design are very long, and take up an inefficient amount of time on the class timetables, with little effect on the work produced. The teaching was satisfactory in the two lessons seen, as pupils’ made satisfactory progress, but opportunities were missed to

p.30

Commentary

use the subject to promote literacy or information and communication technology skills.

p.30

Commentary

78. The co-ordinator has satisfactory knowledge and understanding, and is a model for the staff with her realistic ideas and the work done in the nursery. The school has strong views on the quality of display, but these have not yet been realised. There is very little appropriate display to celebrate pupils’ achievements and almost no artwork to stimulate them. A lovely piece of work in the hall was made with the help of an outside artist, some while ago. There is little evidence of a suitable range of work in different media, such as clay or textiles. There is no policy for art and design, and the government guidelines, which the school has decided to adopt as a scheme of work, have not been customised for the needs of the pupils, given their current low level of skill. Even with this low level of skill, pupils enjoy the subject. They vaguely remember what they created some while ago but have very little knowledge and understanding of the work of famous artists as they have done

p.30

Commentary

very little work studying these. In lessons they do need constant reassurance that their creations are satisfactory.

p.30

Physical education

Provision for physical education is satisfactory .

p.30

Main strengths and weaknesses

• In the aspects of the subject observed, standards are in line with those expected in Years 1 and 2, and also in Years 3 to 6. They are lower than reported at the time of the last inspection, and so there has been a decline in the standards over the last two years. • The teaching and learning in Years 5 and 6 are good. • Pupils' attitudes and behaviour are often good. • Few opportunities are provided for pupils to evaluate their own work. • The monitoring role of the co-ordinator is unsatisfactory. East-the-Water Community Primary School - 31

p.30

Commentary

79. In the lessons observed pupils carried out gymnastics movements and dance activities with the control and co-ordination expected for their age. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 successfully worked with a partner in performing dance routines based on the movements of a bear, and those in Years 5 and 6 confidently performed a sequence of stretches and balances, using both the floor and appropriate apparatus. Pupils in Years 3 and 4 attend swimming lessons during the year and, by the end of Year 4 about 80 per cent can swim 25 metres. There are no further opportunities for pupils to achieve this standard during Years 5 and 6, and this is unsatisfactory.

p.31

Commentary

80. The overall quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. Teachers are suitably dressed to join in and demonstrate for pupils. Their subject knowledge is sound, and they provide appropriate apparatus for pupils to use. Safety is correctly emphasised throughout. Teachers provide relevant advice to pupils about their work, and this contributes to pupils’ satisfactory achievement. Whilst teachers often use pupils to demonstrate good practice, opportunities are usually missed to allow pupils to discuss their work. However, where teaching is good, these opportunities are provided and careful coaching of skills is given. Pupils enjoy physical education and, although a minority are sometimes difficult to motivate, the majority join in with enthusiasm, both when working alone and with others.

p.31

Commentary

81. The subject co-ordinator provides suitable advice and support for colleagues, and has contributed towards the satisfactory standards being achieved. Therefore, her leadership role is satisfactory overall, although she does not as yet have the opportunity to observe lessons taking place in other classes and so does not have a full appreciation of standards and what is needed to improve. A lot of time is devoted to physical education, much more than in many schools. The rationale of improving pupils’ self-confidence and co-ordination is sound, but little analysis has been done about this, and the school has few systems in place to prove that this extra time is worthwhile given the lack of time given to other subjects.

p.31

Personal, social and health education

Provision in personal, social and health education is satisfactory.

p.31

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Personal and social education has contributed to raising standards of behaviour in the school. • The school's strong emphasis on developing values contributes well to the social development of pupils. • Activities in personal, social and health education lessons, provided for pupils in Years 5 and 6, are not always well matched to the age and needs of the pupils.

p.31

Commentary

82. The school aims to ensure that pupils feel valued and puts a strong emphasis on raising the self- esteem of pupils. The planned provision for personal, social and health education of pupils makes a satisfactory contribution to this aim and has contributed to raising the standards of behaviour since the time of the previous inspection. Younger pupils in the school achieve as expected. They are beginning to explore and share their feelings and to understand the need for co-operation. The inclusion of pupils with hearing impairment enables pupils to understand life from another's point of view. However, by the end of Year 6, pupils do not demonstrate the degree of social maturity and independence expected of pupils of this age. This is because the provision has not been in place long enough to have had sufficient impact on their development, and the work provided in lessons is not well matched to their age.

p.31

Commentary

83. The teaching of personal, social and health education is satisfactory. Pupils in Years 3 and 4 achieve well because the tasks provided for the pupils interest them and are appropriate for their East-the-Water Community Primary School - 32 age. There is insufficient guidance for teachers about appropriate work for pupils in Years 5 and 6. The curriculum for personal, social and health education repeats topics without ensuring that planned progression is built in as pupils reach the top of the school. This results both in lack of challenge, especially for the more able pupils, and in too many pupils not being involved in the lesson. Opportunities are missed to use the subject to promote pupils’ speaking and listening skills. East-the-Water Community Primary School - 33

p.31

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The overall effectiveness of the school 6 How inclusive the school is 6 How the school’s effectiveness has changed since its last inspection 6 Value for money provided by the school 6

p.33

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Overall standards achieved 6 Pupils’ achievement 5

p.33

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 4 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 4

p.33

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 5 Enrichment of the curriculum, including out-of-school activities 4 Accommodation and resources 4 Pupils’ care, welfare, health and safety 4 Support, advice and guidance for pupils 4 How well the school seeks and acts on pupils’ views 5 The effectiveness of the school’s links with parents 5 The quality of the school’s links with the community 4 The school’s links with other schools and colleges 4

p.33

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The leadership and management of the school 6 The governance of the school 5 The leadership of the headteacher 5 The leadership of other key staff 6 The effectiveness of management 6

p.33

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).

p.33