Frenchay Church of England Primary School

FRENCHAY CHURCH OF ENGLAND PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 4 th – 6 th May 2004

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FRENCHAY CHURCH OF ENGLAND PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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FRENCHAY CHURCH OF ENGLAND 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. Frenchay Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Primary School category: Voluntary Controlled Age range of pupils: 4 –11 Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 119

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Churchside Frenchay Bristol

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: 01454 868181 Fax number: 01454 868182

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body Frenchay CEP School Name of chair of governors: Mr C Quantick

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 9 th March 1998

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

Frenchay Church of England Primary school is a smaller than average voluntary controlled school. There are 14 aged children under five in Reception. There are more boys (64) than girls (55). Younger pupils are taught mainly in their year groups, while pupils in Years 3 to 6 are taught in mixed age classes with year groups being divided by age. The school is in a small Victorian building, supplemented by three temporary classrooms on the edge of Frenchay Common. The school draws pupils from both the village area of Frenchay and the adjoining urban areas of the city of Bristol. The proportion of pupils receiving free school meals is below average. Attainment on entry to the school is above average. There are 22 pupils on the school’s register of special educational needs. They represent approximately 18 per cent of the total number of pupils, which is a similar proportion to most schools. A number of these pupils have speech and language difficulties and a smaller number

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

have behavioural and social difficulties. One pupil has a statement of special educational need. Approximately 18 per cent of pupils come from minority ethnic groups. Most of these pupils are from Indian Asian background or from a mixed background. There are no pupils receiving additional support for learning English. Over the past few years, the school has had significant staffing problems, due to long term illnesses, which is in the process of being resolved. The school received an Achievement Award from the Department of Education and Skills in 2001.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

In this report reference is normally made to Reception, Years 1 to 2 and Years 3 to 6. However, reference is also made to the joint age classes in the school as follows: Class 1 is joint Reception and Year 1; Class 2 is Years 1 and 2; Class 3 is Year 3 and younger Year 4 pupils ; Class 4 is older Year 4 pupils and younger Year 5 pupils; Class 5 is older Year 5 pupils and all Year 6. Frenchay Primary School - 4

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

23434 Marie Gibbon Lead inspector English, religious education, art, history, special educational needs and English as an additional language. 9588 Tony West Lay inspector 18083 Judith Howell Team inspector Foundation Stage, information and communication technology, music, personal, social, health and citizenship education and geography. 27644 John Tate Team inspector Mathematics, science, design and technology, physical education.

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

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

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 8

Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 8

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 11

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

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OVERALL EVALUATION

Frenchay Primary School is a satisfactory school with a number of good features. It provides satisfactory value for money. Overall, pupils’ achievement is satisfactory. There is good achievement in the Foundation Stage and Years 1 and 2 due to the good teaching and learning in these years. Standards in the National Curriculum tests are well above average except for English in Year 6 and writing in Year 2 where standards are above average. The headteacher leads the school well. There are comparative weaknesses in the overall quality of teaching and learning, pupils’ achievement and standards of writing in Years 3 to 6 and in assessment procedures and their use. Significant staffing problems, due to long term illnesses, have adversely affected the continuity of pupils’ achievement in Years 3 to 6. The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are: • Pupils in Year 2 achieve well in English, mathematics and science because teaching is well

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OVERALL EVALUATION

matched to their needs. • Children in Reception achieve well because basic skills are taught well. • The good leadership of the newly appointed headteacher is providing a secure basis for the school’s future development. • The good team work and team spirit of the staff have helped to minimise the impact of staff absences. This helps pupils to have good attitudes to their work and behave and apply themselves to their work well, • Teaching and learning in Years 3 to 6, although satisfactory, is too variable and does not ensure consistent good achievement. As a result, standards of writing are too low in these years. • Pupils achieve well in mathematics and information and communication technology (ICT) because teaching is good across the school and very good in Class 5. • Good recent improvements to assessment procedures have not had time to have an impact on pupils’ achievement. • Relationships with parents are good and support pupils’ learning well.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

• Accommodation is unsatisfactory as it restricts pupils’ development in physical education (PE and library skills.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school has made satisfactory improvement since it was inspected in 1998. The key issues relating to the organisation of the governing body, the school development plan and the review of curriculum policies and planning have been suitably addressed. The governors have worked hard to ensure best use is made of the accommodation and have made satisfactory progress on this issue. The school prospectus and the governors’ Annual report to parents still do not meet statutory requirements and progress on this issue has been unsatisfactory. In addition there have been good improvements in standards and teaching in Years 1 and 2, the leadership of the headteacher and the provision for ICT. Standards of teaching and learning in Years 3 to 6 are not as high and the quality of teaching overall is lower. The quality of assessment is now not as good as found in the previous inspection. . Standards Achieved all schools Similar

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OVERALL EVALUATION

schools Results in National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 6, compared with 2001 2002 2003 2003

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OVERALL EVALUATION

English A B B D mathematics C D A A science B E A A Key: A: well above average; B: above average; C: average; D: below average; E: well below average. Similar schools are those whose pupils attained similarly at the end of Year 2.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

Achievement is satisfactory. In Year R, achievement is good. Children are on course to exceed the goals expected of them in all areas of learning judged by the inspection except in language, literacy Frenchay Primary School - 7 and communication and personal, social and emotional development where standards are well above expectations. In Year 2, achievement is good and standards are well above average in reading, writing and mathematics and above average in science and ICT. In Year 6, achievement is satisfactory and standards are well above average in mathematics and above average in English and science and ICT. Standards in writing in Years 3 to 6 are average because teaching does not consistently develop higher level skills. Standards in religious education (RE) across the school are as expected.

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Pupils’ attitudes, behaviour, and punctuality are good. Their spiritual, moral, social and

cultural development is good. Pupils have positive attitudes to school and are interested and responsive in lessons. Their behaviour is good in lessons and around the school. Their attendance rate is at the national average.

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The quality of education provided by the school is satisfactory. The quality of teaching and

learning is satisfactory. Teaching and learning are good in Reception and in Years 1 and 2. Teachers have high and clearly expressed expectations of pupils who, as a result, work hard and are well motivated. Teachers encourage pupils and engage their attention. Some lessons in Years 3 to 6 do not make the best use of time and the pace of the lesson and pupils’ learning diminishes as a result. Many assessment procedures are new. Although effective, they have not had time to be fully implemented or to have an impact on the standards that pupils achieve. ICT is used well to support pupils’ learning in other subjects. The curriculum enriches pupils’ experiences effectively. Children in Reception are cared for and supported well. The school has good links with parents and the community.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The leadership and management of the school are satisfactory. Good leadership of the recently appointed headteacher is having a positive impact on the school’s focus on improvement. Her understanding of the school’s needs is good and is having a constructive influence on the organisation of the school’s systems and procedures. The management of the Foundation Stage and Years 1 and 2 are good. A strong team spirit has helped to minimise the impact of significant staffing changes and absences over the past few years. The school strives hard to be equal and fair to all pupils. The governors have a sound understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. Their financial management is careful and prudent and seeks best value for money appropriately. Their involvement in the strategic planning of the school is under developed.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents have positive views of the school. They appreciate the approachability of teachers. They would like to be better informed about their child’s progress and the homework the school sets. Pupils enjoy school and feel they have adults in the school they can trust.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

The most important things the school should do to improve are: • Ensure that teaching and learning in Years 3 to 6 are consistently good in all classes. • Improve standards in writing in Years 3 to 6. • Fully implement new procedures in assessment and ensure they are used effectively to raise standards in all subjects. • Develop its accommodation in order to provide pupils with the full range of experiences. and, to meet statutory requirements: • Ensure the school prospectus and the governors’ annual report to parents meets statutory requirements. Frenchay Primary School - 8

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Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

Overall, achievement is satisfactory. Achievement is good in Year R and in Years 1 and 2. It is satisfactory in Years 3 to 6. There is good achievement in mathematics and ICT in Year 6 and older pupils in Year 5 (Class 5). Standards are well above average in English, mathematics and above average in science by the end of Year 2. By the end of Year 6, standards are well above average in mathematics and above average in English and science.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• In Reception pupils achieve particularly well in literacy and language skills because teaching is skilful and well focused on their needs. • Standards in writing and science have improved in Year 2 since the last national tests as a result of good teaching and more effective use of assessment procedures. • Standards in mathematics continue to be high in Year 6 because teaching in Class 5 is very good. • Standards of writing in Years 3 to 6 are weaker than other aspects of English because the focus on developing higher level skills has not been consistent. • The teaching of ICT in Class 5 is very effective and has led to a significant improvement in standards since the last inspection.

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Commentary

1. Achievement in the Foundation Stage is good. This reflects the effective teaching children receive, particularly in developing their basic skills. Children are on course to exceed the goals they are expected to reach by the end of Reception in all areas of learning judged by the inspection, except in language, literacy and communication and in their personal, social and emotional development where standards are well above those expected.

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Commentary

2. In the end of Year 2 national tests in 2003, standards, compared to all schools, were very high in mathematics, well above average in reading and above average in writing. Compared with similar schools, standards were well above average in reading and mathematics and average in writing. Standards have been consistently high in mathematics but more variable in writing and with one slight dip in reading over the past four years. The overall trend of improvement is below the national trend. Over the past three years, boys have performed better in reading, writing and mathematics than girls.

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Commentary

3.. The findings of the inspection are that standards in Year 2 are well above average in reading, writing, and mathematics, above average in science and ICT and average in RE, geography, art and design, music and PE. These were the only subjects where sufficient was gathered evidence to make valid judgements. Where the evidence allows comparisons to be made, standards have improved since the last inspection in mathematics, reading, writing, and ICT. This improvement is the result of a recent more rigorous focus on assessment and an improvement in the quality of teaching, which is now good. Similar standards were seen in science, geography, music and PE. Standards are lower in art and design, as some aspects of the pupils’ skills are underdeveloped. The judgements of the inspection are higher in writing and science than the school’s results in the national tests in 2003 because of recent improvements in the use of assessment and effective

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Commentary

teaching of skills for the higher levels.

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

Standards in: School results National results reading 17.6 (18.4) 15.7 (15.8) Frenchay Primary School - 9 writing 15.5 (15.2) 14.6 (14.4) mathematics 18.6 (18.3) 16.3 (16.5) There were 16 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year.

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

Standards in: School results National results

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

English 28.1 (28.1) 26.8 (27.0) Mathematics 29.5 (26.3) 26.8 (28.3) Science 31.2 (27.0) 28.6 (28.3) There were 17 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year.

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

4. In 2003, there was a significant improvement in pupils’ performance in the national tests in Year 6 in mathematics and science, compared with the previous three years, as a result of action taken by the school to raise achievement in these subjects. Standards in English have been above average over the last two years. The overall trend of improvement was above the national. The proportion of pupils who reach average levels is well above the national in mathematics, science and English. However, although the proportion of pupils who reach above average levels (Level 5) remains well above average in science and mathematics, the proportion is similar to the national level in English. The school has identified the main weakness as being in writing and is developing a range of useful strategies to address the issue. However, these are too new to have had a significant impact on the standards pupils achieve. The school did much better then similar schools in mathematics and

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

science but their results were the same as other schools in English. Overall, pupils’ achievement was very good in mathematics and science when compared to schools whose pupils attained similar standards in Year 2. They did less well than those schools in English.

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

5. The findings of the inspection are that standards are well above average in mathematics and above average in English and science. This represents similar standards to those found in English and science in the last inspection in 1998 but improved standards in mathematics. Standards in science are lower than in the national tests of 2003. This is because in a different group of pupils, a smaller proportion are working at the higher levels. There are also some inconsistencies in the quality of teaching of science in Years 3 to 6. Standards have also improved in ICT and are now also above average. In other subjects inspected, art and design, music, geography, RE and PE, standards are average.

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

6. In Year 6, standards in speaking and listening are above average, in reading they are well above and in writing they are average. These findings differ from the test results because speaking and listening are included in this judgement. In Year 2, standards are above average in speaking and listening and well above average in reading and writing. The use of writing skills in other subjects of the curriculum is satisfactory. Pupils’ use of their numeracy skills are generally satisfactory but are not used consistently well across the school. ICT is used well to support pupils’ learning in other subjects but is used very well in Year 6 where the expertise of the teacher provides very effective support and guidance.

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

7. Pupils in Reception, Years 1 and 2 and in Year 6 (Class 5) achieve well. Pupils in Years 3, 4 and younger pupils in Year 5 (Classes 3 and 4) achieve satisfactorily. In discussions with pupils in Years 2 and 6, they felt they were required to work hard and were doing as well as they could. However, significant staff turbulence over the past two years has adversely influenced the continuity of learning for pupils in Years 3 to 6. The test results over the past three year period indicate that boys do better than girls in reading, writing and mathematics in Year 2 but that girls do better than boys in English, mathematics and science in Year 6. However the findings of the inspection are that boys and girls do equally well in all year groups. Pupils with special educational needs (SEN) achieve satisfactorily. While they receive good support in class, targets in their individual education plans (IEPs) have not

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

always been sharply focused or sufficiently frequently reviewed. The provision has recently improved and is now good but has not had time to have an effect on pupils’ achievement. The high standards reached in the school show that the school caters generally well for more able children. The school is aware of the need to provide more effectively for the development of more able pupils’ writing skills. Recent improvements in testing and assessment of pupils’ skills are providing a useful basis Frenchay Primary School - 10 for development but are too new to have had an impact on pupils’ achievement in writing. Pupils from ethnic minorities achieve as well as their peers. The school has no provision for identifying gifted and talented pupils.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Pupils' attitudes and behaviour are good, as is their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Their attendance is satisfactory .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils show good interest in their learning and that most behave well in lessons and around the school. • In Reception children’s attitudes and behaviour are very good. • Relationships between pupils, and between pupils and adults, are good and there is a high degree of racial harmony. • Pupils have a good awareness of right and wrong and show respect for others' feelings and beliefs. • Pupils' appreciation of cultural diversity is good.

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Commentary

8. Attendance for the reporting period is in line with the national median and as in the previous inspection is satisfactory. Unauthorised absence over the same reporting period is lower than the national average. The school monitors attendance appropriately and receives good support from parents and from the educational welfare service. Scrutiny of attendance records indicates that attendance this year so far has improved. The great majority of children arrive at school punctually. There have been no exclusions during the past school year.

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Attendance in the last complete reporting year (%)

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data: 5.9 School data: 0.0 National data: 5.4 National Data: 0.4

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Attendance in the last complete reporting year (%)

9. Pupils show good interest and curiosity in lessons and concentrate well on their work throughout the school. As in the previous inspection, behaviour is good in lessons. Children in Reception concentrate well in their lessons. They have very good relationships with adults in the class. They work well together and have a good understanding of taking turns. Their behaviour and attitudes to work are very good. Pupils feel that they work hard and that most pupils behave well.

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Attendance in the last complete reporting year (%)

10. During the inspection, a small minority of older pupils were inattentive. Around the school and in the playground, behaviour is generally good, although an example of overly boisterous behaviour was seen. This was dealt with very well by members of staff who limited its effect. The school sets high standards. New playground rules being designed by the school council are intended to contribute still further to improving playtimes. Pupils have suitable opportunities for taking on additional responsibility and they respond well to them. They act as monitors and assist in the running of the school. Pupils have been elected to join the newly formed school council. Members have settled into their new roles very well and, at the meeting seen during the inspection, they displayed maturity well beyond their ages.

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Attendance in the last complete reporting year (%)

11. Pupils have a good level of respect for the feelings and values of others and are given good opportunities to reflect on these feelings in assemblies and lessons. Pupils' social development is good and relationships between pupils and with all the staff are good. Pupils get on well and are able to work and play together collaboratively. They have a good understanding of their own culture and the school provides a wide range of visits, visitors and other activities to provide cultural enrichment. Frenchay Primary School - 11 There are, however, fewer opportunities for them to have a fuller understanding of life today in a multi-cultural society.

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school year

Categories used in the annual school census No. of pupils on roll Number of fixed period exclusions Number of permanent exclusions White British 85 0 0 White – any other background 5 0 0

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school year

Mixed White and Asian 1 0 0 Other mixed background 5 0 0 Asian or Asian British – Indian 4 0 0

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school year

Black or British Caribbean 3 0 0 Other ethnic groups 2 0 0 The table gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The quality of education provided by the school is satisfactory. The strongest features of the provision are the good foundation provided for children in Reception, the quality of education provided in Years 1 and 2, the additional opportunities offered by the school to enhance pupils’ learning, and the quality of the school’s links with parents and the community. The main areas for improvement are the quality of education provided in Years 3 to 6 which is not as effective as raising achievement as at Years 1 and 2 and assessment procedures and the use of information from assessment.

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Teaching and learning

The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory overall. It is good in Reception, good in Years 1 and 2 and satisfactory in Years 3 to 6. Assessment procedures and the use of assessment information are satisfactory across the school. They are most effective in Years 1 and 2.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• A strong emphasis on basic reading skills and on children’s personal, social and emotional development is helping children to get off to a good start in Reception. • The quality of teaching in Years 1 and 2 is good. • The quality of teaching in Years 3 to 6, while satisfactory overall, is variable. • There is very good teaching in Class 5 in mathematics and ICT. • The recent review and development of assessment procedures have improved the provision but are not fully implemented and the use of assessment information is not consistent across the school. • Throughout the school, teachers manage pupils’ behaviour well and create a positive atmosphere in the classroom which helps pupils to apply themselves to their work.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 22 lessons

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor Frenchay Primary School - 12 0 2 13 6 1 0 0 The table gives the number of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 22 lessons

12. The quality of teaching and learning in Reception is good overall. A similar quality of teaching was seen in the school’s last inspection. The teacher has a good understanding of how young children learn and ensures that they feel happy and secure. This enables them to achieve well. The very good teaching of basic skills in literacy gets children off to a very good start in their learning. The staff make suitable use of the Foundation Stage profile to make regular assessments of children’s ability and progress.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 22 lessons

13. Teaching in Years 1 and 2 is good. This is an improvement since the previous inspection as there is now a higher proportion of good teaching. Parents are happy with the teaching in these years and feel that they are kept well informed and that their children achieve well. However, they did express some concerns over the significant number of staff changes in recent years which have mainly influenced Years 3 to 6. Teachers have worked hard to minimise the effect and, as a result, good achievement has been sustained in mathematics across the school. Some very good teaching was observed in Class 5 but, overall, teaching in Years 3 to 6 is satisfactory. Most pupils enjoy their lessons and feel that their teachers help them to understand their work when they have problems.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 22 lessons

14. Strengths of the teaching include a purposeful and energetic approach to lessons which engages pupils’ attention and involves them well in their learning. The best teaching has high expectations of the quality and quantity of pupils’ work. All teachers expect pupils to behave well and there are good relationships in all classes. These features were seen in a good literacy lesson in Year 1 where pupils were preparing to write labels on a map linked to the travels of ‘The Owl and the Pussy Cat’ in the poem by Edward Lear. The lesson began briskly with a revision of ‘wh’ words learnt earlier in the week. Good use of individual whiteboards enabled the teacher to have a clear overview of pupils’ accuracy. She gave generous praise to words spelt correctly but also ensured that inaccuracies were understood and corrected. The lesson moved purposefully, building well on the interest the pupils had taken in the initial reading of the poem. The teacher used questioning well to develop and

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 22 lessons

consolidate pupils’ answers. There was a very evident sense of enjoyment as pupils remembered names and lines from the poem and, together with their teacher, transformed their answers into suitable labels. The teacher’s effective management of the group helped young pupils to pay good attention and to remain interested in their work. She showed a good awareness of activities and resources which would stimulate their interest and attention combined with a secure understanding of how to move young pupils on in their learning.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 22 lessons

15. Satisfactory teaching and learning are related to the effective use of time and pace. In an otherwise good lesson in Class 5, there was a misjudgement of timing of some activities, which resulted in pupils not being given enough time to complete their tasks. In other satisfactory lessons, an undemanding pace meant that pupils did not achieve as much work as they could have done in some activities. In the one unsatisfactory lesson in Class 4, the science lesson planned was not well matched to the level of pupils’ abilities and, as a result, pupils were unable to engage in the tasks and achieved little.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 22 lessons

16. The quality of teaching for pupils with SEN is satisfactory overall. Teachers and teaching assistants know their pupils well and this enables them to plan appropriately for their needs. Where teaching is stronger, work is more closely matched to pupils’ needs and, in these classes, pupils achieve well. In all lessons, teaching assistants and teachers work effectively together but there is no clear guidance on how time can best be used to share planning and to discuss pupils’ progress. The recent review of SEN provision has included a more focused approach to target setting in which teachers, teaching assistants and the special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCO) are involved. This provides a good basis for teachers to plan activities and to assess pupils’ progress. However, this provision is very recent and has not had time to be fully effective. Frenchay Primary School - 13 17. Overall, assessment procedures are satisfactory . In the school’s previous inspection,

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 22 lessons

assessment was judged to be good. The differences in judgements are because the school is in the process of reviewing and developing its existing assessment procedures and many of these developments are too new to be fully effective. The results of national tests and end of year tests are carefully analysed and discussed and the information used to plan a more focused curriculum and to set individual targets for pupils in English and mathematics and in Class 5 for science. These targets are regularly reviewed but the systems for review and the criteria used in setting targets are not coherent across the school. Although there is a good range of procedures in place in English, mathematics, science and ICT to provide records of pupils’ progress, many of the procedures are new and only partially implemented. Some procedures are in need of review to ensure they match National Curriculum levels more closely. This is the case in science in Years 3 to 6. New systems in

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 22 lessons

mathematics provide useful information on areas of weakness in the different strands of mathematics. The school has made the development of standards in writing a priority and with this in mind, has introduced a useful half termly assessment of all pupils’ writing. Although this is not fully effective in Years 3 to 6, it has led to a sharper focus on the higher levels in Year 2 and, as a result, there has been an improvement in writing this year.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 22 lessons

18. The school is using ICT to help create a more efficient system of tracking pupils’ progress across the school. This is only partly in place but is already providing more accessible information in Year 2 and Year 6. Assessment in other subjects in the curriculum is not fully developed. The focus is on coverage of the curriculum and does not sufficiently refer to levels of attainment and the development of skills. The school is aware of the need to ensure that systems are fully in place and coherent across the school and has already identified training opportunities to develop the expertise of the staff further.

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The curriculum

Curricular provision is good. The enrichment of the curriculum is good. The school’s accommodation is unsatisfactory. Resources are good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school’s strong community ethos and team spirit ensure that good value is placed on all individuals. • The school’s curriculum is well enhanced by its good use of the local area and links with the local community. • The pupils’ learning is enriched successfully through the range of visitors and educational visits provided by the school. • Good planned links between different subjects reinforce and extend pupils’ learning. • Provision for ICT is good. • The unsatisfactory nature of the school’s accommodation restricts the provision for PE and the school library. • The headteacher does not have a private office.

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Commentary

19. The school is a caring and supportive community where teachers have positive and productive relationships with pupils and where they work well together to meet pupils’ needs. There is good team work among the staff which has provided good mutual support during a period of changes of staff. The recently reviewed provision for pupils with SEN is good but has not had time to be fully effective. Provision is, therefore, satisfactory overall.

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Commentary

20. Where teaching is good, pupils with SEN are given work which is pitched at appropriate levels for their development and they receive good support from teachers and assistants. All teachers know their pupils well and provide encouragement in class, which gives pupils confidence to take part in lessons. Although the school has no pupils who are at an early stage of learning to speak the Frenchay Primary School - 14 language, it provides appropriately for those pupils who have English as an additional language. However, it has no formal systems in place to monitor and review their progress regularly. All pupils are fully and successfully included in all aspects of school life.

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Commentary

21. A broad and balanced curriculum has been established which meets the needs of all pupils well. The curriculum fulfils statutory requirements and the national literacy and numeracy strategies are fully and effectively implemented. A wide range of suitably planned activities provides children in the Foundation Stage with a variety of interesting experiences, which promote good learning. The accommodation is satisfactory for the demands of the curriculum and the needs of the children and includes a newly installed outdoor area with a suitable range of resources. The school has satisfactorily addressed the key issue from the previous inspection to review curriculum policies.

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Commentary

22. The school plans carefully to meet the needs of pupils in mixed age classes and there is regular monitoring of curricular provision in English, mathematics, science and ICT. Teachers plan productive links between subjects to reinforce pupils’ learning. This was seen to good effect in Year 2 when pupils based their writing of recount texts on their making of boxes in DT and when older pupils in Class 5 used their literacy skills to research and write their own topic books in their work in ICT. Resources are generally good and enable teachers to provide varied and interesting activities which provide well for the curriculum. In ICT, they have improved significantly since the last inspection.

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Commentary

23. The school makes good use of the accommodation available but it does not fully meet the needs of a modern curriculum and is, therefore, judged to be unsatisfactory. This was a similar judgement to that made in the school’s previous inspection when accommodation was identified as a key issue for improvement. The school and the governors have worked hard in the intervening period both to maintain the building and to make the best use of the space available. However it continues to adversely influence the organisation of PE and does not allow for wheelchair access should the school require it. The space designated for the school library is shared for other purposes and does not adequately provide facilities for pupils’ research and reading skills. The headteacher does not have a private place where she can meet parents, teachers and pupils when required.

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Commentary

24. The school provides a good range of extra-curricular activities to support and complement the curriculum. These include football, chess, computer, recorders, cycling proficiency, cricket, French and even an Internet Cafe. Access to these clubs includes pupils of all ages. In addition, very good use is made of the local environment with visits to places such as Blaise and Bristol museums, the docks in both Bristol and Gloucester, Wessex Water Pumping Station, Noah’s Ark Farm, churches, mosques and temples. Regular visits to the school are made by people from the local community who contribute to subjects such as history to talk about the Second World War, for example, and skills based activities such as kite making. The variety of such activities has a beneficial effect on many aspects of pupil’s personal and academic development. Discussions with parents confirmed their strong support of the peripatetic music tuition, which is also offered during the school day.

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Commentary

Several of the main string and brass instruments are taught thus broadening activity and interest beyond the normal opportunities available in school.

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Commentary

25. The quality of homework was raised as an issue by some parents. Whilst the school has a homework policy, it has recognised that the policy is due for review and that provision should be consistent, clearly communicated to parents and prepare older pupils for their life in secondary school. The inspection judged homework to be generally satisfactory in Years 1 and 2 and in Class 5 with some inconsistencies in those classes most affected by staffing changes.

p.14

Care, guidance and support

The provision for pupils' care, welfare, health and safety is satisfactory. The provision of support, advice and guidance based on monitoring of pupils' achievement is satisfactory as is the involvement of pupils through seeking and acting on their views. Frenchay Primary School - 15

p.14

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The care and support for pupils in Reception and for pupils with SEN are good.

p.15

Commentary

26. The induction procedures for Reception children include opportunities for parents and children to visit the school in the term before they start. These visits enable children to develop their confidence and trust quickly. Children benefit from the good care and support they receive from teachers and support staff and quickly develop positive attitudes to learning.

p.15

Commentary

27. The care and support for pupils with SEN are good overall. In a small school, teachers and teaching assistants know their pupils well. There are now, good, recently formulated procedures in place to monitor their progress and to review their individual targets. Liaison with outside agencies is effective and careful records are maintained of their support. The small number of pupils who have statements of SEN receive good support and care, which appropriately reflect the provision outlined in their statements of SEN.

p.15

Commentary

28. Although pupils with EAL quickly develop confidence in using the English language and benefit from the overall good level of personal support within the school, there are no formal systems in place to monitor and review their progress in learning to speak English.

p.15

Commentary

29. The school has satisfactory health and safety procedures in place. Governors and staff make regular health and safety checks and have high levels of knowledge and commitment. Although this aspect of the school has been improved and arrangements have been made for further progress, there are still areas that are not adequate and these are noted in the school’s development plan. The condition of the grounds, buildings and equipment are regularly monitored and risk assessments made of any potential hazards identified. The school complies with all the necessary health and safety reporting requirements. The school has recently been audited for health and safety by the local education authority, although this report was not seen during the inspection.

p.15

Commentary

30. The headteacher is the nominated officer for child protection procedures. The school policy and procedures are in place and comply with the area child protection committee requirements. The school nurse has implemented some staff training in this aspect but training and procedures do not appear consistent for all staff. Arrangements for the administration of first aid and for the care of children who are unwell are effective, although there is no dedicated first aid room in the school. Members of staff know the specific medical requirements of pupils very well.

p.15

Commentary

31. All the adults who work in the school form close and trusting relationships with the pupils. They know them well and provide good role models for behaviour. The pupils’ questionnaire results show that most of them feel safe and secure and can turn to a number of adults if they feel they need help or comfort.

p.15

Commentary

32. The recently implemented school council is still in the process of developing its role. Pupils’ suggestions are taken to the school council meeting where they are read out, considered and, if necessary, voted on. Although the ideas and concerns expressed are anonymous, they are taken very seriously by all concerned. Not all classes are contributing suggestions or questions and new arrangements are proposed, especially for younger pupils.

p.15

Commentary

33. The school's systems for monitoring the pupils' standards and progress are satisfactory overall but they are not as effective as in the school’s previous inspection. There have been some recent useful improvements in these systems but they are not fully embedded. Pupils are made aware of their personal targets and these are included in their annual reports.

p.15

Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

Frenchay Primary School - 16 The school's links with parents and the community are good. The provision of information to parents is satisfactory. Links with other schools and educational establishments are satisfactory.

p.16

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school is very well supported by parents through the parent teacher association and by their help in school. • Links with the community are good, with very good features. • The prospectus and the governors’ Annual Report to parents are unsatisfactory.

p.16

Commentary

34. Parents and carers have positive views of the school. The school works well with parents. It encourages them to support the school, through the very active Parent Teacher Association which raises considerable sums of money for the school. Parents are also encouraged to work in school. Parents hear pupils read, help in the classroom, accompany trips, visits and sporting fixtures, support and organise school performances and work on the school’s fabric. Parents have made a very significant contribution to the scheme that encourages parents to allow pupils to walk or cycle to school. They have also reviewed pedestrian access to and from the school.

p.16

Commentary

35. Parents help their children at home by hearing them read and by helping with their homework. Some parents expressed concern about the consistency of the homework and its challenge, especially for pupils in Years 3 to 6. The school provides information for parents about the curriculum and how they can help their children. Some parents did not feel they were kept well enough informed about their child’s progress or that parents’ views were taken sufficiently into account. Although existing arrangements are similar to those found in most schools, the school is currently reviewing how it communicates with parents. Parents receive newsletters and class information. The newly introduced home-school link books enable parents to communicate with the school, especially working parents. There are home-school reading books that can be used to contact school, although these books may not be examined every day by the teachers. In the

p.16

Commentary

previous inspection, the school prospectus and the governors’ Annual Report to parents were unsatisfactory. These documents still do not satisfy legal requirements and do not represent the school very well. At present, the parents are not able to contribute to the school’s improvement plan effectively.

p.16

Commentary

36. There are suitable opportunities for all parents, including the parents of pupils with EAL, to meet staff formally and informally to discuss their children's progress. Written annual reports for parents are satisfactory: they inform parents what their children, know, understand and can do, and include targets for improvement but lack consistency in the amount of information they provide.

p.16

Commentary

37. Parents of pupils with SEN and those who have statements of SEN are now well involved with the support their child is given. The provision for SEN has very recently been reviewed and parents of pupils with SEN, now receive regular information about their child’s progress against the targets the school has identified on IEPs. This provision is still in the early stages of implementation but is a good improvement. Parents appreciate the informal access they have to teachers whom they consider to be very approachable.

p.16

Commentary

38. The developing links with the local pre-schools and secondary schools are satisfactory. Links have been formed with the local secondary school to provide support with modern foreign languages and to allow pupils to communicate with a French school. Use of the swimming pool and mini-bus has also been negotiated with the senior school. The head and members of staff meet other schools through the local "cluster group" of schools. The school has benefited from links with two universities and provides places for students on teaching practice.

p.16

Commentary

39. Links with the community are strong. The school is used by local organizations. The community is involved in its activities and contributes to school fund raising and social events. The Church and the school are closely linked. Children’s performances and worship take place in church and the Frenchay Primary School - 17 rector frequently takes assemblies in school. The school uses the local area very well to enrich the curriculum and visits are made to museums, the cathedral and many other resources in the Bristol area.

p.16

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Overall, the leadership and management of the school are satisfactory. The leadership of the headteacher is good. The leadership and management of the Foundation Stage and Years 1 and 2 are good; other leadership and management roles are fulfilled satisfactorily. The school’s governance is satisfactory.

p.17

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The good leadership of the new headteacher has enabled the school to sustain a very positive ethos in a time of staffing changes and has provided a clear sense of direction for future development. • There is a strong team spirit in the school. • Effective leadership and management of the Foundation Stage and Years 1 and 2 have been influential in supporting high standards. • Staffing difficulties have resulted in a number of unfilled subject and management roles which are being managed temporarily by the headteacher. • The school does not fully meet statutory requirements in aspects of the school prospectus and the governors’ Annual Report to parents.

p.17

Commentary

40. The recently appointed headteacher has made a good start in her role. Her clear vision for the school and high expectations are communicated to, and shared with, staff and governors. In a relatively short space of time, she has identified the next stages in the school’s development and begun the process of addressing the issues identified. Since her appointment, there have been good improvements in, for example, the involvement of staff and governors in the process of school development planning, the more efficient tracking of pupils’ progress across the whole school, and in the review and development of provision for pupils with SEN.

p.17

Commentary

41. In the school’s previous inspection, there was no clear overall judgement on the quality of leadership and management but the day-to-day management of the school was judged to be satisfactory. In this inspection, the day-to-day management of the school was found to be good. With good support from the headteacher, there remains good team work among the staff and the ethos of the school is positive and forward looking. Movement around a small school is managed well and all share and make the best use of the sometimes limited accommodation. Co-ordinators now have suitable time to monitor teaching and pupils’ work.

p.17

Commentary

42. The Foundation Stage and Years 1 and 2 are well managed and there is an energetic and productive focus on the high standards pupils achieve. However, the school has experienced a significant period of staffing problems due to long term illnesses over the past three years. As a result a number of curriculum areas, including the management of SEN, have, for a period of time, been without a co-ordinator or have been under the supervision of the headteacher. Staff, the headteacher and the governors have worked hard to minimise the impact of the absences of staff and most of these issues are in the process of being resolved. However, the situation has led to a weakening of the focus for improvement in the subjects affected and a lack of continuity in the learning experiences of the older pupils in the school.

p.17

Commentary

43. In the school’s previous inspection, the key issues included the improvement of school development planning. The school now has a fully detailed development plan which is discussed and agreed with staff and governors. It covers the main priorities for the school for this and the next academic year. In these respects, it has made a satisfactory improvement since 1998. However, it does not have a sufficiently strategic overview of school planning. There are too many priorities to be Frenchay Primary School - 18 manageable and they do not focus sufficiently sharply on standards and pupils’ achievement. The school is aware of these aspects and is already taking steps for the further development of school planning.

p.17

Commentary

44. A further key issue identified the need for governors to be more actively involved in school development and financial planning. There has been satisfactory improvement on this key issue. Since the last inspection, the governing body has developed a more structured approach to its involvement with the school. The finance committee now meets regularly and maintains suitably detailed records of its discussions. The governors have clear guidelines on obtaining value for money and are beginning to apply them to their financial decisions. Issues identified on the annual financial audit have been appropriately addressed. The Parent Teacher Association works closely and very beneficially with the school to raise funds for identified projects. The school’s finances are managed prudently and carefully. A larger than usual balance from the previous year’s budget reflects changes in the way funding was allocated to the school.

p.18

Commentary

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 344,383 Balance from previous year 32,752 Total expenditure 331,015 Balance carried forward to the next 13,368 Expenditure per pupil 2781

p.18

Commentary

45. The governors have a satisfactory understanding of what needs to be done to improve the quality of education provided for the pupils. They are very supportive of the staff and the work of the school. However the critical dimension of their work when considering a course of action and the future direction of the school is underdeveloped. They are kept appropriately informed through their involvement in school activities and their discussions with staff, and use their expertise and local knowledge to the benefit of the school.

p.18

Commentary

46. The management of provision for pupils with SEN is satisfactory. Following a period of absence, the SENCO has recently, with the headteacher, reviewed the provision and her role. She now has appropriate recognition of her role and time allocated for her to fulfil her tasks. She has a secure understanding of the new aspects of her role and has made a good start with establishing new procedures which include a sharper focus on the writing of pupils’ IEPs and their more frequent reviews.

p.18

Commentary

47. In the school’s previous inspection, the school prospectus and the Annual Report to parents did not meet statutory requirements. Although the school has taken some steps to address this issue they still do not fully meet requirements. Improvement on this issue has been unsatisfactory. Frenchay Primary School - 19

p.18

SUBJECTS AND COURSES

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE.

p.19

SUBJECTS AND COURSES

The overall provision for children in the Foundation Stage is good.

p.19

SUBJECTS AND COURSES

• Good achievement results from consistently good teaching. • Very good teaching of language and communication skills. • Children achieve very well in language and literacy. • Very good teamwork between the Reception teacher and teaching assistant. • Relationships between adults and children are very good. • Good leadership provides clear direction for the continuing improvement in provision.

p.19

Commentary

48. Children are admitted to school full-time in the September of the year in which they become five. Although they enter a class that has pupils from Year 1, during a good part of the week they are taught as a separate group. There are 14 children in the Reception year. Children’s attainment when they start school is above average overall. From this starting point, children achieve well in all areas of learning. In their communication, language and literacy skills and in their personal, social and emotional development, the children are on track to attain standards that are well above average by the end of the Reception year. Many children are already working towards the early stages of the National Curriculum in English and mathematics. The strengths recognised during the last inspection have been maintained and further improvements have been made to the accommodation and the play equipment. The school now has curriculum policy for the Foundation Stage. The school

p.19

Commentary

has very recently created an outdoor area for the Reception children. Work is still in progress on this designated area to provide a learning environment that children can use for exploration and discovery. This is already bringing improved opportunities for the children to extend their learning outdoors.

p.19

Commentary

49. The management of the Foundation Stage is good. The teacher responsible is the Class 1 teacher where the Reception children are based with pupils in Years 1. Consequently she has a clear overview of the provision. She also has several other key responsibilities, which she carries out diligently. The teacher and teaching assistant work very effectively together as a team to meet the needs of all children.

p.19

Commentary

50. In the area of personal, social and emotional development , the children enter school with well developed social skills. As a result of the good teaching and strong emphasis given to children’s personal development throughout their time in the Foundation Stage, the children achieve well. The children feel confident and secure, become engrossed in their activities and sustain a high level of concentration. They make very effective relationships with adults and have formed good relationships with other children. The children work very well together as a group, and have a good understanding of the need to listen to the contributions of others, to take turns, and to share resources. The provision for children to make choices about what they can do and the opportunity to initiate their own ideas through play are well established. As a result, their independent learning skills and their ability to make decisions about their work are well developed. Overall, the children are

p.19

Commentary

enthusiastic learners who show high levels of interest in all activities.

p.19

Commentary

51. The children achieve very well in communication, language and literacy , and the teaching is very good. Speaking and listening skills are very well developed, and staff are very effective in the way in which they pick up incidental opportunities for extending the children’s vocabulary. Role-play is effectively used to further support the development of speaking and listening skills. There is a very good focus on the teaching of phonics and, as a result, many children know letter sounds and use Frenchay Primary School - 20 their knowledge competently to read a wide range of words. By the end of the Reception year, the children have a very good appreciation of books. They have their own reading books, which they take home regularly. Frequent opportunities for them to practise in class, and good support from home, ensure that the children achieve very well in this aspect of their learning. The promotion of early

p.19

Commentary

writing skills is good and there was clear evidence to show that children have made very good progress in their ability to write independently. For example, after listening to the story of ‘The Three Billy Goats Gruff children wrote their own versions. They are taught to form their letters correctly and already are beginning to write using a joined style. Most children are already working within the early stages of the National Curriculum for English.

p.20

Commentary

52. In terms of their mathematical development , the children’s achievement is good and the quality of teaching and learning is good. Many children exceed the learning goals in this area. By the end of the Reception year, most children have gained a sufficient knowledge and understanding of number to count and recognise numbers up to 20 with good levels of confidence and accuracy. Their use and understanding of language to compare two numbers, such as ‘one more than’ and ‘one less than’, are well developed. The children’s previous work showed that they had been provided with activities, which helped them to use the correct mathematical vocabulary to compare size, lengths and quantities. There are good opportunities for children to do simple addition and subtraction. Staff use good strategies for interesting the children, for example, teaching the children to count back from ten. By giving children ten biscuits each and having to give a puppet a specified number of biscuits

p.20

Commentary

they learnt how to take away from ten and count how many were left.

p.20

Commentary

53. Most children are on course to exceed the expected standards in their knowledge and understanding of the world. The evidence of children’s work indicates that the quality of teaching and learning is good. Children are given a wide range of activities that includes finding things that need pushing or pulling to make them move and investigating a range of materials. Good use is made of the school grounds to enable children to develop an awareness of the environment. For example, cards with photographs of mini-beasts allow children to look for and identify the creatures they see. Good opportunities are provided for children to explore and actively learn by doing things. For example, by investigating what happens to balloons, windmills and bubbles on a windy day, the children spent some time outdoors running around and increased their knowledge of how their actions helped things to move in the wind. Visits in and around the local area and to places further

p.20

Commentary

afield such as, Blaise Castle and Weston-Super-Mare extend children’s awareness of the past and provide opportunities for children to find out about features of places beyond their own locality. They use their skills to make models of houses from recycled materials and are provided with a variety of experiences in cooking that teach them how to use tools safely. Children’s awareness of religious and cultural traditions is suitably enhanced through stories and role-play. The children are provided with good opportunities to develop their ICT skills. They were observed using the computer competently in the classroom to support their learning and photographs showed Year 6 pupils working with the Reception children in the computer suite.

p.20

Commentary

54. In terms of their physical development, it was not possible to make an overall judgement of standards, teaching or learning. However, the children were seen riding tricycles competently and with good control when steering them around a track. The children receive a weekly PE lesson, but this was not observed during the inspection. The children show good control of brushes and pencils, and manipulate small objects well.

p.20

Commentary

55. It was not possible to make an overall judgement of standards or the quality of teaching in the creative area of learning. On the evidence of work on display, the children are provided with an appropriate range of art and craft activities and they achieve satisfactorily. They explore a suitable range of materials, paint pictures and print with different objects. In terms of their creative role-play, however, the children are provided with many worthwhile opportunities to use their imagination. Play areas are changed regularly to keep children’s interest and the Reception teacher is now building up a variety of ‘prop boxes’ based around themes such as the ‘Fire Brigade’ and ‘Wind’, which allow children to explore and re-enact real life experiences. Frenchay Primary School - 21

p.20

Main strengths and weakness

• Teaching is consistently good in Years 1 and 2 leading to well above average standards in Year 2 and good achievement in reading and writing. • Pupils’ achievement is good in reading and high standards are sustained across the school. • Standards in writing are weaker in Years 3 to 6 because the focus on developing higher level skills has not been consistent. • Rigorous use of assessment has led to improved standards in writing in Year 2 but this is not consistent across the school. • The subject is well managed. • The restrictions of the accommodation do not allow adequate space for a whole school library.

p.21

Commentary

56. Overall, standards in English are above average by Year 6 and pupils’ achievement is satisfactory. This includes pupils with SEN and more able pupils. Similar standards were seen in the school’s previous inspection in 1998. There has been a good improvement in standards in reading and writing in Year 2 leading to well above average standards. This is because teaching is consistently good and pupils receive a good foundation for their reading skills in Reception. Teachers have made good use of a recent more rigorous approach to assessment in writing and this has led to an improvement in standards in writing over the year. Pupils with SEN make satisfactory progress overall. Some individual pupils with SEN make good progress because of the good support they receive in class from teachers and teaching assistants.

p.21

Commentary

57. Standards in reading are well above average by Year 2 and Year 6 and pupils achieve well. Phonic skills are well taught from the time pupils enter the school and, by Year 2, pupils are confident in using their knowledge of sounds to help them in their reading. They are able to talk about the books they are reading in some detail and more able pupils make simple comparisons between different books by the same author. They understand some of the main differences between fiction and non fiction and are able to use their knowledge of the alphabet to find information in simple reference books.

p.21

Commentary

58. In Year 6, pupils enjoy reading and the additional guided reading times provide good opportunities for pupils to develop their range of reading and to think critically about what they read. By Year 6, the majority of pupils are confirmed readers who can confidently tackle a range of texts. They are able to discuss how writers create atmosphere and show a good level of empathy with characters in poems and shared texts. This was seen when pupils discussed the poem ‘The Highwayman’ identifying how Alfred Noyes had created a dramatic atmosphere. Reading diaries are kept in both Years 2 and 6. Parents are well involved in supporting their child’s reading in Year 2 and, in Year 6, pupils keep regular and often detailed accounts of what they have read. The constraints of the accommodation mean that the space allocated to the school library is frequently used as a teaching and general storage space and does not provide adequately for a whole school library. However, pupils have

p.21

Commentary

access to their own class libraries and book areas and, as a result, they have developed the necessary skills for finding books and information. Good use is made of ICT in Year 6 as a reference resource.

p.21

Commentary

59. Standards in writing are well above average by the end of Year 2 and average by the end of Year 6. Pupils achieve well in Year 2 and satisfactorily in Year 6. There has been some underachievement in writing in the past in Year 6 as a result of significant staff changes over the past few years. The Frenchay Primary School - 22 development of their higher level skills in writing has not always been consistent. The school has made the development of pupils’ writing skills a priority and has recently introduced a more rigorous system of half termly assessment. Pupils in Year 2 have benefited from the sharper focus and standards are higher than in the previous year. The system is too new to have had a significant effect on the writing of pupils in Year 6.

p.21

Commentary

60. The more able pupils and some average pupils in Year 2 write at a good length for their ages. They are able to develop their ideas effectively and some use a lively range of language. They show a good grasp of basic punctuation and use question marks and exclamation marks correctly. Most of these pupils use a well formed, joined style of writing. Lower attaining pupils are less accurate in their punctuation and spelling and generally use a simple statement sentence structure. In the lesson observed, pupils were writing an account of their work in design and technology when they made a box. Most pupils in the class were able to use appropriate, and often interesting, vocabulary to describe a sequence of events logically. Good support for lower attaining pupils and pupils with SEN ensured that they were able to formulate simple texts of their own. Standards of presentation are generally good and pupils organise their work carefully and neatly.

p.22

Commentary

61. In Year 6, the analysis of work showed that pupils write in a wide range of forms, including newspaper reports, playscripts, stories, poems, persuasive and discursive writing. Most pupils reach average standards. They organise their work appropriately for different purposes and use a relevant range of vocabulary and grammatical structures. There are, however, some variations in the accuracy with which they use punctuation and paragraphing. Only a few more able pupils show evidence of higher levels of writing. These pupils use a wide range of vocabulary and are secure in using more formal language and expressions. Pupils, generally, have a clear understanding of how to organise and plan their work because they have been carefully taught. Most pupils in Year 6 present their work carefully and use a fluent form of joined hand writing. Standards of presentation, however, are not consistent across the year groups.

p.22

Commentary

62. Standards of speaking and listening are above average in all classes. Many pupils enter the school speaking confidently and fluently. Throughout the school, teachers provide pupils with a good range of opportunities to develop their speaking and listening skills and this helps them to listen appropriately and to develop their confidence in taking part in class activities in a range of subjects. Although pupils achieve satisfactorily, the school does not plan for the progressive development of pupils’ speaking skills and, whilst older pupils are confident, they do not often use a wide range of vocabulary or more complex expressions. During the inspection, pupils in Year 6 presented the work they had done in ICT to the rest of the class, explaining the techniques they had used. Pupils spoke clearly, contributing their ideas confidently but some need supportive questioning from the teacher to explain their ideas in detail. Younger pupils make good contributions to whole school assemblies,

p.22

Commentary

and class discussions, many speaking audibly and with clear pronunciation.

p.22

Commentary

63. Teachers have a secure understanding of the national literacy strategy and implement it effectively. Teaching in English is satisfactory overall. It is good in Years 1 and 2. There was no unsatisfactory teaching. In the school’s previous inspection, there was no clear judgement but standards ranged from very good to satisfactory.

p.22

Commentary

64. Teachers in Years 1 and 2 create an energetic and purposeful atmosphere in the classroom by having high expectations of the amount and quality of the work that pupils produce. They have a very clear understanding of what pupils need to do and know in order to move on in their learning. They use questions well to direct pupils’ thinking and to assess their learning. Throughout the school, teachers work hard to provide an interesting and stimulating range of activities and resources for pupils to use. There are good, and often very good, relationships in all classes. This gives pupils confidence and enables them to contribute effectively to the lesson.

p.22

Commentary

65. Although good teaching was seen in Years 3 to 6, it was not consistent. In some lessons, there are weaknesses in the use of time so that pupils do not have time to complete the tasks planned for them and, sometimes, the pace of lessons is not sufficiently sharp to ensure that pupils learn as well as they can. Lessons across the school are generally carefully planned, with good attention to the Frenchay Primary School - 23 needs of mixed age classes. Teachers mark pupils’ work supportively and encouragingly but their comments for improvement are variable and sometimes not sufficiently in evidence.

p.22

Commentary

66. The management of English is good. The co-ordinator has a secure understanding of her role and through her monitoring has been able to identify useful and relevant priorities for the development of the subject. Assessment in English is satisfactory. Some recent good improvements have been made in assessment procedures. However, information from assessment is not being used sufficiently sharply in the setting of targets to provide a good level of challenge for all pupils or to support teachers’ planning effectively.

p.23

Language and literacy across the curriculum

67. The development of language and literacy skills is satisfactory overall. Opportunities for speaking and listening are well included in all subjects but teachers do not have sufficiently clear guidance on the progressive development of these skills. There are appropriate opportunities for older pupils to develop their recording skills in subjects such as science, RE and geography. There are good opportunities in ICT for older pupils to write and explore their ideas independently when they research and create their own topic books on a chosen subject. Younger pupils practise their writing skills when they write about themselves using different fonts and colours in ICT.

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses:

• Standards of work in Year 2 and Year 6 are well above average and achievement is good. • Teaching and learning overall, are good and very good in Class 5. • Support for pupils who have SEN is good. • Assessment of pupils’ performance is good and responds to individual need. • The leadership and management in mathematics are good and sustain high standards across the school. • ICT in the subject is well developed. • More able pupils are challenged well. • Homework is inconsistent in some year groups. • The use of pupils’ mathematical skills in other areas of the curriculum is not good enough.

p.23

Commentary

68. Standards in mathematics are well above average in Year 2 and Year 6. These standards are similar to those achieved in the national tests in 2003 and represent a good improvement since the previous inspection when standards were above average in both years. Pupils’ achievement, which takes into account their capabilities and previous levels of attainment, is good across the school.

p.23

Commentary

69. During the inspection, the quality of teaching and learning across the school was good overall and never less than satisfactory. Very good teaching was observed in Class 5. A brisk mental mathematics session reviewed pupils’ use of multiplication skills. Pupils were confident and responsive, applying their knowledge to include the use of decimals. In the very well paced and challenging session which followed, pupils were studying reflective symmetry in a variety of polygons. Using ICT effectively, the teacher achieved good levels of understanding from pupils across the full range of ability. The open ended nature of activities enabled all pupils to extend their learning effectively. A good proportion of pupils were working at the higher levels and most of the group were working within average levels. Attitudes to learning were particularly positive, with all pupils anxious to learn and to contribute to the lesson. Analyses of pupils‘ work showed that they had

p.23

Commentary

a good range of opportunities to explore and extend their understanding of shape and space by measuring and estimating perimeters in and around the classroom using both imperial and metric Frenchay Primary School - 24 units.

p.23

Commentary

70. Teachers use resources well to enable pupils to understand mathematical ideas and concepts in a practical way. This was evident in a good Year 2 lesson when pupils were adding on beyond the next multiple of ten. Pupils of all abilities were confident in their number work with above average pupils confidently creating their own examples of three digit addition and subtraction. Having understood the aim of the exercise, groups of pupils co-operated well with each other, recording their results on white-boards. All pupils were working within average levels and a good proportion of them were working at a higher level. The Year 2 teacher introduced the lesson content using computer generated material which the pupils enjoyed and provided a good level of challenge. Computers are well used in most classes and the pupils’ expertise is developing well. In each of the observed lessons, teachers used the initial period to sharpen pupils’ mental agility very effectively

p.24

Commentary

71. All teachers have established good classroom routines and have high expectations for pupils’ performance. It was noticeable during the inspection that pupils behaved well, remained on task and were keen and interested in the subject. Good evidence confirmed pupils’ ability to co-operate with each other from an early age and the collaborated freely and with enthusiasm in Year 6.

p.24

Commentary

72. The school has made good use of recently improved assessment procedures to monitor individual progress in the subject. These are now enabling teachers to plan work to meet individual needs effectively. Target setting has recently been introduced which enables pupils to have a clear understanding of their own developmental needs. An analysis of work and discussions with teachers and pupils revealed that the quality of homework across the school is variable. Where evidence exists, it complements the mathematics curriculum and helps to broaden understanding, but there is not a significant amount taking place and this diminishes the overall programme.

p.24

Commentary

73. In all the lessons seen, pupils who have SEN were given good levels of support, both from teachers and teaching assistants. Pupils are given appropriate work with a realistic challenge. Appropriate extension work is always provided to meet individual need, particularly for pupils of above average ability. Good support ensures that all pupils benefit from their mathematics lessons.

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Commentary

74. Leadership and management in the subject are good. The subject co-ordinator is very knowledgeable and well qualified and manages ICT in addition to mathematics. This is a good arrangement for the school and is one of the main factors supporting the high standards achieved at the end of Years 3 to 6.

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Mathematics across the curriculum

75. An analysis of work revealed generally appropriate use of mathematics across the curriculum. In Class 2, pupils found out how quickly an ice cube would melt under different circumstances and could recall the time to the nearest hour. In Class 5, pupils made periscopes to a standard design and also measured the length of shadows and presented the results in graph form. However, in some classes, there are missed opportunities for pupils to use their mathematical skills.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards are above average in Year 2 and Year 6. • Good teaching was seen in Year 2 and pupils achieved well. • Discussions with pupils indicate effective teaching in Year 6. • Pupils enjoy the full range of curricular provision. • Good use of appropriate vocabulary. • ICT is an important element in the teaching of the subject. Frenchay Primary School - 25 • There is some inconsistency in standards of teaching and learning in classes in Years 3 to 6. .

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Commentary

76. Standards in science are above average in Year 2 and in Year 6. Similar standards were seen in the school’s previous inspection. In the Year 6 national tests in 2003, standards were well above average. Differences in attainment between these results and the findings of the inspection are because a smaller number of pupils are reaching the higher levels. These are partly the differences of attainment in different groups of pupils but also reflect the inconsistencies in their learning over the past few years. In Years 3 to 6, the continuity of pupils‘ learning has been adversely affected by staffing changes. Pupils in these years have achieved satisfactorily. In Year 2, the results from the 2003 teacher assessments suggested that standards were average, but the judgement following this inspection is that they are above average. Recent improvements in assessment procedures and a more rigorous approach to assessing work at the higher levels have resulted in improved standards.

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Commentary

77. Year 2 pupils have a good understanding of what constitutes a fair test in investigations. They can predict accurately. In a good lesson on forces, they were experimenting with wheeled vehicles on different surfaces and gradients. Lively teaching with well paced questions, supported by a highly appropriate programme on ICT, fired pupils’ enthusiasm, allowing them to test their theories out in a very practical way. Tasks and activities were suitable challenging for all levels of ability. This enabled pupils to be very well involved and resulted in good learning. Subsequent discussions with them confirmed, not only how much they had understood and found out about forces, but also about the science completed since the beginning of the year. Pupils have a firm grasp of the importance of diet and exercise and personal hygiene and are able to discuss the different properties of materials and the experiments they have conducted.

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Commentary

78. Indications are that teaching and learning in Years 3 to 6 are satisfactory overall with some good teaching in Year 6. A lesson observation in Year 6 was not possible because of time-tabling arrangements, but a lively discussion took place between a group of pupils and the inspector at which pupils gave a full and detailed account of their work during the year. Pupils’ enjoyment of their work was very much apparent throughout the discussion and their correct use of scientific vocabulary confirmed the good teaching they had received. Several investigations had taken place, the particular favourite being the collection of bugs and insects from the nearby churchyard. These had been drawn and classified and pupils had a clear understanding of different animal groups and their place within the food chain. This had led on to an investigation of micro-organisms and the importance of hygiene in the preparation of food. Pupils are able to discuss accurately topics such

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Commentary

as light refraction and explain in detail how they investigated the process of making periscopes. Good use is made of literacy in the organisation and presentation of their written work. In discussion, pupils made frequent references to how they used ICT in support of their work.

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Commentary

79. In Class 4, pupils were finding out about the planets and, in particular, that the length of a day varies considerably between one planet and another. This proved to be a very difficult concept for pupils to understand and the plan had not been sufficiently clearly thought out. The teacher tried hard to engage the pupils but, almost without exception, they found it difficult to produce any satisfactory work. The lesson was, therefore, unsatisfactory.

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Commentary

80. In the absence of a curriculum co-ordinator, the drive and enthusiasm of the teachers have enabled pupils’ learning to be sustained satisfactorily overall. Assessment in the subject is satisfactory. There have been some recent improvements in the use of assessment in Year 2 and pupils in Year 6 now have individual targets in science which help them to understand how to improve their work. These good practices are not yet consistent across the school. Resources in the subject are good.

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Commentary

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

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Commentary

Provision for ICT is good. Frenchay Primary School - 26

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards are above average for pupils in Years 2 and Year 6. • The teaching of ICT by the co-ordinator is very good, which resulted in very good achievement in the one lesson seen in Class 5. • The leadership and management of the ICT co-ordinator are very good, which has made a very positive impact on the provision. • The resources are good and are used well to support pupils’ learning in other subjects. • The pupils are very confident and enthusiastic in their use of ICT.

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Commentary

81. Pupils in Years 2 and 6 reach standards in ICT that are above average because they are very confident using a whole range of programs. There have been many new initiatives and improvements since the school’s last inspection and these are resulting in the raised standards. Overall, pupils’ achievement is good. In Class 5 however, pupils achieve very well in the techniques associated with using ICT.

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Commentary

82. In Year 2, pupils have collected information about which is the most common family size using a tally chart and have entered the data into a graphing program to create a pictogram. They have used a word program to write their diaries and invitations, an art program to decorate tee shirts and a music program to create a simple composition. In conversation, pupils said they had received keyboard skills lessons and confidently explained how to perform functions such as changing font size, saving, printing and shutting down the computer. By Year 6, pupils have used spreadsheets to help plan a day trip to a tourist attraction and have designed a multimedia presentation that incorporates images, sounds and text. Pupils’ understanding of the range of the subject is good. They were very confident when explaining the sequence of instructions they produced to control a set of traffic lights and showed great pride in the school’s newspaper they are in the process of

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Commentary

publishing as the ‘Frenchay Times’. Many pupils competently use the Internet and e-mail to gather and exchange information.

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Commentary

83. In the one lesson seen in the Year 5/6 class, the quality of teaching and learning was very good. The teacher, also the co-ordinator, has very good subject knowledge and a clear understanding of how to develop the pupils’ skills and use them across the curriculum. As a highly skilled teacher, she asked the pupils to explain the techniques they had learnt in order to create their multimedia presentations of the stories they had written and designed for pupils in Year 3. She established a very good pace, asked high quality questions and developed the lesson by the means of pupils carrying out peer assessments on the story book presentations. All pupils were enthused with this lesson and confidently presented their stories to the class.

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Commentary

84. The co-ordinator for the subject provides very good leadership and management and has made a very positive impact on the provision since the school’s last inspection. Not only has the co- ordinator focused on the purchase of new computers, programs and other supporting equipment she has also updated curriculum plans and ensured that all staff are confident in teaching the subject. With the support of a parent helper, she runs two computer clubs for all pupils in Year 2 and Year 6. At present, the Year 6 pupils are learning Internet safety procedures. Assessment in the subject is satisfactory. The school is using the national grid for assessment, which is completed at the end of each unit of work and is linked to National Curriculum levels. This provides a useful overview for each class and provides an ongoing record which records pupils’ progress in the subject across the school. Pupils in Class 5 are developing strategies for peer review but this has

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Commentary

not been disseminated to other classes. Self evaluation is at an early stage. Resources are good and are used well to help pupils learn. The modern equipment in the computer suite means that pupils have access to a good range of programs and that the computers are reliable. However, the suite itself is housed in the Year 5/6 classroom, which does mean that pupils have to vacate their classroom for others to use. Computers in the classroom and around the school were seen to be Frenchay Primary School - 27 used effectively in many lessons during the inspection. Overall, there has been a good improvement since the last inspection.

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ICT across the curriculum

85. The promotion of ICT skills across the curriculum is good. Pupils use computers to research topics for geography, history and science. They compile books based on this work. They produce graphs and pie charts in mathematics and use their mathematical skills to draw up spreadsheets. In art and music, pupils have used software programs to design tee shirts and create musical compositions.

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HUMANITIES

86. During the inspection, it was only possible to see one lesson in RE and one in geography. History was not inspected. There was insufficient evidence to make secure judgements on teaching and learning. Judgements on standards are based on the analyses of pupils’ work over the year and discussions with pupils in Years 2 and 6. Planning in the subjects was scrutinised and, where possible, subject co-ordinators were interviewed.

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HUMANITIES

87. In geography , pupils were only observed in a Year 4/5 lesson. Based on the lesson observation, discussion with pupils and the analysis of their work, pupils make satisfactory progress and achieve average standards by Year 2 and Year 6, which is similar to the findings of the last inspection.

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HUMANITIES

88. In the lesson seen, pupils were looking at a range of newspapers to find out more about what is happening in the world. The pupils were given the choice of topics to explore in greater depth, which they had to use to write their own newspaper report. The teacher’s introduction to the lesson ensured pupils focused on the geographical elements such as the location of a story and the environment. This provided pupils with a suitable context on which to base their stories. Overall, the pupils made satisfactory progress during the lesson and developed a greater awareness of environmental issues, for example, sea-side pollution, litter and the protection of rare species. However, the teacher was not always clear about her expectations of the amount of work she wanted from the pupils and, as a result, too little work was produced.

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HUMANITIES

89. Analysis of pupils’ past work showed that, in Years 1 and 2, pupils learn about their immediate locality by making short walks around Frenchay. Their understanding is developed further in Year 2 when pupils consider ways in which their local area could be made safer. As pupils move through the school they develop their enquiry skills by interviewing local residents about what it was like to live in Frenchay in the past. By looking at old and new maps of the area they were able to see how things had changed. Pupils in Year 6 spoke confidently about their work on water and explained how to locate places on maps by using four figure grid references. They also made comparisons with other countries elsewhere such as India and Africa. Learning is well supported throughout the school through the use of ICT. Other subjects such as literacy, history, art and RE are also used to provide suitable links with geography.

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HUMANITIES

90. Leadership and management of the subject are satisfactory. The scheme of work covers all aspects of the required curriculum and is enriched with journeys out of school, so that pupils can apply skills in a practical situation. Currently, while time allocated for the subject is adequate overall, there is not sufficient time is given for pupils to develop more demanding high level geographical skills in order to attain better standards.

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HUMANITIES

91. In RE one lesson was observed in the Year 3/4 class. This lesson, combined with analyses of pupils’ work and discussions with pupils, indicated that standards in Year 2 and Year 6 are in line with the expectations of the Agreed Syllabus and that all pupils, including pupils with SEN, achieve satisfactorily. Similar standards were seen in the school’s previous inspection.

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HUMANITIES

92. Discussions with pupils indicated that younger pupils in Year 2 have an appropriate knowledge of some of the main Christian festivals and their meaning. They are able to retell simple Bible stories Frenchay Primary School - 28 such as the story of Zaccheus and know that Diwali is celebrated by Hindus as a festival of light. The know the church is a special place for Christians and are able to identify some of the significant features, such as the pulpit and stained glass windows.

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HUMANITIES

93. Older pupils are able to talk, sometimes in satisfactory detail, of some of the main features of the Hindu faith, such as Diwali, and recount the story of Rama and Sita. They are aware of the significance of the five K’s in the Sikh faith and have drawn their own prayer mat as part of their studies of Islam. Their written work shows that they have suitable opportunities to reflect on their own feelings and responses such as when they described how they might feel if they were of the Hindu faith. They know about some of the most important symbols of the major world faiths and higher attaining pupils are able to explain some of the significant elements of these symbols.

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HUMANITIES

94. In the satisfactory lesson seen, the focus was on sacred books. The teacher involved the pupils well at the beginning of the lesson by asking them if they had books which they felt were special to them. They were interested in listening to each other’s replies and contributing their own. She made good links with a Muslim pupil’s response that the Koran was a special book in his house by asking him to explain how the book was placed in the house and how it was treated. There was good respect and interest from the teacher and from other pupils in the class for his explanation. This link enabled the teacher to move the lesson on to talk about the importance of the Bible to Christians and to discuss its composition. The teacher had secure knowledge of the subject and this confidence and appropriate management skills helped her to manage some restless pupils satisfactorily. The impetus of the lesson slowed somewhat when pupils came to their own tasks which were

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HUMANITIES

appropriate to developing their understanding of the Bible but were routine rather than stimulating.

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HUMANITIES

95. The subject is currently being supervised by the headteacher during the recent absence of the co-ordinator. This is satisfactory. Subject planning satisfactorily reflects the requirements of the Agreed Syllabus and guidance on the subject from the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority. The school is awaiting the new Agreed Syllabus which is currently in draft form, before they review planning in the subject. Sessions of collective worship make a good contribution to the subject. The subject contributes effectively to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

96. During the week of the inspection, no lessons in art and design were observed, two lessons in music were observed in Year 2 and Year 6 and one in PE in Year 1. DT was not inspected. Pupils’ work in these subjects was scrutinised where possible and discussions were held with pupils and staff.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

97. There was insufficient evidence to make judgements about teaching and learning in art and design. The analysis of pupils’ work indicates that standards are average in Year 2 and Year 6 and that pupils achieve satisfactorily. In the school’s previous inspection, standards were above average. The long term absence of the co-ordinator and lack of time and opportunity to obtain an overview of teaching and learning, have been factors in the differing standards. Staff work hard to provide a good range of interesting and stimulating opportunities for pupils to explore and develop their skills. This is particularly evident in the work of pupils in Years 3 to 6. However the focus on the progressive development of skills is not clearly evident in pupils’ work and their achievement through the school is satisfactory.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

98. Pupils in Year 2 develop their observational skills by drawing natural objects such as daffodils. They explore pattern and colour in their printing using a range of different shapes. They become aware of three dimensional objects when they make clay animals and decorate eggs for the community egg rolling competition. There are good opportunities to work on large scale collage when they make houses to accompany their work in history on the Great Fire of London. They have also made a large scale collage plan of the area showing all the Christian churches in their locality, as part of their work in RE, and have chosen materials for texture and colour. Frenchay Primary School - 29 99. In Year 6 there are also effective links with other subjects when, as part of their work in science on water, pupils studied Monet’s paintings, including the water lily series. They used water colour to understand how Monet worked and the techniques he used. As part of their work on the kingdom of

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

Benin, pupils looked at a number of traditional African statues. They drew them concentrating on how certain parts of the body were emphasised and how body planes were simplified. This was followed by pupils making their own statues using balsa wood or clay. Pupils’ awareness of art as a focus for reflection and emotion is supported well by ‘Reflection’ books made by classes in Years 3 to 6. Pupils use their own and the work of well known artists, poets and writers to express and explore their feelings and responses.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

100. In the absence of the subject co-ordinator the subject is being managed by the headteacher. This is a satisfactory temporary arrangement. The co-ordinator is developing a useful portfolio of pupils’ work but it is not yet fully annotated to provide a clear guide for teachers’ expectations. The subject makes a good contribution to pupils’ spiritual, social and cultural development.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

101.There was insufficient evidence to make secure judgements on standards and teaching and learning in PE during the inspection. In the Year 1 PE lesson observed, pupils reached good standards in games. The pupils performed a series of movements involving a rubber ring, working usually in groups of two or three. The pupils showed improving control of both the ring and their bodies and the teacher made appropriate use of demonstration to encourage all the class to be imaginative and safe in their work. The lesson moved along at a brisk pace and the pupils made good use of the available space. As a conclusion, the pupils worked well together, passing the hoop in as many different ways as possible between one and the other without it touching the floor. The lesson was well structured with an appropriate warm up exercise, good development of the main activity and a cooling down exercise.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

102. Discussions with Year 6 pupils confirmed their enjoyment of the subject. They look forward to participating in lessons and in team sports. Almost all Years 3 to 6 pupils attain their 25 metre qualification in swimming and the school has recently reached agreement with a nearby secondary school to enable pupils to swim there.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

103. Indoor accommodation for PE is unsatisfactory, particularly for older pupils. The school hall is very small and confined and there is a limit on the number of pupils who can use it at any one time. Staff make every effort to use the available facilities, both indoor and out on the adjoining village common. Similar comments were made in the last report.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

104. In the absence of a co-ordinator, the headteacher is maintaining an overview of the subject. This ensures that the subject is suitably managed. A new co-ordinator has been appointed and is to take up the role shortly.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils enjoy music lessons and participate enthusiastically. • There is good provision for pupils to learn to play a musical instrument. • Opportunities for performance are good.

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Commentary

105. In Year 2 and in Year 6, pupils' attainment is average, and this matches the findings of the last inspection report. Improvement since the last inspection has been satisfactory. However, the subject co-ordinator who is responsible for the teaching of music has been away on long term sick Frenchay Primary School - 30 leave and, as a result, music is at present being taught by class teachers. Achievement across the school is satisfactory.

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Commentary

106. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory overall, but there are also some good features. Lessons are well planned and move at a good pace. Pupils are all keen to participate, work well together and listen to each other. As a result of the satisfactory teaching in Class 1, pupils achieved average standards. The teacher made good use of a recorded track of music entitled, ‘Animal Song’ to reinforce pupils’ understanding of ‘fast’ and ‘slow’. By clapping to the steady beat of the music and using percussion instruments, the pupils managed to feel the differences in speed.

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Commentary

107. In the lesson observed in Class 5, the high expectations of concentration and behaviour set the scene for good learning throughout the lesson. The pupils were exploring Indian music and were seen using this as a base for creating simple cyclic patterns. They learnt to sustain varied beats by clapping and by combining different rhythmic patterns they were able to create a satisfying musical texture. The brisk pace kept all pupils involved in the lesson so that they gave of their best and showed that they wanted to learn.

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Commentary

108. Singing by the whole school in assemblies is good. Pupils sing tunefully in unison, with a good awareness of breathing, diction and dynamics and most obviously enjoy singing. Pupils benefit from a wide range of experiences. All pupils are involved in school productions and are given the opportunity to perform at a number of different venues. The curriculum is enriched by a number of workshops and visiting specialists. A large number of pupils receive musical tuition, which allows individual pupils to learn the recorder, flute, trumpet, violin, guitar and the harmonica.

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Commentary

109. During the absence of the subject co-ordinator, the head teacher has taken on the responsibility. This is satisfactory in the short term. Resources are satisfactory and include a good number of instruments from other cultures.

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Commentary

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP (PSHCE)

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Commentary

110. PSHCE is suitably provided for throughout the school. The pupils are very aware of the need to support and look after others and the quality of relationships in the school is good. The ethos of the school fully reflects this. As pupils move through the school, they carry out an increasing range of jobs willingly and with maturity.

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Commentary

111.Although PSHCE lessons have a designated time on teachers’ timetables, the use of ‘circle time’ , when pupils have the opportunity to discuss issues relevant to their needs is identified as an aspect for development. Much of the work pupils undertake in PSHCE is not formally recorded. Sex education is sensitively taught, as is healthy living, the world of drugs, keeping safe and relationships. Speakers from the local police, fire brigade and the school nurse have reinforced many aspects of the subject. In Class 5, pupils were seen confidently discussing how bacteria can affect their health. They know that by using simple methods such as washing their hands, cleaning their teeth regularly and caring for their hair the transmission of bacteria may be reduced. Preparation for Citizenship is acknowledged as an area for further development. However, the recent introduction of a School Council is providing more opportunities for pupils to be involved in the running of the school to help

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Commentary

112. The co-ordinator has a suitable overview of the planning for the subject, which the school has in place, but has not ensured that it is delivered throughout the school in a structured way. Frenchay Primary School - 31

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Inspection judgement Grade

The overall effectiveness of the school 4 How inclusive the school is 3 How the school’s effectiveness has changed since its last inspection 4 Value for money provided by the school 4

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities 3

Attendance 4 Attitudes 3 Behaviour, including the extent of exclusions 3 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 3

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The quality of education provided by the school 4

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

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The leadership and management of the school 4

The governance of the school 4 The leadership of the headteacher 3 The leadership of other key staff 4 The effectiveness of management 4 Inspectors make judgements on a scale: excellent (grade 1); very good (2); good (3); satisfactory (4); unsatisfactory (5); poor (6); very poor (7).

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