Fulfen Primary School

FULFEN PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 26 th – 29 th January 2004

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FULFEN PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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FULFEN 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. Fulfen Primary - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Primary School category: Community Age range of pupils: 4-11 years Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 410

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Rugeley Road Burntwood Staffordshire Postcode: WS7 9BJ

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: 01543 510400 Fax number: 01543 510405

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: Governing body Name of chair of governors: Mr P Tuxford

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

Fulfen is a large primary school that serves the eastern part of Burntwood in Staffordshire. Most pupils are from an above average socio-economic background. The proportion of pupils who are eligible for a free school meal is below the national average. The majority of pupils are white with very small numbers from mixed ethnic backgrounds. There is a very small minority of pupils who speak English as an additional language. An average proportion of pupils join or leave the school during the course of the school year. Overall, pupils’ attainment on entry is average . The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs is below average and the proportion with a Statement of Special Educational Need is in line with the national average. These pupils have learning difficulties and autism. In 2001 and 2002, the school received a DfES Achievement Award for the improvement in its national test results, and in 2003, a Healthy Schools Award.

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

2440 Mrs P Francis Lead inspector Science, personal, social and emotional development, mathematical development, knowledge and understanding of the world. 11077 Mrs J Harrison Lay inspector 30439 Mr M Heyes Team inspector Mathematics, information and communication technology, physical education, English as an additional language. 12060 Mrs P Peaker Team inspector Religious education, history, special educational needs. 27242 Mrs E Rice Team inspector English, art and design, communication, language and literacy, creative development, physical development.

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

Serco QAA Herringston Barn Herringston Dorchester Dorset DT2 9PU

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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.ofsted.gov.uk). Fulfen Primary - 5

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 8

Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 8

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 11

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

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school’s effectiveness is good , and it provides good value for money. The quality of teaching is good and all groups of pupils achieve well. The school is well led and managed and is improving its standards steadily. The school’s previous principles for financial management were a barrier to raising achievement but are being overcome and financial management is now sound.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

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OVERALL EVALUATION

• Standards are above average at the end of Year 2 in English and science and well above average in mathematics; these standards are maintained in English by the end of Year 6. • Good provision in the Early Years means that children receive a secure foundation to their learning. • The school’s provision for pupils with special educational needs is good. • The school includes all pupils equally and treats them fairly. • Due to the school’s good provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, pupils’ personal qualities are well developed. They have very good attitudes, values and are very well behaved. • The lack of resources for learning, particularly in a library, information and communication technology (ICT) and science, affects the quality of the curriculum and, hence, standards. • While teachers make good assessments to monitor pupils’ progress in English and mathematics, for children in the reception and those with special educational needs, the quality

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OVERALL EVALUATION

of assessment in the remaining subjects is not so well developed and when planning lessons, teachers do not have the same quality of information upon which to build the next steps in learning.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

Improvement over five and a half years since the last inspection has been satisfactory overall, however, there has been rapid improvement during the last four terms since the appointment of the current headteacher. Standards have risen in English and ICT and are steadily improving in mathematics. All pupils achieve well because teaching is now good across the school. The key issues have been addressed and there are plans to improve the issues further.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

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

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

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

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Achievement is good overall. All groups of pupils achieve similarly. Children in the reception achieve well and they attain above the goals they are expected to reach by the end of reception in all areas of learning, except in personal, social and emotional development where they reach well above the expected standards. In Years 1 and 2, pupils achieve well and the current Year 2 pupils reach above average standards in reading, writing and science, and well above average in mathematics. In Years 3 to 6, pupils achieve well and the current Year 6 pupils reach above average standards in English and average standards in mathematics and science. The inspection findings in mathematics Fulfen Primary - 7 and science differ from the 2003 national test results because of differences in the cohorts. 2003’s Year 6 was identified as a weak cohort in 1999 when the pupils were in Year 2. Since then, 17 per cent of the year group has changed and most of the pupils who joined lower down the school were

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

low attaining. The year group also had a disrupted year while in Year 5 because they had a succession of supply teachers.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Pupils’ personal qualities are very good overall. Pupils’ spiritual and cultural development are good . Their attitudes, behaviour and moral and social development are very good . Attendance is satisfactory.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The quality of education provided by the school is good.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

Teaching and learning are good overall. Assessment is satisfactory. Teaching is good in the reception, and in Years 1 to 6. It is good in English, mathematics, ICT and religious education in Years 1 to 6. There are strengths in teachers’ planning to meet the needs of all groups of pupils, in the management of pupils’ behaviour that provides a calm, ordered environment for learning and in teachers’ good use of their skilful assistants and other adult support. The quality of assessment is too variable across the school.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The curriculum is satisfactory. It is enhanced through a good range of clubs and other out-of-school activities. Accommodation and resources are satisfactory but there is a lack of resources for a library, science and ICT. The provision of support, advice and guidance for pupils and links with parents, the community and other schools are good.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management are good . The headteacher provides very good leadership that has inspired staff to improve the school’s provision and he has retained the school’s good ethos that permeates the school’s work. The work of the governing body is satisfactory with strengths in its knowledge of the school, but there is non-compliance with statutory requirements. Recently, they have taken reasonable action to remedy particular weaknesses that they identified.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents and pupils are very pleased with the school. Both groups strongly agree that children like the school and they are treated fairly by staff. The inspection team agrees with parents in their view that teaching is good and induction is very good.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

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

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

• increase learning resources, especially for a library, science and ICT, to improve the curriculum and standards at the end of Year 6; • ensure that the quality of assessment is consistently good across all subjects and across Years 1 to 6.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

and, to meet statutory requirements the governing body should:

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

• fulfil the requirements for ICT in the National Curriculum; • monitor the school’s policy for Racial Equality; and • meet the requirements for information for parents in their annual report. Fulfen Primary - 8

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Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

All groups of pupils achieve well across the school. In English the current pupils in Years 2 and 6 attain above average standards. Standards in mathematics are well above average in Year 2 and are average in Year 6. In science, standards are above average in Year 2 and average in Year 6.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Due to the good teaching of English across the school, pupils achieve well and use their literacy skills effectively in other subjects. • Standards in mathematics are well above average in Year 2, and due to the improved teaching in Years 3 to 6 standards are rising in mathematics in Year 6. • As a result of the consistently good teaching in the reception classes, children achieve well and attain above the Early Learning Goals in all the areas of learning. • Due to the improvements made and the effective leadership of the co-ordinator, standards in ICT have improved from below average to average. • Due to teachers’ improved planning that meets the needs of all ability groups, higher attainers achieve well.

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Commentary

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

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Commentary

Standards in: School results National results reading 17.2 (17.5) 16.5 (16.0) writing 17.2 (17.2) 15.3 (14.5) mathematics 17.8 (18.3) 16.9 (16.6) There were 52 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year.

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Commentary

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

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Commentary

Standards in: School results National results English 28.0 (27.9) 27.0 (27.7) mathematics 25.7 (28.2) 27.0 (26.7) science 28.0 (28.7) 28.8 (28.3) There were 56 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year.

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Commentary

1. National test results for pupils in Year 2 have been consistently well above average in reading, writing and mathematics for the last four years. In 2003, test results for Year 6 were above average in English but below average in mathematics and science. The 2003 Year 6 was identified as a weak cohort in 1999 when the pupils were in Year 2. Since then, 17 per cent of the year group has changed and most of the pupils who joined lower down the school were low attaining. The year group also had a disrupted year while in Year 5, because they had a succession of supply teachers.

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Commentary

2. As reported in the previous inspection, children receive an effective start to their education in the reception. Due to the consistently good teaching, children achieve well in the Foundation Stage. They attain above the goals children are expected to reach by the end of the reception in Fulfen Primary - 9 communication, language and literacy, mathematical development, knowledge and understanding of the world and physical and creative development. In their personal, social and emotional development the children achieve very well and attain well above the goals children are expected to reach.

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Commentary

3. Inspection findings show that in Year 2, standards have been maintained since the previous inspection and improved in mathematics. As a result of the good teaching, pupils achieve well and standards in reading, writing and science are above average, in mathematics they are well above average.

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Commentary

4. In the previous inspection, standards in English, mathematics and science were average at the end of Year 6. When the new headteacher was appointed in September 2002, his analysis of performance data showed that there was underachievement in Years 3 to 6 and his first task was to raise standards in those year groups. Sensibly, his first target was to improve the teaching and to make standards in English the first priority. The above average test results for English in 2003 for Year 6 were evidence of the success of the work undertaken. Since that success the school plans to improve standards in mathematics. The findings of the inspection show that teaching in the subject is now good and is having a positive impact on pupils’ achievement but will take longer to improve standards over the four years of the key stage.

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Commentary

5. A key issue of the previous inspection was to improve standards in ICT across the school, as they were below average at the end of Years 2 and 6. A new co-ordinator was appointed who gives good leadership to the subject and the effective support that he has given to staff has led to improved standards that are now average. In four terms since the headteacher’s appointment there has not yet been time to focus on standards in science and the foundation subjects. There are plans to continue the success achieved in English, mathematics and ICT in the remaining subjects.

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Commentary

6. There are no significant differences between the achievement of boys and girls. Pupils with special educational needs achieve well in relation to their prior attainment. Pupils make particularly good progress in literacy and mathematics where setting arrangements and the good support in class helps them to learn important basic skills. In the most recent national tests at the end of Year 6, three pupils whose attainment in English at the end of Year 2 was below average, achieved standards at the level expected nationally. Due to the emphasis placed by the headteacher on teachers’ planning to meet the needs of pupils of all abilities, there is no longer underachievement by pupils who attain more highly and they achieve well. The few pupils who have English as an additional language and those who are talented achieve well due to teaching that meets their needs successfully.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Pupils’ attitudes and behaviour are very good, as is their moral and social development. The provision for their spiritual and cultural development is good. Pupils’ attendance is satisfactory and close to the average of all primary schools.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils’ attitudes and behaviour have a positive effect on learning and achievement. • There are very good relationships amongst the pupils and between the pupils and the teachers. • Attendance is affected by a number of parents taking holidays in term time.

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Commentary

7. The development of pupils’ personal qualities was a strength identified in the previous inspection and this has been maintained. Staff in the reception lay very good foundations for the development of children’s attitudes and behaviour. Children are enthusiastic to learn and achieve very well from their average attainment on entry. By the end of the reception year they Fulfen Primary - 10 reach well above the Early Learning Goals in personal, social and emotional development. 8. These very good foundations are continued through the school for all groups of pupils. Pupils’ positive attitudes and their very good behaviour have a significant impact on their achievement. There are opportunities for pupils to work independently, in pairs and in larger groups. Pupils of varying attainment are teamed up in lessons, such as ICT and this works well with pupils supporting one another co-operatively. This not only advances their skills in the subject but also

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Commentary

develops their personal qualities. They sustain high levels of concentration and commitment to their work because the work is well matched to their learning needs. The varied ways of working provide pupils with the opportunity to show initiative and to take appropriate responsibility for their learning. They speak about their ideas confidently and respond well to questioning and discussion.

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Commentary

9. The school makes very good provision for pupils’ social development. Pupils are encouraged through their personal, social and health education and their religious education to show consideration and tolerance for the beliefs and feelings of other people. Pupils show an enthusiastic responsibility for their school through the school council to which two pupils from each class are elected each year, giving pupils an experience of the democratic process. Pupils on the council show mature attitudes and enjoy the responsibility handed to them. They have just formed a sub-committee to support the Eco-School initiative. This has led them to consider their wider responsibilities in the community.

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Commentary

10. As they move about the school and in their recreational activities, the overall quality of their very good behaviour is sustained. The school promotes pupils’ moral development very well. Members of staff are good role models who fairly and consistently define the boundaries of acceptable behaviour and teach the pupils the difference between right and wrong. Most pupils respond well to their high expectations. Assemblies are occasions when very good behaviour is evident with pupils sitting quietly and attentively to listen to the teacher or to other pupils. In the merit assembly organised by Year 6 pupils there was very good participation by pupils. They read out the merit awards and the receivers of these awards came out to the front to show their work. Pupils listened and watched with interest and applauded after each year group, sharing in each other’s successes and clearly valuing the recognition that good work receives.

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Commentary

11. The school successfully promotes spiritual and cultural development. Pupils have some opportunities to reflect on their beliefs and feelings in assemblies. Through religious education, history and art pupils gain an understanding of their own culture and the cultural traditions of other countries.

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Commentary

12. The current figures for attendance are similar to those in the previous year but not as good as at the time of the last inspection. Attendance could be better and is affected by the fact that a number of parents take holidays during term time. The school actively discourages this and carefully monitors the amount of holidays taken. The education welfare officer is a regular visitor and works in close co-operation with the school to address problems associated with attendance. There have been no exclusions in the past year.

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Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data 5.2 School data 0.1 National data 5.4 National data 0.4 The table gives the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year.

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Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

13. Although no incidents of bullying were seen during the inspection, there is a perception amongst a small number of parents and pupils that there is some bullying. The school has a firm policy on this, recognises the harmful effect on pupils’ performance which can be occasioned by bullying and any incident is dealt with swiftly. Fulfen Primary - 11

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The quality of education is good. Teaching and learning are good. The school’s curriculum is satisfactory. Provision for pupils’ care is very good while provision for their guidance and support is good. The school has a good partnership with parents, the community and other schools and colleges.

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Teaching and learning

Teaching and learning are good across the school. Assessment is satisfactory.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• As a result of the headteacher’s first priority to improve the quality of teaching in Years 3 to 6, teaching and learning in those years are good compared with the satisfactory judgement in the previous inspection. • Teaching in the reception is consistently good. • There are good teaching and learning in English and mathematics across the school, with some very good teaching in English in Years 3 to 6. • Teachers plan effectively to meet the needs of different groups of pupils and all pupils receive a fair deal from the school. • Although there is some good practice in assessment to monitor pupils’ progress in the reception, in English and mathematics and for pupils with special educational needs, procedures are inconsistent across all classes and subjects.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 52 lessons

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very poor

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 52 lessons

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

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 52 lessons

14. In the previous inspection, teaching was reported to be satisfactory in Years 3 to 6 in comparison with the good teaching in the reception and Years 1 and 2. When the headteacher arrived at the school, his first concern was the underachievement of pupils in Years 3 to 6 due to the weaker teaching in those year groups. With the approval of the governors, he asked a team of inspectors from the local authority to evaluate the teaching and he used their recommendations to put in place strategies to raise the quality of teaching. Inspection findings show that these approaches were successful and in Years 3 to 6 the overall quality of teaching and learning are good, with the very good teaching seen during the inspection also occurring in Years 3 to 6. Consequently, pupils in these years achieve well and standards in English have risen since the previous inspection and in mathematics are steadily improving. In the very good

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 52 lessons

teaching, mainly in English, teachers had high expectations for their pupils and challenged them by very effective questioning to deepen pupils’ knowledge and understanding. They made very good use of role-play, such as in the Year 5 lesson on a poem about Cinderella, and gave deadlines to pupils to ensure that there was a brisk pace to the lesson and pupils’ interest was sustained.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 52 lessons

15. In the reception and Years 1 and 2, teaching and learning are good. In the reception, there is very good team work from the teaching adults. The area for the Early Years is well organised into the six areas of learning, is visually stimulating for the children and the team approach is Fulfen Primary - 12 seen in the adults’ consistent expectations and procedures that are used with each group. The joint planning, led by the co-ordinator, is effective and meets the needs of young children well. Adults have a good knowledge of the curriculum and the needs of the youngest children. Consequently, they plan activities that are practical, provide a good balance between direct teaching and those that children choose and last long enough to match the children’s short spans of concentration. As a result of this consistently good teaching, children enjoy their learning, achieve well and reach at least above average standards in all areas of learning. The

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 52 lessons

good teaching in Years 1 and 2 has been maintained since the previous inspection. As a result, pupils learn and achieve well and they reach above average standards in English and science, and well above average in mathematics.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 52 lessons

16. Across the school, there are strengths in teachers’ planning. Generally, learning objectives are clear and, in response to a focus on planning to meet pupils’ needs in the school’s development plan, teachers meet the needs of all groups of pupils well. In the previous inspection report, there was a criticism that higher attaining pupils’ need were not met, but this has been addressed and they are challenged appropriately by the tasks provided for them. Teachers provide good support and sometimes, plan appropriate individual programmes to meet the needs of the few talented pupils and those with English as an additional language. Teachers also plan well for pupils with special educational needs with tasks matched effectively to prior learning and closely linked to their individual education plans. Teachers and teaching assistants provide good support in lessons and make a positive contribution to the good progress made by

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 52 lessons

these pupils. The pupils are fully included in all aspects of the lessons, especially in whole- class questioning by the teacher and when checking on learning at the end of the lesson.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 52 lessons

17. Overall the assessment procedures in the school are satisfactory, but there is some good practice in the reception, and in English and mathematics, and the outcomes are used effectively to help monitor pupils’ progress. These procedures have contributed to the good results seen in national tests at Years 2 and 6, particularly in English. The information is used to place pupils in ability groups for mathematics and English. This helps to ensure that most work is well targeted to pupils’ needs. In addition, pupils are set targets that are referred to in lessons and assessed so that progress can be noted. The results of various formal and informal tests are used to target pupils for additional learning support and booster classes. Assessment procedures are used to identify any learning difficulties that pupils may have. Ongoing observation and assessment of pupils with special educational needs provide regular feedback

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 52 lessons

about pupils’ achievement to form the basis for planning the next steps in learning. Well-trained teaching assistants work closely with class teachers providing regular feedback on these pupils’ progress towards the targets on their individual education plans.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 52 lessons

18. Although the school has analysed the information on pupils’ attainment in English and mathematics, in most other subjects information on individual pupils’ performance is not sufficiently detailed. As a result, teachers do not have a clear picture of what pupils know and understand and of the skills they have in these subjects. This reduces the security for teachers in planning the next stage of learning by building on what pupils have learned in previous lessons. The school is aware of the need to relate pupils’ attainment to the descriptors of the National Curriculum levels in the foundation subjects. This would enable teachers to see clearly the progress which pupils are making and communicate this to them. There are timely plans to develop assessment practice further.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 52 lessons

19. In the marking of pupils’ work, there are good examples where some teachers clearly focus on the main objective of the task and make useful comments so that pupils know how to improve their work, but this is not consistent in all subjects, for example in science, many comments in the marking are about literacy and are not related to the learning objective in the scientific content of the lesson.

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The curriculum

Fulfen Primary - 13 The curriculum in the Foundation Stage provides a good range of learning opportunities. The curriculum for Years 1 to 6 is satisfactorily broad and balanced and includes all subjects. Pupils benefit from a good range of enrichment activities. There is a good match of teaching staff to meet the demands of the curriculum. The accommodation and resources are adequate to meet most needs of the curriculum.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• There is a good programme for the development of pupils’ personal, social and health education within the school. • All staff employ good inclusive practice within the school. • The provision for pupils with special educational needs is good. • There is a good range of class teachers and teaching assistants in the school. • There are inadequate resources for some subjects, such as English, ICT and science, that restricts the quality of the curriculum being offered to the pupils and hence, standards. In ICT the requirements of the National Curriculum are not met.

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Commentary

20. The curriculum includes all subjects and is reviewed on a regular basis to meet the needs of all pupils. For example, there are plans during the summer term to review the curriculum in terms of its provision and resources, including the provision for high attaining pupils. There is a good programme in place for the development of pupils’ personal, social and health education. This results in an ethos within the school of good inclusion where all pupils are valued and supported, both academically and personally in a caring and secure school environment.

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Commentary

21. The school’s strong commitment to ensuring equality of access and opportunity for all its pupils is achieved through setting in mathematics and English and the good support provided by teachers and trained teaching assistants. All pupils on the special needs list have individual education plans highlighting their individual needs. These are regularly reviewed to ensure that targets reflect the progress made. All pupils with special educational needs have access to the same curriculum as their peers.

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Commentary

22. There is a good range of enrichment and extra-curricular activities offered to pupils in the school. These include chess club, breakfast club, history club, activity club, computer club, soccer coaching, tennis coaching, rugby coaching and a Family Learning group. Teaching staff, older pupils and visiting coaches run these activities and clubs and are well attended by pupils. Pupils in Year 6 are also offered the opportunity of a residential visit to Shugborough Hall, where they undertake outdoor and adventurous games. Visitors into the school enhance the curriculum offered to pupils. They include the local vicar, police, school nurse, county orchestra, local authors and theatre groups. Visits to places of interest in the Burntwood locality also help develop pupils’ interest in history and geography when they visit, for example, the Gladstone museum and Shugborough Court museum.

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Commentary

23. The school has an effective team of suitably qualified teachers whose skills and experience match the demands of the curriculum well. The number of teaching assistants in the school is below average, but they make an effective contribution in lessons. This was demonstrated in a Year 2 mathematics lesson, when a teaching assistant ably supported a lower attaining group of pupils when adding numbers up to 10. The accommodation is adequate for the delivery of the curriculum. The quality of resources is satisfactory overall, and these are managed and used well in lessons. However, in English, opportunities for research in all subjects throughout the school are restricted because there is no library and there are insufficient books, in ICT, the National Curriculum requirements for control technology are not met, and in science, pupils in Years 4 to 6 do not have sufficient practical experience of scientific enquiry.

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Care, guidance and support

Fulfen Primary - 14 The school cares for its pupils very well. Pupils receive good quality support and guidance. There are good procedures to take pupils’ views into account through the school council.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school is friendly with clear routines and this enables pupils to learn confidently. • Health and safety procedures are very thorough and the school is well maintained. Child protection procedures are good. Children feel secure. • Pupils receive very good personal support from their teachers and satisfactory academic guidance from the monitoring of their work. • Pupils’ views are considered fairly and help to influence school practice. This makes them feel valued.

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Commentary

24. Parents feel that their children are happy and have a good rapport with adults at the school. There is a happy and friendly ethos in the school. In the questionnaire completed by the pupils before the inspection, every pupil said that there was an adult they would go to in the school if they needed help. This reassurance has a positive impact on their learning. Induction arrangements are very good. There are open evenings and workshops so that parents are well informed about ways to support their children when they join the school.

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Commentary

25. Effective arrangements for child protection are in place. Children are well supervised, both in school and at breaks and lunch times. The headteacher is often around the school checking that pupils are well cared for. The school is well maintained and kept clean by the caretaker and cleaning staff. There is rigorous attention to health and safety, for example the school has a barrier to control access to the site by car. Pupils are encouraged to adopt a healthy lifestyle. The school lunches are carefully planned and younger children are provided with fruit for their morning break.

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Commentary

26. The care and support for pupils with special educational needs are good. Teachers and teaching assistants know the pupils well. The school’s values are well reflected in the way that pupils with special educational needs are given opportunities to take part in all school activities. Their contributions are valued highly and their achievements recognised. The teacher with responsibility for special educational needs keeps good records of pupils’ progress as they move through the school and their progress is reviewed termly. Individual education plans highlight key areas for improvement for pupils with concise and specific targets. These are shared with the pupils. A key factor in the good provision is the early identification of such needs and the action taken to make the necessary provision to help the pupils.

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Commentary

27. Relationships throughout the school are very good. Pupils have lots of opportunities to discuss and share moral issues in circle time and in citizenship lessons. Pupils’ progress is tracked and they are set group targets for improvement, which helps them to achieve better standards primarily in English and mathematics, where the underlying assessment systems are better developed than in the other subjects.

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Commentary

28. The school council helps pupils’ personal development by involving them in the running and development of their school. The pupils chair and minute their meetings themselves. The pupils are proud of the changes that they have helped to bring about, such as seating areas in the playground and they have won a bronze Eco schools award for their environmental activities.

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Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

The home-school partnership is good. Parents give very good support to the school and to their children’s work at home. There are good links with the community and with other schools. Fulfen Primary - 15

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Parents hold the school in high regard and take a very keen interest in their children’s learning. • The home school partnership is effective. The Family Learning courses have been very successful. • The good links with secondary schools enhance pupils’ learning. • Parents would like more information about the curriculum, and the written reports to parents about their children’s progress could be improved.

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Commentary

29. The Fulfen Association raises significant funds and leads social activities for staff and parents. Their support has recently helped to provide whiteboards and update the conservation area. Parents give very good support for their children’s education. For example, nearly all attend the consultation meeting with teachers to discuss their children’s progress.

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Commentary

30. Parents are very satisfied with the school. They say that their children are happy and they have no overriding concerns. The school has held a Family Learning programme for children in the Early Years and their parents and also for Year 3. Parents found these sessions very useful as they helped to make learning together fun. The school plans to extend these courses to other years, as they have been very popular and some parents of older children felt that they would like more information on the curriculum. The school is currently trialling a homework diary for Year 3; this is proving successful in increasing home-school dialogue and in establishing better feedback on homework. The governors’ report to parents, whilst satisfactory, omits information on the progress the school has made with the recommendations from the previous inspection report.

p.15

Commentary

31. The written reports on pupils’ progress meet statutory requirements. However, the quality of reports is inconsistent. For example, the reports for the younger children give a clearer indication of attainment than those for the older children; comments on subjects other than in English and mathematics are too brief or not sufficiently evaluative of pupils’ progress. However, parents of children in the reception are very pleased with the information they receive, particularly the photographic reports of their children’s progress.

p.15

Commentary

32. Parents can easily talk to the headteacher in the playground in the mornings and afternoons and find that the teachers are readily accessible. This provides for a satisfactory level of consultation. However, consultation could be further developed, for example, by the governors becoming more proactive in informing parents about their roles and activities. During the inspectors’ pre-inspection meeting with parents, there were questions about the actions that governors were taking on matters of concern. Parents of pupils with special educational needs are well informed of their child’s progress by the teacher with responsibility for special educational needs. Parents are encouraged to support their child’s learning and strategies are shared with them.

p.15

Commentary

33. Pupils enjoy educational visits to local areas of interest or businesses and this provides relevant first-hand experiences. There are close links with the local church and the vicar regularly visits to take assemblies. There are effective links with the two main secondary schools enabling pupils to benefit from sports coaching and some ‘taster’ lessons in technology and physical education.

p.15

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management are good overall. The headteacher provides very good leadership based on a clear vision for the school’s direction that is shared by his staff. The leadership of senior teachers and co-ordinators is satisfactory overall because only a few key staff have developed these skills recently. Management by key staff and the headteacher is good overall. Governance is satisfactory although there is non-compliance with statutory requirements: Fulfen Primary - 16 • the school does not meet the requirements of the National Curriculum in ICT; • the governors’ annual report to parents does not fully meet requirements, as progress with recommendations of the previous OFSTED report has been omitted; • the governors do not monitor the policy for Racial Equality.

p.15

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The school’s previous principles for financial management were a barrier to raising achievement but are being overcome and financial management is now satisfactory.

p.16

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The headteacher provides very good leadership and management that have led to rapid improvement in the school in the four terms since his appointment. • Performance management and the resulting professional development of staff have been introduced well and have a positive impact on the improvement of pupils’ standards. • The leadership by the co-ordinator for the Early Years is effective and she has created a very good team where children achieve well. • The provision for English, mathematics, ICT, religious education and special educational needs is managed well. • The governors have a good understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses and recently have taken reasonable action to remedy particular weaknesses that they identified.

p.16

Commentary

34. The headteacher, supported by staff and governors, has a clear vision of the way forward for the school based on a very accurate self-review, which identified the same improvements needed in the school as this report. The headteacher’s vision and the results of the self-review are reflected in the very good strategic planning within the school’s development plan that matches the school’s ambitions and goals. It is also a realistic plan that does not try to attempt too many priorities at once. Sensibly, improvement in standards in English and mathematics in Years 3 to 6 are the current targets, together with the development of the leadership and management skills of team and subject leaders to empower them to lead and manage their responsibilities more effectively. The leadership of most teachers is satisfactory because the development of their skills is at an early stage. The newly appointed deputy head has a key role

p.16

Commentary

in supporting these teachers. Already, after the headteacher’s initial year in the school, the quality of teaching in Years 3 to 6 has improved from satisfactory to good, as seen during the inspection.

p.16

Commentary

35. Overall, the management by key staff is good. There are particular strengths in the management by the co-ordinators for English, mathematics, ICT and religious education, and for special educational needs and the Early Years. The management by the remaining co- ordinators is satisfactory, mainly because their subjects have not yet been a focus of the school’s development plan, and they are waiting their turn to develop their areas. The headteacher effectively uses management strategies, such as performance management and the ensuing professional development, self-review and monitoring to develop co-ordinators’ skills in management to enable them to proceed with improvements within their areas of responsibility.

p.16

Commentary

36. The school is popular with parents and has a well-deserved reputation for its positive ethos. While the governors wanted to appoint a headteacher who would raise standards and improve pupils’ achievement, they also required someone who would retain the good ethos. They have been successful in meeting their aims. The headteacher has a high profile in the school; he is always visible, in classrooms, on the playground, in corridors and is very approachable to pupils, staff and parents. All pupils are treated equally and he provides a good role model to staff and pupils. When teachers have difficulties, he gives personal support, as seen in lessons in Year 4 when he worked alongside the teacher, acting as a support teacher to assist pupils with behaviour problems. Fulfen Primary - 17 37. While governance overall is satisfactory, the governors have a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school. As a result of this understanding, with support from

p.16

Commentary

the local education authority, they had to make difficult decisions and take action to improve the failings that they identified. Due to these weaknesses, the principles governing financial management led to deficiencies in resources, especially for ICT. These problems are being overcome and the historical overspending on the supply budget has been reduced by £10,000 because the headteacher personally covers much of the absence by staff and to release co- ordinators from their class teaching roles. However, the governing body does not ensure that the school fulfils all of its statutory duties.

p.17

Financial information for the year April 2002 to March 2003

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 725,350 Balance from previous year -25,000 Total expenditure 725,350 Balance carried forward to the next -15,000

p.17

Financial information for the year April 2002 to March 2003

Expenditure per pupil 1,940 Fulfen Primary - 18

p.17

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

38. Most children enter the reception from a private nursery located in the next classroom, with which there are good links. The leader of the nursery also works in the reception classes during the afternoons. This close relationship between the nursery and the reception classes means that the children make a seamless transition when they are old enough to attend school for the first time. Children enter the reception with attainment that is average. Due to the consistently good teaching in all areas of learning, children achieve well and, by the end of the reception year, they are likely to attain above the early learning goals in all areas of learning except in personal, social and emotional development where they achieve very well and attain well above average standards. There has been good improvement in the provision since the last inspection as teaching remains good and standards have been maintained at above average in

p.18

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

all areas of learning and have improved to well above average in personal, social and emotional development. The good curriculum reported during the last inspection continues to be good; it is well planned, is practical, provides a good balance of opportunities for direct teaching and for children to choose activities for themselves and meets the needs of young children well.

p.18

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

39. The leader of the Early Years leads and manages the provision effectively and has created a very good team of staff who share consistently high expectations for the children. Teachers and their assistants know the children well and meet the needs of all children successfully, including those with special educational needs, with English as an additional language and those who are talented. There is also a strength in the good assessment, as during lessons, staff regularly collect and record observations of children’s experiences and achievements to inform their planning for the next steps in teaching and for each child’s foundation profile. The accommodation is good and the learning environment is well organised, stimulating, exciting and colourful, based on the current themes of a castle and a journey to the moon.

p.18

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in personal, social and emotional development is good .

p.18

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The impact of the good leadership in the Early Years is the very good team work that promotes high expectations for children’s personal, social and emotional development. • Due to the consistently good teaching and well-established procedures, children learn well and achieve very well and are likely to attain well above average standards by the end of the reception year.

p.18

Commentary

40. The good leadership by the Early Years’ leader has produced a staff team where there is a common approach to managing children with shared procedures that all adults and children understand. The results of this consistent approach can be seen in the very good relationships between adults and children that have led to children’s very good attitudes, values and behaviour. An example of these procedures was seen when it was time to tidy up after activities. Without saying a word, an adult played recorded music more loudly than usual as a signal. Within minutes, the children had cleared away their resources tidily and were sitting on the various group carpets waiting for their next instructions. Within the area designated for personal, social and emotional development, there are well-planned activities to develop children’s personal qualities. In the lesson seen, the activities were well matched to the learning

p.18

Commentary

objective ‘to work as a team’. The adult explained the game clearly and encouraged children to co-operate and work together in hiding a ring on a circle of string before another child tried to guess who was hiding the object. The adult checked their understanding of ‘team work’ and Fulfen Primary - 19 assessed whether the target had been achieved by the end of the session. To match young children’s short spans of concentration, activities are changed regularly. There are well- established routines that children know well, for example, the group sings the bumble bee rhyme for children to leave the group and visit the toilet at the end of an activity.

p.18

Commentary

41. During their work in the other areas of learning, children were interested, confident to try new activities, spoke in a familiar group, concentrated well for their ages, knew when to sit quietly and listen, as seen in the reception assembly, were helpful to others and selected and used resources both independently and collaboratively in a group.

p.19

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Provision in communication, language and literacy is good .

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching adults provide good opportunities to develop children's skills in language and teaching is good. • Early reading and writing skills are taught systematically and well.

p.19

Commentary

42. Most children have well developed speaking and listening skills. All adults speak slowly and clearly, giving clear explanations of the tasks expected of children. They often model back clear speech of children's replies to questions. Expectations of attentive learning are met well by the children and signals for children to stop and listen are already well established and effective.

p.19

Commentary

43. The very good links with the nursery give continuity in writing and the learning of letters and sounds. A structured approach, with well thought out practical activities, such as role-play where children attend a banquet at a castle or take a space trip to the moon, support the good start in literacy. A child who was hidden inside his space ship commented: “I’m on the moon collecting moon rocks!” These experiences stimulate children, giving them opportunities for imaginative play with others in the class.

p.19

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in mathematical development is good .

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Due to the good teaching, children learn and achieve well and children are likely to attain above the early learning goals by the end of the reception year. • Adults provide a good variety of interesting practical activities that stimulate the children and support their learning well and they make good use of number in everyday situations.

p.19

Commentary

44. Adults take every opportunity to develop children’s mathematical skills, and particularly to develop their language. They question the children whilst they are engaged in a variety of activities, always trying to draw out and encourage mathematical understanding. For example, at the beginning of the day when registers for attendance and lunches were marked, the teacher used the numbers of children for cooked meals and sandwiches to practise counting and to develop children’s mathematical vocabulary such as ‘more’ and ‘less’. When children were examining shapes, they used the term ‘sphere’ when the adult described the shape and they knew the properties of a cube. Fulfen Primary - 20 45. A particular strength of the teaching is the way that adults meet the needs of the differing ability groups. A group of higher attainers was challenged well when asked to predict how many bricks would cover a rectangular surface. The children estimated the number of bricks and

p.19

Commentary

recorded their prediction. They covered the surface of the card with bricks to see how accurate their estimate had been. One child quickly made a good prediction based on the previous result. To challenge the child further, the teacher changed the card to increase the area of the surface, but the child realised that it was larger and increased the estimate accordingly, illustrating good mathematical knowledge and understanding.

p.20

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Provision in knowledge and understanding of the world is good .

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Due to the good teaching, children learn well. • Teachers provide a broad curriculum and a good variety of practical activities to promote above average standards and good achievement.

p.20

Commentary

46. The working area for children in the reception classes is well organised and there is a specific section for each area of learning. Teachers use menu boards for children to select activities and one of these is the teacher’s focus. In the lesson seen, children used a mouse to drag and click icons on a computer screen to follow the adventures of ‘Darby the dragon’. Other children built a train track and experimented with magnetism to join carriages and an engine together to run on the track. The group with the teacher made moon creatures from recyclable materials joining the pieces with glue, sellotape and string. The teacher planned the activities well and identified a clear learning objective, the tasks interested the children and the teacher used skilful questioning to encourage them to solve problems while they built their creatures and to explain what they had done when they shared their work at the end of the session. During the activities,

p.20

Commentary

the teacher recorded assessments from careful observations of children at work that were to contribute to records of their progress in their foundation profiles.

p.20

Commentary

47. Photographs of children at work illustrate that teachers plan a good variety of activities to develop children’s knowledge and understanding of the world around them. They found out about, and identified, some features of living things when they planted bulbs and pansies in the Early Years’ garden, on a nature walk, when looking for signs of autumn in the school’s conservation area and when they used magnifying glasses to look at frosted leaves. They found out about features of the place they live in and of more distant places when they found countries in an atlas and tasted foods from different countries and began to know about their own and other cultures and beliefs when they celebrated Divali and the Chinese New Year. They found out about the past when they played in a role-play area called ‘olden days’.

p.20

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in physical development is good .

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The children use their bodies well in a range of ways and are starting to link movements. • Children are already starting to evaluate their own and each other’s work. • Children have a good awareness of space. Fulfen Primary - 21

p.20

Commentary

48. Children are timetabled for outside physical play but this was not observed during the inspection because of the poor weather conditions. During the inspection, children working in the hall could find spaces, curl and stretch, jog on the spot and move slowly and quickly. They were able to use high and low spaces and worked well as a class in a parachute game. They could change direction on the teacher's signal and responded well to praise. Children are learning to start to watch each other's movements and think quietly about how they can improve their own. Good opportunities are provided for children to use construction sets and a range of equipment such as rollers, scissors, paintbrushes and pencils.

p.21

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Provision in creative development is good .

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Adults make good provision for role-play in which children participate well. • Teachers provide good opportunities for children to use a good range of materials.

p.21

Commentary

49. The careful attention given to the role-play areas stimulates children to learn. Children visiting the castle are able to dress as princes and princesses, attend a banquet and knights are able to ride the rocking horse as they go to battle! Good links occur with literacy and social development, as children are stimulated to talk and play well together.

p.21

Commentary

50. Children have good creative experiences. They use finger painting, make snow pictures and have a ‘royal gallery’ which links with their castle, and make lanterns. Evidence of a multi- cultural flavour can be seen in the making of diva lamps last term. The children’s work is attractively displayed in the classroom, celebrating success for all. Last year almost all children reached above the required standards in this area of learning and are on target to maintain this good standard.

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils achieve well and standards in reading and writing are above average throughout the school. This standard has been maintained in Year 2 since the last inspection and has improved in Year 6, when it was previously average. • Pupils’ speaking and listening skills are well developed. • Teaching and pupils' learning are good overall. • The subject is well monitored and data from pupils’ performance, particularly in writing, is well analysed, and used effectively to raise standards.

p.21

Commentary

51. Reading is systematically taught throughout school, and a satisfactory stock of books is available in classrooms but the library is not so well resourced. By Year 6, most pupils read confidently and can discuss characters and plots. They make predictions about how the book’s plot will develop and discuss books confidently. Most pupils have good skills to use when Fulfen Primary - 22 selecting new books. The library has been moved, to accommodate the new ICT suite, restricting its use for research. Home-school reading books are well used to encourage parents to support their children's reading, particularly for younger pupils. The presentation of pupils' written work is good and the recent emphasis on development of this area has raised standards. In marking, comments are often supportive, but do not always provide sufficient detail on how to improve in all classes. Pupils with special educational needs are well

p.21

Commentary

supported during literacy lessons by the special needs co-ordinator, class teachers and able learning support assistants; as a result, pupils achieve well.

p.22

Commentary

52. Teachers give pupils good opportunities to use their speaking and listening skills in lessons through whole-class and small group activities. The use of ‘literacy partners and buddies’ has ensured that all pupils contribute fully in lessons and report back to their classes confidently. Teachers generally encourage pupils to speak with clear diction and pronunciation, making them aware of the use of standard English. This good oracy contributes well to raising standards in pupils' written work.

p.22

Commentary

53. Teachers plan their lessons in detail, sharing learning objectives with the class. Targets are displayed in classrooms and pupils’ books, so that they know the things to work on to improve. Discussion with pupils revealed that they find this helpful. A good dialogue exists with teaching assistants, enabling them to contribute well to pupils' learning. Pupils readily respond when listening to teachers and when working collaboratively in pairs and larger groups. Pupils are well managed and generally know how to use dictionaries and contents pages to find information. Most of the classrooms display the key vocabulary related to current aspects of learning.

p.22

Commentary

54. Leadership and management are good and have contributed to good improvement in the subject since the last inspection. Maintaining and analysing pupil data is thorough and teachers have been well supported in levelling pupils' work against National Curriculum criteria with the development of a skills ladder that covers all levels. This information has been well used to set group targets within classes and to develop individual short-term achievable targets that pupils understand. As a result, they progress more rapidly towards the next level in their reading and writing.

p.22

Language and literacy across the curriculum

55. The National Literacy Strategy has been implemented well in terms of English and systematically planned into other areas of the curriculum so that these skills are used well. For example, in Year 2, pupils write healthy menus, which are displayed in the classroom. Pupils in Year 5 link art and poetry with snowflake patterns to illustrate their work and also in design and technology with recipes on how to make bread. In Year 6, writing skills are used in geography to explore issues, comment and answer questions and label maps accurately. Older pupils use the Internet for research. However, the lack of a library and sufficient books restricts pupils’ opportunities for research in all subjects throughout the school.

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Effective leadership, alongside effective monitoring and good assessment procedures, is helping drive standards up in Years 3 to 6, with improving standards in Year 6. • Effective lesson planning and organisation, which ensure work is well matched to the specific needs of all pupils. • Effective questioning and guidance to develop pupils’ mathematical understanding and vocabulary. • ICT is not used consistently to support learning in mathematics. Fulfen Primary - 23

p.22

Commentary

56. Inspection evidence reveals that Year 2 pupils are attaining standards well above the national average and are similar to those achieved in the national tests last summer. All pupils, including those with special educational needs are achieving well from the above average standards attained at the end of the reception year.

p.23

Commentary

57. Year 6 pupils are attaining average standards, which is an improvement on the national test results of last year. This is down to a number of factors, which have included the recruitment of new staff in Years 3 to 6, and effective procedures for monitoring and assessing developments in the subject. There is a clear focus on improving standards, which includes setting of pupils by ability in Years 5 and 6; and the effective leadership by the co-ordinator ensures that all pupils in Years 3 to 6, including those with special needs are achieving well. The present standards represent satisfactory improvement since the last inspection.

p.23

Commentary

58. The co-ordinator monitors planning and pupils’ work on a termly basis, and he has monitored his colleagues’ teaching to ensure that work is matched to pupils’ prior attainment to meet the needs of all pupils. He has undertaken an analysis of previous statutory tests and this year there is an emphasis on computation skills being used in lessons, including target setting on the use of oral mathematics and word problems. There are effective whole-school assessment procedures in place which monitor and track pupils’ progress as they move through the school. The co-ordinator has a clear vision of how he wants the subject to develop, and this is helping raise and improve standards in Year 6. Resources for the subject are adequate, and there are good links with the local authority mathematics advisor who brings in additional resources.

p.23

Commentary

59. The overall quality of teaching seen across the school is good. Detailed planning caters for the needs of all pupils in lessons. This leads to effective learning. Teachers give careful thought to how they will explain ideas to pupils and use well prepared resources that help pupils to understand. This was seen in a Year 2 lesson, when pupils used magnetic ‘fishing rods’ to gather numbers from a ‘pond’ to make numbers up to 20. There are brisk starts to lessons, with lively mental sessions that capture pupils’ interest well. For instance, in a Year 3 lesson, where the teacher used differentiated questioning when pupils were finding the answer to questions that involved three numbers.

p.23

Commentary

60. There is a good balance between explanation, discussion and practical activities in lessons to retain pupils’ attention and to enable them to consolidate their understanding and to practise what they have learnt. This was seen in a Year 6 high attaining set, when pupils were learning about three-dimensional shapes and angles. A feature in all lessons was the development of mathematical vocabulary such as ‘number bond’, ‘scale’ and ‘angle’ that helps with the promotion of literacy in school. Although ICT is used to support learning in lessons, for example, in a Year 2 lesson, there are some missed opportunities by teachers to support pupils’ learning.

p.23

Mathematics across the curriculum

61. Pupils make satisfactory use of their mathematical skills across the curriculum, for example, in measuring or in displaying the results from activities in science, or using time lines in history. However, there is little in the way of enrichment activities or on-going mathematical challenges. Currently mathematics is primarily seen as a subject rather than an integral part of everyday life in the school.

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

Fulfen Primary - 24 • Due to good teaching in Years 1 and 2, pupils achieve well and standards are above average at the end of Year 2. • In Years 1 and 2, teachers pay good attention to developing pupils’ skills of scientific enquiry and to developing pupils’ scientific language. • Pupils across the school have very good attitudes to science and enjoy the lessons. • In Years 4 to 6, pupils do not have sufficient opportunities to develop their skills of scientific enquiry because there are inadequate resources for all pupils in the class to undertake practical investigations independently. • Teachers do not use ICT enough in the subject.

p.24

Commentary

62. There has been satisfactory improvement since the last inspection. Standards are similar; however, the school’s recent focus on improving the match of work to pupils’ prior attainment and the revision of the scheme of work means that higher attainers are challenged sufficiently in most aspects of science. The weakness identified in the previous inspection in pupils’ skills of scientific enquiry in Years 4 to 6 remains. Due to the good teaching, pupils in Years 1 and 2, including those with special educational needs and those who attain more highly, achieve well and standards at the end of Year 2 are above average. Pupils’ achievement in Years 3 to 6 is satisfactory and standards at the end of Year 6 are average. Inspection findings are better than the test results in 2003 because of differences in the current Year 6 and the previous cohort which took the tests. The school identified the previous Year 6 as a weak cohort in 1999 when

p.24

Commentary

the pupils were in Year 2. Since then, 17 per cent of the year group have been new to the school and did not attend as Year 2 pupils and this year group received disruption in Year 5 because it was taught by a succession of supply teachers.

p.24

Commentary

63. Overall, teaching and learning are good in Years 1 and 2, and satisfactory in Years 3 to 6. Across the school, teachers introduce scientific terms well. In Years 1 and 2, pupils are given good opportunities to develop their skills of scientific enquiry. In Year 1, pupils investigated light and dark using a light box and, by the end of the lesson, knew that light is needed to see objects. In Year 2, pupils investigated how they could set up a fair test to judge which of a selection of toy cars travelled the furthest. All pupils understood that it was a ‘push’ force that moved the car forward, predicted which car would travel the furthest and contributed good ideas of a fair test. When teachers plan activities to challenge the high attainers, they do not always provide scientific content but one that involves higher literacy skills. A good example of scientific challenge was in Year 2 when higher attainers responded well to the teacher’s

p.24

Commentary

question of what would happen to the distance cars travelled if they carried a heavy load. The pupils found that the load slowed the vehicle and it travelled a shorter distance. Teachers make good use of their teaching assistants, especially to support the lower attainers and those with special educational needs.

p.24

Commentary

64. In Years 4 to 6, teachers do not give pupils enough opportunities to undertake practical investigations because there are not enough resources for all pupils to work at the same time. Consequently, teachers demonstrate most experiments to the class rather than pupils undertaking the work independently. This inadequacy in resources, including equipment for control technology, such as sensors, restricts pupils from making their own decisions on how to set up an investigation to answer a question, to select suitable equipment and to record their results using an appropriate method. This in turn, has a negative impact on the standards pupils attain in scientific enquiry. While there is sound use of literacy and numeracy in science, there is limited use of ICT particularly for handling data.

p.24

Commentary

65. Pupils are usually very well behaved, have very good attitudes to the subject and enjoy their learning. The well-qualified co-ordinator leads and manages the subject satisfactorily. Teachers seek advice from him readily and he has provided effective new curricular guidance. He and the headteacher are aware that once teachers have spent a year using this guidance, his next task Fulfen Primary - 25 is to monitor and evaluate teaching when science becomes a priority of the school’s development plan.

p.24

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Provision in information and communication technology is satisfactory .

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The co-ordinator’s leadership and management are effective, and teaching staff are well supported by his good in-service training and helpful documentation. • Improvement in standards at Year 2 and Year 6, apart from access to control technology, represents good achievement in lessons, but satisfactory achievement over time. • All teachers have secure knowledge of the subject and are confident when teaching in the computer suite. • Not all strands of the ICT curriculum are covered due to a lack of resources for control technology. • Whole-school assessment procedures are not implemented consistently to ensure continuity and progression in the subject.

p.25

Commentary

66. The overall satisfactory provision in the subject represents good improvement since the last inspection. Pupils’ attain average standards at the end of Years 2 and 6, and achieve well in lessons, but satisfactorily over time. This is due to the very limited opportunities pupils have to undertake activities with control technology.

p.25

Commentary

67. Leadership and management of ICT are effective. The co-ordinator has a clear vision and enthusiasm about how he wants the subject to develop in the school. He has been instrumental in giving all staff the confidence to work in the computer suite, through effective in-service training. He has also produced unit overviews for each year group to help with planning, and offers continual support to all teaching staff. He is fully aware of the need to purchase resources to deliver control technology, and the need to implement whole-school assessment procedures to assist with planning and monitoring, to ensure there is continuity and progression in the subject.

p.25

Commentary

68. Overall teaching is good. In all lessons seen in the computer suite, teachers displayed secure knowledge of the subject and used resources well. For instance, in a Year 1 lesson the teacher confidently used the smart board to explain how to correct a spelling mistake made by two pupils working together. Lessons are well planned and include activities to meet the needs of different pupils. This was seen in a Year 3 lesson, in which pupils were given appropriate scenes to create on the theme of ‘Three Little Pigs’. High attaining pupils could confidently create a scene by double clicking on the mouse to use the tool bar. Lower attaining pupils needed some advice concerning what icons to use on the tool bar, and needed some help when saving their work at the end of the lesson.

p.25

Commentary

69. The school is adequately resourced to deliver the full curriculum, apart from the control technology element. It has 32 net-linked computers, 16 in the computer suite and the remainder in classrooms. It also has Internet safety procedures and parents are aware of its policy in this area.

p.25

Information and communication technology across the curriculum

70. ICT is used well by some teachers to develop learning across the curriculum, but overall it is satisfactory because it is inconsistent across the school. In a Year 1 lesson in the computer suite, pupils learnt how to use a word bank to complete sentences on their visit to the park. In a Fulfen Primary - 26 Year 6 middle group mathematics lesson, pupils worked on the class computer to identify the size of different angles. However, opportunities are missed in other lessons to use computers to practise or reinforce key skills learnt in the computer suite.

p.25

HUMANITIES

The provision in geography was not a focus of the inspection and has not been reported. History was sampled because not enough lessons were seen to make secure judgements on the provision. It was possible to observe three history lessons from Years 3 to 6 and to look at a sample of work from this age range.

p.26

HUMANITIES

71. Standards in history for this age group are also in line with what is expected by Year 6. Some good teaching helps pupils to develop skills of interpretation as they look at sources of evidence. Teachers use questioning well and in response, pupils’ good speaking skills enable them to give coherent factual accounts of earlier learning or of research that they have undertaken independently. Teachers provide appropriate resources that support pupils’ learning in a challenging and interesting way. Teachers successfully integrate the skills of ICT with the subject demonstrating its use as a tool in their learning. Pupils have very good attitudes, working well independently or in pairs. Pupils with special educational needs achieve well because work is well matched to their needs.

p.26

Religious education

Provision in religious education is good.

p.26

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Good well-structured teaching is matched to pupils’ needs. • The curriculum is well planned and balanced. • The subject makes a good contribution to the development of pupils’ personal qualities. • Good planning by the co-ordinator promotes continuity of learning and supports teachers well.

p.26

Commentary

72. Standards in Year 2 are in line with the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus and by Year 6 pupils attain standards that are above these expectations. In the few lessons seen, pupils by the end of Year 2 achieve well, but evidence from their work over time indicates that their achievement is satisfactory overall. By the end of Year 6, good teaching, which concentrates on developing and extending pupils’ understanding, means that they achieve well and standards remain above the expectations of the syllabus.

p.26

Commentary

73. There is a good balance between the study of Christianity, Judaism, Islam and Sikhism. The pupils’ work shows that there is also an appropriate balance between learning about and learning from religions. It is clear from displays of work and objects of religious significance that the subject has an important place in the curriculum.

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Commentary

74. The overall quality of the teaching seen in lessons is good. Where teaching is very good, interesting and relevant activities provide appropriate challenge. In a Year 6 lesson, pupils learned specific vocabulary related to Sikhism as they handled a range of artefacts integral to Sikh traditions and beliefs. They considered how to relate this simply to the Year 2 pupils for whom they were planning a presentation. Skilled questioning and imaginative strategies helped younger pupils to talk about their feelings when they receive and offer gifts. The discussion about emotions helped pupils to reflect on other people and the wide ranging discussion promoted their speaking and listening skills well. There are good opportunities for pupils to use information texts and the Internet to explore topics. They use their literacy skills well to record their work. Marking helps to extend pupils’ thinking. Where teaching is just satisfactory,

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Commentary

Fulfen Primary - 27 questioning tends to be less well developed and pupils are given fewer opportunities to talk about their learning.

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Commentary

75. The subject makes a good contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development by widening their appreciation of beliefs in the world around them and in understanding the lifestyles of followers of different faiths in a sensitive and reflective manner. For example, pupils handled resources linked to Sikhism respectfully. Teachers use good links with the local Christian church and arrange visits to places of worship such as the synagogue and the mosque to base pupils’ learning on first-hand experiences.

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Commentary

76. There is good leadership of the subject that is having a positive effect on the standards that pupils attain at the end of Year 6. Good assessment is linked to the local authority guidelines. There are good quality resources to support learning. The co-ordinator monitors planning with a view to sharing good practice. She has currently no opportunity to monitor teaching, as the subject is not the focus of the school’s development plan. Overall there has been satisfactory improvement in the subject.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

The provision in design and technology and music was not a focus of the inspection and has not been reported. As only two lessons were observed in art and design during the inspection, it was not possible to give a judgement on the provision. Other evidence was gathered from documentation, scrutiny of work and displays round the school.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

77. Work on display in art and design clearly shows how pupils develop their drawing skills as they get older. Visitors to the school are immediately attracted by the colourful and exciting range of work on display, especially for younger pupils. For example, class portraits, symmetrical patterns in Year 2, displays based on the work of Matisse in Year 5, and exploring shape, colour and pattern in painting. Work from pupils of all ages is displayed, starting with attractive paintings by younger children, to work developing three-dimensional skills in Year 5. Pupils have sketch books and by Year 6, produce detailed observational drawings. Extra- curricular activities enhance learning; the art club is popular with pupils and year groups are targeted to attend. During the inspection, Year 5 pupils made observational drawings of a bicycle and worked with attention to detail, ably supported by the art co-ordinator who showed

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

great enthusiasm. Since the previous inspection, standards have been maintained at average by the end of Year 6.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

78. Work in other subjects was well linked with art and design. In Year 1, a link was made with design and technology, clothing was made from felt and rich designs were added as decoration. Portraits were painted and an attempt had been made to edit and review finished work, linking with literacy: “After discussing our painting, we decided to add more detail using mixed media”.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

79. In a good Year 5 lesson, pupils designed and made coil pots with plans to decorate them in a Greek style. They were encouraged to work independently and pupils were able to solve problems, for instance in the consistency of the clay they used when cracks occurred. They worked confidently, aware of others’ work and respectful of their finished designs. Pupils used observational skills in a good Year 6 lesson, using good drawing techniques to produce facial expressions in portraits. In discussion, they commented on the methods and approaches used in their own and others’ work and were ably supported by the class teacher.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

80. The subject is soundly led. An action plan has been made and aspects of progression highlighted but there is insufficient use of a wide range of resources and media, due to a lack of resources, to enhance the art curriculum enabling all pupils to achieve well.

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Physical education

Fulfen Primary - 28 Provision in physical education is satisfactory .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• All teachers have a secure command of the subject and ensure pupils are presented with physically challenging activities. • Planning and organisation of lessons is good, which ensures that resources and time are used well. • Teachers question skilfully and give effective guidance to pupils in lessons. • Some loss of pace and challenge in a few lessons due to overlong explanations by teachers.

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Commentary

81. Pupils achieve soundly in lessons and attain average standards at the end of Year 2 and Year 6. Despite the fall in standards since the last inspection, mainly due to the changes in teaching staff, there has been satisfactory improvement. The new teachers’ needs have been recognised by the co-ordinator who gives sound leadership, and she has been instrumental in staff receiving training in the teaching of dance and gymnastics. This has had the effect of improving staff confidence to deliver the subject and is impacting positively on the achievement of pupils in Years 3 to 6, which was good in some lessons seen. The school undertakes all elements of the curriculum for physical education.

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Commentary

82. In the lessons seen the quality of teaching was judged to be satisfactory in Years 1 to 2, and good in Years 3 to 6. In all lessons seen, teachers have secure knowledge of the subject, which includes the planning of physically challenging activities. This was evident in a Year 3 dance lesson, when pupils performed a sequence of movements in small groups on the theme of machinery. Teachers use demonstration and intervention techniques well in lessons. This was seen in a Year 6 lesson, when the teacher demonstrated with a high attaining pupil how to turn quickly and move back to their original starting place. In some lessons the pace and challenge of activities slows due to overlong explanations by teachers. In all lessons seen, teachers made effective use of resources, for example, in a Year 5 dance lesson. All teaching staff dress appropriately for lessons, and showed enthusiasm for the subject, which sets a good example

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

83. The school develops pupils’ personal and social skills well. It includes a formal teaching programme for citizenship that includes the school council, and the development of personal skills and relationships through circle time, when pupils gather in a circle to discuss issues. Pupils in Year 6 lead the merit assemblies each week. Fulfen Primary - 29

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The overall effectiveness of the school 3

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

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities 3

Attendance 4 Attitudes 2 Behaviour, including the extent of exclusions 2 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 3

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The quality of education provided by the school 3

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

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The leadership and management of the school 3

The governance of the school 4 The leadership of the headteacher 2 The leadership of other key staff 4 The effectiveness of management 3

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The leadership and management of the school 3

Inspectors make judgements on a scale: excellent (grade 1); very good (2); good (3); satisfactory (4); unsatisfactory (5); poor (6); very poor (7). Fulfen Primary - 30

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