Heddington Church of England Primary School

Heddington Church of England Primary School

Dates of inspection: 15 th – 17 th September 2003

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Heddington Church of England Primary School

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

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Heddington Church of England Primary School

Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the school must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. Heddington C of E Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Primary School category: Voluntary Aided Age range of pupils: 4 – 11 Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 58

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Church Road Heddington Calne Postcode: SN11 0PJ

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: (01380) 850489 Fax number: (01380) 859869

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: Governing Body Name of chair of governors: Mr Doug Smart

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 16 th March 1998

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

This is a small, rural, Church of England primary school with 58 pupils on roll. Pupils come from the village of Heddington itself and the nearby town of Calne, where schools are oversubscribed. Boys substantially outnumber girls. Pupils come from a variety of home backgrounds and their socio- economic circumstances are average. The vast majority of pupils are of white British heritage and there are very few pupils for whom English is not their mother tongue. The number of pupils joining and leaving the school at times other than those expected is average. Attainment on entry to school is average. Twenty two per cent of pupils are on the school’s register of special educational needs. This is broadly average. One pupil has a statement of special educational needs, in line with the national average. Pupils’ special needs are behaviour or learning related. In the last year the school has been through a period of significant staff changes. A new headteacher took up her post

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

permanently at the start of the summer term having spent the previous term as the acting head. The only other two class teachers started at the school at the beginning of the current autumn term. Pupils are taught in three groups in the mornings and two classes in the afternoons. The newly formed group of three teachers, including the head, had forged a team during the summer holidays but only had six days to get to know their pupils by the start of the inspection. Heddington C of E Primary School - 4

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

18270 Mrs Jane Morris Lead inspector Foundation Stage English Art and design English as an Additional Language. 9646 Mrs Geraldine Osment Lay inspector 8864 Mr Peter Clifton Team inspector Maths Science Information and Communication Technology Special Educational Needs.

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

Demeter House Station Road Cambridge CB1 2RS

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

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

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 8

Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 8

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 10

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

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OVERALL EVALUATION

This school’s effectiveness is satisfactory and it provides satisfactory value for money. A period of instability has resulted in low standards over time. Improvements in standards are already noticeable because of the good quality leadership and management of the head. Teaching and the curriculum are both satisfactory overall and ensure pupils are now achieving satisfactorily.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

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OVERALL EVALUATION

• The head’s good leadership, management, teaching and the commitment of all staff • Involvement of parents is very good. They have confidence in the school • A good ethos is provided by a friendly and welcoming school • Low standards in writing, mathematics and science • The unsatisfactory quality of some teaching in Years 3 and 4 in the mornings and Years 3 to 6 in the afternoons • Provision for art ensures good standards • The governors’ role as ‘critical friends’ is unsatisfactory • Opportunities for pupils to take responsibility for their learning and behaviour are insufficient • Provision for raising pupils’ awareness of cultural diversity is unsatisfactory

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OVERALL EVALUATION

Although the school has shown a lack of improvement since the previous inspection and not all key issues raised have been addressed, this is due to factors beyond the control of the recently appointed headteacher and her staff. Since the headteacher’s arrival at the school its effectiveness has become secure. Good leadership skills mean that there is now a very strong sense of purpose with a commitment to raising standards and this has had a significant and positive impact already.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

all schools similar schools Results in National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 6, compared with: 2000 2001 2002 2002 English C E* D B mathematics D E E D science A E E E Key: A - well above average; B – above average; C – average; D – below average; E – well below average Similar schools are those whose pupils attained similarly at the end of Year 2. NB Caution is needed in interpreting data in a small school such as this where each pupil represents a large percentage.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Achievement is now satisfactory overall. Results have been below or well below average in the past two years. Indeed in 2001, English standards were in the lowest 5 per cent in the country. However, recent changes to the work of the school have been initiated by the headteacher. She has a very clear vision for the school and has had the support of an effective action plan from the local education authority. These two major factors have ensured that standards are beginning to improve throughout the school and pupils now achieve satisfactorily.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Standards reached by reception children are average in relation to the goals they are expected to attain by the end of their reception year. In Years 1 and 2 standards are average in reading but below average in writing and mathematics. Heddington C of E Primary School - 7 Currently in Years 3 to 6 standards are well below average in mathematics and science and below average in writing. The school’s work to raise standards has not yet had sufficient time to make an impact. The test results for 2003 do indicate that pupils’ performance has improved. Focusing on writing has already made a difference. Good achievement is evident when the head takes literacy and numeracy lessons. On occasions achievement is unsatisfactory in Years 3 and 4.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Pupils’ personal qualities and spiritual, moral, social and cultural development are satisfactory overall but cultural development is unsatisfactory . Their attitudes and behaviour are satisfactory, as is their attendance.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The quality of education provided by the school is satisfactory .

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall. Reception children learn satisfactorily because the teacher addresses their needs appropriately. Teaching of Years 1 and 2 is satisfactory and their learning is improving daily as the teacher gets to know them. Teaching in Years 3 to 6 is satisfactory overall. There are some weaknesses in Years 3 and 4 in the mornings and when all the Years 3 to 6 pupils are together in the afternoons because the teacher has yet to get to grips with how much these pupils know already in order to take their learning forward.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The overall quality of the curriculum is satisfactory. Good extra curricular provision enriches pupils’ learning effectively. The care, guidance and support for pupils are satisfactory overall. Partnerships with parents and other schools are good and have a significant impact on pupils’ learning.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management are good . The headteacher has the skills, knowledge and determination to move the school forward. Governors are supportive but their role as a challenging body is unsatisfactory.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents express extremely positive views. They have every confidence in the headteacher and welcome the return of stability to the school. They are kept very well informed. Pupils are less sure about their relationships with their teachers. However, their opinions were sought after only half a day back at school and they have been through many changes. Importantly, in discussion with pupils from Years 5 and 6, they expressed a good understanding of how they are achieving and how they are going to improve their work.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

The most important things the school should do to improve are: • raise standards in writing, mathematics and science • improve the quality of teaching in Years 3 and 4 in the mornings and Years 3 to 6 in the afternoons • develop the governors’ role so they act as ‘critical friends’ • increase pupils’ independence so they take more responsibility for their learning and behaviour • raise pupils’ awareness of their own and others’ cultural traditions Heddington C of E Primary School - 8

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Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects

Achievement is now satisfactory, having been unsatisfactory in the recent past. It is good in Years 5 and 6 when the headteacher is teaching English and mathematics. Standards are still, however, well below or below average in the core subjects at the end of both Year 2 and Year 6.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Achievement throughout the school has improved since the arrival of the new headteacher • Standards, although improving, are still too low in the core subjects and have been over time • Pupils achieve well in their literacy and numeracy lessons with the headteacher • Pupils do well in art and their standards are above average

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Commentary

1. Cohorts of pupils are small and make the meaningful interpretation of data difficult. However, it is clear from the analysis of pupils’ past work that standards in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science have been too low. There are indications now that, under the leadership of the headteacher and the successful intervention of the local education authority, standards are rising throughout the school because pupils’ achievement is improving. Pupils’ books reflect a greater emphasis on the quality of work they produce and the effort they put into it. Work is marked carefully to ensure pupils know what they need to concentrate on next. Realistic but challenging targets are set at school, class and individual pupil level and these are supporting the school’s determination to raise standards. There are no significant differences between the achievements of boys and girls and pupils identified as having special needs

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Commentary

2. There are signs from the unvalidated but important data gathered from the tests in summer 2003 that pupils’ overall results have risen. An analysis suggests that at the end of Year 2 the average points score has gone up by 2.3 points and at the end of Year 6 by 1.1. This indicates that improvement in the younger classes has already had an impact but that the identified past underachievement of the older pupils is going to take longer to deal with.

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Commentary

3. At this time, right at the very start of the term, teachers new to the school are still getting to know their pupils and what they are capable of. The five full time and five part time reception children are achieving satisfactorily in their personal, social and emotional development, in their communication, language and literacy, and in their mathematical and physical development. They are doing well in the areas of knowledge and understanding of the world and creative development. Their attainment on entry to the school is about average. Information gathered from the completed Foundation Stage Profiles 1 for children starting Year 1 show they are of varying, but overall average ability, and they made satisfactory progress during their reception year and most met the expected goals for their ages. Even though there were considerable changes in staff at the school last year these pupils benefited from the support of a skilled

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Commentary

teaching assistant who has remained constant throughout the school’s turbulent times.

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Commentary

4. There are thirteen Years 1 and 2 pupils in the same class as the reception children. Although adapting to their refurbished surroundings and yet another teacher new to the school, they are working hard and achieving satisfactorily. Their standards are closer to those expected in speaking and listening, reading and information and communication technology (ICT) but are

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Commentary

1 Foundation Stage Profiles are completed at the end of the reception year to show whether children have reached the expected goals. Heddington C of E Primary School - 9 below average in writing, mathematics and science. In art, pupils achieve well and their standards are above national expectations. Pupils who have special needs are well supported and they achieve satisfactorily.

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Commentary

5. In Years 3 to 6 standards are showing signs of improvement but currently they are well below average in mathematics and science, below average in writing and average in reading and speaking and listening. Pupils are achieving satisfactorily except in science. They have not developed skills sufficiently well over time in order to carry out investigations. Standards in ICT are in line with those expected and achievement is satisfactory. In art standards and achievement are good.

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Commentary

6. Achievement in lessons does vary considerably for the older pupils. In the morning literacy and numeracy lessons with Years 5 and 6, the headteacher is more familiar with her pupils and is able to challenge them. This ensures they are doing well and catching up on some of the ground they have not covered in the past. In lessons with Years 3 and 4 this is not always the case. The recently arrived teacher has not got to know the pupils sufficiently well yet to enable her to pitch the work appropriately and therefore it is not demanding enough of the pupils. This is also the case in the afternoons when she is taking all of the junior aged pupils. The headteacher has already recognised this and is providing support to rectify the situation quickly. The teaching assistant in this class plays a significant part in the management of the pupils and, when working with small groups, she is able to help them achieve well. Her role is

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Commentary

especially effective when she is supporting pupils with special needs and these pupils make appropriate progress.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

The attendance rate is satisfactory and the pupils arrive at school on time. Pupils’ attitudes to school are satisfactory. Behaviour is satisfactory overall, although there are some disruptive pupils. Pupils’ personal development is satisfactory overall. However the provision for cultural and multicultural awareness is unsatisfactory.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The headteacher encourages regular attendance through her warm morning greetings • Unsatisfactory teaching results in pupils losing interest and concentration • Many pupils behave well but there are a few who have difficulty controlling their behaviour • Opportunities to develop pupils’ independence are too few • Pupils’ understanding their own culture and that of others is underdeveloped

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Commentary

7. Parents and carers show good support for the school in the way they endeavour to get their children to school regularly and on time. They appreciate the time the headteacher spends greeting each child and the parents in the mornings.

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Commentary

8. Pupils’ attitudes are closely linked to the quality of teaching. Where teaching is good or satisfactory the pupils are stimulated and are willing to work hard. When teaching is unsatisfactory pupils lose concentration and do not learn as well in their lessons. For example, in an unsatisfactory numeracy lesson pupils lacked commitment to their work because they were not sufficiently motivated or challenged by the tasks the teacher had set. However, in a Year 2 literacy lesson, the pupils were involved when the teacher discussed the differences between reading and telling a story. Pupils are not given enough opportunities to take responsibility for their own work. They show a lack of independence. Teachers have relied too much on commercially prepared worksheets in the past. These have not allowed pupils to express their own ideas, or to take pride in the presentation of their work, or foster individual

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Commentary

approaches to their work. Heddington C of E Primary School - 10 9. The headteacher has set appropriate expectations for the behaviour of the pupils. The inspection took place very early in the school year and the new teachers are working hard to ensure that all pupils can work free from harassment. This is sometimes difficult because there are a few pupils who lack self-discipline or self-control and in part reflects the high turnover of teaching staff. Relationships are satisfactory among pupils; they are accepting and understanding of those with difficulties. At break and lunchtimes pupils’ play is friendly and good-natured. The headteacher has introduced playground equipment and lunchtime supervisors play with the pupils. Although there were instances of oppressive behaviour during the inspection, they were handled well by the school and no bullying or racism was observed. There has been one, temporary exclusion this term for unacceptable behaviour.

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Commentary

10. Overall, the school cultivates the pupils’ personal, spiritual, moral, social and cultural development satisfactorily. Reception children are supported satisfactorily in their personal and social and emotional development and the majority will reach the expected goals. In lessons teachers value the contributions that individuals, thus developing self-esteem and self-respect. Through assemblies pupils are learning to appreciate the beauty of the world. This was evident when they enjoyed a presentation from a local Christian group. The headteacher is an excellent role model for the pupils; she shows respect for them all and encourages the pupils to think about each other. Discussions on the golden rules and displays around the school are helping the pupils to understand the differences between right and wrong. These rules are also helping the pupils to understand what working and living in a community means. The school

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Commentary

does not provide enough opportunities for pupils to appreciate their own or the culture of others. This is recognised by the headteacher as an area for development.

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Attendance

The table below shows that attendance rates are broadly in line with the national average and are satisfactory

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Attendance

Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

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Attendance

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data 5.4 School data 0.1 National data 5.4 National data 0.5 The table gives the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year.

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Attendance

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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Attendance

Categories used in the Annual School Census No of pupils on roll Number of fixed period exclusions Number of permanent exclusions White – British 57 0 0 White – any other White background 1 0 0 The table gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The quality of education provided by the school is satisfactory. Strengths include the leadership of the headteacher and the quality of her teaching, the commitment of the newly formed team to the school and the established strong links with parents and other local schools. The ethos is good. It reflects the family atmosphere and caring environment created by all who work within this small village school. There are weaknesses in standards in the core subjects and there is some unsatisfactory teaching. Heddington C of E Primary School - 11

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Teaching and learning

The quality of both teaching and learning is satisfactory overall. Assessment is also satisfactory.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Good teaching from the headteacher who leads by example • Very good use of the teaching assistants especially with the reception children • Lack of expectation and challenge in Years 3 and 4 in the mornings and in Years 3 to 6 in the afternoons leading to unsatisfactory teaching • Not enough opportunities for independent learning

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Commentary

11. During the recent past the school has been a through a period of great instability caused by staff changes and illness. These factors have had a negative impact on pupils’ learning both in terms of their achievement and their standards. Action plans, initiated by the local education authority to address low standards and improve teaching and learning, have been in place for almost two years. During that time there has been a lack of cohesion to the teaching programme for pupils. It is going to take considerable effort and time for the current situation to stabilise completely. This was a concern raised by the parents who felt their children required consistency in staffing arrangements. The school is now, under the direction of its headteacher, in a strong position to move forward and provide this consistency.

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Commentary

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 19 lessons

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Commentary

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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Commentary

The table gives the number of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons.

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Commentary

12. Reception children are settling into school well because teaching is satisfactory. The teaching assistant is a pivotal figure in helping them to adapt to school and cope with a different teacher to the one they met on their induction afternoons (although the class teacher did take time to visit them) and there is also a refurbished and differently arranged classroom to get to know. As it is so early in the term the arrangements for the teaching and learning are still being established. The teacher and her assistant are getting to know the children quickly and are becoming more familiar with their needs each day. The planning for these children ensures they experience lessons of satisfactory or better quality. In lessons to help them acquire knowledge and understanding of the world and foster their creative development they are gaining new knowledge and skills well because activities are particularly stimulating, varied and

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Commentary

13. Year 1 and 2 pupils are also settling into school routines again after the summer holidays. The teacher is gradually gaining greater insight into their individual needs. Planning is secure and ensures there are good opportunities for learning even though, due to the timing of the inspection, the teacher is still assessing where each pupil’s potential lies and there are some missed opportunities for them to be challenged and work independently. Overall, teaching and learning are satisfactory, as is pupils’ achievement. Heddington C of E Primary School - 12 14. In the mornings the headteacher’s good and often very good teaching of literacy and numeracy with Years 5 and 6 ensures pupils are learning well. She has the benefit of having got to know them during the previous two terms. She has a thorough understanding of their needs and is particularly skilled in questioning them and assessing their understanding at the end of lessons

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Commentary

and using that information to plan the next day’s work.

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Commentary

15. The headteacher is well aware of the needs of the pupils in Years 3 to 6 and is monitoring and supporting the newly appointed teacher to ensure she gets to know the capabilities of these pupils. As yet there has been insufficient time for this to happen and this has resulted in some unsatisfactory lessons for the Years 3 and 4 in the mornings and Years 3, 4, 5 and 6 in the afternoons. The commitment of the newly appointed teacher is very clear and she is exhibiting a determination to address the weaknesses identified by the inspection.

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Commentary

16. All teachers are showing collective agreement to implement the recently introduced behaviour policy. However, some pupils are finding it hard to meet its expectations. This is mainly because they have experienced so many changes in staff. The vast majority are conforming to the school’s policy but some pupils do present challenging behaviour and their attitudes to learning can have a negative impact on lessons and other pupils’ learning when teachers do not ensure they are motivated and applying themselves sufficiently to their learning. For instance, in a literacy lesson with Years 3 and 4 not all pupils concentrated on the task to identify verbs in a text.

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Commentary

17. English and mathematics are taught satisfactorily. Teachers are committed to the national strategies for literacy and numeracy and the teaching of them is also satisfactory. Teachers are keen to develop ICT. They ensure skills are taught satisfactorily and lesson plans highlight some opportunities to integrate the use of ICT into other areas of the curriculum. They are aware that this is an area for future development as are the integration and promotion of literacy and numeracy skills in more areas of the curriculum. Science is not taught effectively enough to pupils in Years 3 to 4 at present. Teaching requires improvement. Additional help is available to pupils who have special needs. The successful deployment of effective teaching assistants ensures that pupils are supported well and achieve satisfactorily. Art is taught well because teachers have good subject knowledge.

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Commentary

18. Assessment strategies are satisfactory and a major feature of the school’s work. Teachers are already interpreting the policy effectively in relation to their marking and this is helping pupils acknowledge where they need to focus next in order to improve. The ‘Assessment Book’ for writing is proving to be a valuable tool to monitor progress. It supports the determination to raise standards in writing as it helps pupils identify what they need to do next to improve. It also shows pupils how much progress they have made. Pupils from Years 5 and 6 expressed a good understanding of the thorough and effective target-setting procedures that teachers use to help them learn more.

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The curriculum

The overall quality of the curriculum is satisfactory. It meets statutory requirements. Good extra curricular provision enriches the opportunities offered to pupils. The recently refurbished accommodation is satisfactory as are the resources available to teachers to support their lessons.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• After-school clubs and additional activities to take the pupils beyond the classroom are good • Additional art focused curriculum opportunities enable pupils to achieve well • The short period of time the teachers have had to work together to mould and develop planning for the curriculum, especially for the older pupils, has led to some instances of unsatisfactory teaching • Planned opportunities to foster pupils’ independence are lacking • There are insufficient planned opportunities to raise pupils’ cultural awareness Heddington C of E Primary School - 13

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Commentary

19. The recently formed small team of three teachers is benefiting from the support of a local ‘Beacon School’. They are incorporating effectively some of the ideas gathered from visits there and to another, similar school, into their planning. Money has been allocated to the school to enable it to develop planning as the transition from a three class school to a two class school proceeds. The headteacher’s detailed planning for the Year 5 and 6 pupils’ literacy and numeracy lessons ensure these elements are taught to a high standard in the mornings and offer a good role model for others to follow. Scheduled work on planning for the Years 3 and 4 in the mornings and the Years 3, 4, 5, and 6 in the afternoons is underway. This is vital as, at present, a lack of sufficient structure to the planning for their lessons means that the needs of all the pupils are not always met and leads to some unsatisfactory teaching.

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Commentary

20. The development of provision for the ‘personal, social and health education’ of pupils is satisfactory and is linked to the school’s current emphasis on raising pupils’ expectations of themselves, both in terms of behaviour and standards of work. There is, however, a lack of planned opportunities to develop pupils’ independence and this element of the school’s work is unsatisfactory as are the planned opportunities to support pupils’ understanding of cultural traditions and diversity.

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Commentary

21. The school provides after-school clubs for pupils even though this is such a small school and pressures on all staff are demanding. Teaching and non-teaching staff make time to offer art, sewing, ICT and two sports clubs after school. Their commitment is noteworthy. The school looks to ways to extend pupils’ experiences beyond the classroom, such as a visit to a large park that involved the whole of the school and all members of the school community, and a visit to a local canal. A residential visit for older pupils is planned for next summer. Events such as ‘Big Arts Week’ provide useful and productive additional opportunities to extend pupils’ learning .

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Care, guidance and support

The care, guidance and support for pupils are satisfactory overall. Health and safety procedures are satisfactory. Achievement and personal development are monitored satisfactorily. The involvement of the pupils in the school’s work and development is satisfactory.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The headteacher and the teaching assistants know the pupils well • The oldest pupils like the target-setting in English and mathematics • The school could do more to foster pupils’ independence

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Commentary

22. The headteacher and the governors make regular health and safety checks of the site and school buildings and ensure that any problems are quickly dealt with. However, the inspection team reported an area of concern to the school. The school is clean, tidy and in good condition. Satisfactory arrangements for child protection are in place with the headteacher as the named responsible person. First aid procedures are appropriate and pupils are well supervised at lunch and break times.

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Commentary

23. Procedures for monitoring and supporting pupils’ personal development are satisfactory. Through the pupil questionnaire a high percentage of older pupils show that they do not feel there is an adult they would go to if they were worried at school. However, the headteacher and teaching assistants are providing continuity for the pupils, whilst the teachers new to the school are building relationships with those in their classes. A significant number of older pupils also said in the questionnaire that teachers do not show them how to make their work Heddington C of E Primary School - 14 better. But in discussion with pupils from Years 5 and 6 they expressed a good understanding of the target-setting in English and mathematics. They also said that teachers refer to the targets when they mark their work so that they know how to improve in these subjects.

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Commentary

24. The school is at an early stage of involving pupils in its work and development. At the moment it does not have a forum for seeking pupils’ views but the headteacher plans to set up a school council and is to visit other schools to see how they organise theirs.

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Partnership with parents, other schools and the community bigger type

Partnerships with parents and other schools are good. Links with the community are satisfactory.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The headteacher has the full confidence of the parents • Annual reports to parents do not provide enough information about progress in foundation subjects • Good links with other schools help prepare pupils for the next stage of education

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Commentary

25. Responses to the pre-inspection questionnaire and meeting were very positive and in a meeting during the inspection parents emphasised their confidence in the leadership of the headteacher. Parents are kept very well informed about what is happening in school through meetings and informative newsletters. Information about the progress their children are making is satisfactory. Parent/teacher consultations are held and teachers are willing to meet parents at other times. Annual reports provide satisfactory information for English, mathematics and science but there is too little detail for parents to understand what progress their children are making in other subjects.

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Commentary

26. The school respects the opinions of the parents. In the summer term the headteacher canvassed the views of the parents through a questionnaire; the response was high and showed a lot of satisfaction with the work of the school. Through the pre-inspection questionnaire parents were very positive about the school seeking their views, taking account of their suggestions and feeling comfortable about approaching the school with a problem, or complaint.

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Commentary

27. The school is very keen to foster a close partnership with parents and carers to support learning at school and at home. Parents are sent the homework policy and guidance on how they can help their children with homework. They are invited to help in school and a number help in classrooms and also support the school through fund raising and social activities for the pupils organised by the friends association.

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Commentary

28. The school has satisfactory links with the local community. The local church, St. Andrew’s, is used for worship, the vicar is a regular visitor and the headteacher contributes regularly to the community magazine. Local people volunteer to listen to pupils read regularly, which is helping to raise standards in reading.

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Commentary

29. The school has good links with the local pre-school group that are helping the youngest children to settle into school quickly and happily. There are good links with the secondary school, including visits by Year 6 pupils and students from the secondary school help to run extra curricular activities. The school has received good support from a local Beacon School 2 and the headteacher feels well supported by the local cluster of schools. All of these links are helping to prepare pupils for the next stage of their education.

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Commentary

2 Beacon School: A school recognised as having strengths worthy of sharing with others. Heddington C of E Primary School - 15

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management are good. Currently the headteacher has assumed the majority of responsibilities until her new staff are established. She provides a very good role model. She has good management skills and a very clear vision for the school. The governance of the school is satisfactory.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The new headteacher has very high aspirations and is providing good leadership. She offers a very good role model • The governance of the school is satisfactory but provides insufficient challenge to act as a ‘critical friend’ • Management is good – there is an understanding of the needs of the school and a willingness to take action in order to improve the standards • Funding has been well directed on much needed building improvements • New staff have not had sufficient time to impact on the work of the school in terms of roles and responsibilities

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Commentary

30. Governors are totally committed to the school and have every confidence in the headteacher. They share a common vision with her and ensure that all statutory requirements are met. They have worked together in the recent past to ensure that they have more understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school and this aspect of their work is now satisfactory. Their role as critical friends in challenging the headteacher to account for the school’s performance is underdeveloped.

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Commentary

31. The headteacher’s role in creating a positive climate for change, in motivating staff, gaining the confidence of parents and securing the commitment of all to school improvement has been a critical factor in the progress made since her appointment. Parents are positive about the way the school is run and that they are sufficiently consulted. The headteacher has created a strong sense of teamwork and a shared enthusiasm to drive up standards and her efforts are already resulting in some improvement in standards. The findings of this inspection relate to a completely changed school and comparisons with the previous inspection are not appropriate as the lower standards were inherited by the headteacher and the staff.

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Commentary

32. The determination of the school to raise achievement is seen in the way that the headteacher provides a good role model. It is too early in the term for systems to support rigorous monitoring and evaluation of the teaching within the school. However, external support is effectively used and the governors are now being provided with information which enables them to carry out their monitoring role more productively.

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Commentary

33. A new school improvement plan has been drafted and this already provides a very useful tool for development, with a clear, measurable agenda for improving achievement, teaching and learning. This has been based on the outcomes of the effective support from the local education authority alongside the headteacher’s own, rigorous self-evaluation process. It also ensures all pupils’ needs are considered effectively.

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Commentary

34. The school is moving forward. It has not yet had sufficient time to build on the strong foundations that the headteacher has established. Her commitment to high quality teaching and learning experiences and her patent ability to recognise how teachers need to and can improve is critical in this school’s development. She shows she has the skills, determination and support to enable this to happen. Heddington C of E Primary School - 16 35. The school’s recent reorganisation has taken account of the available funds and the need to eliminate the deficit budget that has developed over time and was inherited by the head. The governors’ finance committee is working with the local education authority and the head to remedy the situation and it is being dealt with appropriately.

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Commentary

Financial information for the year April 2002 to March 2003

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Commentary

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 170,213 Balance from previous year 12,480 Total expenditure 174,687 Balance carried forward to the next -4,474 Expenditure per pupil 3,152 Heddington C of E Primary School - 17

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AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Five full time and five part time reception children joined the school six days before the start of the inspection. Their attainment is average. Provision for them is satisfactory in the areas of personal,

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social and emotional development, communication, language and literacy, mathematical and

physical development . It is good in creative development and knowledge and understanding of the world . Teaching is always of at least a satisfactory standard and a highly skilled and knowledgeable teaching assistant makes a very significant contribution to their learning. She has provided stability for them during their induction period to the school, which started during the summer term, when a different teacher was in post. This teaching assistant has also ensured that children have adapted well to the unfamiliar surroundings of their newly refurbished classroom.

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social and emotional development, communication, language and literacy, mathematical and

It is too soon to make judgements about the leadership and management of this area of the school’s work as the teacher who has the responsibility is so new to the school. Her planning, however, is detailed and shows a thorough knowledge of the needs of this age group. The effectiveness of this planning is improving day by day as she gets to know the children better and finds out more about what they can and cannot do. The organisation and routines she has already established have ensured that this small group of young children is beginning to settle successfully within a stimulating learning environment. Their needs are becoming clearer but it is too early to ascertain if any have particular learning difficulties or strengths to be considered. It is not possible to draw meaningful comparisons between the findings of this inspection and the previous one. Circumstances beyond the control of the newly appointed teacher have led to concerns about provision in the past but early

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social and emotional development, communication, language and literacy, mathematical and

indications are that these are now resolved. This area of the school’s work appears to be in safe hands and the school is ready to build on the foundations it has recently established.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in personal, social and emotional development is satisfactory .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Adults provide good role models • Organisation of the classroom encourages independence • Quiet and relaxed ‘starts to the day’ ensure children are secure and settle quickly • Activities in the role-play area require additional adult input to support taking turns and sharing

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Commentary

36. Lessons are well planned and ensure children learn and achieve satisfactorily. Their standards are as anticipated at this, the very start of the school year. Most children enter school being able to relate to one another and they are keen to explore and to find out. However, sometimes their excitement is over-exuberant and the teacher and her assistant have to work hard to curb their enthusiasm and keep them focused on their tasks. Some find sharing and taking turns without adult intervention more of a challenge, as happened when they played in the ‘3 Bears’ Cottage’ and squabbles about cooking utensils ensued. The timing of the inspection means that children are still settling into the routines and learning how to apply themselves. Heddington C of E Primary School - 18

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Provision in communication, language and literacy is satisfactory .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• High quality discussion between the teaching assistant and the children • Procedures to track and encourage the development of reading • Independent activities to encourage writing and listening

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Commentary

37. Children achieve satisfactorily as they take part in a range of activities to support this area. Their standards are as expected, at this early stage of their schooling. Teaching is effective and indications are that it is getting more so as the teacher adjusts her planning to meet the needs of the children. She discusses each child’s progress with the teaching assistant and then daily plans are adapted to encourage more learning. Activities such as those that encourage children to distinguish between the voices of ‘mummy bear’ and ‘baby bear’ are productive and develop listening skills well. The full time reception children enjoy sharing ‘story time’ with the older pupils. This promotes their reading and listening skills. The classroom provides a wealth of opportunities for children to try out their very early, but emerging writing skills. Words on display around the class also encourage children to experiment with sounding

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Commentary

out words or guessing what they might mean.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in mathematical development is satisfactory .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Planning to support interesting counting games • Good quality resources to support practical activities

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Commentary

38. Children take part in practical activities and enjoy singing games that promote their awareness and understanding of the value of numbers. They achieve satisfactorily and are reaching the standards they should at this time. The teacher’s plans make sure that the children are learning successfully and they respond well to the tasks they are given. Some are confident in counting and recognising the numbers 1 to 5.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Provision in knowledge and understanding of the world is good .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Stimulating activities are well planned to support the full range of aspects in this area • Achievement is good and standards are above average • Quality of the discussion when using ‘small world’ equipment with the teaching assistant • Resources are well chosen and of a high quality

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Commentary

39. Teaching in this area is good and promotes above average standards. Children achieve well. This is because the tasks that are prepared for them are especially motivating and the quality of the teaching assistant’s discussion ensures that all children are fully involved and that they are challenged to think about and express their thoughts aloud. For instance, when using a Heddington C of E Primary School - 19 large play mat depicting roads and buildings they explain how they get to the supermarket in the neighbouring town. They offer ideas about buildings in their village and where the church is situated. A ‘dark cave’ provides opportunities to experience what it is like to find an object in the dark and try the same task with a torch.

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in physical development is satisfactory .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Opportunities for climbing and developing hand-eye co-ordination are good • There are no large wheeled toys for children to ride on • Control of small objects such as paint brushes is underdeveloped

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Commentary

40. Achievement in this area is satisfactory and standards are average. The outdoor environment is used at every opportunity to promote the development of physical skills. Large climbing apparatus adjacent to the classroom means children can explore, climb and explore spatial awareness frequently. When they work with the older pupils in the class during PE lessons they use the apparatus with care and are able to control their body movements. They can walk across a beam, placing one foot in front of the other, without overbalancing. Although the school has no bikes or ‘trikes’ at present, this is seen as a priority so has been planned into the budget. Painting activities illustrate that some children cannot hold smaller items such as paintbrushes correctly. They use a fist grip to hold them and struggle to manipulate them successfully.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Provision in creative development is good .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Variety of the creative experiences offered • Different role-play scenarios and small world play that stimulate imagination • A range of different art media is introduced to the children

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Commentary

41. Children are taught well in this area and therefore they achieve well. Their standards are above those expected. They are given ample opportunities to paint, draw, model, use collage materials and sculpt. During an art-focused lesson they were encouraged to use the very large outdoor sand pit to sculpt shapes and patterns using their hands. They then enhanced their efforts with natural materials such as fir cones, twigs and shells. This work was photographed and then evaluated by the older pupils in the class. Musical opportunities are made available frequently to the children and they are learning how to hold musical instruments correctly. Heddington C of E Primary School - 20

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching with the Year 5 and 6 pupils is good • The headteacher has good knowledge and is in a strong position to lead the subject • Procedures for teaching, monitoring and developing reading in the infant class are good • Recently introduced ‘Assessment Books’ track pupils’ achievement successfully • Standards in writing are too low • Planning to ensure sufficient challenge in the Year 3 and 4 class is unsatisfactory

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Commentary

42. Since her arrival at the school the headteacher has introduced systems and strategies to improve the low standards in writing. These are having a significant impact. A scrutiny of pupils’ past work indicates that there was much to be done to eliminate the overuse of worksheets that were hurriedly completed, without sufficient care and did not help pupils to achieve as well as they might have done. They also impeded the development of pupils’ ability to think for themselves. Although the curriculum was covered and the National Literacy Strategy had been introduced, it had not been as effective as it might have been, as pupils completed too many mundane tasks that did not challenge them sufficiently.

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Commentary

43. The headteacher has initiated the use of ‘Assessment Books’ that are completed regularly as pupils accomplish a specifically targeted piece of work that is assessed to common criteria. The outcomes of these assessments are used to set targets that are discussed with pupils and help them to identify what they need to do next to improve. These books show that standards in writing are rising. Pupils’ work is now tidier. Handwriting has been a focus of attention and this, too, is having an impact on the way pupils’ work is presented. It is satisfactory.

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Commentary

44. Standards in speaking and listening are average at the end of Year 2 and Year 6. Achievement is satisfactory. In the Year 1 and 2 class there are many high quality opportunities for discussion with both the teacher and the teaching assistant. This was seen when pupils explored the work of the artist Andy Goldsworthy. It was interesting to hear their comments that they thought his work was amazing and they could offer a sensible, reasoned opinion as to why his work is so special. This particular lesson also gave them the chance to access the internet independently as they conducted their own research and read about his work. Some pupils do, however, struggle with their speech and are not as articulate as the majority. Older pupils usually express themselves clearly, although their lack of independence and immature approach to some work is evident even with the Year 6 pupils.

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Commentary

45. Reading standards are generally in line with expectations at the end of Year 2 and Year 6. Reading records, especially in the infant class, suggest that pupils are now achieving satisfactorily. However, when hearing pupils read, it is clear that there are some older pupils who need more practice to enable them to develop their fluency. They do not always have the strategies to try out unfamiliar words and appear to have some gaps in their word building skills. This is also apparent in their spelling of some basic vocabulary. For instance, one Year 5 pupil said, when trying to work out the ‘tion’ sound, “I know I should remember but I’ve forgotten” and another found ‘isolated’ difficult to tackle. These pupils lack practice rather than not having the ability. Members of the community have recently started to support the school by coming in to lessons to hear pupils read. This initiative is already having an impact on standards as the

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Commentary

opportunities to read aloud to an adult are increased. Heddington C of E Primary School - 21 46. Standards in writing at the end of Year 2 and Year 6 are below average. Work scrutiny suggests that the over-reliance on published worksheet resources has inhibited the development of writing skills. Teachers follow the National Literacy Strategy with varying degrees of success. All teaching seen was at least satisfactory but more needs to be done to improve the challenge offered to the Years 3 and 4 pupils so they learn more effectively. Years 5 and 6 pupils learn quickly when the headteacher challenges them to complete tasks in a specified time, giving them no time to get off track. The endings of lessons draw together very successfully the learning intentions. For example, pupils were able to draw meaningful comparisons between how to write instructions and recount a tale. They recorded purposefully the pertinent characteristics, showing a good understanding. Although it is very early days for

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Commentary

this school to have got to grips with raising standards and eliminating a legacy of underachievement, indications are that they will do so because of the very strong leadership of the headteacher. Her high quality lessons, when pupils learn really well, provide examples of good practice for others to follow. Recent improvements in writing, with regard both to content and presentation, are set to develop further. The provision for pupils with special educational needs is satisfactory and is developing effectively.

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Commentary

47. In the light of inspection evidence that shows how the school is already making significant progress in dealing with unsatisfactory standards and past underachievement it would be inappropriate to draw negative comparisons with the previous inspection.

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Language and literacy across the curriculum

48. This area is still under review as the teachers get to know their pupils, the school and the emerging curriculum. A scrutiny of past examples of work in other subjects suggests that this area has been satisfactory but has been restricted by the overuse of pre-prepared worksheets. The school has quite rightly identified this as an area for its early consideration. The use of role- play with older pupils as a means of improving speaking and listening skills is underdeveloped.

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MATHEMATICS

Provision in mathematics is satisfactory.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching is good in Years 5 and 6, the headteacher sets high expectations • High calibre teaching is improving standards at the top end of the school • The headteacher has a clear and accurate view of strengths and weaknesses in the subject • There is some unsatisfactory teaching in Years 3 and 4 caused mainly by work not being set at a sufficiently challenging level • There are particular weaknesses in using and applying mathematics and in data handling throughout the school • Pupils’ independent working skills are insufficiently well developed • Numeracy skills are not developed well in other subjects

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Commentary

49. Results and current standards are below average in Year 2 and well below average in Year 6. These low standards are now being challenged in the school, particularly in Years 5 and 6, where expectations about what can be achieved are high. The consistently good teaching in these years is beginning to plug the gaps in the pupils’ knowledge and understanding. All pupils are achieving satisfactorily.

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Commentary

50. The quality of teaching in Years 1 and 2 is satisfactory. Routines within the classroom are becoming established and the pupils all join in well at the start of lessons, where mental mathematics strategies are practised. Lessons are well structured and work is matched to the pupils’ abilities. During group work, where the teacher is present the learning is at least satisfactory for all pupils. Independent working skills are not yet well established and those Heddington C of E Primary School - 22 pupils who are asked to work on their own find it difficult to concentrate for the whole session. The teaching assistant makes a major contribution and supports learning very well.

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Commentary

51. Teaching in Years 3 and 4 has yet to take into account the starting point of all the pupils, particularly the older ones. Here some of the teaching is insufficiently challenging to bring out the best in pupils. This leads to some restlessness, and behaviour which has to be corrected – in particular, listening carefully when the whole class is being taught. Good relationships are already established between the teacher and the pupils and, when the teacher works with individual pupils or small groups, progress is satisfactory. In the Years 5 and 6 class teaching is consistently good. High expectations are set and pupils are developing in confidence. Planning is sufficiently detailed and draws well on previous work to ensure that progress is good.

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Commentary

52. Pupils with special educational needs are adequately supported and generally make similar progress to other pupils. The teachers have a sound understanding of their needs and make appropriate provision, for example by ensuring they have help in listening and organising their work.

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Commentary

53. The samples of work provided by the school indicate that much of the work given to the pupils in the past was worksheet based. The overuse of these worksheets, has meant that many pupils have not been used to practising their own recording skills or developing their methods for problem solving. Since working with the Years 5 and 6 the headteacher has ensured that the work in pupils’ books is usually well presented and marked well. Comments are given to pupils that help them understand what they need to do to improve their work. Indications are that pupils are adapting to a different style of teaching which is more creative and ultimately will secure the development of their thinking skills.

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Commentary

54. The headteacher, who is currently responsible for co-ordinating the subject, has a good understanding of the numeracy strategy and the strengths and weaknesses of the subject within the school. The subject is in safe hands. It is far too soon in the term for any monitoring of teaching to have had an impact on standards across the whole school. The findings of this inspection relate to a completely changed school and comparisons with the previous inspection are not appropriate as the lower standards were inherited by the headteacher and the staff. The work to address these below average standards is already having an effect.

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Mathematics across the curriculum

55. From the samples of work provided and the current pupils’ books, little evidence was seen of mathematics in use across the curriculum. Skills in this area are used satisfactorily in Years 1 and 2 but not yet in Years 3 to 6.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching is good in years 1 and 2 • There is some unsatisfactory teaching in Years 3 to 6 • Standards are low in Years 1 and 2 and very low in Years 3 to 6 • Pupils’ independent working skills are insufficiently well developed particularly in Years 3 to 6 in relation to how to carry out investigations • Leadership of the subject is not sufficiently developed to secure a rise in standards

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Commentary

56. Results and current standards are below average in Year 2 and well below average in Year 6. These low standards are now being addressed by the school. This is most evident in Years 1 Heddington C of E Primary School - 23 and 2 where pupils are being challenged to think carefully and discuss their ideas. For example, in a lesson on sound, a range of well managed activities developed the pupils’ ideas about loud and soft sounds. Although the teachers have high expectations, there is not a sufficiently good understanding about how to teach the subject effectively in order to raise standards quickly. There are currently widespread gaps in the pupils’ knowledge and understanding, particularly in Years 5 and 6. Achievement in Years 1 and 2 is satisfactory but unsatisfactory in Years 3 to 6.

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Commentary

57. The quality of teaching in Years 1 and 2 is good. Routines within the classroom are becoming well established. Pupils listen to each other’s ideas and contribute when prompted by the teacher. Lessons are well structured and work is matched to the pupils’ abilities. Scientific vocabulary is suitably developed and group work is well managed by both the teacher and the teaching assistant.

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Commentary

58. Teaching in Years 3 and 4 has yet to take into account the starting point of all the pupils or have a sufficiently good teacher input at the beginning of the lesson to promote satisfactory or better learning. Additionally the time given to individual groups of pupils to complete tasks is too long and the pace of learning is correspondingly slow. This leads to some restlessness, and behaviour which has to be dealt with. The pupils do not listen to one another carefully when they are reporting back to the whole class. Good relationships are already established between the teacher and the pupils and, when the teacher works with individual pupils or small groups, progress is satisfactory. Independent working skills are insufficiently well developed. Teaching in Years 5 and 6 is satisfactory but needs to be sharpened to provide a stronger input on how to plan and carry out an investigation. Attainment in this aspect of science is particularly weak.

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Commentary

59. Pupils with special educational needs are adequately supported and generally make similar progress to other pupils. In Years 1 and 2, they often make a good contribution.

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Commentary

60. The samples of work provided by the school indicate that much of the work given to the pupils in the past was worksheet based. In Years 1 and 2 the samples seen indicate that ideas have not been developed progressively. The overuse of the pre-prepared sheets has meant that many older pupils are not able to think about or practise their own recording skills.

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Commentary

61. The headteacher is currently responsible for co-ordinating the subject. Her leadership and management of the subject are, as yet, underdeveloped because she has been rightly concentrating on writing. There is insufficient understanding within the school, particularly with the older children, about how they can improve their work, especially in the investigative aspects of their work. It is far too soon in the term for any monitoring of the teaching to have taken place and to have had an impact on standards across the whole school. Comparisons with the previous inspection report when standards were higher are inappropriate. The school has completely changed since then and, after a downward trend, improvements are already evident in Years 1 and 2 and are set to impact on the work further up the school.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

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

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Discussion with pupils across the school indicate that they enjoy using their skills • Attainment is broadly in line with national expectations • There are currently limited opportunities for whole class teaching, which inhibits progress • Some aspects of the provision are unsatisfactory – these include the use of spreadsheets and data handling • Samples of work seen show very few examples of the use of ICT across the curriculum Heddington C of E Primary School - 24

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Commentary

62. Although no specific teaching of ICT was observed during the inspection, discussions with pupils across the school indicate that teaching is satisfactory, Achievement is satisfactory. Years 5 and 6 pupils talk confidently about ICT in their work. They have used the internet and CD ROMs to research information across most subjects of the national curriculum. Word processing packages are used effectively to write, edit and present work, often using graphics to adapt the writing to the needs of the reader. E-mail is used and, its benefits and limitations understood. As yet, the range of programs used is somewhat limited. For example, databases, spreadsheets and more advanced publishing packages have not yet been introduced. There is some good use of specific packages to support teaching. For example, Years 3 and 4 pupils use programs which support their understanding of place value. Year 2 pupils use the internet

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Commentary

both independently and with support to explore the work of artists. They are able to print the pages of information they want to use again with little guidance or help. Pupils from Years 5 and 6 develop their spelling skills as they use a program to practise spelling words, pitched at the correct level of difficulty to meet their individual requirements.

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Commentary

63. The recently built ICT area is a welcome addition to the school. This has increased the use of ICT as a curriculum tool. There are currently no facilities for whole class input by the teacher to develop the pupils’ understanding and use of ICT and this is limiting progress. Additionally, teaching is also hindered by the lack of suitable software. Schemes of work are, as yet, insufficiently established and adapted to incorporate enough opportunities for ICT development in a systematic and rigorous way.

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Information and communication technology across the curriculum

64. Samples of work seen in books from across all curriculum areas showed very few past examples of work generated through ICT. There are, however, some posters, poems, reports, stories and signs within the sample and already on display through the school that show that ICT skills have been taught adequately and, overall, this aspect of the school’s work is satisfactory. The subject has, however, not been sufficiently well managed to secure a systematic approach or coherent provision through all aspects of the subject. The school is well aware of this and recognises the needs of the subject. The head, alongside her new staff, is working on ensuring that planning for ICT does feature consistently in lessons and thus supports other areas of the curriculum.

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HUMANITIES

Subjects in this area of the curriculum were not a focus for the inspection. Curriculum plans indicate that the provision for history and geography is satisfactory. Religious education was reviewed by the Section 23 inspector.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

No lessons were seen in design and technology, music and physical education as they were not a focus of the inspection. An overview of the school’s documentation to support curriculum planning indicates that the provision for these subjects is satisfactory. Art was a focus for the inspection and is therefore reported in some detail.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Good teaching • Good standards and achievement • Extra curricular opportunities • Enthusiasm of pupils and staff Heddington C of E Primary School - 25 • Range of media used • There is a lack of appreciation of art from other cultures

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Commentary

65. The school has focused on this aspect of its work. During the summer term a ‘Big Arts Week’ was held to celebrate pupils’ enthusiasm and to develop a whole school approach to an area of the curriculum. Art on display from this event and in portfolios is of a good standard and indicates that at the end of Year 2 and Year 6 pupils learn and achieve well. They reach standards above national expectations. Sketch books show that pupils develop their skills over time. The display of work in the headteacher’s office indicates that there is successful development of drawing skills and indicates progress throughout the school. For this task, pupils completed faces, having been given one side as a model to follow. Their developing ability to use shading, tone and texture is obvious.

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Commentary

66. Teachers show good subject knowledge and this usually means teaching is of a good standard. They prepare high quality resources and have clearly defined objectives for their lessons. Teaching assistants play a valuable role in art lessons. In one lesson, working with a group of Year 3 pupils, the assistant was particularly skilled in getting pupils to look at how their mouths and eyes expressed feelings as they were attempting to illustrate emotions. Where teaching is less than satisfactory it is because pupils are not challenged sufficiently and therefore they do not apply themselves without constant reminders. This means they do not put enough effort into their work and do not improve their skills.

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Commentary

67. The headteacher’s enthusiasm for this subject is very apparent. She runs after- school clubs and is determined to continue the good work already in evidence in order to raise standards even further. The samples of work she has collected show that pupils have access to and use a wide variety of media. They have been involved in photography sessions and are given ample opportunities to study the work of famous artists. They also use computer programs to explore colour and design effectively. This area of the school’s work has shown improvement since the previous inspection. Heddington C of E Primary School - 26

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Overall standards achieved 5 Pupils’ achievement 4

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The quality of education provided by the school 4 The quality of teaching 4 How well pupils learn 4 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 4 Support, advice and guidance for pupils 4 How well the school seeks and acts on pupils’ views 4 The effectiveness of the school’s links with parents 3 The quality of the school’s links with the community 4 The school’s links with other schools and colleges 3

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The leadership and management of the school 3 The governance of the school 4 The leadership of the headteacher 3 The leadership of other key staff 0 The effectiveness of management 3

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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