Kirtlington Church of England Primary School

Kirtlington Church of England Aided Primary School

Dates of inspection: 24-26 th November 2003

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Kirtlington Church of England Aided Primary School

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 Final draft - Kirtlington Church of England Aided 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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Kirtlington Church of England Aided 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. Final draft - Kirtlington Church of England Aided 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: 67

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Heyford Road Kirtlington Kidlington Oxfordshire Postcode: OX5 3HL

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: 01869 350210 Fax number: 01869 351961

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: Governing Body Name of chair of governors: Mr J Bradley

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 9 th March 1998

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

Kirtlington is a three-class village, C of E Aided primary school in Oxfordshire. It is smaller than the average sized primary school and has 67 pupils on roll. The roll has fallen slightly since the previous inspection. The school serves a rural community and is an area of socio and economic advantage and most pupils’ attainment on entry is above average. The proportion of pupils entitled to free school meals is below the national average. The proportion of pupils with special educational needs and those with statements of special educational needs is below the national average. Nearly all pupils have White UK heritage backgrounds. A few have White and Black Caribbean, White and Asian, White European and Chinese backgrounds. A significant number of pupils start or leave the school at times other than the usual ones. No children are learning English as an additional language. The school has recently achieved the Healthy Schools Award.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

Final draft - Kirtlington Church of England Aided Primary School -4

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

17851 Mr P Rayers Lead inspector Foundation Stage curriculum Mathematics Science Art and design Music Physical education 21142 Mr B Findley Lay inspector 9003 Mrs P McGraw Team inspector English Geography History Information and communication technology Design and technology Special educational needs Personal, social and health education

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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.ofsted.gov.uk). Final draft - Kirtlington Church of England Aided Primary School -5

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 8

Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 8

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 11

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

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS 28

Final draft - Kirtlington Church of England Aided Primary School -6

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school provides a good standard of education for its pupils. Most pupils make satisfactory progress, reach good standards in English and mathematics and satisfactory standards in most other subjects and achieve soundly. The school provides a curriculum that meets the national requirements in almost all subjects. School leadership and management are satisfactory. The quality of teaching and learning is good. The school provides satisfactory value for money.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are: • The headteacher’s good leadership • The good quality of teaching throughout the school • The good provision in the Foundation Stage (children in the reception class in this school) • Good provision for pupils with special educational needs • The promotion of pupils’ positive attitudes, personal development and good behaviour • Good standards and progress in English, mathematics, art and design across the school and information and communication technology in Key Stage 2 • Standards in music are below where they ought to be and provision is unsatisfactory • The school does not yet have an effective long-term plan for future developments • Subject co-ordinators do not yet effectively monitor standards pupils achieve and the quality of teaching they receive • Thinking skills are not developed systematically throughout the school, which slows the progress

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school has made satisfactory progress since the last inspection. The present good leadership of the new headteacher and the good teaching throughout the school, have insured last year’s improvement in standards has been maintained. Provision in all subjects except music, meets statutory requirements. Although there has been some recent monitoring of the quality of provision, there are few opportunities for subject co-ordinators to undertake this task. Teacher appraisal is fully in place. Recent improvements have been made in school planning, but there is still no effective longer-term strategic plan to ensure future developments are achieved.

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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 English C A A A Mathematics C D A A Science C E A B 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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Current pupils’ achievement is satisfactory overall considering the above average

attainment on entry . Children in the Foundation Stage achieve well and many should attain over and above the goals in all the areas of learning children are to reach by the end of reception. In Years 1 and 2 most pupils achieve soundly in reading, writing and mathematics and reach above average standards. By Year 6, most pupils achieve well in English and mathematics and reach above average standards. Standards and achievement in science are satisfactory. Standards in most other subjects are satisfactory, although pupils achieve well in art and design and information and communication technology by Year 6 and reach above average standards. In music, standards are below average because pupils are not taught all areas of the subject. Pupils with special Final draft - Kirtlington Church of England Aided Primary School -7 educational needs make good progress and achieve well. The school's provision for pupils'

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Current pupils’ achievement is satisfactory overall considering the above average

spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good . Pupils have good attitudes to school and behave well. Relationships are good. Attendance and punctuality are very good.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The school provides a good standard of education . The quality of teaching and learning is good overall . It is consistently good in the Foundation Stage, where learning is managed well. In Years 1 to 6, the skills of literacy and numeracy are taught well. Pupils do not develop their thinking skills enough because teachers have not emphasised them sufficiently throughout the school. All pupils are very well included in lessons and those with special educational needs are taught well. Pupils’ homework supports their learning appropriately.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The school generally provides a broad and balanced curriculum that is enriched by extra activities. However, the provision for music is unsatisfactory. The school cares for its pupils well and makes satisfactory use of its assessment information in most subjects to promote their progress. Resources are satisfactory, although there are few large outdoor play toys for the youngest children to develop their physical skills. The school has good links with parents and very good links with the community.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Overall leadership and management are satisfactory . The new headteacher has given the school a clear sense of direction and instigated many improvements since her arrival. School planning does not yet provide a longer-term plan to secure future developments. Subject leadership is satisfactory but there are insufficient opportunities for co-ordinators to monitor teaching and standards. The management of provision for pupils in the Foundation Stage and for pupils with special educational need is good. Governors are soundly organised and have been influential in appointing the new headteacher and planning recent developments with her. They do not yet monitor consistently the decisions they make in order to hold the school more to account.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents are generally pleased with the school, although some would like better information about the progress their children make and others were unsure about the impact of work done at home. The inspection findings support parents' positive views of the school and that information about progress is good and satisfactory use is made of homework to support learning.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Pupils are generally pleased with their school. Most like coming to school and have no major concerns about the way that they are treated.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

The most important things the school should do to improve are: • Raise standards in music • Improve subject management to monitor more effectively standards and teaching • Improve strategic development planning • Develop key skills such as thinking skills, which enable pupils to explore effectively and develop their ideas and understanding in all subjects. Final draft - Kirtlington Church of England Aided Primary School -8

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Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

Children in the Foundation Stage and pupils with special educational needs achieve well because they receive good support. Most children achieve well in relation to where they started from and what they are capable of in English, mathematics and art and design across both key stages. They achieve well in ICT in Key Stage 2. Achievement in all other subjects is satisfactory.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Most children in the reception class achieve well in all areas of learning because teaching is good and the curriculum is exciting and challenging. • Standards rose sharply at the end of Year 6 in English, mathematics and science, last year and this improvement has been sustained because the majority of teaching is good or better. • Most pupils achieve well for their capabilities in art and design. • Standards in ICT are above average in Key Stage 2. • Standards and achievement are not high enough in music. • Standards and achievement of a small number of higher attaining older pupils is not as good as it should be because they do not have sufficient thinking skills to investigate and solve problems in English, mathematics and science. • Since the last inspection, standards at the end of Year 2 have improved in writing, ICT and in mathematics, science and design and technology for all pupils.

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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 16.6 (16.3 ) 15.7 (15.8)

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Commentary

There were 11 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 29.1 (28.6) 26.8 (27.0) Mathematics 29.1 (26.5) 26.7 (26.8) Science 30.2 (27.0) 28.6 (28.3) There were 17 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year

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Commentary

1. Children at the end of reception and in their first term in Year 1, generally achieve higher standards for their age than is expected. This is because they are provided with good quality teaching, within a stimulating learning environment. They respond well to the class teacher's high expectations of them and most make good progress in all areas of learning. Their good achievement is also due to the way that the teacher plans and manages the learning of the mixed reception and Year 1 class so that the reception children have good role models for learning. Final draft - Kirtlington Church of England Aided Primary School -9 2. Standards have risen steadily in Key Stage 1 and at the end of Year 2 national tests in 2003, were above the national average in reading, writing and mathematics. In reading, standards have improved faster than those nationally and are now in line with similar schools (schools

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Commentary

with a similar proportion of pupils entitled to free school meals). There was a significant improvement in standards in writing and mathematics in 2003 and results are now in line with similar schools. In science, teacher assessments showed all pupils achieved average standards. There were a small number of pupils in this cohort and, although few pupils achieved above levels expected for their age, this was in line with their abilities. In national tests in 2003 for English mathematics and science, standards achieved by Year 6 pupils, were well above the national average. This was following a steady drop over the three previous years in mathematics and science. Standards in English and mathematics were well above those of similar schools. They were above similar schools in science. Progress achieved by Year 6 pupils in all three subjects was better than expected nationally from their prior attainment in Key Stage 1 national tests in 1999. There are no significant differences in the

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Commentary

3. Standards improved significantly last year after a steady decline from the previous inspection. This recent improvement, plus the evidence of work presently being achieved in lessons, indicates that writing, and information and communication technology in Key Stage1, mathematics, science, art and design and design and technology in both Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 have improved since the last inspection. The inspection judgements show that because of the present good quality of teaching in most lessons, standards and progress in Year 2 and Year 6 are above average in English and mathematics for most pupils and satisfactory in science. The school has sustained its high standards in English since the previous inspection. Standards are good in speaking and listening and reading because children’s good skills on entering school are built upon through regular opportunities to practise them in different situations. Although the achievement in writing is lower than in reading,

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Commentary

standards are rising because of the school's focus on improvement in writing. Pupils do not always apply their writing skills across the curriculum and presentation of work in some of their books is untidy. Pupils generally have good numeracy skills, which they apply appropriately in different situations. The development of thinking and investigative skills, especially of higher attaining older pupils, is not as good as they should be. Teachers are now effectively planning opportunities for pupils to use thinking strategies in their work. There was evidence during the inspection to show that pupils are now making progress in these aspects of their learning. This is beginning to improve what they achieve in English, mathematics and science and along with the good teaching, the challenging targets set in these subjects for 2004 are likely to be met.

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Commentary

4. Standards and progress in art and design in Years 2 and 6 are now good. This is due to the good teaching and high expectations shared with pupils. The present lack of a school hall until its replacement in the New Year restricts the time allocated to physical education and limits progress in some aspects of the curriculum. Standards and progress are also good in ICT in Key Stage 2. This is because key skills are well taught and opportunities are planned for pupils to apply them across the curriculum. Standards in the remaining subjects of the curriculum are satisfactory except in music, where they have not improved since the last inspection. This is because there is no effective co-ordination of the subject to ensure consistency in the curriculum offered to pupils and the systematic development of skills.

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Commentary

5. The good progress of pupils with special educational needs is due to accurate initial assessments, clear learning targets and sensitive support that encourages their learning. This is an improvement since the last inspection. Final draft - Kirtlington Church of England Aided Primary School -10

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Overall evaluation

Pupils have good attitudes to learning. They behave well and there have been no exclusions since the last inspection. Provision for spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good, with improvement in provision for cultural development since the last inspection. Attendance and punctuality are very good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses:

• Pupils concentrate well and are interested in their work • Good relationships between pupils and with members of staff • Pupils’ willingness to take on responsibility • The good development of behaviour management strategies • The consistently very high levels of attendance • A small number of pupils show lack of consideration for others

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Commentary

6. Each day starts very well and pupils arrive in good time to organise themselves and prepare for lessons. The teacher and teaching assistant welcome the youngest children and their parents as they arrive at school. There are things for the children to do and people to talk to. This enables them to settle quickly and confidently to their work and this continues throughout the day. Pupils enjoy school and attendance rates have been consistently well above the national average for the last few years. Most pupils concentrate well in lessons and co-operate positively with the teaching but there is a tendency for a few, especially among the older pupils, to disregard the interests of others. These actions are more thoughtless than malicious and pupils generally behave well and are only too eager to please. Although there is presently very limited space for play, due to building work on the site, pupils get on well and relationships are

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Commentary

generally harmonious. The overwhelming majority of parents think that behaviour is good and that the school is free from problems of bullying.

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Commentary

7. The school has accurately identified the need for greater consistency in the way behaviour is managed. A recently introduced policy involves pupils in devising classroom rules. The strategy, which aims to raise the self-esteem of pupils without quashing any independence of spirit, has already had some success. Relationships between teachers and teaching assistants and the pupils are strong and supportive.

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Commentary

8. Most pupils mature well during their time in the school and leave well prepared for their next stage of education. Pupils take on responsibilities well, such as helping other pupils with their problems through the recently introduced ‘buddy bench.’ They value their involvement with the school council. Provision for personal development is good because of the thought and planning that go into assemblies and lessons in personal, social and health education. This results in broad coverage of important aspects of pupils’ development. Provision for cultural development is good and in line with other areas. This is an improvement since the last inspection. There are sufficient planned opportunities for pupils to appreciate their own and others' cultural traditions. For instance, in Years 4/5/6 class pupils researched the work of different potters throughout the world through the internet, when designing their own container.

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Commentary

At the same time they were able to examine pieces of pottery from different parts of the world.

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Commentary

9. Pupils were very positive about most areas of school life in response to questionnaire but a few had concerns about behaviour. On investigation, these concerns relate to those pupils who thoughtlessly disrupt lessons by chattering when they are working rather than behaviour at playtimes. Final draft - Kirtlington Church of England Aided Primary School -11 Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (95.9%)

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Commentary

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data 3.8% School data 0.3% 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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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The quality of education provided by the school is good. Teaching and learning are good. The school provides a satisfactory curriculum, which is enriched well by a good variety of activities. The school provides good levels of care and looks after pupils well. Links with parents are good and those with the community are very good.

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Teaching and learning

The quality of teaching and learning is good throughout the school. No lessons seen were less than satisfactory, and there were examples of very good teaching in each class. Teaching was always good and sometimes very good in the Foundation Stage. Assessment is good in the Foundation Stage and satisfactory in most subjects.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The quality of teaching has improved since the previous inspection when teaching was satisfactory overall. • The teacher in the Foundation Stage organises the learning of a mixed reception and Year 1 group well, and overcomes the shortcomings of accommodation well. • The limited space for energetic play and the lack of large play equipment, restrict development of the youngest children in some aspects of physical control. • Because of recent developments, teachers’ lesson planning is consistently good. • Provision for pupils with special educational needs is good in all age groups. • Teachers give high levels of encouragement to pupils and this helps them maintain their concentration. • All teachers manage pupils' behaviour well and pupils generally behave well. • There has been insufficient planned opportunities for pupils systematically to develop their investigative and thinking skills and apply them to their work.

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Commentary

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 28 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

10. In the Foundation Stage, the teacher has a good understanding of the learning needs of young children. She plans carefully for the two children presently of reception age and ensures that they receive a balanced curriculum within the mixed reception Year 1 class. Pupils benefit from being in the same classroom as Year 1 pupils as the older pupils are good role models for them to emulate.. The links with the local pre-school group run by one of the governors, are excellent. Pupils play and work alongside each other every week. This ensures pupils start school confidently. The teacher plans appropriate activities in line with the national scheme for young children and identifies the 'Stepping Stones' towards each of the goals the children are Final draft - Kirtlington Church of England Aided Primary School -12 expected to reach by the end of the reception. The basic skills of literacy and numeracy are

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Commentary

taught thoroughly. Teaching assistants and parents support children’s learning effectively. This good support and good class organisation help to overcome the constraints of the accommodation which are similar to that at the time of previous inspection. The lack of space and access to large outside play equipment, limits progress in the development of basic body control.

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Commentary

11. The organisation of Years 1 to 6 into three classes with one class being across two key stages and another being nearly twice the size of the others, causes problems in ensuring planned activities meet the needs of all pupils. This issue is currently under review, as older more able pupils have not always been challenged as much as they should have been. Their inability to think through problems effectively, sometimes hinders their progress. This was identified at the time of the last inspection and in a Local Education Authority Review last year. Opportunities have recently been put in place to improve this aspect of learning and teachers now plan well for it. This is helping pupils to select the best strategies to solve problems. All teachers plan their work well on a common format that makes clear what pupils will learn during the lesson and where this fits into the overall plan. Teachers routinely make these

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Commentary

learning intentions clear to pupils at the start of lessons and this enables them to see how to achieve their best. They provide opportunities for pupils to work in various situations to explore and develop their ideas and use questioning effectively to challenge pupils' assumptions and secure quality decisions. In English, mathematics and science work is well matched to most pupils’ abilities and assessment of pupils’ progress is accurate. There is a system of recording targets in pupils' English and mathematics books. This is encouraging them to be actively involved in their learning and clear about what they have to do to improve. The new headteacher has introduced an assessment system in most of the remaining subjects based on learning objectives. Although at an early stage, this is beginning to enable teachers to plan and set work at different levels within these subjects to ensure the systematic development of

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Commentary

12. In most lessons teachers make good use of resources to motivate pupils, as in a Year 2/3 art and design lesson where a giant spider’s web was constructed in the school grounds and natural objects were added to it as a collective sculpture. In a Year 4/5/6 lesson in mathematics pupils used computers to design information routes to explore properties of triangles. In Year R/1, pupils used different torches and a wide range of materials to find out if light went through them. Music resources are unsatisfactory, and those the school does have, are not always used well.

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Commentary

13. Teaching and learning for pupils with special educational needs are good. Accurate assessments are in place and the staff use the specific targets in pupils’ individual education plans to plan a programme of work to meet their needs. Teachers and teaching assistants work well together, prompting pupils’ attention, rephrasing questions and encouraging answers. Pupils respond well to this and gain in confidence. A good example was in the Year R/ 1 dance class when a pupil with special educational needs was chosen to show her dance and explain to the rest of the class what she was doing. She spoke up confidently and was listened to closely by the rest of the class. Although teachers regularly plan work for higher attaining pupils, progress in these activities is often slow. This is because many of these pupils have not developed their thinking and investigative skills sufficiently to apply them to their

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Commentary

14. Occasionally pupils do not show the respect they should to others’ feelings but, these situations are dealt with well by staff and most pupils adjust well and improve their behaviour.

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Commentary

15. The skills of literacy and numeracy are taught well with planned opportunities to develop numeracy and literacy skills in other subjects. Staff are consistent in the setting of homework and work done at home is regularly used in class either to consolidate what is being learned or to extend it. Final draft - Kirtlington Church of England Aided Primary School -13

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The curriculum

The planned curriculum is broad and balanced and meets all statutory requirements although provision for music is currently unsatisfactory. Planning of the curriculum has improved since the last inspection. There is good enrichment of the curriculum. The school makes good use of the national literacy and numeracy strategies to raise standards. Provision for pupils with special educational needs is good. The accommodation and resources are satisfactory, although the lack of a hall at present restricts progress in some aspects of physical development.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school provides a wide range of sporting opportunities, arts projects and visits which enrich the curriculum and enhance pupils' learning. • Pupils with special educational needs are well supported and make good progress. • The inconsistency in the teaching of thinking skills across the curriculum restricts pupils' progress.

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Commentary

16. Pupils have opportunities to take part in a range of extra-curricular activities including football, golf and netball clubs. The school is successful in local competitions and through established links with Oxford United, currently holds the under 11 cup. Additional instrumental tuition is provided which is paid for by parents. A recent project with partnership schools enabled Year 5 pupils to take part in Indian dance activity and an extensive arts project involved pupils working with professional artists and members of the local community. Good use made of visitors to provide opportunities for pupils to extend their speaking and listening skills and develop knowledge about such projects as "Action Aid." Residential visits for older pupils to Devon are undertaken on a two-year cycle, to develop personal and social skills as well as subjects of the curriculum.

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Commentary

17. Provision for pupils with special educational needs is good because pupils’ needs are identified early. A teaching assistant provides effective support and most pupils make good progress and achieve average levels by Year 6. Individual education plans contain achievable targets, are reviewed regularly and a written in a way that pupils understand. Good use is made of a number of outside agencies and staff receive advice which helps them to support pupils' needs.

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Commentary

18. The school places significant emphasis on the development of literacy and numeracy skills. Provision for English and mathematics is good and targets are set to help pupils make progress. The development of thinking and investigative skills has not been consistently planned for across the school. Pupils are often unable to work independently to explore and solve problems. The curriculum for the youngest pupils is well planned and provides good opportunities for them to work together and explore the world around them.

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Commentary

19. Plans for teaching other subjects, recently introduced by the new headteacher, take account of national advice and identify skills to be learned in each subject. The teachers are now using these to plans effectively to ensure the systematic development of skills for most pupils. Provision for information and communication technology has improved because the support of the new co-ordinator.

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Commentary

20. The Healthy Eating standard has been achieved and the school actively promotes this in its lessons. At the time of the previous inspection too much time was allocated to personal and social education. This has been addressed, and provision is now satisfactory. There are insufficient planned opportunities across the school provided for pupils to develop their skills and make progress in music. Final draft - Kirtlington Church of England Aided Primary School -14 21. The school's accommodation is being extended to provide a hall and an additional classroom. The hard play area is out of use for this term. Older pupils continue to use the village hall for physical education lessons when possible. Teachers of younger pupils are working round the difficulties this term; for example, they have chosen to teach dance in their classroom. However, the limited space and lack of small games and gymnastics equipment restricts

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Commentary

some aspects of the physical education curriculum. Resources in most other subjects are generally satisfactory, although there are insufficient percussion instruments for pupils to use in music and there is a lack of large outside play equipment for the reception children.

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Overall evaluation

The school takes good care of pupils’ welfare, health and safety. Provision of support, advice and guidance for pupils’ academic and personal development is satisfactory and for pupils with special educational needs is good. Pupils are given satisfactory opportunities for influencing work and development in the school.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• High levels of targeted support for pupils with special educational needs. • Very good arrangements for the protection of pupils. • Positive impact of the school council. • Some inconsistent marking of work. • Excellent induction arrangements for pupils into the reception class.

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Commentary

22. The school takes good care of the welfare and safety of pupils through effective risk assessment procedures involving the governing body. Child protection arrangements are very good and the designated teacher is highly qualified. There are good levels of first aid expertise in staff. Effective arrangements are in place for safe use of the internet.

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Commentary

23. Pupils have good relationships with all adults in the school and know whom to go to if in need of support. Pupils are provided with targets for improvement based upon an effective system of tracking in mathematics and English. New arrangements for tracking key objectives in other subjects are satisfactory. Support and guidance for pupils with special educational needs are effectively targeted. Although marking is undertaken regularly, it does not always make it cear to pupils what they need to do to improve their work.

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Commentary

24. Induction arrangements are excellent because of the close working links with the local pre- school and the quality of liaison with the playgroup leader over transfer arrangements. The vast majority of parents are pleased with these arrangements.

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Commentary

25. Pupils are having more influence on decisions taken in school through consultation in classrooms and through the school council. It has recently implemented a pupil's idea of the ‘buddy bench’ to provide peer support.

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Overall evaluation

The school continues to promote a good partnership with parents, who generally think well of what the school provides for pupils. Links with the community are broad and used very well to support learning. Links with other schools and the local pre-school are good. Final draft - Kirtlington Church of England Aided Primary School -15

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Parents generally have positive views of the school. • Good parental involvement in all aspects of school life. • Good consultation over parents’ views. • Very good links with the local community. • Good liaison with other local primary and secondary schools. • In some instances reports on pupils are too brief in subjects other than English, mathematics and science.

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Commentary

26. The school has established a good relationship with parents who think highly of the school and expressed no significant concerns in pre-inspection consultations. Most are very pleased with induction arrangements and feel their children are happy in school. Some parents would like the school to provide better information about the progress their children make and others would like better arrangements for work done at home. The inspection agrees with the positive sentiments but considers concerns to be largely unjustified. Information about progress is judged to be good and satisfactory use is made of homework to support learning.

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Commentary

27. The quality of information provided to parents is good because formal publications, such as the prospectus, are thoughtfully prepared with detailed information beyond that required by law. Information about progress is good with detailed information and targets for improvement in core subject areas. Information in other subjects does not always indicate enough about strengths and areas for improvement.

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Commentary

28. Parents give very good levels of support to school activities. There is a very active friends group, which raises substantial funds for school improvement. A large number of parents help regularly in the classroom. For instance on a very wet day, in a Year 2/3 art and design lesson, parents worked with groups of pupils around the school grounds making a piece of art work.

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Commentary

29. Community links are very good and similar to those that existed at the time of the last inspection. There are strong links with the church. The school grounds are used for community events, pupils' work is regularly displayed in the local post office and local groups such as the village wild life association, work with pupils. The school continues to co-operate well on joint sports and arts events within partnership schools and transfer links with the secondary school are reported as working well.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The leadership and management of the school are satisfactory overall. The new headteacher provides good leadership. She is a good role model to teachers and pupils and makes a significant contribution to teaching in the school. The many changes she has made since her arrival are already beginning to have a significant impact, both on the quality of the curriculum and the quality of teaching. Governance is satisfactory. School management is satisfactory.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The good leadership provided by the new headteacher. • Good leadership of special educational needs and the Foundation Stage. • There is no effective long-term plan in place to give the school a strategic direction. • Subject co-ordinators have not yet consistently developed their roles in monitoring standards and teaching.

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Commentary

Final draft - Kirtlington Church of England Aided Primary School -16

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Leadership

30. The headteacher has recently been appointed to the school and has quickly assessed what needs to be done and set about improving existing systems. The staff work well together as a team. Governors are becoming more aware of the strengths and weaknesses in the school and are more able to support the head in changes that need to be made. A clear one-year school improvement plan has been put in place to replace a previous plan, which had insufficient detail to be effective. There has been some improvement in co-ordinators' monitoring of teaching and standards in their subjects, but insufficient time is provided for them to undertake these tasks successfully. Leadership in the Foundation Stage is strong and pupils make good progress. The special educational needs co-ordinator effectively provides advice and gives clear guidance to teaching assistants. This enables them to support pupils well in the classroom. The headteacher has a clear vision for the school over a longer period,

p.16

Leadership

but has not had time to work with governors and staff on a longer-term plan to shape the future development of the school. She has used national guidance to provide a broad and balanced curriculum in most areas and to foster the development of pupils' skills.

p.16

Management

31. A system for teacher appraisal is fully in place and provides a sound structure for professional development. The new process includes a mix of whole school objectives and personal development activities so that teachers work towards similar goals and share in professional development. The is an improvement from the last inspection. Staff training has been appropriately targeted to subject areas and staff have shared their experiences with others. The number of staff changes over recent years has limited the impact of this training. Currently, teaching assistants, other than the special educational needs assistant, do not always receive training to develop their skills. Appropriate support is given to new staff enabling them to settle in quickly to school routines and expectations.

p.16

Management

32. Financial management is satisfactory. The bursar provides good quality information to the headteacher and governors. Funds are linked to priorities in the interim plan and there are sound procedures for repaying the deficit agreed with the local educational authority. Work is currently taking place to provide a school hall, extra classroom and administration accommodation. The monitoring of the budget indicates that systems are securely in place to pay off the loan for the new building without impacting on the quality of education the school provides. Day to day management of finances is secure but there is no clear advice from the governing body to guide the headteacher's spending powers. The principles of best value are understood and applied to tenders and to assess impact of initiatives on pupil progress. For example, the headteacher and senior teacher have begun to assess the impact of teaching

p.16

Management

additional literacy programmes to support lower attaining pupils to reach average levels.

p.16

Governance

33. The governing body meets its statutory responsibilities and has clear aims and policies. Governors are very supportive of the school and there are good relationships with staff. The finance committee has a sound understanding of budget management and monitors its procedures appropriately. Parents' views are important and governors regularly seek and respond to their views. Governors follow up questionnaires with a letter to parents which explains why decisions have been taken. Meetings are arranged with the headteacher and the school's local authority representative to review performance and set future targets. Due to the developing partnership with the new headteacher and the good information they receive, governors now have a better overview of the school's strengths and weaknesses. Some governors regularly visit the school and work with pupils. Currently, too little monitoring is undertaken to check the impact of decisions made in development planning.

p.16

Financial information

Final draft - Kirtlington Church of England Aided Primary School -17 Financial information for the year April 2002 to March 2003

p.17

Financial information

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 220695.00 Balance from previous year 1973.00 Total expenditure 213178.00 Balance carried forward to the next 3956.00 Expenditure per pupil 1402.00 Final draft - Kirtlington Church of England Aided Primary School -18

p.17

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Provision for children in the Foundation Stage is good . The leadership in the Foundation Stage is good . The quality of teaching in the six areas of learning is consistently good and sometimes very good. The curriculum offered is good.

p.18

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Lessons were observed in the mixed-age class for children when the focus was on the teaching provided for reception-aged children. A number of shorter visits were also made in order to look at specific areas of learning.

p.18

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

The children enter mixed reception and Year 1 class, the term after they are five. The school has excellent links with the local pre-school, which most children attend, and this ensures they are well prepared for school life and settle in quickly and confidently. There is extra learning support each morning and on two afternoons. This is well planned for and the effective. Accommodation remains cramped but the space is well used and does not inhibit learning except in some aspects of physical development. There were only two reception children at the time of the inspection with further intakes at the beginning of the Spring and Summer terms. The progress made by the two reception children and by children who had been in the school for only just over one term was good. Standards of the reception children are good in all aspects of learning. The good quality teaching and progress made by the two children since entering the school indicate that they are likely to attain

p.18

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

and in some aspects exceed the targets set for them nationally.

p.18

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in personal, social and emotional development is good

p.18

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The staff are very good role models and offer a high level of care. • Good teaching clearly establishes routines and is consistent in terms of children's behaviour. • The teacher has established good relationships with classroom assistants and with parents.

p.18

Commentary

34. Standards in reception are good compared with those normally found for children of this age. The children have only been in school for a short period of time but have settled in quickly to the class routines. They are confident and at ease with adults and older children. Children are encouraged to respect the views and feelings of others, to be polite and respect class rules. They respond well to the teacher's high expectations for effort and behaviour, this contributes to the good progress they make. Adults provide good role models, through their caring attitudes and mutual respect. When the reception children were playing in the café, they pretended they were mothers out for a meal and discussed what they wanted to eat and how much it would cost. The reception children join in with Year 1 activities if they choose to do so and if the teacher feels they are able to cope. For instance one little girl chose to help an older

p.18

Commentary

girl make a model by cutting pieces of wool for her and was really proud of the finished outcome.

p.18

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Provision in communication, language and literacy is good Final draft - Kirtlington Church of England Aided Primary School -19

p.18

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teachers and support staff take every opportunity to develop the children's language skills, and teaching is good

p.19

Commentary

35. Children's achievements are at least as expected at the start of the reception year and a number achieve beyond this. They make good progress in their early learning through good teaching. A strong emphasis is placed on developing children's speaking and listening skills during the first few weeks and they already listen carefully to each other and the teacher. They are eager to contribute their ideas to discussions. For instance in a music lesson, one child suggested an action to support the class song. " We could shake our arm to look like a bracelet." Children quickly learn to love books, and regularly take a book home to share with the family. Their reading skills are above those expected for their age. They know the pictures and words tell a story and recognise some initial sounds and words already. They are beginning to match sounds and shapes and make early attempts to write recognisable letters.

p.19

Commentary

When working outside with adult using chalk, they were able to form the letters 'pot' to match an object they had found. Appropriate attention is paid to holding pencils and forming letters correctly.

p.19

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in mathematical development is good

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The teacher plans a wide range of activities to support learning, which ensures that children achieve well. • Basic number skills are developed and reinforced through a broad range of activities.

p.19

Commentary

36. Teaching and learning are good. Examination of children's work last year and teachers' records show children make good progress. Teachers plan an interesting range of activities to promote mathematical understanding. The two children are presently working at least at levels expected for their age with some examples of good understanding of number. One little girl was able to show the other children that 20 was bigger than 9 using number cards. Children can count to ten confidently. They could sort objects into groups by numbers up to five, by colour and by shape. They had the opportunity, with adult support, to use the computer to sort numbers into the correct circle. They were able to click and drag correctly on the screen. Practical play activities support the extension of mathematical knowledge and understanding. They were beginning to understand the use of money when playing in the café and were able

p.19

Commentary

to use more coins for expensive meals and fewer coins for drinks.

p.19

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Provision in knowledge and understanding of the world is good

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching and learning are good and this enables children to achieve well. Final draft - Kirtlington Church of England Aided Primary School -20

p.19

Commentary

37. Good teaching helps children learn well. They make good progress and achieve well in their understanding of the world around them. They do this because the teacher provides activities that are well planned and help increase their knowledge. They were able to make a 'dark place' and explore light using a torch. They talked about places in their village and used the magnet board and floor template to make a simple map, discussing with each other where things should be placed. As in mathematics, computers were used to explore and develop their ideas and learning. Using a computer program, reception children decided at what village features they could put on their picture from a simple menu.

p.20

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in physical development is good

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching is good and the teacher makes the most of the limited accommodation both inside and outside of the classroom, by providing exciting experiences to develop children's physical skills. • Most children are well co-ordinated although the lack of space does restrict basic development in control because of limited space for quick movements. • Lack of large outside play equipment.

p.20

Commentary

38. Many experiences are provided for children to develop their physical skills. However, the present lack of a school hall does mean that these activities are restricted to the classroom and a small outdoor play area. When the weather permits, regular use is made of the school grounds and play fort. In the dance lesson seen, the teacher used language to create an atmosphere of suspense, encouraging children to move in an imaginative way as if under water. The use of music supported their experiments with movement. They swayed like seaweed or swam like fish. Their movements in creative dance were good but there was a lack of basic control, as space limited opportunities for quick movements. Their control of small tools, such as paintbrushes, pencils and the computer mouse, are good. The teacher has rightly identified the need for more large play equipment for both inside and outside play.

p.20

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Provision in creative development is good

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching and learning are good • The classroom, although cramped, does provide a colourful and stimulating environment • The teaching is well structured to provide a range of experiences for the children.

p.20

Commentary

39. In creative development the children's attainment is good. Art skills are well developed. The children are offered a wide range of materials to make pictures and models. One child was able to select natural objects to fix to a willow ring mobile using tape or wool. Adults pay particular attention to developing observational skills and ask children to look carefully and describe what they see before drawing or making anything. The children use the construction Final draft - Kirtlington Church of England Aided Primary School -21 equipment well to create a wide range of imaginary structures. They use language imaginatively when undertaking role-play. "I'll be eighteen so that I can drive the car and take you home."

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils attain good standards. • The quality of teaching and learning is good and pupils generally achieve well. • Teaching assistants effectively support groups of pupils. • Targets help pupils to know their next steps in reading and writing. • Progress of a small group of high attaining pupils in Year 6 is not as good as it should be. • The handwriting of a minority of pupils across the school is untidy and they do not consistently join their letters. • The co-ordinator has insufficient time to monitor work in classrooms effectively.

p.21

Commentary

40. Attainment in English is above national expectations at the end of both key stages. The school has sustained this position from its previous inspection. Standards are good in speaking and listening and in reading. This is because pupils begin school as confident speakers, who are ready to read. The school builds on this with many opportunities for them to practise these skills. For instance, pupils read out loud to others with expression and can talk about their books and explain what they like about them. Targets, which are monitored termly, are pasted into their reading journals and focus pupils' attention on their learning. Teachers regularly monitor pupils' progress using these journals. Most pupils read for enjoyment by Years 5 and 6.

p.21

Commentary

41. Achievement in writing is lower than in reading but is improving and is generally god. There are still too few occasions for pupils in the Years 2/3 class to write and edit their work on the computer and older pupils do not have sufficient opportunities to write in depth. However standards are rising because of the school's focus on improvement in writing. The co- ordinator and headteacher have analysed the results of national tests, introduced a whole school writing objective and targeted pupils for extra support. All pupils now have writing targets in their books, however, marking is not always matched to these targets to ensure pupils know how to improve their work.

p.21

Commentary

42. Pupils with special educational needs achieve well because they receive effective support from teaching assistants who help them to develop their reading and writing skills.

p.21

Commentary

43. While there was a clear focus last year to ensure pupils achieved well in tests, their skills are not always applied consistently in other subjects.

p.21

Commentary

44. The teaching of English is generally good. Teachers have good subject knowledge and provide interesting activities to encourage pupils to read and write. For example, in Year 2 /3 class, the teacher made a paper hat. She asked the pupils to make their own and write a set of instructions. Pupils enjoyed the activity and the teacher selected the instructions of a few pupils to see how accurate they were when she followed them. These pupils had prompt and useful feedback to edit their work and make their instructions more precise. During the inspection good features were seen in the teaching of writing in the Year 4/5/ 6 class. The teacher supported pupils well in taking notes from a presentation about world food. In another lesson pupils looked for alternative verbs and adverbs to improve the quality of their writing. Final draft - Kirtlington Church of England Aided Primary School -22 While this lesson was effective for the majority, a few of the higher attaining Year 6 pupils

p.21

Commentary

found the activity unchallenging and made little progress. 45. Until this academic year, there has been insufficient monitoring of the quality of pupils' work or rigorous evaluation of the quality of teaching and learning to identify weaknesses and further raise standards. Although writing has been identified as a priority in a previous plan, the latter lacked sufficient detail to achieve this. The current plan contains clear criteria, timetables opportunities for monitoring and identifies actions needed to improve the quality of teaching and pupils' work further.

p.22

Commentary

Language and literacy across the curriculum .

p.22

Commentary

46. Literacy skills are developed well across the curriculum. The school makes good use of the mobile library, which until the restrictions placed upon it by the present building works, called at the school fortnightly. Pupils are given time to choose from a wide selection of books and this helps them to develop good reading habits. There are good opportunities for pupils to speak, read and write at length in history and geography. The daily use of the ICT suite in the Year 4/5/6 class supports pupils to write for a range of purposes.

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards improved last year and currently remain above the national average. • Overall pupils achieve well in most aspects of mathematics but higher attaining pupils in Year 6 could achieve more. • Pupils’ attainment is below average in problem solving. • Standards have improved on those of the previous inspection. • The quality of teaching is good.

p.22

Commentary

47. Standards in Year 2 and Year 6 are now above average and most pupils achieve well. Compared with previous years standards improved significantly in 2003, especially in Key Stage 2 and are now better than the last inspection. In 2003 national tests nearly all pupils in both year groups reached the expected standard. A third of seven year olds and two fifths of eleven year olds achieved higher standards. This improvement has been maintained for most pupils, although a number of higher attaining pupils in Year 6, are not achieving as well as they should. This is because they have not previously developed their investigative skills sufficiently to tackle problems and apply their learning individually within different situations.

p.22

Commentary

48. The present teaching in Key Stage 2 is good and matches that in Key Stage 1. The organisation of classes, especially for older pupils, makes it difficult for teachers to focus appropriate support across the age and ability ranges within them. Teachers plan well and have made changes in provision that ensures most pupils receive appropriate support and achieve as well as they should. Year 4 and 5 pupils are able to use a range of strategies to explore and identify shapes by their properties. Teachers now focus clearly on providing planned opportunities for pupils to develop problem solving skills. Inspection evidence shows that this is having an impact on improving attainment. In KS1 teachers’ lessons are lively and interesting, and the good rapport between adults and pupils keeps pupils motivated and willing to learn. Occasionally the work for the more able pupils in Year 2 is not sufficiently demanding,

p.22

Commentary

but the varied and practical approach to teaching ensures that pupils maintain their interest. Numeracy skills are taught well with mental and oral parts of lessons stimulate recall and use of number facts. All teachers are now using the school’s analysis of pupil performance to set targets for them. The targets are useful for the teacher to help them set different levels of work Final draft - Kirtlington Church of England Aided Primary School -23 for pupils. The targets are shared with pupils and older pupils have them recorded in their books. This beginning to help them know what they need to do to improve. 49. Pupils with special educational needs are supported well by teaching assistants. They sit alongside them in lessons and help to focus their attention and work in partnership with the class teachers by routinely leading groups. This enables the pupils to make good progress.

p.22

Commentary

50. The recently appointed headteacher has taken over the co-ordination of the subject. She has monitored teaching in lessons, planning for mathematics and analysed pupils’ work to develop a clear view of standards of attainment and the quality of teaching. There is now an effective action plan to maintain the recent improvement in attainment. The subject is adequately resourced, with sufficient material to cater for the needs of mixed-age groups in each class.

p.23

Mathematics across the curriculum

The school provides appropriate opportunities for pupils to develop their understanding of mathematics in other subjects. A good example of this was seen in science when older pupils were calculating, tabulating and displaying results to measure the effect of light on shadows.

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

• There was a significant improvement in results in 2003 national tests for Year 6 pupils who made good progress. • Too few pupils achieve higher levels in the standard assessment tasks at the ages of seven and eleven. • Although opportunities are now regularly planned for pupils to develop investigative skills and to learn how to plan a fair test, these skills are not secure and slow their progress. • There is a lack of rigorous assessment to support future learning especially in the investigative strand of the subject.

p.23

Commentary

51. Results in 2003 tests for the end of Key Stage 2 were high and a significant improvement on previous years. At the end of Year 2 in 2003, teachers assessed all pupils to have achieved expected levels but few to have achieved higher levels. Pupils' present standards in Year 2 and Year 6 are average and they achieve soundly, which is an improvement from the last inspection and in keeping with the national trend. However their thinking and investigative skills are not of a sufficient standard to enable them to challenge their initial ideas and ensure a fair test has been put in place. A few older pupils were unable to identify factors that influenced their experiment on shadows apart from those mentioned by the teacher. They were too quick to complete their task and record their findings without thinking through all aspects of the investigation to ensure it was a fair test. Pupils in Year 1 and Year 2 are confident in exploring

p.23

Commentary

materials and processes and offer good appropriate solutions to problems. For instance in an experiment on floating and sinking they explained that cotton wool would soon sink because the water would soak into it and make it heavy. The more able pupils are not always challenged to extend their ideas or undertake further investigations.

p.23

Commentary

52. In the lessons seen during the inspection the teaching was satisfactory. Evidence from present work in Year 2 indicates that they are presently on track to achieve standards that are similar to those found in most schools. Year 6 pupils are also working in line with expected levels but, the focus on developing their investigative skills and the recent improvements in this aspect of their work should enable them to maintain last year’s high standards in national tests. There was good emphasis in all lessons seen on correct use of specific vocabulary. Final draft - Kirtlington Church of England Aided Primary School -24 53. Recent improvements have ensured satisfactory improvement since the last inspection. There remain some areas for development, especially in relation to investigative skills.

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Well-planned lessons interest pupils and ensure the full coverage of skills. • The co-ordinator provides good support for staff which helps to increase their confidence. • ICT is not used consistently to support learning in other subjects.

p.24

Commentary

54. By Year 2, pupils achieve expected levels and standards are good in most year groups in Key Stage 2. This is an improvement since the previous inspection. Pupils make particularly good progress in the Year 4/5/6 class because of the good subject knowledge of the teachers and the regular access they have to the computer suite. Teaching and learning are good across the school. Pupils take part in well-planned lessons that begin with direct teaching and cover a wide range of skills through interesting topics. For example, pupils in Years 5 and 6 use spreadsheets to plan and cost different sandwich fillings for a party. They use high quality graphics programs to produce patterns and pictures in a range of styles, from mathematical patterns to more creative designs. Pupils work well together to produce databases gathering and entering information through the program so that they can interrogate the data. In Year 3,

p.24

Commentary

pupils edit their poems well, choosing the font, size, colour of the text and position on the page.

p.24

Commentary

55. Pupils learn how to use the computer independently from the age of four and are confident in these very early stages to use the screen turtle and write and edit text. Teachers are confident and enthusiastic about ICT and this motivates pupils to explore different programs.

p.24

Commentary

56. The good range of activities stems from a comprehensive longer-term plan that is supported well by the co-ordinators. They makes sure teachers are confident in teaching each aspect of the scheme so pupils make good progress. Their leadership inspires teachers to improve their skills. There are regular assessments of pupils’ progress and this helps teachers to identify individuals who need further support. Resources have improved recently and are satisfactory although there are limited resources to support aspects of control.

p.24

Commentary

Information and communication technology across the curriculum.

p.24

Commentary

57. This is satisfactory. The newly produced long-term plans do not consistently identify clear opportunities for the use of ICT in other subjects. Where this is done it is because the teachers’ own knowledge is good, for instance in mathematics for both the oldest and youngest pupils. Few pupils use ICT to edit writing in lessons. There are some missed opportunities in science lessons to record data using the skills pupils have already learned, particularly in the Year 2/3 class, where there are no computers in the classroom.

p.24

HUMANITIES

It is not possible to make overall judgements about provision in history and geography. In geography it was possible to see only two lessons, in Year 1 and in the Year 4/5/6 class. No teaching of history was observed. Inspectors analysed planning, pupils’ work and held discussions with groups of pupils. These suggested that standards in history and geography are broadly average and similar to those at the time of the previous inspection. However, there is some inconsistency in pupils’ acquisition of skills for a small number of older pupils.

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

Final draft - Kirtlington Church of England Aided Primary School -25 • Good use is made of visits and visitors to support learning • Artefacts are used well to help pupils understand history • Inconsistency in the acquisition of skills such as mapping in geography and matching events to periods in time in history

p.25

Commentary

58. In both subjects, teachers use visits and visitors effectively to make work interesting. In geography for example, a visitor from Action Aid gave an informative presentation about farming in under-developed countries. Pupils in the Year 4/5/6 class were fully involved and asked a variety of questions about the growing and sale of crops and how this impacts on people’s lives. They had a good understanding and empathy with the farmers and the difficulties they faced. Pupils were careful to make copious notes that could be used in a persuasive letter to supermarkets selling the goods produced. A residential visit to Devon gives pupils opportunities to study a coastal area and compare it with Kirtlington. Pupils in Year 1 explore their own village, use an aerial photograph to identify places and effectively make their own aerial plan. However, there has been some inconsistency in the way skills in

p.25

Commentary

mapping have been developed through the school, particularly for a few pupils currently in Years 5 and 6. In history pupils in the Year 2/3 class talked about the Second World War topic they had studied and described how visitors and grandparents were able to explain how it felt to live through the war. The school makes good use of borrowed artefacts to help pupils understand periods in history. For example, pupils studying the Romans were shown some pottery and coins to bring the subject to life. Discussions with pupils indicate they enjoy history and have a good deal of knowledge about the periods they have studied. However, their understanding of chronology is less well developed.

p.25

Commentary

59. The co-ordinator has started to monitor these subjects through sampling of pupils’ work and speaking with them. She has not had the opportunity to monitor the quality of teaching in lessons.

p.25

Art and design, Design and technology, Music and physical education

These subjects were only sampled during the inspection and, therefore, there is insufficient evidence to make substantive judgements in relation to provision. Only one lesson was observed in music, design and technology and art and design. Two lessons were observed in physical education and these were both in the dance module of the subject. A discussion was held with co-ordinators and pupils across both key stages and samples of work and displays were examined.

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards in dance are above average in both key stages. • Good subject leadership is having a positive impact on the standards of pupils' work in art and design throughout the school. • The present indoor accommodation is unsatisfactory for physical education and imposes restrictions on what can be taught. • Design and technology has improved since the last inspection and standards are satisfactory. • Although standards in music were good in the one lesson seen in Year 1, standards and the co- ordination of music have not improved sufficiently since the last inspection and are unsatisfactory. Final draft - Kirtlington Church of England Aided Primary School -26

p.25

Commentary

60. Pupils enjoy their work in art and design and have a good range of techniques, with strengths in painting, printmaking, sculpture and pencil sketching across the school. The pupils in Key Stage 1 developed their painting techniques by studying the work of Lowry, Paul Klee and examples of aboriginal art. Pupils in Key Stage 2 developed their techniques of sculpture by working alongside artists in residence. In the good lesson observed, the teacher inspired pupils work by providing them with excellent natural resources and gave clear instructions and encouragement on how to explore and develop their mobiles. The subject co-ordination is good and this supports teachers in planning exciting activities for their pupils. The co-ordinator is active in involving the school in visits to art galleries, working with artists and members of the local community as well as taking part with other schools in art initiatives such as, Wild Art,

p.26

Commentary

and a production of 'The professor and the dinosaur'. Here, the whole school worked with artists and other adults to create a performance set in the local quarry. There are recording systems in place for pupils to evaluate their work. However, although work has been undertaken to development the use of sketchbooks to support this process, the impact has been limited due the number of recent staff changes.

p.26

Commentary

61. In design and technology, pupils learn to cut and join materials in a variety of ways. In Year 1, pupils learn about the properties of waterproof materials and investigate how to make the most effective coat to keep a teddy dry. By the end of year two, pupils work carefully with tools, and they design and make street lamps, which are battery powered. They make and evaluate the appropriateness of animal homes. By Year 6 pupils design, make and evaluate models, using a variety of materials. From their evaluations, they make improvements to their work. Good links are made with the healthy eating project. Pupils tasted flavoured yoghurts and suggested how it could be improved. The co-ordination of the subject, teachers' planning and assessment procedures are all effectively in place and ensure satisfactory standards are achieved across both key stages. This represents good progress from the previous inspection

p.26

Commentary

when attainment in design and technology was below average.

p.26

Commentary

62. In music, although there are opportunities to play musical instruments and sing in school productions, the systematic development of skills across the school is unsatisfactory. Children in both key stages had little understanding of musical terms, composers or ability to explain what they hear. When asked to describe the sounds different instruments made they have weak technical vocabulary. Older pupils have just begun to write lyrics but have not developed their own compositions using instruments or singing. Apart from those who have outside tuition for music, the rest were unclear how to improve their performance in any aspect of music. Musically talented pupils have the opportunity to learn the piano, brass instruments, the guitar and clarinet at school. Resources are poor and there is a lack of resources for using ICT in music. There is no subject co-ordinator and leadership and management of music are

p.26

Commentary

unsatisfactory. Teachers' planning is not consistent and this prevents the effective assessment and recording of pupils’ progress.

p.26

Commentary

63. At present the school has restrictions meeting statutory requirements within the physical education curriculum due to limited accommodation, as at the time of the last inspection. However, the planned completion of the very impressive new school hall in February 2004, will provide considerable opportunities to support learning. In the meantime the school is looking to provide ways of ensuring that pupils do not miss out on curriculum aspects of physical education over the first six months of this school year. Older pupils go swimming once a fortnight. They learn to improve their strokes and most should be able to swim at least 25 metres by the time they leave at the end of Year 6. The village hall is used and negotiations are underway to increase access. The older pupils were learning how to perform dances in the style of North American Indians. They explored and interpreted circles and dream

p.26

Commentary

catching. Younger pupils worked within their classroom developing dance sequences based on a familiar story. Health and safety issues were appropriately addressed in both lessons. At present resources both for games and gymnastics are unsatisfactory and will need developing fully to meet the opportunities provided by the new hall. There is a new co-ordinator in place Final draft - Kirtlington Church of England Aided Primary School -27 who is enthusiastic and has good knowledge of the subject. The curriculum is supported by clubs after school for football and golf. There are also good links with the local professional football club. The school is justifiably proud of its achievement in winning the Under Eleven Cup.

p.26

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

64. Lack of evidence means that no overall judgement about provision in personal, social and health education can be made. The school has a programme for personal, social and health education, which is about to be reviewed. Pupils' views about aspects of school life are expressed through the recently reformed school council, and staff take these into account when making decisions. This makes the pupils feel that they have a voice in the running of the school. Pupils are provided with good opportunities to share their worries with adults and their classmates during lessons on personal, social and health education. In the one lesson seen in the Year 2/3 class, the teacher sensitively shared her feelings with the pupils about friendship and this helped them feel safe about relating their own experiences. Final draft - Kirtlington Church of England Aided Primary School -28

p.27

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

p.28

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Overall standards achieved 4 Pupils’ achievement 4

p.28

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities 3 Attendance 2 Attitudes 3 Behaviour, including the extent of exclusions 3 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 3

p.28

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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 3 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 2 The school’s links with other schools and colleges 3

p.28

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

p.28

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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