Langdon Primary School

LANGDON PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 15 to 17 September 2003

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LANGDON PRIMARY SCHOOL

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 Langdon 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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LANGDON 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. Langdon Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Primary School category: Community Age range of pupils: 4 to 11 Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 54

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: East Langdon Dover Postcode: CT15 5JQ

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: 01304 852600 Fax number: 01304 853343

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: Governing Body Name of chair of governors: Mr D Willett

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 7 June 1999

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

Langdon Primary School is a small school with 54 pupils taught in three classes. Because year groups are small, the proportions of boys and girls fluctuate. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is below the national average. About one third of the pupils come from the small village of East Langdon, the rest come from Dover and Deal, and the villages between these two towns. The proportion of pupils with special educational needs is average. Pupils’ special needs include: moderate learning difficulties; severe learning difficulties; social, emotional and behavioural difficulties; and physical disabilities. Nearly all pupils are of white UK heritage and no pupils learn English as an additional language. Pupils’ attainment on entry fluctuates from year to year, and is broadly average. During 2002-3, eight pupils joined or left at times other than the start or end of the school year and, as a proportion of the school’s population, this mobility is above the

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

national average. The school has received a School Achievement Award from the DfES for substantially improving its results in 2002. Langdon Primary School - 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

1723 M Milton Lead inspector Mathematics Science Geography Design and technology History Information and communication technology Religious education 9744 P Brown Lay inspector 32153 M Panichelli Team inspector Foundation Stage English Art and design Music Physical education Special educational needs English as an additional language

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Cambridge Education Associates Ltd Demeter House Station Road Cambridge CB1 2RS

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

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). Langdon 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

The leadership and management are effective and so the school provides a good quality of education . The quality of teaching and learning is good so that pupils achieve well and, by Year 6, reach standards that match national averages in English and are above national averages in mathematics and science. The school is very effective in promoting the pupils’ personal development, and makes excellent use of the local community and national projects to enrich pupils’ learning in several subjects. The lack of proper offices for the headteacher and school secretary reduce the efficiency with which they carry out their duties. Because it is a small school, Langdon Primary’s expenditure per pupil is high compared to many schools, so it provides satisfactory value for money .

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are: • All of the teachers carry out several leadership and management responsibilities well and provide good quality teaching; • The pupils enjoy school, and their very good behaviour and mature attitudes to work contribute significantly to their good achievement; • Teachers know pupils’ academic and personal needs well, and there are very good relationships between pupils and adults; • It promotes the learning of all pupils well, including those with special educational needs and those of high ability, and provides a high quality of care for all pupils; • Pupils’ standards in writing are not as good as their standards in other aspects of English; • The roles allocated to teaching assistants do not enable them to contribute enough to pupils’ learning and to reducing the teachers’ workload; • The surface of the playground is uneven and crumbly, and there is not a safety barrier between

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OVERALL EVALUATION

Since the last inspection in June 1999, the school has addressed all of the key issues well and made good improvements to pupils’ standards, the quality of teaching and learning, and pupils’ attitudes and behaviour.

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

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Caution is needed in interpreting the grades in the table above, as they are based on the results of small numbers of pupils in Year 6. In 2002, the science results for Year 6 pupils were in the top five per cent of those schools whose pupils had similar results for science in Year 2.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

The overall achievement of pupils is good. The Reception pupils are on track to reach the goals that they are expected to reach by the end of the school year. Their achievement is satisfactory. The achievement of pupils in Years 2 and 6 is good for English, mathematics and science and satisfactory for other subjects. Year 2 pupils are on track to reach national expectations for reading, writing and mathematics next summer, while Year 6 pupils are on track to exceed national expectations in mathematics and science and to match them in English. Langdon Primary School - 7

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Pupils have very good attitudes to learning, and work effectively on their own and in

groups. The school is very successful in promoting pupils’ personal development and, consequently, pupils quickly grow in confidence and maturity. Pupils’ attendance rates are satisfactory.

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The overall quality of education provided by the school is good. Teaching and learning are

satisfactory in Reception, and good for Years 1 and 2, and for Years 3 to 6. Pupils are clear about what they are expected to learn, and their progress is reviewed at the ends of lessons. Tasks are well matched to pupils’ differing learning needs in English and mathematics although all pupils complete the same tasks on too many occasions in a few other subjects. Lessons are well managed so there is a brisk pace of learning. Pupils’ work is always marked, but marking does not give enough ideas on how they can improve. The school’s curriculum provides pupils with good learning opportunities. The school provides a high level of care and this helps create a learning environment in which pupils feel happy and secure. The quality of partnerships with parents, other schools and the community is very good, and this brings substantial benefits for pupils’ learning.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The overall quality of leadership and management is good . The governing body is well informed about the strengths and weaknesses of the school, and provides a good level of support and challenge to the school. The headteacher and other teachers work well as a team with a strong commitment to raise standards. All teachers and support staff are working effectively to improve the quality of the education that the school provides. The school improvement plan does not focus enough on improvements, and the outcomes of the good systems for checking pupils’ standards and the quality of education are not always used effectively to secure further improvements.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents hold the school in high regard, and no negative views are held by a significant number of parents. Pupils also have very positive views of the schools. They feel encouraged and think that the learning is made fun.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

The most important things the school should do to improve are to: • raise the standards pupils achieve in longer pieces of writing in English and other subjects*; • develop the roles of teaching assistants so that they contribute more effectively to pupils’ learning and the reduction of teachers’ workload; • continue to seek improvements to the accommodation for the headteacher, the school’s office and the staff, and to the playground and car park*; • implement its plans to develop teachers’ marking so that it gives pupils more precise advice about how to improve their standards*; • match work more closely to the pupils’ differing learning needs in geography, history and religious education. * the school has already identified these as aspects that need improvement. Langdon Primary School - 8

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Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

At this early stage of the term, Reception pupils are on track to reach the goals children are expected to reach by the end of the school year. So far, pupils’ overall achievement is satisfactory.

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Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

Achievement in Years 1 and 2 is good in reading, writing and mathematics but satisfactory in science. The Year 2 pupils are on track to reach national expectations in these subjects by the end of the school year. In Years 3 to 6, achievement is good in English, mathematics and science. Year 6 pupils are on track to reach standards that are above national expectations in mathematics and science and at national expectations in English by next summer.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Reception pupils have good attitudes to learning and behave well already. • Pupils’ speaking, listening and reading skills are above national expectations, while their writing standards only match expectations in Year 6. • In Year 6, standards in mathematics and science are above national expectations. • In Year 6, pupils’ achievement in science is good while it is satisfactory in Year 2. • Pupils’ have strong ICT skills in word processing and using spreadsheets, but their skills are weaker in using ICT for control and data logging in science. • In history, pupils have good levels of knowledge and understanding but their historical enquiry skills are weaker. • Between 1998 and 2002, the overall results for Year 6 pupils have improved more rapidly than the national trend of improvement.

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Commentary

1. Standards are the levels of knowledge, understanding and skills that pupils reach compared with pupils of the same age nationally. Achievement is an assessment of pupils’ knowledge, understanding and skills in relation to their capability, and it is a judgement about whether pupils are doing as well as they should.

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Commentary

2. The school usually has less than 10 pupils taking national tests at the ends of Years 2 and 6, and so average figures need to be interpreted with caution. At the end of Year 6 in 2002, standards in the national tests were above national averages for all schools in English and mathematics, and well above average in science. For all three subjects, the value added from the pupils’ test results when they were at the end of Year 2 was well above national averages. Between 1999 and 2002, the overall results of the school have improved more rapidly than the national rate of improvement. In the 2002 national tests for Year 2 pupils, standards were above the national averages for all schools for writing but below national averages for reading and mathematics. The teacher assessment of science was below national averages. In 2003, results for writing and science improved with more pupils achieving the higher Level 3.

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Commentary

Boys and girls reach similar standards and add similar value as they move through the school.

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Commentary

3. Pupils in Reception are on track to reach the goals that they are expected to reach by the end of the school year in all of the five areas of learning that were inspected. They are doing particularly well with their personal, social and emotional development and are on track to exceed the expected goals for this area of learning. At the time of the inspection, the achievement of Reception pupils was satisfactory. Langdon Primary School - 9 4. For the current Year 2 pupils, standards in reading, writing, mathematics and science match national averages. Pupils’ achievement is good in reading, writing and mathematics because speaking and phonic skills are taught effectively, and they carry out a wide range of varied learning activities which often stretch them. Their achievement is satisfactory in science where work sometimes fails to provide more-able pupils with sufficient challenge. For religious

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Commentary

education and physical education, there was insufficient evidence to evaluate pupils’ standards and achievement. For other subjects, pupils’ standards are average and their achievement is satisfactory.

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Commentary

5. In English, standards are above average in speaking, listening and reading because teaching makes use of skilful questioning, discussion and debate together with a good range strategies to teach reading. Standards are only average for writing because pupils do not write effectively at length. Pupils’ achievement is good in mathematics because work is well matched to pupils’ differing learning needs, and steps are taken to ensure that there are no weaker aspects to pupils’ standards. In science, pupils’ achievement is good because they complete a substantial amount of recorded work that is pitched at a challenging level with a good range of work for scientific enquiry. For other subjects, pupils’ standards are average and their achievement is satisfactory. However, within these subjects there are often some aspects of good achievement. For example, standards are average in ICT and pupils’ overall

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Commentary

achievement is satisfactory. However, their achievement in using spreadsheets is good as, for example, they use a spreadsheet to record and present data from an experiment about dissolving solids. In history, pupils achieve well for their knowledge and understanding of history but their historical enquiry skills are weaker because much of their work is based on worksheets. Pupils’ standards in religious education match the expectations of the local Agreed Syllabus. Pupils achieve satisfactorily in religious education. There are strengths in their learning about religions, but weaknesses in their learning from religions. Since the last inspection, the school has addressed successfully the key issue to raise pupils’ attainment and to improve their progress during Years 3 to 6.

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Commentary

6. Pupils with special educational needs and pupils who are gifted and talented achieve as well as other pupils. They are fully involved in lessons through the support given by teachers and teaching assistants, and the careful lesson planning for English and mathematics which matches work to pupils’ differing learning needs.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Pupils’ attendance rate is satisfactory. Their personal development is very good, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils display very good attitudes to school in general and to learning in particular. • They work independently towards agreed goals with only minimal direct supervision. • They collaborate really well when working in groups. • Relationships are very good amongst pupils, and between pupils and staff. • The school is very successful in promoting pupils’ personal development and, consequently, they grow quickly in confidence and maturity.

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Commentary

7. Pupils participate wholeheartedly in academic and extra-curricular activities and clearly enjoy their experience of all aspects of school life. The pupils’ views of the school are very positive, and they consider that: • they receive individual attention as the school is small and friendly; • the school seeks to sort out any issues regarding relationships between pupils; • all pupils have the opportunity to do well and receive praise; Langdon Primary School - 10 • they have good opportunities for both independence and responsibility. 8. Pupils of all ages behave very well, and no pupils were excluded during the last school year. They are polite, courteous and very attentive in class. They display a high regard for the needs of others and have formed strong and sustained relationships with fellow pupils, teachers and support staff. The strength of these relationships promotes rapid and effective learning as was

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Commentary

seen in a science lesson for Years 5 and 6, when pupils demonstrated exceptional skills in collaborative working as they tackled investigative tasks in groups. Also, they work well on individual tasks when these are set. Almost all pupils work on these with little direct supervision, which enables the teacher and teaching assistant to focus teaching on particular groups of pupils within the class. The school has successfully addressed the key issue from the last inspection to improve the pupils’ attitudes to work in Years 3 to 6.

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Categories used in the Annual School Census No of pupils on roll Number of fixed period exclusions Number of permanent exclusions White – British 53 0 0 No ethnic group recorded 1 0 0 The table gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

9. The school is very effective in promoting initiative and personal responsibility. Pupils are encouraged to suggest school improvements through the school council and are given individual responsibilities appropriate to their age, for example, through the school council, fundraising for charities and being ‘bib buddies’ during lunchtime and break.

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

10. No cases of oppressive behaviour were observed during the course of the inspection. The school has established appropriate procedures to counter such problems should they arise.

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

11. The school provides many opportunities for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. This provision is effective for all pupils, including those with special educational needs. Extensive opportunities exist for pupils to reflect on the spiritual and moral aspects of life, as in a whole-school assembly on the theme of the good neighbour. However, there is a need to further expand the range of opportunities for pupils to learn about the richness and diversity of other cultures in Britain. This need is recognised by the school. Reception pupils are on course to exceed the goals children are expected to reach in their personal, social and emotional development by the end of the school year.

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Attendance

Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

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Attendance

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data 6.0 % School data 0.0 % 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

12. Attendance of pupils is satisfactory, being broadly in line with national averages. The school operates good procedures for promoting regular attendance, particularly in publicising to parents the positive effect on academic achievement made by pupils coming to school regularly. Although most parents strive to ensure that their children attend school, a minority Langdon Primary School - 11 withdraw them for purposes of holiday. This reduced access to the curriculum is likely to restrict the academic progress of those pupils.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The overall quality of education is good. Provision is good for Years 1 to 6, and satisfactory for Reception. There is good provision for English, mathematics and science, and satisfactory provision for other subjects. The enrichment of the curriculum is excellent.

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Teaching and learning

The quality of teaching and learning is good in Years 1 and 2, and in Years 3 to 6. Teaching and learning are satisfactory for Reception. Teachers’ assessment of pupils’ learning is satisfactory with some good features.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Lessons have clear learning objectives and there is a brisk pace of learning. • In English and mathematics, tasks are well matched to the range of pupils’ ages and abilities within classes. • Teaching secures a good response from the pupils who are interested in their work and want to do well. • Explanations are clear and questions are used to involve all pupils and to relate the work to their existing knowledge. • Pupils’ work is regularly marked but it rarely gives clear guidance to pupils about how to improve their standards. • In a few subjects, all pupils complete the same worksheets too often. • Teachers and teaching assistants give effective support to pupils when they are working individually or in groups, but teaching assistants are not always used effectively during whole- class teaching. • In Reception, some learning opportunities are missed during lessons. • Good use is made of assessment to identify any weaknesses in pupils’ standards in reading,

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Main strengths and weaknesses

writing and mathematics, and steps are then taken to remedy any weaknesses.

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Commentary

13. Clear learning objectives are shared with pupils. At the ends of lessons, pupils’ progress towards these objectives is assessed and any common learning difficulties are discussed. Classes are well managed and transitions within lessons from one type of learning activity to another are usually quick and with little fuss. This helps to give a brisk pace of learning. Teachers secure a very good response from the pupils and almost all are very keen to learn. The good match of work to pupils’ different learning needs means that they are suitably challenged by the work that they do. Teachers’ planning and pupils’ previously completed work show that this is a common feature of teaching in English and mathematics, but there are times when all pupils in a class complete the same worksheets in history, geography and religious education. This does not stretch the more able or help those who find learning hard,

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Commentary

and reduces opportunities for pupils to use their initiative.

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Commentary

14. When pupils are working in groups, teachers and teaching assistants give tireless support by encouraging, prompting and helping the pupils to overcome any difficulties so that all pupils make good progress with their learning. This support is particularly effective for pupils with special educational needs. However, during the parts of lessons when there is whole-class teaching, teaching assistants are not usually given roles that contribute directly to pupils’ learning. Teachers have good levels of subject knowledge for English, mathematics and science and, as a result, give clear explanations and use questions effectively to involve all pupils and build on their existing knowledge. Because of teachers’ good subject knowledge, pupils understand and complete a good range of scientific enquiry work in Years 3 to 6. On the Langdon Primary School - 12 whole, teachers’ subject knowledge is satisfactory in most other subjects. A good range of

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Commentary

learning resources was used well including some devised by the school.

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Commentary

15. In Reception, strengths of the teaching and learning include the promotion of pupils’ personal, social and emotional development and the pupils’ respond very positively to this. Speaking and listening skills are developed through role-play, and mathematical development is fostered through stories linked to practical activities. Pupils have opportunities to work with a range of practical equipment that develops their physical capabilities. However, there are occasions when pupils’ ideas and vocabulary are not developed sufficiently as opportunities for adult intervention and interaction are missed. Also, the Reception area is not as stimulating for learners as it should be.

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Commentary

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 20 lessons

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Commentary

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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Commentary

0 1 10 9 0 0 0 The table gives the number of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons.

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Commentary

16. The teaching and learning of pupils with special educational needs is good. Pupils’ individual education plans have specific targets that are clear and well matched to the needs of individual pupils. They are drawn up by the class teachers and reviewed termly. Class teachers plan for pupils with special needs in accordance with their individual targets, and records are kept of pupils’ progress. The teaching assistants are aware of pupils’ individual targets and they inform the teachers on the progress pupils make and of any learning difficulties that arise. Their support helps pupils to focus and remain on task during written activities and they sometimes help pupils to formulate their ideas during class discussions.

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Commentary

17. Teaching and learning are good for lessons in English and mathematics, and for the use of pupils’ numeracy skills in other subjects. Pupils’ speaking and listening skills are developed well by other subjects but they are not given enough opportunities to write at length, except in science. Teachers’ own use of ICT in their work is satisfactory. Just before the inspection, the school purchased an interactive whiteboard and data projector but staff have yet to receive training in their use.

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Commentary

18. There is a satisfactory system for assessing pupils’ progress in Reception against the six areas of learning. A school priority is to improve teachers’ marking so that it contributes more effectively to pupils’ learning. At present, pupils’ work is always marked but it rarely makes clear to pupils what the strengths of their work are and how they should improve. In the weekly planning for most subjects, there is a space to evaluate pupils’ learning but the comments made do not always focus sufficiently on learning itself.

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Commentary

19. There are sound assessment systems for English, mathematics, science, ICT, history and geography. Assessment information is used effectively to set short-term challenging targets for groups of pupils in Years 1 to 4 and for individual pupils in Years 5 and 6. In addition, end- of-year National Curriculum Level targets are set for each pupil in reading, writing and mathematics. A particular strength is that pupils’ end-of-year tests in English and mathematics are analysed to identify weaker aspects of their attainment, and then improvements are made to the curriculum and teaching to remedy these weaknesses. There are well structured systems for tracking the progress of individual pupils in reading, writing and mathematics against their annual targets and for checking the extent to which the school adds value to pupils’ progress each year.

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Commentary

20. The school has made satisfactory progress in addressing the key issue about assessment from the previous inspection. Now, there are whole-school approaches for assessing pupils’ attainment and progress and these include an effective tracking system. Langdon Primary School - 13 Langdon Primary School - 14

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The curriculum

The overall quality of the curriculum is good , and it enables all pupils to achieve well.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Personal, social, health and citizenship education are well planned and taught. • The enrichment of the curriculum by visits and visitors is excellent. • The pupils’ view is that the schools encourages them and makes learning fun. • The playground’s surface is uneven and crumbly, with a few relatively deep holes, and this hampers pupils’ movement during its use for physical education.

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Commentary

21. The curriculum is broad and includes all of the required National Curriculum subjects and religious education. In addition, pupils in Years 5 and 6 have a weekly session of French. These subjects are planned to ensure that the curriculum is balanced. Careful attention to the needs of pupils with special educational needs coupled with the effective support of teachers and teaching assistants in lessons, ensures that the curriculum meets their needs. The personal attention to the needs of individuals during lessons, and the school’s emphasis on developing the pupils’ self-confidence and ability to work collaboratively, help ensure that all pupils benefit equally from the curriculum. The school’s curriculum is based on national guidance and this helps to ensure that pupils’ learning in one year builds on and extends earlier learning, although in geography, history, religious education and some science lessons, pupils

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Commentary

from different years and abilities often complete the same tasks which does not challenge more-able pupils or support those who are finding the work hard. Both parents and pupils consider that the curriculum prepares pupils well for the transfer to secondary schools, and there is a good programme of activities to support pupils during this transition.

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Commentary

22. As part of the curriculum, personal, social, health and citizenship education (PSHCE) is taught each week to all pupils and includes opportunities for pupils to sit in a circle and discuss issues that are important to them. Planning for PSHCE is good, and includes teaching about relationships and sex education, and education about the misuse of drugs, ethnic diversity and racism. Year 6 pupils are involved in an annual citizenship day organised by the Police, and last summer this included a talk by a member of the traveller community. Assemblies are well planned and have weekly themes that contribute to pupils’ PSHCE.

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Commentary

23. The enrichment of the curriculum is through extra-curricular clubs, the use of the school’s own resources, involvement with national projects, visitors to the school and the pupils’ visits to places in the local area. Extra-curricular activities are good for the size of the school and consist of sports, art and guitar clubs. For English, teachers provide a book week and opportunities for drama, and for history there are theme days such as an Aztec day when pupils in one class dressed as Aztecs and engaged in a variety of activities linked to their history work. Visitors to the school include local residents who support lessons in science, design and technology and ICT. A wide range of visitors give impressive support to science and these include a scientist who works for an international pharmaceutical company and the Kent Wildlife Trust. There is some specialist support for music, with a teacher from outside

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Commentary

the school working with the choir for different performances during the year. A cricket coach sponsored by Kent County Cricket Board works with pupils during the summer. Visits are made to a range of organisations and locations including a local river, Dover Town Hall, Deal Castle, Canterbury Cathedral, and to local secondary schools for sports and science activities. Pupils are taught swimming and gymnastics at local clubs. Visiting artists have worked on different projects with the pupils. During 2002-3, the pupils were involved in a national art project in conjunction with the National Gallery, and in 2001-2 they worked on a DNA and art project with an artist and a scientist from the international pharmaceutical company. Langdon Primary School - 15 24. There are good levels of staffing for both teachers and teaching assistants. Accommodation is adequate for the three classes although the outdoor learning area for the Reception pupils is

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Commentary

limited and without protection from the weather. The playground’s surface is uneven and crumbly and, because the school is hoping that it will be resurfaced, it has not replaced the worn markings. This hampers pupils’ movement on the playground and its use for games such as netball. Otherwise, learning resources are adequate for all subjects.

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Care, guidance and support

The school ensures pupils’ care, welfare, health and safety very effectively. It provides them with good support, advice and guidance and involves pupils fully in its work through the active school council.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Very good care is given to pupils and a family ethos pervades the school. • Monitoring and tracking of pupils’ achievements enable teachers to plan for further success. • Effective school council and mentor system in place. • There are health and safety concerns with the car park and a part of the playground’s surface.

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Commentary

25. Policies and procedures are in place for health and safety and child protection, and these are implemented appropriately. Child protection procedures conform with local guidelines and match the requirements of the school. A senior member of staff carries designated responsibility, and procedures are fully documented and understood by both teaching and support staff. The cleaner-in-charge has undertaken risk assessment training and the necessary risk assessments have been carried out. Health and safety issues are carefully considered and dealt with promptly by the school where possible, although the car park is not separated from the school’s playing field by any kind of barrier. Part of the playground surface is uneven and presents a risk to the safety of pupils and staff. All staff work well together to ensure that pupils feel safe and secure, and they benefit from the small school environment

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Commentary

where everyone is well known to each other. There are sound procedures for the administration of medicine.

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Commentary

26. The Reception class teacher liaises with the local pre-school groups and receives a record of achievement for each child that links with the assessment system used by the school for Reception pupils. Pupils are assessed carefully on entry to the school and at the end of each year, and their progress in English, mathematics and science is tracked and monitored carefully. Support is given to pupils who need extra help and end-of-year test papers are analysed to pinpoint areas that need to be taught more effectively. Target setting helps pupils to identify points for improvement and progress against the targets is monitored. Parents are invited into the school in the term before pupils are admitted to Reception, and pupils visit for two afternoons to familiarise them with the classroom setting before joining the school. For pupils who join the school at times other than the start of the school year, there are good

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Commentary

induction procedures. Teachers know pupils’ personal development needs well, and keep records in their day books. Pupils’ personal and educational well-being is a priority of staff and PHSCE lessons address many aspects of this and have the flexibility to respond to any issues as they arise. Because of the emphasis on their care and welfare, pupils feel secure and happy in the school and this contributes strongly to their rates of learning, as does the careful tracking of their academic progress.

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Commentary

27. The school council is attended by class representatives from Year 2 onwards and meets regularly to discuss all areas of school life. It is very good that the school acts on pupils’ suggestions wherever possible. The policy and practice of the school is that pupils’ needs and views are important, and this contributes towards the increasing maturity and independence of the pupils as they progress through the school. Langdon Primary School - 16

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Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

The quality of partnership is very good, and this has significant benefits for pupils’ learning.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school is held in very high regard by parents and carers. • There is very effective communication with parents, both written and verbal. • Excellent religious, cultural, sporting and academic links have been established with the local community. • Good links have been established with other schools.

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Commentary

28. Parents hold the school in very high regard, and consider that it provides high standards and is well led and managed.

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Commentary

29. Communication with parents is very good, and the school provides informative newsletters, and reader-friendly and comprehensive annual reports supported by regular parent evenings. Teachers and parents talk together informally, both before and after school, which effectively reinforces more formal methods of communication. Through these processes, parents are kept fully up to date about their children’s progress.

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Commentary

30. The school consults with parents effectively through a very active Parents’, Teachers’ and Friends’ Association, termly meetings with parents, and the biennial whole-school reviews. Parental involvement in the school is good and it makes a significant contribution to learning. Considerable assistance is given with homework and with school visits. Parents also support learning through the loan of artefacts, encouraging their children’s involvement in the activities that the school provides, and by providing extra-curricular activities such as the netball and guitar clubs. The school receives few complaints and concerns from parents but the procedures in place ensure that these are handled quickly and sympathetically.

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Commentary

31. The school has established excellent links with the local community which serve to greatly enhance pupils’ learning. For example, the science is enhanced significantly by a link established with an international pharmaceutical company, religious education and music are enhanced through involvement with Canterbury Cathedral, and sporting links established with Gillingham F.C. and Kent Cricket Club make a positive contribution to pupils’ learning in physical education. The county mobile library visits each fortnight and pupils borrow books. There are active links with the local parish, and the vicar takes assemblies on a regular basis and the school celebrates the main Christian festivals in the parish church.

p.16

Commentary

32. Effective links have been established with other schools in the locality. Membership of a local primary school cluster facilitates the sharing of ideas and resources, and links established with South Kent College and two secondary schools provide access to facilities not otherwise available. The close partnership formed with local secondary schools greatly assists in smoothing the transition from primary to secondary education and this process is greatly assisted by a Year 6 activities day in which local small primary schools participate. Constructive links have also been established with local feeder pre-school groups who are provided with information about the school. In turn, several of the pre-school providers make available useful assessment information about pupils transferring to Langdon. Langdon Primary School - 17

p.16

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The headteacher leads by example and her work focuses on improving pupils’ standards. • The governing body is very supportive and involved in the work of the school. • The subject co-ordinators are particularly effective for English, mathematics and science, and annual evaluative reports and action plans for improvement are produced for every subject. • The school improvement plan does not give a sharp enough focus to planned improvements to teaching and learning. • There is a good system of school self-review but the information this provides is not always used rigorously enough to raise standards and improve teaching. • The space for the school’s office is inadequate and there is no provision of accommodation for the headteacher and staff. • The school has not identified the roles that teaching assistants are expected to carry out for all aspects of their work.

p.17

Commentary

33. The governing body is well informed about strengths and weaknesses and is actively involved in shaping the school’s improvement. Governors are involved in the timetable of whole-school monitoring activities and a governor is linked to the co-ordinator for each subject. A governor visits the school each term with a particular monitoring focus, such as literacy, and then reports their findings to the full governing body. The governing body receives satisfactory reports from the headteacher each term, and these provide information about checks on pupils’ standards and the quality of education as well as about progress with specific improvements in the school improvement plan.

p.17

Commentary

34. The headteacher provides effective leadership and has high aspirations for the school’s development. She has created an effective staff team, and motivates staff and pupils to work hard. Because the school is small, the headteacher is involved practically with all aspects of its work and teaches a class for three days each week. She leads by example. There is a strong commitment to providing a quality education for all pupils, and all staff work hard to achieve the targets in the school’s improvement plan. Good improvements have been made to the school since the previous inspection in June 1999. The school’s focus for improvements has rightly been on raising standards in English, mathematics and science, and the school is now ready to begin work to improve standards in other subjects.

p.17

Commentary

35. Since the last inspection, the school has successfully addressed the key issue for leadership and management. The headteacher and governing body fully understand and carry out their roles and responsibilities now.

p.17

Commentary

36. There are co-ordinators for every subject and they are all involved in checking the quality of their provision and pupils’ standards. The co-ordinators are particularly effective in improving teaching and raising standards for English, mathematics and science. The provision for pupils with special educational needs is well managed. The co-ordinator has an overview of the individual education plans and she advises teachers on strategies for meeting the targets of individual pupils. She liaises with outside agencies and informs staff of new developments after receiving training.

p.17

Commentary

37. The well-structured, detailed school improvement plan covers a three-year period. It combines routine tasks and improvements which was appropriate following the previous inspection. The plan includes the financial implications of achieving its priorities. Langdon Primary School - 18 38. The school evaluates its own performance well and there is an annual timetable of evaluation activities that involve all teaching staff. As a result, feedback reports are produced and these usually identify clear strengths and areas for development. In addition, each summer subject co-ordinators write well-structured evaluative reports and action plans, although these do not often focus sufficiently on pupils’ learning. The results of evaluation are not always followed up rigorously enough to ensure that improvements are made to pupils’ standards and teaching.

p.17

Commentary

39. The performance management of teaching staff is established and contributes to school improvement. There has been some training for the performance management of teaching assistants but this has not yet been implemented. Teaching assistants work hard and are committed to the work of the school but the school’s expectations are not clear enough for all aspects of their work. Since the last inspection, the deployment of teaching staff has improved as Years 3 to 6 are now taught in two classes for most lessons while then they were all taught in the same class. The teaching staff attend a very good range of training for their professional development, and the school is involved in initial teacher training with students from Canterbury Christ Church University College.

p.18

Commentary

40. The school office is in a poor state of repair and is too small. Provision for storage is inadequate. The headteacher does not have an office in which to hold private meetings or to work. Teaching and support staff use a classroom for breaks during the school day and for after-school meetings. The kitchen is located in another building and a condition survey shows that this has aspects that need improvement. This inadequate accommodation limits the efficiency with which staff work and hampers progress with the management of the teachers’ workload. Also, the governing body and headteacher have expended much time seeking improvements to the accommodation. However, the use of this time has not resulted in improvements because the decisions are not within the control of the school, and this detracts from other aspects of the schools’ work. All three permanent teachers share the workload well, but the school has not been involved in any national initiatives for the management of

p.18

Financial information for the year April 2002 to March 2003

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 199,062 Balance from previous year 26,012 Total expenditure 173,050 Balance carried forward to the next 7,691 Expenditure per pupil 3,205

p.18

Financial information for the year April 2002 to March 2003

41. The school implements the principles of best value to a satisfactory extent. For example, it checks that it receives the best value for money when buying goods and services. The relatively high carry forward from the previous financial year was to cover the financial consequences of a slight reduction in the number of pupils on roll and to make provision for a contribution towards some building improvements. The school makes appropriate use of specific grants and additional funding including those for special educational needs. Langdon Primary School - 19

p.18

EXAMPLES OF OUTSTANDING PRACTICE

Enrichment of the curriculum The school is small, and the pupils’ curriculum and experience of the wider world is enriched by excellent links with the local community and some national projects.

p.19

EXAMPLES OF OUTSTANDING PRACTICE

For physical education, the pupils have specialist teaching for gymnastics at a local club, with specialist coaching at the school for soccer and cricket. Through collaboration with an international pharmaceutical company, pupils took part in a project that linked the study of DNA with art. The ongoing link with the company provides additional learning resources and classroom support for pupils from a scientist. Local residents with particular expertise teach pupils specific skills in science, ICT and design and technology, and links with local secondary schools have provided pupils with additional learning opportunities in science and physical education. Recently, pupils have been involved in a national art project with the National Gallery and this stimulated a wide range of work in response to the painting “St George and the Dragon”. In addition, the school provides a very good range of visits that contribute to pupils’ learning in science, history, geography and religious

p.19

EXAMPLES OF OUTSTANDING PRACTICE

education. The links with Dover Museum contribute to pupils’ learning in history and science. This enrichment widens the subject expertise that the pupils experience, involves pupils more actively and practically in their learning and makes their learning more fun. Langdon Primary School - 20

p.19

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

During the inspection, the small number of pupils in Reception were attending the school for mornings only. These pupils had only been in the school for nine mornings prior to the inspection.

p.20

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Provision is satisfactory at this early stage of the school year. Attainment on entry is broadly average and most children achieve or exceed the goals they are expected to reach by the end of Reception. This is in line with standards seen at the last inspection. During the inspection the curriculum was planned by the teacher of the Reception and Years 1 and 2 class and when they were not taking part in whole-class activities, the children were taught by the teaching assistant, who contributes to the sound assessment system. The overall quality of teaching and learning was satisfactory during the inspection, with the strength of good teaching and learning for pupils’ personal, social and emotional development. Pupils’ achievement is satisfactory because some opportunities to extend their learning are missed.

p.20

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in personal, social and emotional development is good.

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The children develop good attitudes towards learning and feel at ease in a happy, secure setting. • Children’s behaviour is good and they respond well to the adults’ expectations.

p.20

Commentary

42. The teacher and teaching assistant work together to ensure that the pupils settle quickly into the class, and there is a consistent approach to behaviour management. They learn to work independently within the Years 1 and 2 classroom and are taught to take turns and share during free-play activities. Pupils are praised for their efforts and their opinions are welcomed and considered during class discussions. All pupils are on track to exceed the goals children are expected to reach by the end of Reception.

p.20

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Provision in communication, language and literacy is satisfactory.

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The teacher includes the children in whole-class story sessions and introductions to literacy lessons. • Opportunities for pupils to develop their language skills are not always exploited.

p.20

Commentary

43. All children are expected to meet or exceed the expected goals by the end of Reception. Speaking and listening skills are encouraged by the teacher and developed through role play with the teaching assistant. In a “Goldilocks and the Three Bears” role-play, the children were enthusiastic, but their ideas were not fully developed through discussion which resulted in missed learning opportunities. When sharing books, the pupils are not encouraged to read the words or sentences, or to follow the direction of the print. The children enjoy rhymes and these are linked to the reinforcement of mathematics concepts and letter sounds. Children choose books from the library to take home and parents are encouraged to read with them. Langdon Primary School - 21

p.20

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in mathematical development is satisfactory.

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The teacher uses questioning well and a good range of activities support learning. • Opportunities for counting and exploring mathematical concepts are not always used fully.

p.21

Commentary

44. All children are on track to meet or exceed the expected goals by the end of Reception. They benefit to some extent from inclusion in the introduction to Year 1 and 2 lessons when, for example, they learn about the properties of two-dimensional shapes. They respond well to group work with the teaching assistant, as they listen to stories which reinforce concepts such as big and small , long and short . Some opportunities for developing mathematical language and concepts are not fully developed when children are working in the sand and water trays.

p.21

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

There was insufficient evidence to make a judgement on provision or standards.

p.21

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in physical development is satisfactory.

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Provision and use of small play equipment and tools is good. • The outside play area is small with limited apparatus and equipment.

p.21

Commentary

45. The children use small play equipment in the sand and water carefully and demonstrate good manipulative skills when working with malleable material. They use the cutting tools well and make improvisations to the car mat by creating ramps. They ride the bikes in the outside area with reasonable control and sense of direction. All children are on course to meet the expected goals by the end of Reception. The school makes the best use of its limited outdoor play area.

p.21

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Provision in creative development is satisfactory.

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Opportunities are given for imaginative role-play, musical activities and exploring a range of media. • The role-play area within the classroom and resources require development.

p.21

Commentary

46. All children are on course to meet or exceed the expected goals by the end of Reception. The teacher plans suitable activities to enhance creative development within the constraints of space and outdoor provision. The outdoor role-play session seen was well resourced and the Langdon Primary School - 22 pupils enjoyed using the toys and equipment, although they did not feed back to the rest of the class and lost an opportunity to demonstrate their imaginative skills. During musical activities children learn simple songs and match movements to music. Pupils’ art work showed sound use of cutting skills and a worthwhile link to mathematical development. The Reception area within the classroom, however, does not include interactive displays, is not language rich and does not include a sufficiently imaginative role-play area.

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching is good and pupils achieve well in reading, speaking and listening. • Teachers’ planning ensures that the work is well matched to pupils’ differing learning needs and that the work is based on assessment and the next learning steps which pupils need to make. • Special events, such as book week and drama opportunities, enhance the curriculum and stimulate pupils’ interest and enthusiasm. • Pupils’ end-of-year assessments are carefully analysed and used to address weaknesses in pupils’ standards. • There are too few opportunities for writing at length, and for extended writing in other subjects. • The teaching of spelling lacks rigour and a systematic, common approach. • Marking does not give pupils enough ideas on how they can improve their work.

p.22

Commentary

47. Standards are broadly in line with those expected nationally. By Year 6, attainment in speaking and listening, and reading is above average but below average in writing when compared with all schools nationally. This is an improvement on standards seen at the last inspection. By the end of Year 2, pupils’ attainment is also broadly in line with national expectations, and the reading and writing standards of higher-attaining pupils have improved since 2002. The achievement of all pupils is good.

p.22

Commentary

48. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 listen well to the teacher and each other. They make good progress in developing their speaking skills because questioning is used effectively to encourage them to explain their answers or opinions. Pupils discuss the differences between different versions of “Goldilocks and the Three Bears” and use descriptive language appropriately. By Year 6, pupils are confident speakers and teachers use every opportunity to develop their skills by skilful questioning, discussion and debate. Pupils respond well to role-play, for example, when one pupil undertook the role of an author and was quizzed on her writing, thoughts and feelings. Teaching assistants monitor the responses of pupils with special educational needs and help them to formulate their ideas so that they can participate fully.

p.22

Commentary

49. By the end of Year 2, higher-attaining pupils read fluently and with confidence and can use a range of approaches when tackling unknown words. Average- and lower-attaining pupils have a good grasp of letter sounds and can use them to build words. The effective teaching of letter sounds supports reading well. Pupils read to the teacher and teaching assistant and there are opportunities for reading together during lessons. By Year 6, higher-attaining pupils read a range of challenging texts but lower-attaining pupils still need guidance on ways to read unknown words and how to formulate opinions about the story and characters. Group reading guided by an adult is used effectively to investigate the meaning of the text and dictionary tasks encourage pupils to work quickly and accurately. Langdon Primary School - 23 50. Year 2 pupils’ writing is satisfactory overall. A wide range of activities are covered and most

p.22

Commentary

pupils can retell stories, write instructions and letters, using full stops and capital letters appropriately. The writing of higher-attaining pupils is well structured and imaginative, but all pupils would benefit from a more structured approach to the teaching of spelling and from further opportunities for writing for different purposes. In a lesson for Year 1 and 2, pupils were able to read and match sets of rhyming words but were not asked to write words or sentences to extend their knowledge and a learning opportunity was missed. By Year 6 pupils write with growing confidence and pupils with special educational needs are well supported in writing tasks. Strategies such as the use of small whiteboards to write questions to ask the author in a role-play situation are effective and the pace of the lessons contributes to good learning. There is insufficient attention and time given to extended writing across the curriculum apart

p.23

Commentary

from in science where reports and investigations are full with attention to detail. Consequently, although pupils’ standards in writing match national expectations, they are not as high as other aspects of English.

p.23

Commentary

51. The quality of teaching and learning is good overall and this is an improvement since the last inspection. Teaching is based on good planning which makes clear the how tasks are matched to the pupils’ differing learning needs within the mixed-age classes. Teachers have good subject knowledge and their classroom management is effective. Questioning is used well to probe pupils’ understanding and lead them to new learning. The use of individual and group targets is successful in helping pupils to focus on areas for development. Although all pupils’ work is regularly marked, the comments rarely make clear to pupils how to improve their standards of work.

p.23

Commentary

52. The subject is well coordinated and the manager sets a good example through her own teaching. She monitors standards by observing teachers, scrutinising planning and organising training for all staff. The analysis of end-of-year assessments is used to raise standards, and the progress of each pupil is carefully tracked.

p.23

Language and literacy across the curriculum

53. Speaking and listening skills are developed well in all subjects. Reading skills are used effectively in pupils’ research which includes use of the Internet. However, pupils are not given enough opportunities to write at length in several subjects because there is too much dependence on worksheets that require short answers only.

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching and learning are effective, and teachers usually plan their lessons to match pupils’ differing learning needs. • Mental mathematics is taught well. • There is a good assessment and tracking system so that teachers check the progress made by individual pupils. • The results of end-of-year tests are analysed carefully and used to identify weaknesses in learning to be remedied in the following year. • Sometimes, pupils of all abilities complete the same worksheets. • Teachers mark pupils’ work regularly but rarely add comments that advise pupils how to improve their standards.

p.23

Commentary

54. The current Year 6 pupils are on track to reach above average standards by next summer. Pupils’ achievement is good because the teaching matches work effectively to pupils’ differing Langdon Primary School - 24 learning needs as teachers plan this aspect of their lessons carefully. When working in groups, teachers and teaching assistants provide effective support for all pupils. The Year 2 pupils are on track to reach the expected national standards by next summer. Their achievement is good. The work challenges the pupils, especially in Years 3 to 6 as, for example, when pupils from Years 5 and 6 practised rapid recall of times tables, some of which were done both forwards and backwards. The school has a system that tracks the progress that pupils make in mathematics from year to year and, where a pupil fails to make the expected progress, steps are taken to remedy this. The mathematics co-ordinator analyses

p.23

Commentary

end-of-year tests carefully, and identifies any weaknesses in pupils’ attainment and this information is passed to their teachers so that they can ensure that their teaching addresses these weaknesses.

p.24

Commentary

55. Teaching and learning are good. There has been much staff training in the teaching of mathematics and, consequently, teachers have good levels of subject knowledge that enables them to explain clearly and teach mental mathematics effectively. Lessons are well structured and there is a brisk pace of learning. Teachers prompt pupils to choose from different strategies for solving problems, and are encouraging, which helps pupils to have positive attitudes to their work and to sustain their concentration. In Years 5 and 6, individual pupils have short-term challenging targets for mathematics while in Years 1 to 4 these short-term targets are for groups. These targets are relevant to the needs of pupils and to the work they are doing and, in the best examples, pupils’ progress against their targets is regularly checked. Although pupils’ work is always marked, teachers’ comments rarely give clear advice to pupils

p.24

Commentary

about how to improve their work. A weakness in some teaching is that there are occasions when pupils of all abilities complete the same worksheets and these are not challenging enough for more-able pupils and so their achievement is reduced. Teaching assistants are not used effectively enough during periods of whole-class teaching.

p.24

Commentary

56. The leadership and management of the subject are good. As a result, there has been a good improvement in mathematics provision since the last inspection: the national test results for Year 6 pupils improved year on year from 1999 to 2003; the teaching in the juniors is better; and the tracking of pupils’ progress is now well established. There is a drive to raise standards but this is not fully reflected in the sound, well-structured mathematics action plan which does not focus explicitly on raising standards and improving teaching.

p.24

Mathematics across the curriculum

57. Pupils use their mathematics in a good range of other subjects. In science, pupils carry out much investigative work and, in Years 3 to 6, this involves the measurement of mass, time and length, and the presentation of data in tables and graphs. Older pupils use line graphs and pie charts. In geography, older pupils use a spreadsheet to record and present the results of surveys into the use of water, leisure time and traffic flows, while younger pupils record the results of traffic surveys on bar charts.

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

• In Years 3 to 6, pupils have recorded substantial amounts of challenging scientific work that cover all of the aspects required by the National Curriculum. • Pupils completed a good variety of scientific enquiries and this work links well to the pupils’ work in literacy and numeracy. • The schools’ links with the local community promote pupils’ learning effectively. • Occasionally, younger pupils are not set work that is challenging enough. Langdon Primary School - 25

p.24

Commentary

58. The Year 6 pupils are on track to reach above average standards by next summer. They complete a good range of work at the higher Level 5 standard, such as understanding the idea of balanced forces, knowing how to separate mixtures and understanding the main functions of the parts of a plant. In a good range of work for scientific enquiry, pupils make predictions based on their scientific knowledge, identify key factors in enquiries and present some data as line graphs. The scrutiny of Year 2 pupils’ work for the 2002-3 school year showed that their standards in scientific enquiry were not as high as in other aspects of science, as pupils do not say whether what happened in an experiment was what they expected and they rarely carry out measurements. The current Year 2 pupils are on track to reach the expected standards by next summer.

p.25

Commentary

59. Pupils’ achievement is good in Years 3 to 6 and satisfactory in Years 1 and 2. In the juniors, pupils’ achievement is good because they complete a broad range of scientific work at a challenging standard. This provides many opportunities for report writing at some length. In Years 1 and 2, the scrutiny of pupils’ recorded work shows that pupils of all abilities complete the same work too often and more-able pupils have relatively few opportunities to achieve the higher Level 3.

p.25

Commentary

60. Teaching and learning are good in the juniors and satisfactory in the infants. Lessons have clear objectives so the pupils knew what they are to learn. The brisk pace of teaching secures pupils’ interest and enables them to learn much during the lesson. Teachers have good subject knowledge so their explanations are clear, and they respond helpfully to pupils’ errors, correcting any misunderstandings. Questions and explanations build effectively on the pupils’ own experiences and understandings so that they make clear gains of learning. However, there are occasions when the teaching does not challenge some pupils enough in the infants.

p.25

Commentary

61. Links with the local community make an excellent contribution to pupils’ learning in science. A scientist from an international pharmaceutical company regularly visits the school and works with pupils. The company loans equipment to the school, as well as providing the school with grants to purchase additional resources. With the support of the company, pupils were involved in a project linking the study of DNA with art during the last school year. A resident of the local village has some specialist expertise and regularly works with older pupils too. There are links with a local secondary school that involve pupils working on a science project after school. The Kent Wildlife Trust and a local college have worked with pupils to design and establish the school’s wildlife garden.

p.25

Commentary

62. The leadership and management of science are good and, as a result of this, good progress has been made since the last inspection. The results of the national tests at the end of Year 6 have risen significantly since 1999, teaching is better, good assessment systems are now in place and pupils’ understanding of fair testing is now above average. A strength of the curriculum is that good links are made between science and pupils’ everyday lives.

p.25

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

One ICT lesson was seen during the inspection, and pupils used computers as part of other lessons such as English and religious education. Consequently, there was insufficient evidence to evaluate the quality of teaching and learning. The evaluation of pupils’ standards was based on their previously completed work.

p.25

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

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

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils have good word processing skills and combine text and graphics effectively. Langdon Primary School - 26 • They use spreadsheets well to record and present data in a variety of subjects including mathematics, science and geography. • An adult from the village provides support by teaching ICT skills to groups of pupils. • Pupils’ skills are weaker in using ICT for control and data logging in science. Langdon Primary School - 27

p.25

Commentary

63. Pupils in Years 2 and 6 are on track to reach the nationally expected standards by next summer. They are taught specific skills by their teachers and by a villager who regularly and systematically teaches skills to small groups of pupils in each class. For example, in the one ICT lesson seen, pupils from Years 3 and 4 learnt the skills of cutting and pasting text through well-chosen activities that matched pupils’ differing learning needs.

p.27

Commentary

64. Overall, pupils’ achievement is satisfactory although their achievement is good in certain applications. For example, they have good skills in using spreadsheets effectively to, for example, calculate areas in mathematics and to record data collected during science experiments and then to represent this in appropriate tables, charts and graphs. This challenging work in science is successfully achieved although pupils do not yet use sensors linked to computers to measure and record data about, for example, temperature changes. In geography, junior pupils showed good skills as they word processed questionnaires and wrote persuasive letters as part of an enquiry into an environmental issue in Deal. A weaker aspect of pupils’ achievement is in creating sequences of instructions to make things happen. Pupils write some simple instructions for software that controls the movement of the cursor on a

p.27

Commentary

computer screen to create patterns, but these patterns are not as complex as those expected by the end of Year 6.

p.27

Commentary

65. The leadership and management of ICT is sound and satisfactory progress has been made with this subject since the last inspection. Pupils’ standards are similar to those reported by the last inspection, but now teachers plan for the use of ICT in other subjects and use whole- school assessment procures. The school has appropriate strategies to ensure Internet safety, and has advised parents about Internet safety at home.

p.27

Information and communication technology across the curriculum

66. Teachers make satisfactory use of ICT in other subjects. The use of spreadsheets as part of scientific enquiry is a particularly strong feature in the use of ICT in other subjects in Years 3 to 6. Pupils make sound use of ICT in both mathematics and English as, for example, they create booklets about St George and the dragon. Pupils use the Internet for research in several subjects. For example, in a religious education lesson, pupils researched much relevant, useful information about prayer and Islam, and in geography different classes have researched mountain areas and cyclones. In art, they use ICT to create repeating patterns in the style of William Morris.

p.27

HUMANITIES

Two geography lessons were seen during the inspection, and evaluations are based on these, pupils’ previously completed work and discussions with the co-ordinator. In history, only one lesson was observed during the inspection and so there was insufficient evidence to evaluate the overall quality of teaching and learning. There was enough work that pupils had previously recorded, and the evaluation of history standards was based on this. In religious education, no lessons were seen for Years 1 and 2 and the pupils had little recorded work, as is often the case with infants. Consequently, there was insufficient evidence to evaluate pupils’ standards and the quality of teaching and learning in Years 1 and 2.

p.27

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils had a good opportunity to use their literacy skills as part of an investigation into a local environmental issue. Langdon Primary School - 28 • Pupils have some good opportunities for local fieldwork but the learning opportunities are not always fully exploited.

p.27

Commentary

67. Standards match national expectations at the ends of Years 2 and 6. For example, Year 2 pupils are developing an awareness of the basic geography of Britain and the location of East Langdon. They compare the families and main features of East Langdon with a village in Mexico. Year 6 pupils investigated the issue of locating a mobile phone mast in Deal, and then explained their own views and the views that other people held about this issue.

p.28

Commentary

68. Overall, pupils’ achievement is satisfactory although there is good achievement for some units of work. For example, pupils’ achievement was good in their work on the local environmental issue because they worked with a variety of resources including maps and newspaper articles, used their initiative and applied their literacy skills. Year 3 and 4 pupils achieved well in a lesson in which they used the evidence of place names to decide when settlements were first established as the work was challenging to the motivated pupils of all abilities and required them to work hard with a variety of learning resources. The teacher and learning support assistant monitored and supported groups well so that any difficulties were quickly resolved and pupils were encouraged to do their best. It is good that pupils carry out fieldwork at a local river and in the centre of Dover. In Dover, pupils collected a good range of geographical

p.28

Commentary

information but did not make use of this to come to a conclusion about the questions they investigated.

p.28

Commentary

69. Using the evidence of the two lessons seen and pupils’ previously recorded work, the overall quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. In the two good lessons that were seen, work was well matched to pupils’ differing learning needs and this ensured that pupils of all abilities were challenged. However, pupils’ previously recorded work showed that all pupils complete the same tasks too often. Teachers used a good range of resources including maps and aerial photographs. Explanations were clear and enabled all pupils to understand the tasks. The teaching actively involved the pupils, for example, in surveying their routes to school and methods of transport. The roles allocated to teaching assistants were not effective during some whole-class teaching. Leadership and management of the subject are satisfactory. Since the last inspection, pupils’ standards have risen and the provision of learning resources

p.28

Commentary

is now satisfactory with sufficient OS maps and aerial photographs.

p.28

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils have good levels of historical knowledge and understanding. • Good use is made of visits to Dover Museum and special school days with an historical theme. • Most of the pupils’ writing in history is brief and factual, partly because too many worksheets are used. • All pupils do the same work on too many occasions.

p.28

Commentary

70. Pupils’ standards at the ends of Years 2 and 6 broadly match national expectations. In Year 6, pupils have good levels of subject knowledge about, for example, the Aztecs and Ancient Greece, but their historical enquiry skills are weak because much of their work is based on worksheets. Consequently, much of their writing is relatively brief and factual. Pupils do not have enough opportunities to select and combine information from different sources as the work is usually structured closely for them. Pupils have some good opportunities to develop their work in depth as, for example, when Years 3 and 4 studied Anne Boleyn and applied their knowledge and understanding during a visit to Dover Museum when they took part in a dramatic re-enactment of part of her life. In Year 2, pupils wrote briefly about Florence Langdon Primary School - 29 Nightingale, and used photographs to compare the seaside today with the past. This was a

p.28

Commentary

good example of using historical sources to answer questions about the past. For some study units, classes have special theme days such as an Aztec day. 71. Overall, pupils’ achievements in history are satisfactory because there are times when the work does not challenge them enough or ensure that they have opportunities to develop their writing and historical skills. There are instances when their previously recorded work shows good achievement. In the one lesson seen during the inspection, teaching and learning were good because work was planned to match pupils’ differing learning needs, and there was a brisk pace of learning with varied activities that required pupils to interpret photographs of Roman and Celtic artefacts to answer questions.

p.29

Commentary

72. Leadership and management are satisfactory. The monitoring of pupils’ work has identified some weaknesses, but steps have not yet been taken to remedy these. Satisfactory progress has been made since the last inspection as assessment and the presentation of work in Year 6 have improved.

p.29

Religious education

Provision in religious education is satisfactory.

p.29

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Good range of religious artefacts is used by the pupils. • Pupils have good levels of knowledge and understanding about the religions they study. • Pupils’ learning from religion is underdeveloped.

p.29

Commentary

73. It was not possible to evaluate the quality of teaching and pupils’ standards in Year 2. Pupils in Year 6 are on track to meet the expectations of the local Agreed Syllabus by next summer. Their achievement is satisfactory because they have strong levels of knowledge and understanding about the beliefs, practices and lifestyles of the religions they study. So for example, they describe the key beliefs and practices of Islam for prayer and make some comparisons with their own experiences of prayer. Their achievement is weaker in learning from the religions they study by, for example, asking questions about puzzling aspects of life and moral issues.

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Commentary

74. In the one junior lesson seen, teaching and learning were satisfactory. Questions were used that sought to make links between the pupils’ own experiences and the rituals associated with prayer in Islam. During the whole-class teaching, pupils had good recall of earlier work on Islam. Teaching was supported by a good quality display and pupils handled Islamic artefacts. Tasks were well matched to pupils’ differing learning needs, and Year 6 pupils made satisfactory progress with a challenging task. The role allocated to a learning support assistant was not effective at the start of the lesson. A weakness of teaching is that pupils’ previously completed work shows that all abilities often complete the same tasks.

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Commentary

75. Leadership and management of the subject are satisfactory and good progress has been made since the last inspection. Learning resources have been improved and are now good. The standards reached by Year 6 pupils have improved, they are making better progress, and they do remember what they have learnt as they demonstrated at the start of the lesson on Islam and prayer.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

76. For art and design, one lesson was seen and evaluations about teaching, standards and achievement were based on a review of displays, pupils’ sketch books, pupils’ portfolios, photographs of pupils’ work, and discussions with the co-ordinator and with pupils. For design Langdon Primary School - 30 and technology, no lessons were seen during the two days of the inspection and so there was insufficient evidence to evaluate the quality of teaching. The evaluation of pupils’ standards and achievement is based on a sample of their design and products, photographs of products, and discussions with pupils and the co-ordinator. For music, one lesson was observed so an evaluation of the quality of teaching was not possible. The evaluations of pupils’ standards and achievement were based on the lesson, pupils’ singing in assembly, the scrutiny of teachers’ planning, and discussions with pupils and the co-ordinator. No physical education lessons

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

were seen and so it was not possible to evaluate teaching and pupils’ standards and achievement.

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Art and design

Provision in art and design is satisfactory , and good when outside agencies and teachers are involved.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The curriculum is enhanced by workshops involving visiting artists and participation in local and national projects. • A wide range of media is used and artwork is displayed attractively around the school. • The assessment of pupils’ skills and knowledge has not yet been developed.

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Commentary

77. Attainment in this subject meets national expectations and standards have been maintained since the last inspection. Standards are not higher because skills are not taught to a sufficiently high level during normal art and design lessons. Pupils’ achievement is satisfactory with some good achievement for particular units of work.

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Commentary

78. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory and a variety of techniques are taught. By the end of Year 6, pupils are able to work with paints, pencils, pastels and crayons successfully and have experience of modelling with clay. In the lesson seen, pupils in Key Stage 2 worked on patterns on prayer mats with varying degrees of success. Further stimuli and familiarisation with Islamic patterns would have given them a more informed starting point for their own creations. Pupils have some knowledge of the work of famous artists and attempt sunflowers in the style of Van Gogh and Monet. Pupils in Years 5 and 6 worked on their own interpretations of “The Scream” by Munch and were able to discuss their feelings about the painting. A project in conjunction with the National Gallery on the painting “St. George and the Dragon” inspired work on collage, storyboards, model making and painting, and pupils’

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Commentary

work is featured on a video at the gallery. Pupils painted patterns before making DNA sculptures when taking part in a ‘Science through Art’ project and these are displayed in the foyer of the pharmaceutical company who were the sponsors. A trip to the local environmental centre and visits from artists prompted the creation of an environmental sculpture, African clay masks and large models of “Crazy Creatures”.

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Commentary

79. Pupils are provided with a rich environment in which to learn art and design, and a weekly art club gives pupils further opportunities to experience artistic activities. The management of the subject and provision of resources are satisfactory.

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Design and technology

Provision in design and technology is satisfactory.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils work with a variety of materials including food and electrical components. Langdon Primary School - 31 • Teaching is supported by a local resident who provides particular expertise. • Evaluation is a weaker aspect of pupils’ work. Langdon Primary School - 32

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Commentary

80. Pupils’ standards at the ends of Years 2 and 6 are those expected nationally. For example, Year 2 pupils create moon buggies with movement mechanisms driven by an elastic band. Year 6 pupils design individual roundabouts that are powered by electric motors, and they benefit from the support of a local resident with this and other work. As focused activities, all pupils evaluate different types of bread before planning and making their own, and more-able pupils study cams and gears. Pupils complete a good range of tasks when they design, make and evaluate a variety of products each year. Overall, pupils’ achievement is satisfactory because a weaker aspect of their work is the evaluation of commercially produced products and their own finished products. These evaluations tend to be brief and lack clear judgements, including those about how they could improve their own products.

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Commentary

81. Leadership and management are satisfactory and have maintained the standards and quality of education reported at the last inspection.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Musical productions are performed to the local community each year • The school’s own provision is enhanced by some specialist teaching • Recording of composition and the use of musical notation are underdeveloped

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Commentary

82. Standards in music match national expectations and are similar to those reported by the last inspection. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory and this is enhanced by specialist teaching which is provided several times a year prior to key festivals and productions such as Christmas and the leavers’ service in the parish church. The achievement of most pupils is satisfactory. Christmas productions are held in the local village hall and both villagers and parents are invited.

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Commentary

83. In a good lesson seen for Years 1 and 2, pupils demonstrate knowledge of musical terminology such as pitch and vibration. They can clap rhythms and make sounds like raindrops and squeaking doors. Most pupils are able to identify percussion instruments from the sounds they make and can reproduce those sounds when asked to play.

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Commentary

84. Pupils sing tunefully in lessons and assemblies and those in Years 5 and 6 combine body movements and actions with musical chants and rhymes. Musical appreciation is built into lessons for Years 3 to 6, and pupils discuss elements of music which they have enjoyed, although they are not familiar with the names of composers or pieces of music. They can identify instruments when listening to music and name sections of an orchestra. Pupils work together well when collaborating on compositions which they perform to the rest of the class, although the recording of these compositions on paper is a weaker element of learning.

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Commentary

85. The management of the subject is satisfactory. The coordinator encourages gifted and talented pupils and helps them to fulfil their potential. A recorder club is offered each year, and guitar tuition and a guitar club are provided. Langdon Primary School - 33

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Physical education

Provision in physical education is satisfactory.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Provision for swimming and gymnastics at local country and gymnastic clubs. • Coaching for cricket, rugby and netball. • Assessment procedures are not in place to record achievements. • Lack of space for indoor activities in the school’s accommodation.

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Commentary

86. Much of the provision is linked to outside specialists who work alongside teachers to provide tuition either in the school or at outside centres. For example, gymnastics is taught by specialists at a local club and, although the staff are trained in assessing levels of attainment, badges are not awarded when pupils have mastered skills. Standards in swimming are good with most pupils becoming proficient swimmers by the end of Year 6.

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Commentary

87. A full range of sports, including netball, football, cricket, rugby and rounders, are practised by pupils in Years 3 to 6. Some pupils take part in football and netball tournaments, athletics and cross-country competitions. The dance programme includes traditional dancing at the Africa Day in a local park and maypole dancing. All pupils use the trim trail on the field and the field is used for lessons and racing. The annual sports day is a whole-school event and there is a good balance between competitive and non-competitive racing, and all pupils are involved. The subject is well managed and this contributes to the use of outside provision that compensates for the school’s limited facilities. Langdon Primary School - 34

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The overall effectiveness of the school 3 How inclusive the school is 2 How the school’s effectiveness has changed since its last inspection 3 Value for money provided by the school 4

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Overall standards achieved 3 Pupils’ achievement 3

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities 2 The quality of education provided by the school 3 Attendance 4 Attitudes 2 Behaviour, including the extent of exclusions 2 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The quality of teaching 3 How well pupils learn 3 The quality of assessment 4 How well the curriculum meets pupils needs 3 Enrichment of the curriculum, including out-of-school activities 1 Accommodation and resources 4 Pupils’ care, welfare, health and safety 2 Support, advice and guidance for pupils 3 How well the school seeks and acts on pupils’ views 2 The effectiveness of the school’s links with parents 2 The quality of the school’s links with the community 1 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 3 The leadership of the headteacher 3 The leadership of other key staff 3 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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