Lea and Garsdon Church of England Primary School

SCHOOL

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 Lea and Garsdon Church of England 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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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. Lea and Garsdon Church of England Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Primary School category: Voluntary Controlled Age range of pupils: 4 to 11 years Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll; 97

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: The Street Lea Malmesbury Postcode: SN16 9PG

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: 01666 823534 Fax number: 01666 823534

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body Name of chair of governors: Gill Smith

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 28 April 1998

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

Lea and Garsdon Primary School is a small Church of England school in the village of Lea, east of Malmesbury. Socio-economic circumstances are above average and no pupil at present is entitled to free school meals. There are 97 pupils on roll, all White British. Children enter the school with attainment that is broadly average. There are nine pupils (nine per cent) on the register of special educational needs (SEN), a below average proportion, and three pupils (three per cent) have Statements of SEN, a well above average proportion at almost double the Wiltshire average. All three of these are in Year 6, and there is also a high concentration of pupils with SEN in Year 2. Pupils’ mobility is low, with a large majority of Year 6 pupils having been at the school since reception. Lea and Garsdon Church of England Primary School - 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities 30600 Brian Espiner Lead inspector Mathematics Science Information and communication technology Art Design and technology 9446 Helen Griffiths Lay inspector 20003 Susan Metcalfe Team inspector The Foundation Stage Special educational needs 23917 Tony Clarke Team inspector English Geography History Music Physical education Religious education

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

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 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). Lea and Garsdon Church of England Primary School - 5

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 8

Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 8

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 11

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

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS 29

Lea and Garsdon Church of England Primary School - 6

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OVERALL EVALUATION

This is an effective school that provides its pupils with a good education . Standards are above average and pupils achieve well throughout the school. Teaching and learning are good, and often very good. Leadership and management are good, overall. The school provides good value for money.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are: • The headteacher has a very good clarity of vision and sense of purpose, and her aspirations are high. • Standards in information and communication technology (ICT) are satisfactory, but need to be brought up to the above-average standards that the school achieves in English, mathematics and science. • Pupils have very good attitudes towards the school and their learning. They really enjoy coming to school, and their behaviour is very good. • All pupils are treasured individually by the school and looked after very well, so educational inclusion is very good. The provision for pupils with special educational needs and for those who are gifted or talented is very good. • Links with parents and the community are very good. Parents contribute very well to their children’s progress and achievement. • Although subject co-ordinators are knowledgeable, dedicated and hard-working, they do not

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OVERALL EVALUATION

observe lessons in their subjects, so their understanding of the delivery of these subjects is hindered. • The governors’ role in shaping the direction of the school is satisfactory, but should be increased. • The school is too tentative in setting targets for the number of Year 6 pupils achieving expected levels.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The last inspection had three main recommendations, concerning challenge to more-able pupils in the infants, provision in the reception class, and the planning of lessons to cater for the needs of individuals. All these recommendations have been tackled very well. In the case of provision in the reception class, improvement has been excellent. Since the last inspection, standards in English and mathematics, educational provision, and leadership and management have all improved. Overall improvement has been good, and very good in some areas.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Pupils’ achievement is good throughout the school . The achievement of pupils with special educational needs, and those who are gifted or talented, is good.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

all schools similar schools Results in National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 6, compared with: 2001 2002 2003 2003 English A C A A mathematics A C A A science B E A A Key: A - well above average; B – above average; C – average; D – below average; E – well below average. Similar schools are those whose pupils attained similarly at the end of Year 6.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

The number of pupils taking the national tests is always small, and this means that the performance of only one pupil in the tests can alter the grade considerably, so caution must be taken in interpreting these grades. In the inspection, no overall judgement about standards was made in design and technology or physical education in Years 2 or 6. In the present Year 6, standards are Lea and Garsdon Church of England Primary School - 7 above average in English, mathematics, science, art and music, and in line with expectations in other subjects. In the present Year 2, which contains a high number of pupils with special educational needs, standards are above average in reading, writing, art and music, and average in other subjects. Pupils achieve well in all years. Children enter the reception class with standards that are broadly average, and now reach the nationally expected standards in all areas of learning by

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

the time they move to Year 1, with some pupils achieving much higher standards, and overall standards are above average.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

In consultation with Wiltshire local education authority, the school sets targets for the number of Year 6 pupils attaining the nationally expected level in English, mathematics and science. The targets are often too conservative and last year were greatly exceeded.

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The development of pupils’ personal qualities is good. Spiritual development is good, and

moral and social development is very good. Cultural development is good with regard to British and European culture, but more could be done with regard to the multi-ethnic nature of our society. Attitudes, behaviour, attendance and punctuality are all very good.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The quality of education is good. Teaching and learning are good throughout the school , and very good in reception and for pupils with special educational needs. Teachers and teaching assistants work very well together and this has a very positive effect on pupils’ achievement. Homework is satisfactory, but could be developed further. The curriculum is well designed, with a very good emphasis on the arts. Care, guidance and support are good.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management are good, overall , and both are effective. This is reflected in the ethos of the school, which is very good. Governance is satisfactory and governors fulfil their statutory duties.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents and pupils have high opinions of the school. Pupils feel that they are trusted to do things on their own and they have an adult they can go to if they are worried about anything. Parents were very positive about the school at the parents’ meeting and in letters. In the parents’ questionnaire, over 90 per cent agreed with most positive statements. A minority felt that they could be better informed about how their children were getting on. A small minority did not feel comfortable about approaching the school with a problem, and a few parents felt that the school does not take enough account of their suggestions. The inspection team could not substantiate any of these concerns. One infant pupil, obviously able, requested “shorter gaps between playtimes”.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

The most important things the school should do to improve are: • Improve standards in ICT provision. • Develop the role of subject co-ordinators to include regular observations of lessons in their subjects. • Ensure that governors take a more active role in shaping the direction of the school. • Be more ambitious in setting school targets for the number of Year 6 pupils reaching the expected and higher levels of the National Curriculum in core subjects. Lea and Garsdon Church of England Primary School - 8

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Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects

Standards are above average. Pupils enter the school with attainment that is broadly average, and leave it with standards that are above average. Achievement is good throughout the school.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• In the present Year 2, standards are above average in reading, writing, art and music. • In the present Year 6, standards are above average in English, mathematics, science, art and music. • Although standards in ICT are satisfactory, overall, the school needs to improve them so that they are in line with the above average standards achieved in English, mathematics and science. • The school’s targets for the proportion of Year 6 pupils reaching the expected and higher levels of the National Curriculum in English, mathematics and science are too low.

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Commentary

1. Standards at the end of reception are above average. Most children reach the nationally expected standards in all six areas of the Foundation Stage curriculum, and some are up to a year ahead in personal, social and emotional development, communication, language and literacy, and mathematical development.

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Commentary

2. In the 2003 national tests for Year 2 pupils, standards were above average in reading, well above average in writing and below average in mathematics. All ten pupils reached the expected level in reading and writing, and only one did not reach this level in mathematics. Because the total number of pupils was so small, this one result was enough to move the overall mathematics performance to below average nationally. At the time of the last inspection, attainment in Year 2 was below average because of the poor start that pupils had in reception. Once staffing changes were made in reception and standards improved there, results in the Key Stage 1 tests started to rise, and they have improved at a rate that is above the national trend, as teaching and learning are good in Years 1 and 2.

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Commentary

3. The present Year 2 has a high proportion of pupils with special educational needs. Nevertheless, because the provision for these pupils is very good, overall standards now are above average in reading and writing. The provision for pupils with special educational needs is, sensibly, aimed mainly at reading and writing, which explains why standards in mathematics and science are lower than in English. Standards are in line with expectations in all other subjects where a judgement was made except music and art, where they are above expectations. Pupils make good progress in Years 1 and 2, and achieve well. This good progress continues in lower juniors and pupils achieve well there, too, again largely because of good, and often very good, teaching.

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Commentary

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

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Commentary

Standards in: School results National results English 28.4 (27.4) 26.8 (27.0) mathematics 29.3 (26.6) 26.8 (26.7) science 30.2 (27.4) 28.6 (28.3) There were 13 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year. Lea and Garsdon Church of England Primary School - 9 4. The point scores show that, in the 2003 national tests for Year 6 pupils, the school was over six months ahead of schools nationally in English and science, and nearly a year ahead in mathematics. These results were the same when the school was compared with schools of a similar nature. The school is performing well.

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Commentary

5. In the present Year 6, standards are above average in all aspects of English and in mathematics, especially in mental mathematics, mathematical investigation and problem- solving. This is a good improvement in both subjects since the last inspection. Standards in science are also above average, especially in the very important area of scientific enquiry, on which the school places a good emphasis.

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Commentary

6. Standards in music are above expectations and have been maintained since the last inspection. All pupils play a musical instrument and they sing tunefully and with good expression. Standards in art are also above expectations, an improvement since the last inspection. Pupils are taught well throughout the school, and their good progress, using a variety of media, can be easily seen in the books they keep through the school and add to every year.

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Commentary

7. Standards in information and communication technology (ICT) are in line with expectations. At the time of the last inspection attainment was above expectations, but the subject has changed at a rapid rate since then and the school’s equipment has not kept pace. Although pupils’ achievement is satisfactory, overall, and the National Curriculum is covered, Year 6 pupils do not have enough experience in using spreadsheets and in giving multi-media presentations. Improving standards in ICT rightly has a high priority in the school improvement plan.

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Commentary

8. Standards are in line with expectations in geography, history and religious education. Although not enough work was seen to make a judgement in design and technology, it became obvious from talking to pupils and classroom displays of plans that they have a good knowledge and understanding of the plan-do-review nature of the subject. In physical education, school records show that almost all pupils can swim 25 metres unaided before they leave school, so standards in swimming are good.

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Commentary

9. The progress and achievement of pupils with special educational needs across the school is good as a result of the very careful planning and adult support to enable them to achieve the carefully focused targets on their individual education plans. When working with the special educational needs co-ordinator on activities in withdrawal sessions and with the teaching assistants in classes, their learning is very good and they make very good progress.

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Commentary

10. Pupils’ good achievement throughout the school is a result of their very good attitude, the help given them by parents, and good teaching, curricular planning, leadership and management.

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Commentary

11. In collaboration with the local education authority, the school sets targets for the proportion of Year 6 pupils reaching the expected and higher levels of the National Curriculum in English, mathematics and science. These targets are based on good tracking and are achievable but too conservative. Last year the targets were greatly exceeded. This year’s targets are also too low and should be met easily, even though 17 per cent of Year 6 pupils have a Statement of Special Educational Needs, an exceptionally high proportion. The school has a problem in that it has to set its targets for two years hence, at the beginning of Year 5. It alters the targets unofficially as time goes on in order to be more realistic, and these unofficial targets are well- thought-out and accurate, but there is no arrangement with the local education authority to change them officially. Lea and Garsdon Church of England Primary School - 10

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Pupils’ attitudes and behaviour are very good , as are attendance and punctuality. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils show very good interest in learning, concentrate very well and are enthusiastic. • Their behaviour is very good in lessons and around the school. • Relationships between pupils and adults and among pupils themselves are very good. • Pupils are very willing to take responsibility. They are confident, highly articulate and supportive of one another. • Pupils have a very good awareness of right and wrong and show very good respect for others’ feelings and beliefs. They have a strong sense of community. • Provision for pupils’ cultural development is good with regard to their own culture, and pupils’ opportunities for learning about other cultures is satisfactory.

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Attendance

Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

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Attendance

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data 4.6 School data 0.0 National data 5.4 National data 0.4 The table gives the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year.

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Attendance

12. Attendance and punctuality are very good and staff monitor attendance well. There is no unauthorised absence.

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Exclusions

There have been no exclusions for many years.

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Exclusions

13. Behaviour is very good throughout the school in lessons, assemblies and playtimes. Lunch- times are sociable occasions. School rules mainly deal with safety, but pupils agree class rules at the beginning of the year. They are very aware of how they should behave and fully understand the difference between right and wrong. The school feels very strongly that pupils themselves must agree on appropriate behaviour and act as good role models to new pupils. The school’s good structure of Golden Time, ‘show and share’, the ‘praise book’ and circle time ensures that all pupils feel valued. No bullying or harassment was observed and pupils are very clear about what they must do should it occur. In a recent case of alleged bullying, the school invited all parents of the class concerned into school to discuss the issue. Parents feel overwhelmingly that behaviour is good.

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Exclusions

14. Pupils’ attitudes to learning are very good. For example, in a reception class lesson on castles, children were very enthusiastic and, because their teacher received their responses warmly, the children were encouraged to become really involved in the lesson. Pupils are eager to contribute to discussions and listen well to others. They are enthusiastic and co- operate very well; for example, in a Years 5 and 6 music composition lesson, pupils formed groups for discussion and performance and showed very good interest in others’ performance. They respond very well to teachers’ high expectations of them and are open, confident, friendly, polite, articulate, and happy to talk to visitors. Lea and Garsdon Church of England Primary School - 11 15. As a result of the school’s policy of actively involving pupils in their learning, those with special educational needs have very positive attitudes and relationships. Pupils are interested in all

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Exclusions

aspects of school life and are willing to take responsibility. They have very good relationships with all adults and each other. The work that they have done to raise their self-esteem encourages them to do all they are asked with maturity and a willingness to co-operate.

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Exclusions

16. In the Foundation Stage, children achieve the goals underpinning their personal development very well. The personal, social and health education (PSHE) programme makes a very good contribution to pupils’ social development and their emerging understanding of citizenship.

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Exclusions

17. The family ethos and moral development of the pupils are very good. Pupils behave with consideration for others and have a well-developed sense of how their behaviour might affect other people. Older pupils take care of younger ones. The ‘Friendship Chair’ in the playground encourages pupils to notice any pupil who is feeling lonely. Staff provide very good role models, presenting a calm and thoughtful approach to life and discussing issues with pupils during PSHE lessons. Pupils are encouraged to think of others and regularly raise money for charities, which they nominate themselves. They are very keen to take part in extra-curricular activities; for example, over a quarter of the school has joined the new French club.

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Exclusions

18. Provision for pupils’ spiritual development is good. Pupils have good opportunities to reflect on the beliefs of themselves and others through religious education and during collective worship. For example, in an assembly during the inspection, the teaching assistant who led the assembly kept all pupils totally absorbed in her account of Jesus and his disciples as “fishers of men”, as an illustration of thinking about examples to follow. Pupils are well supported by the local church.

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Exclusions

19. Provision for pupils’ cultural development is satisfactory, overall. All pupils learn the recorder and very good numbers learn other musical instruments; all pupils take part in school performances. The range of visits and visitors is good and pupils have good opportunities to learn about different cultures through religious education, art and geography. However, there are few opportunities for pupils to learn about life in modern multicultural Britain. The school does not have the resources, in terms of parents and grandparents, enjoyed in schools that have a rich cultural mix.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The quality of education is good. Learning is good, and is well supported by good teaching and curricular provision. Pupils are cared for well. Links with parents and the community are very good.

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Teaching and learning

Teaching, learning and assessment are good, and often very good, from Year 1 to Year 6, and very good, overall, in reception.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• All areas of teaching are very good in reception. • Teachers throughout the school have a very good partnership with teaching assistants, who make a very good contribution to pupils’ learning. • The pace of lessons is brisk, and time is used very well. Lessons are interesting, and this results in enthusiastic pupils who work hard and do their best. • Equality of opportunity is promoted very well. • All staff always insist on very high standards of behaviour. This, coupled with very good relationships and mutual respect, results in a very good ethos where pupils themselves expect an atmosphere of high productivity. • As pupils get older, they are encouraged more and more to work independently and collaboratively, and junior pupils do this very well. Lea and Garsdon Church of England Primary School - 12

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Commentary

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 22 lessons

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Commentary

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

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Commentary

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

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Commentary

20. As can be seen from the table, no lessons were less than satisfactory, and over 80 per cent were good or better. Good teaching was seen in all classes in a variety of subjects.

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Commentary

21. There is very good communication between the class teachers, the teaching assistants, and the special educational needs co-ordinator, and together they form a good team. The teaching and resulting learning of pupils with special educational needs across the school is very good when they are withdrawn for work with the special educational needs co-ordinator. Teachers use a good range of teaching strategies to help pupils achieve and use supporting adults and peer grouping well during in-class activities. Pupils make good strides in their learning as teachers plan work to match their specific needs from their individual education programmes. As individual educational programmes are planned jointly between teachers and the special educational needs co-ordinator, and targets are shared with pupils and their parents, pupils know what is expected of them.

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Commentary

22. Teachers work hard and think deeply and creatively in order to make lessons interesting, and they succeed in their endeavours. This motivates pupils well and they respond by applying themselves enthusiastically to the tasks that they are given. They are kept alert by the very good pace of lessons. All teachers demand a high productivity, and tell pupils how much time they have to complete certain aspects, with reminders as the time runs out. Pupils want to please staff, because of the very good relationships and obvious mutual respect that exist everywhere in the school, so they respond very positively and work hard.

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Commentary

23. Lessons are planned effectively throughout the school, taking very good account of pupils’ individual needs. More-able pupils are challenged well. The most able are identified on the school’s register of gifted and talented pupils, which extends beyond the core subjects to include art, music and sport. The need to challenge and extend these pupils is planned for well in lessons as well as in extra-curricular activities. For example, there are five competent flautists in upper juniors and one good violinist, so these pupils play their instruments in music lessons when everybody else plays the recorder competently, a much less demanding instrument.

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Commentary

24. Behaviour in class is always very good, as it is around the school generally. No deviation in this very good behaviour is allowed, to such an extent that the smallest infraction is regarded by pupils as “bad behaviour”. This became evident in their answers to the pupils’ pre- inspection questionnaire, where 90 per cent of pupils thought that other pupils behaved well only ‘mostly’ or ‘sometimes’, and in discussions with pupils before and during the inspection. They expect behaviour to be perfect, and almost all of them try to adhere to this all the time in lessons. They are children, not angels, and this attitude comes from the insistence of all staff on very good behaviour at all times. It works very well, and contributes greatly to pupils’ progress and achievement.

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Commentary

25. From first starting the school, children are encouraged to be independent and to take charge of their own learning. As they move through the school and mature, they accept that this is important. By the time they reach juniors, they are used to working collaboratively and independently, and do this without a second thought. Lea and Garsdon Church of England Primary School - 13 26. The use of homework is satisfactory, but could be developed further. Pupils are given regular homework in reading and in learning spellings and mathematical facts, such as multiplication tables. Parents are very willing to help with their children’s learning, and this could be used more. For example, older pupils sometimes have ‘Quick Maths’ for homework, and this could be extended further with upper juniors and lower down the school.

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Commentary

27. The excellent lesson was in English with upper juniors, with the inspector focusing particularly on Year 6. In this lesson, on the use of compound sentences, the quality of pupils’ writing was well above expectations and their attitudes were excellent. All pupils, including those with special educational needs, were writing correct compound sentences, helped imaginatively and very well by teaching assistants where necessary. Lesson planning was very clear, with very good attention to providing for pupils of different abilities. All pupils were very keen to perform well, and proudly read out their writing at the end of the lesson, where the teacher made the most of their contributions to make very important points about how they might improve. Pupils were challenged and enthused very well, and rose to the challenge happily, enjoying their success.

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Commentary

28. The assessment of pupils’ work has improved since the last inspection and is now good. The analysis of test results and other assessments provide teachers with a clear picture of what pupils should achieve, particularly in the older classes. Historically, teacher assessments have tended to err on the side of caution. Teachers keep a close track on what pupils are doing and what they need to do to improve. Targets are set for pupils, who refer to them regularly. This enables them to move forward and to improve their work. There are clear recording systems and these are used well to help guarantee the progression of skills across the school. In those parts of lessons where special needs pupils are working independently, or under the direction of support staff, assessment information is being used effectively to tailor activities to their next steps in learning. Assessment and record-keeping in the Foundation Stage are very good and

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Commentary

help staff to keep a very thorough track on what the children can do.

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The curriculum

The school provides a good range of worthwhile curricular opportunities for its pupils. A good range of opportunities for enrichment enhances the curriculum. The match of teachers and support staff is very good. The accommodation and learning resources are good, overall.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school adopts an imaginative topic-based programme for teaching. • The curriculum for the children in the Foundation Stage is very good. • The provision for pupils with special educational needs is very good. • The match of teaching and learning support staff to meet the needs of pupils of all abilities is very good. The school makes good arrangements to deliver the personal, social and health education (PSHE) curriculum. • There are good opportunities for pupils to engage in musical tuition.

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Commentary

29. The curriculum fulfils well all statutory requirements for children in the Foundation Stage and for pupils in Years 1 to 6 and meets the needs of all pupils. The allocation of curriculum time ensures that literacy and numeracy are well covered, and the school’s imaginative cross- curricular approaches ensure that literacy and numeracy skills are reinforced in subjects across the curriculum. A well-organised system of curricular planning and monitoring ensures that assessment information is well used to guide future planning and address areas requiring reinforcement. The school makes appropriate provision for religious education, which meets the requirements of the locally agreed syllabus. Lea and Garsdon Church of England Primary School - 14 30. All subjects and areas of learning have appropriate policies and schemes of work, which provide good guidance to teachers and support staff. Teachers’ planning ensures that skills

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Commentary

are developed progressively in all areas of the curriculum and the school has well-focused plans to challenge more-able pupils and extend their learning.

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Commentary

31. Provision for pupils with special educational needs is very good. Within classes, all pupils follow the same curriculum as their peers, although teachers adapt activities to meet pupils’ specific needs. When withdrawn for extra support by the special educational needs teacher, pupils follow a curriculum linked to the English and mathematics targets of their individual education plans. Learning and thinking skills are also taught very well. The time of their withdrawal is carefully monitored so that they do not frequently miss subjects that enrich the curriculum, especially subjects such as design and technology, music or art. They therefore receive as full a curriculum as their peers.

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Commentary

32. The school strives to ensure that all pupils are fully included in all activities. Work is set appropriately and the high quality support from all staff ensures that pupils have equal and full access to all activities. The personal, social and health education curriculum is well established and pupils have good opportunities to discuss their feelings and problems with teachers and others. This helps promote the very good social relationships found across the school.

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Commentary

33. The school organises a good range of extra-curricular clubs and activities, which appeal to the interests of a significant number of pupils. They have good opportunities to participate in sporting, artistic and, particularly, musical activities. Field trips, visits and the contribution of visitors to the school all enhance the very good provision of the school in this area. Creative planning of the curriculum enables the school to devote time to special themed periods each year, which extend pupils’ learning in exciting and interesting ways. Pupils and parents speak very enthusiastically about these sessions.

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Commentary

34. The match of teachers to meet the needs of the curriculum is good and there is a very good match of teaching assistants to meet the needs of pupils of all abilities; the expertise and close co-operation shown by these members of staff is a strength of the school.

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Commentary

35. Resources are good. The library areas in classrooms are provided with a wide variety of colourful books and other learning resources. This has a positive impact on pupils’ achievement, as does the good, spacious accommodation. However, the shape of the hall makes the organisation of practical activities very difficult. The school is very well maintained and the attractive displays celebrate pupils’ efforts and achievements.

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Care, guidance and support

The provision for pupils’ care, welfare, health and safety is good. The provision of support, advice and guidance, based on the monitoring of pupils’ achievement, is good. The involvement of pupils through seeking and acting on their views is good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The induction arrangements for pupils in reception are very good. • There are good procedures for health and safety, child protection and first aid. • Adults know pupils well and provide very good levels of care for their well-being. • The school has good systems to monitor pupils’ academic standards and progress and these are used well to provide pupils with advice and guidance. • Arrangements for monitoring pupils’ personal development are effective. • The involvement of pupils in the school’s work and development is good. Lea and Garsdon Church of England Primary School - 15

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Commentary

36. There are very good induction arrangements for pupils when they start at the school, which are enhanced by the good relationships with the local pre-school. These procedures include a very gradual introduction to school for very young children as well as opportunities for parents to visit the school with their children on several occasions. These visits enable teachers to gather information about the children for their early assessment and grouping. As a result, children settle in quickly and make good progress. There are very good procedures for monitoring their achievement on a day-to-day basis.

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Commentary

37. The school has good health and safety procedures in place. Risk assessments are carried out regularly. The headteacher and her deputy are the designated persons for child protection and for looked-after children and have been recently trained. All staff are very aware of child protection issues. Links with the Educational Welfare Officer and social services are satisfactory. Arrangements for the administration of first aid and for monitoring pupils’ medical conditions are good. Security is good, as is the level of supervision at playtimes.

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Commentary

38. All adults who work in the school form close and trusting relationships with pupils. Nearly all pupils feel that there is at least one adult they could turn to for advice. Adults know them well and provide them with very good role models of courtesy and fairness. Pupils’ personal development is carefully fostered and monitored well through Records of Achievement and annual reports. Academic assessment is used consistently to help pupils set their own targets and understand how they can improve.

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Commentary

39. Children experiencing difficulties are quickly identified and programmes of learning to support needs are carefully devised after assessments of need are made. The special educational needs co-ordinator monitors progress and plans additional support as necessary, including the support and advice of out-of-school agencies. The teachers and special educational needs co-ordinator compose pupils’ individual educational programmes together. Programmes have very high quality targets that are reviewed very frequently for appropriateness and achievement. All pupils know what their targets are.

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Commentary

40. Pupils’ views are consistently sought through circle time, PSHE lessons and assemblies. Pupils in their questionnaire felt confident that their opinions would be heard and acted upon.

p.15

Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

The school’s links with parents and with the community are very good. Links with other schools are good.

p.15

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Parents have very positive views of the school. • The school provides parents with good information about preparing their children for school and about their progress. • Good links with the local pre-school and good links with other local schools provide many benefits for pupils. • Communication with parents is good. • The school is very important to the local community.

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Commentary

41. In a high return to the questionnaire, parents and carers expressed very positive views of all aspects of the school. The staff were felt to be very open and approachable. Information provided for parents is good. Topics are sent to them in advance and regular newsletters keep them well-informed of events. The prospectus and governors’ annual report are clearly written and informative. Homework and reading diaries are used well as a means of dialogue between Lea and Garsdon Church of England Primary School - 16 school and home. The home-school agreement has been signed by all parents. Written annual reports are good; they provide diagnostic and thorough information on children’s progress and set targets, as well as offering parents and pupils the opportunity to comment. There is a good range of consultation meetings and workshops for parents, and teachers are always available for informal consultation after school.

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Commentary

42. There are good links with the local secondary school and further links are planned through drama and music. The school has been invited to be part of the bid for the local secondary school’s specialist status for the performing arts. There are good arrangements for the transfer of pupils to the next stage of education. Good links have been built up with other primary schools in the cluster, through art and sports.

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Commentary

43. The school has very good links with parents of pupils with special educational needs. They are kept fully informed of the progress of their children, are consulted about the planned targets to support their children’s learning and invited to frequent reviews of these targets. Parents are fully involved with the statementing procedures and know the staff who work with their children in class well. The special educational needs co-ordinator operates a ‘drop in’ facility for parents who need to talk urgently to her. This is very useful in the early identification of problems and home support of the work within the school helps pupils’ achievement of the targets on their education programmes very well. As a result, parents have very good relationships and share information about their children’s home progress, ensuring a corporate approach to pupil support.

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Commentary

44. Parents support the school very well, through their regular help in school in a wide range of activities and on trips and visits. The Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) runs a good range of social and fund-raising events, which provide the school with very good funds to help buy equipment to enhance pupils’ education. The governors and PTA recently raised substantial sums towards new accommodation, in which they were very well supported by the local community. Members of the PTA are very supportive at consultation evenings and other events. There are good links with the local church and pupils regularly visit a local farm.

p.16

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management are good, overall. Leadership is good. Management is good. Governance is satisfactory, and the governing body fulfils its statutory duties.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The headteacher is astute and effective. She has a very good clarity of vision and sense of purpose, and her very high aspirations are shared by all staff. • The headteacher and key staff inspire and motivate staff and pupils, providing very good role models, thus influencing the ethos of the school, which is very good. • All staff, and the governing body, are totally committed to inclusion, the promotion of equality of opportunity, and concern for the needs of individuals. • New members of staff are inducted very well into the school. • Subject co-ordinators do not observe lessons in their subjects. • Teaching assistants are not included in the annual appraisal of staff. • The governors’ role in shaping the direction of the school is underdeveloped.

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Commentary

45. The leadership of the headteacher is good, and very good in some respects. In the last inspection, a serious weakness in provision was found in reception. The headteacher did a very good job in managing staff changes. The present Foundation Stage teacher leads and manages provision very well. All staff work very well as a team, and the headteacher works

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Commentary

hard to maintain this. The latest addition to the teaching staff reports that she was inducted Lea and Garsdon Church of England Primary School - 17 very well into the school, much better than in her two previous schools, and settled into the school ‘family’ very easily.

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Commentary

46. The deputy headteacher, a very good teacher himself, is used very well in working with other members of staff to improve provision and in solving immediate problems, but his role is underdeveloped otherwise. For example, although he works closely with the headteacher in leading and managing the curriculum and assessment, he does not take overall responsibility for these aspects himself.

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Commentary

47. Leadership and management of special educational needs is very good and a strength of the school. The co-ordinator’s own teaching skills are very good. She uses these to the benefit of individual pupils in withdrawal sessions and to classes as a whole during her work on the personal, social and health education programme when encouraging older pupils to learn how to learn. She is a leading professional, an expert in all areas of special educational needs, and the results of her work include clearer and more detailed targeting of activities to meet pupils’ individual learning needs. She has worked hard to involve staff in writing individual education programmes, has established very good links with parents and outside agencies and ensured that adults supporting pupils in class have had relevant training to develop their expertise further.

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Commentary

48. Subject co-ordinators are knowledgeable, enthusiastic and hard working. However, although they keep a close eye on lesson planning and standards in their subjects, they do not observe lessons, so their knowledge and understanding of the delivery of their subjects is curtailed. The quality of teaching and learning is monitored well by the headteacher as part of the annual staff performance management process, which is good for teachers, but the process does not include teaching assistants. Although teaching assistants have opportunities for their own professional development, the process is not formal and therefore not robust enough.

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Commentary

49. The educational inclusion of the school is very good and led and managed very well, ensuring that pupils are valued as individuals. The school is flexible about using different year groups if it is of benefit to pupils; for example, one mathematically able pupil in Year 2 has some lessons with Years 3 and 4. All pupils learn a musical instrument and play together. Clubs are open to both sexes and pupils are encouraged to join; for example, there are four times as many girls as boys in the football club.

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Commentary

50. Governors are dedicated and hard working. They have laid the foundations to enable the governing body to move forward in an increasingly demanding situation, focusing on making the school a desirable choice for parents in order to increase pupil numbers, and they are starting to succeed in this. They apply the principles of best value to any major expenditure concerned with premises, always putting out items for tender and considering the bids carefully. This does not always extend to a close enough involvement with curricular issues. Although the headteacher applies the principles of best value here, the governing body should involve itself more proactively. Governors are conscientious in supporting the school’s leadership and management, but minutes of meetings show that they could challenge and initiate more often. They did challenge the staff decision to discontinue residential visits, and

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Commentary

discussed it in great depth. Some very minor health and safety matters were discussed with the governing body at the feedback meeting a week after the inspection, but these had already been tackled successfully, having been raised during the inspection.

p.17

Commentary

51. The school’s strategic planning is very detailed and comprehensive and reflects the school’s ambitions and goals well. It would represent them very well if fewer minor things were considered in so much detail, with just as much concentration as at present on items of a higher priority, which are identified well.

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Commentary

52. Financial planning supports educational priorities well, with every aspect considered in detail. The latest audit contained only minor issues, and these were acted on promptly and successfully. Lea and Garsdon Church of England Primary School - 18

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Financial information

Financial information for the year April 2002 to March 2003

p.18

Financial information

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 332,499 Balance from previous year 23,611 Total expenditure 337,001 Balance carried forward to the next 19,109 (5.7%) Expenditure per pupil 3,240

p.18

Financial information

53. The expenditure per pupil is broadly average for a small village school, at about 12 per cent above the national average for all primary schools. Since the school is effective, this represents good value for money. Lea and Garsdon Church of England Primary School - 19

p.18

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Overall provision for children in the Foundation Stage is very good .

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The quality of teaching is very good and results in very good learning. • Standards are above average, overall, by the time children move into Year 1. • Reception children achieve well because their curriculum is very well planned and very good quality assessments are made of their achievement and progress. • The children enjoy being at school and work hard, concentrating well on all they are asked to do. • The leadership and management of the Foundation Stage are very good. • Resources to promote the children’s development are very good, even though it has not been possible to provide children with a fully discrete and secure outdoor area because of extensive building work.

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Commentary

54. A careful induction programme enables all children to settle quickly and happily into the school. Because the school has good and frequent links with the pre-school playgroup on the same site, children are familiar with the school and staff. The transition is thus trouble-free, carefully moving children to the more structured learning of the reception class. By the end of their reception year the majority of children have attained the Early Learning Goals 1 and are in transition to Year 1 work. Many more-able children already attain the National Curriculum levels expected for Year 1 pupils, especially in their personal and social education, communication, language and literacy and mathematical development. This good achievement is better than at the time of the previous inspection where progress was judged to be barely satisfactory, overall, and provision was unsatisfactory. Pupils achieve well because

p.19

Commentary

of the very high quality of teaching and very good support to their work offered by the teaching assistant and other supporting adults.

p.19

Commentary

55. At the previous inspection the quality of teaching was unsatisfactory, overall. Planning was not sufficiently focused upon meeting the educational needs of all pupils and expectations were not sufficiently high. The curriculum was not closely linked to national guidelines and the opportunities to learn through structured play were not sufficiently developed. There has been a very good improvement in teaching since then and the quality of teaching and learning is now very good, overall. The reception teacher is an early-years specialist. She uses questions very well to stimulate children’s imaginations. Work is planned to be challenging, but delivered at a careful pace to give children opportunities to reflect upon what they are learning. The different development areas are carefully linked together so that children use their skills in one area to support another, and their physical and creative skills are supported through a very

p.19

Commentary

good balance between adult-directed and independent work. The teacher makes very good use of the space and resources in the classroom and outdoors to give children distinct areas to move and play without disturbing the work of others.

p.19

Commentary

56. Very good leadership and careful management ensure that children receive a very high quality start to their education through a well-planned curriculum. The curriculum is particularly successful because very high quality assessments are made of children’s progress and are

p.19

Commentary

1 Early Learning Goals – these are the standards that children are expected to reach by the end of their reception year. They refer to achievements children make in connection with communication, language and literacy; mathematical development; personal, social and emotional development; knowledge and understanding of the world; physical and creative development. There are many goals for each area of learning; for example, in language and literacy children should be able to write their names and begin to write simple sentences. Lea and Garsdon Church of England Primary School - 20 used very well to plan the next stage of learning. Because the number of children in the reception class is low there are more opportunities for children to work individually with adults on formal tasks. This allows the adults to challenge and develop children’s individual skills fully. The school also works closely with parents. Parents help willingly with the work their

p.19

Commentary

children do at home as well as within the school.

p.20

Commentary

57. In the area of personal, social and emotional development children achieve well and teaching is very good. Children take turns, play well with others, and share tools and equipment, benefiting from having high quality adult role models. They show good levels of confidence; for instance, when becoming characters in the Jack and the Beanstalk story. When moving to activities of their own choosing they select sensibly from the range of activities on offer, put their name card against what they would like to do, count the cards of others in that area and select an alternative if necessary, waiting their turn to join in. In all areas, their independent learning skills are well promoted and they know the routines of the school well. Children get coats and hats for themselves when going outside and change independently for physical education, asking for help only after trying for themselves. Overall,

p.20

Commentary

they are becoming confident, happy learners.

p.20

Commentary

58. Children achieve well in developing their communication, language and literacy skills because the teaching is very good and all adults act as good role models for them. Children listen carefully to the teacher, supporting adults and one another. They adopt any technical language used, for instance ‘author’ and ‘illustrations’ when sharing a story book together, or scientific vocabulary, such as ‘roots’, ‘stalks’ and ‘leaves’, when growing bean plants. When they have their literacy time, reception children develop their knowledge of sounds and how to group these to form words, share a range of books and write their own news and stories with adult support. There are frequent opportunities for them to show creatively their understanding through acting out stories, taking on the different characters, or illustrating with paint, crayon or other materials. The promoting of their early writing skills is good and they are encouraged to

p.20

Commentary

label their work with their name and simple explanations and instructions as appropriate.

p.20

Commentary

59. Children achieve well and the quality of teaching and learning is very good in mathematical development. By the end of their reception year, they have a good understanding and knowledge of number. This was well demonstrated when they were able to count the number of children in the class at registration, identify the numbers of girls and boys present and, by adding these two together, match the sum to the overall class total. Likewise, their recognition of measure and shape was well seen when they used a range of three-dimensional shapes in the outside area to be the walls of their ‘castle’. When re-enacting the story of Jack and the Beanstalk they investigated the number five and when tidying away construction equipment, they put the blocks into sets by colour, shape and size. Children also have the opportunity to investigate capacity and other mathematical concepts through investigations in water and

p.20

Commentary

60. The children’s knowledge and understanding of the world covers a wide number of areas, each of which is well established and closely linked to whole-school themes as appropriate. Children achieve well because of very good quality teaching and learning. Their topic about castles, for instance, linked history, geography and art skills together. Children made their own castles, visited a castle in the local area and happily discussed what they had seen, identifying from photographs and pictures what life was like in a castle many years ago. Using the story of Jack and the Beanstalk from their literacy work, children create their own plays to retell the story. They are learning about the growing of beans and other seeds in different ways. They identify common features between plants and themselves.

p.20

Commentary

61. Children’s creative and physical development is being well provided for, and they achieve well. The teacher and teaching assistant encourage children well to use their imaginations, adopt a role and act out a character. Thus they took on the roles of the characters in the Beanstalk story, miming the throwing of the beans from the window, climbing the stalk, walking the cow to the market and showing the feelings of Jack’s mother when she realised he had Lea and Garsdon Church of England Primary School - 21 given the cow away for ‘useless’ seeds. Displays of work show that children use pencil crayons carefully and skilfully to pick out details and colours in their drawings, demonstrating their control of small implements and the ability to place chosen colours accurately. Children select and use a range of physical and creative resources to cut, paint, manipulate small equipment, such as construction kits, and work outside with their larger wheeled toys or take

p.20

ENGLISH

Provision in English is good, and pupils achieve well. Standards in speaking, listening, reading and writing have improved since the last inspection.

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards, overall, are above average in Years 2 and 6. • Pupils achieve well as a result of good teaching, leadership and management. • Provision for pupils with special educational needs is very good and these pupils achieve well. • There are good opportunities for pupils to develop their literacy skills in other subjects. • Good procedures are in place to track the progress of individuals and groups in reading and writing.

p.21

Commentary

62. Standards in literacy have improved significantly throughout the school since the last inspection. Overall standards in speaking and listening are average in Years 1 and 2, but they are above average in Years 3 to 6. The school considers the development of speaking and listening as crucial to its provision in English, although they do not always appear as a specific aspect in lesson plans. In all subjects, many opportunities are presented which promote these skills; for example, in circle time, ‘hot seating’ when discussing book preferences and when older pupils evaluate the accuracy of each other’s writing of compound speech. Numerous literacy activities foster speaking and listening: debating, describing texts, assembly presentations and readings, improvised or scripted drama and visits by various theatre companies. Most pupils listen carefully to each other and to their teachers, taking turns to

p.21

Commentary

contribute to class discussions and questioning. Pupils with special educational needs contribute successfully because of very effective adult support and encouragement. Teachers use good levels of subject-related and general vocabulary in all lessons and encourage pupils to ask if they do not understand a word or phrase. This rich provision pays dividends as pupils respond very positively to the importance placed on oral language development. During the inspection, pupils engaged readily in conversation with inspectors. Older pupils were articulate, humorous and confident. They were a delight to talk to and very informative.

p.21

Commentary

63. Most pupils make good progress in their reading; more-able and average-attaining pupils reach standards which are above national expectations at the end of Year 2 and Year 6. Confident readers, at the end of Year 2, read fluently and inject appropriate expression into their reading. Pupils use a range of reading strategies to help them tackle unfamiliar words and have begun to practise good reading habits, developing a taste for particular authors and genres of literature. Pupils in Years 3 to 6 continue to make good progress in their reading. There are many highly-attaining readers who can state preferences and give thoughtful evaluations of books. The school greatly values and places much emphasis on parental support in hearing pupils read both in school and at home. Fluent readers develop good reading habits and learn to skim and scan information texts, the Internet and CD-ROMs effectively.

p.21

Commentary

Lea and Garsdon Church of England Primary School - 22 64. The majority of pupils attain good standards in writing, with many attaining well above average standards at the end of Year 2 and Year 6. Much of the very good support for pupils with special educational needs is directed, justifiably, towards writing. Pupils write in a wide variety of forms; for example, letter writing, book reviews, instructions, imaginative stories and poetry. The use of punctuation develops appropriately and shows an increasing awareness of purpose and audience. More-able pupils are adventurous in their use of language and fully engage the reader when, for example, using flashbacks and figures of speech in writing linked to sagas.

p.22

Commentary

65. In a Years 5 and 6 topic on the Anglo-Saxons, the quality and extent of pupils’ creative writing was impressive and well above that expected from pupils of their age. Standards of informative, non-narrative writing are also high, and opportunities to develop extended creative writing in other subjects are particularly well developed. This provision enhances the literacy competence of all pupils; the most able write creatively and extensively, while the average and below-average pupils achieve well in relation to their abilities. Emphasis is placed on the regular practice of handwriting and the quality of presentation of work, which is generally good. However, a number of younger pupils have poor, awkward pencil grips and this restricts their development of fluid, cursive handwriting. ICT is used regularly to reinforce and extend writing skills, and pupils’ literacy skills are used most effectively to record learning in all other subjects.

p.22

Commentary

66. The quality of teaching is good, overall; it is never less than satisfactory and on occasions it is excellent. This is a significant improvement on the findings of the last inspection and indicates good leadership and management in responding to these findings. Teachers have a good understanding of how to teach reading and writing and all are very confident and competent in delivering aspects of the National Literacy Strategy, of which they were part of a national long- term review by Her Majesty’s Inspectors of Schools, who reported very positively about what the school was doing. The splendid relationships enjoyed between staff and pupils, together with the very positive encouragement given, ensure that pupils are enthusiastic learners who achieve well as a result. A good range of teaching methods is employed in an attempt to meet the needs of all pupils, and teachers are very well supported by a team of knowledgeable,

p.22

Commentary

experienced and gifted teaching assistants. The teaching of pupils with special educational needs, both in classes and in withdrawn groups, is of high quality, and here again the contribution of the teaching assistants is very significant to the good progress that these pupils make. In all lessons, the final plenary session is used well to challenge pupils to analyse their own learning and to highlight the purpose of the lesson. This enhances pupils’ understanding and shows how they might make further progress and what they need to learn next. There are many good examples of teachers recording what individual pupils have learned or failed to understand. Teachers, in association with the pupils, set targets for improvement, which are displayed in pupils’ books. It is clear from their ‘dog-eared’ appearance that they are constantly referred to, and that they are assessed and reviewed regularly so that pupils understand how

p.22

Commentary

well they have done and how they can improve.

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Commentary

67. Subject co-ordination is satisfactory; there are clear statements for the standards attained and for future developments. The school takes good note of the analysis of statutory test results to improve pupils’ performance and inform governors and parents. Good systems for monitoring and evaluating the quality of planning in English and literacy are in place. However, currently, there is no monitoring of the teaching and delivery of English by the co-ordinator and, consequently, provision throughout the school cannot be assured.

p.22

Language and literacy across the curriculum

68. The procedures to ensure that pupils’ literacy skills are targeted in areas other than English are good and well planned. Teachers use a wide range of opportunities in subjects such as science, history, music, drama and ICT to develop pupils’ literary competence. Curricular planning for cross-curricular work is very good and reflects the hard work and imaginative planning put in to improve this area since the last inspection.

p.22

MATHEMATICS

Lea and Garsdon Church of England Primary School - 23 Provision in mathematics is good , an improvement since the last inspection.

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards are above average at the end of Year 6. • All pupils, including those with special educational needs and those who are mathematically able, make good progress and achieve well. • The daily ‘Quick Maths’ in upper juniors contributes very well to pupils’ good facility with recalling and using number facts quickly. • Pupils are confident in tackling investigations and in approaching problem-solving.

p.23

Commentary

69. Standards are broadly average in Year 2 and above average in Year 6. This is despite higher than usual proportions of pupils with special educational needs in both classes. Although standards in the 2003 national tests for Year 2 pupils were below average, the inspection team found no evidence of this with the pupils who took these tests, now in Year 3, and it may be concluded that the result was caused by the statistics of low numbers.

p.23

Commentary

70. Pupils in the present Year 2 are enthusiastic about the subject. They have a good knowledge and understanding of using and applying mathematics, and are given problems and puzzles regularly, so that they are confident about approaching them. Mental mathematics is done every day, and pupils know and use the two, five and ten times tables and are beginning to apply mental strategies to make mathematics easier. They have also started to look at data- handling and graphs as a preparation for Year 3, where it becomes part of the National Curriculum.

p.23

Commentary

71. By the time pupils reach Year 6, having made good progress in lower juniors and in Year 5, they have above-average skills in investigation and problem-solving, as they are given plenty of practice throughout the school. A daily ‘Quick Maths’ session, where upper junior pupils tackle 50 questions in a given time, sharpens their knowledge of number facts very well and teaches them to recall facts and use them easily and quickly. Parents commented very favourably on their children’s progress in this area. The questions cover more than “the four rules” of arithmetic, and include questions on simple algebra in Year 6. There are seven levels of difficulty used in upper juniors, five of which were being used during the inspection, and these are targeted very well to meet the needs of individuals.

p.23

Commentary

72. Teaching and learning are good throughout the school. Lessons are interesting and planned well at several different levels, and time is used very well. For example, a board game is used in Years 1 and 2 to fill in odd moments. The rules of the game are always the same, so that pupils are familiar with them and do not need them explaining. But the teachers change the tasks required in the game to suit whatever is being taught in that lesson. For example, in a good lesson observed during the inspection, the game was all about money, which was the focus of the session. In a very good, interesting and challenging lesson in lower juniors concerning an investigation into magic squares, pupils were fascinated by what they were finding and every second of the lesson was full, with pupils concentrating and working very hard. By the time pupils reach upper juniors they know the system very well and progress

p.23

Commentary

through the lesson like a well-oiled machine, wasting no time and being very productive.

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Commentary

73. Assessment is good. Staff use regular assessment to give targets to pupils for improvement and to set targets for the school, although they are too cautious in the latter. Pupils mark their own “Quick Maths” honestly, conscientiously and quickly, and it is heart-warming to see their pride when they write “JP”, indicating that they have hit the jackpot and got every question right.

p.23

Commentary

74. Leadership and management are very good. The headteacher has been a mathematics co- ordinator for over 25 years and is very well qualified. She observes lessons in mathematics as Lea and Garsdon Church of England Primary School - 24 part of her role in staff appraisal, and has a very good knowledge and understanding of each individual pupil’s attainment and progress. Resources are good and used well.

p.23

Mathematics across the curriculum

75. Mathematics is used well in other subjects. Measurement is planned into design and technology and science. Graphical representation is used in science and the humanities, often coupled with ICT. In a good lower junior science lesson, one pupil suggested that they might use a Venn diagram to record their findings on opaque, translucent or transparent properties of materials, and this was encouraged by the teacher and taken up successfully by that pupil’s group. The curriculum is designed well to support cross-curricular work, and mathematics is planned into this.

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards in science are above average at the end of Year 6. • The school places a good emphasis on scientific enquiry, which results in an above-average understanding of this throughout the school. • Throughout the school, pupils understand the importance of fair testing and what they need to do to ensure it.

p.24

Commentary

76. Science standards are broadly average in Year 2 and above average in Year 6. In Year 2, pupils already have a good understanding of what constitutes a fair test. Year 6 pupils were very erudite in explaining very succinctly exactly what was needed for a fair test and why it was important, displaying a precise knowledge and understanding beyond their years. Their knowledge and understanding of scientific facts are also above average.

p.24

Commentary

77. Year 2 pupils reported their fascination with handling a snake and a frog when the school was visited by “Zoolab”, and understood why they could not touch the scorpion or tarantula. From a scrutiny of their work, it became obvious that many have an above-average knowledge and understanding of scientific facts, but the high proportion of pupils with special educational needs brings the overall judgement on standards down to being in line with the national average. Pupils know about the importance of hygiene and what plants, pets and humans need to grow successfully. They are starting to understand about forces, magnetism, electrical circuits and the reversibility or otherwise of chemical changes.

p.24

Commentary

78. Teaching and learning are good. Most teachers have a good knowledge and understanding of the subject and how to teach it. They concentrate well on the important practical aspects of science and pupils’ understanding by experimenting. Homework is underused.

p.24

Commentary

79. The science curriculum is unusual in upper juniors in that pupils do not keep a science exercise book or have science lessons regularly every week. Instead, the school concentrates science into topics, often taken by the science co-ordinator, a specialist, rather than the class teacher. Pupils achieve well in this system. For example, in a project on the environment, pupils covered the difference between acids and alkalis and the effects of antacids. They examined the effects of acid rain, the greenhouse effect, CFCs, fossil fuels, forces in the use of wind power, and the consequence of reduction in the ozone layer. Pupils produced some very good extended writing here, supporting literacy development very well. This was also obvious in an excellent display in lower juniors about pollution. 80. Leadership and management are satisfactory, and could be good, or possibly very good, if the conscientious and highly skilled co-ordinator observed lessons in other classes in order to

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Commentary

Lea and Garsdon Church of England Primary School - 25 judge the delivery of science across the school. Resources are generally good, easily accessed and used well, although there needs to be more computer software to support the subject.

p.25

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

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

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils are confident in using ICT and treat it, quite rightly, as just another learning resource. • The ICT National Curriculum is covered, but some aspects are not given enough priority. • Resources are only just adequate. • The standards in ICT, although satisfactory and meeting the demands of the National Curriculum, need to be brought up to match the school’s good standards in other subjects.

p.25

Commentary

81. In the last inspection, standards in ICT were judged to be above national expectations, and they are now in line throughout the school. Standards found in schools move upward more rapidly in ICT then in any other subject as hardware and software improve so quickly. The school teaches all the requirements of the ICT National Curriculum, but other schools have seized the opportunity to go beyond these requirements. The school recognises this, and improvement in standards in ICT is an important priority in the school development plan, and the deputy headteacher, who is the subject co-ordinator, works alongside other teachers to give them familiarity with new software. The school, as a small rural primary, has not been able to afford the benefits enjoyed by larger schools; for example, an up-to-date computer suite or interactive whiteboard or projector. It still uses old computers, although it uses them well. Resources are

p.25

Commentary

82. By the time pupils reach Year 2, they are confident in using computers to write and ‘paint’. They use ‘drag and drop’ techniques with the mouse to create illustrations for the ‘Billygoats Gruff’ story. They are confident and competent in controlling a ‘pixie’, a small floor robot. They are beginning to use data-handling programs to produce graphs.

p.25

Commentary

83. In lower juniors, pupils send e-mails to another local primary school. They use the Internet and CD-ROMs, and mix digital camera pictures and clip-art with word processing. In upper juniors, pupils are used to using ‘Google’ to search the Internet for information on, for example, Anglo- Saxons or stick insects. They have extended their use of computer control to the use of ‘Screen Turtle’, but have not used the ‘repeat’ function. Their knowledge and understanding of spreadsheets or multi-media presentations is limited.

p.25

Commentary

84. Teaching and learning are satisfactory and sometimes good. That they are not ‘good and often very good’, as they are in English, mathematics and science, is largely due to not keeping up with the very rapid advances in hardware and software, and teachers’ knowledge and understanding of these. The school has recognised that this is a major area for development, and improvement in ICT is high in the priorities of the school improvement plan.

p.25

Commentary

85. In a good infant mathematics lesson on money, pupils were enthusiastically guiding the ‘pixie’ round a grid, adding up different coins that they had to navigate to in order to reach different given totals. This supported the development of their understanding of shape and space, as well as addition and the use of money (learning objectives for the lesson), but also gave them a good foundation in their knowledge and understanding of computer control. In a good

p.25

Commentary

science lesson in upper juniors, pupils used a human physiology program to label a human Lea and Garsdon Church of England Primary School - 26 skull before examining the skulls of various animals and birds to find similarities and differences, recreating one of Darwin’s early experiments.

p.25

Commentary

86. Leadership and management are satisfactory. Assessment is carried out by way of record sheets of skills, so teachers know what pupils can do and report this to parents, but it is unclear how the record sheets are used to influence lesson planning in the subject.

p.26

Information and communication technology across the curriculum

87. Information and communication technology is use well in other subjects, as provision is firmly based on the use of ICT as a resource for learning in general rather than just as a subject in its own right.

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HUMANITIES

88. Inspectors sampled pupils’ work in geography, history and religious education. One lesson was seen in religious education. Too few lessons were seen to make individual judgements about teaching and learning in individual subjects.

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HUMANITIES

89. In geography , pupils respond well to the practical approach adopted by teachers. They make steady progress with their understanding of place. In Years 1 and 2, pupils consider their own locality and identify physical and human features when drawing simple maps of their routes from home to school. They know about the flora and fauna of the equatorial rain forest and reinforce their understanding with visits to an artificial rain forest. Older pupils link their historical knowledge when plotting the settlements of Roman and Anglo-Saxon forebears.

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HUMANITIES

90. In history , pupils develop a growing understanding of time. They learn about the customs and beliefs of the ancient Egyptians, the influence of the ancient Greeks, the occupation of the Vikings and, more recently, the changes to the village of Lea. A Years 1 and 2 topic on Robin Hood was most effective in establishing and developing an understanding of the period. An upper junior topic on the Anglo-Saxons created great interest about ancient customs, myths and language. The creative writing resulting from the lessons was impressive and captivating. Visits to places of historical interest add considerably to the provision for the subject.

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HUMANITIES

91. In religious education , work in Years 1 and 2 focuses on stories from the Bible and important celebration and ceremonies, such as Christmas and Easter. Visits to the local church enable pupils to respond in a personal way to the symbols and images found there. A good lesson was seen in infants, when pupils learned well about the story and significance of Palm Sunday. Assemblies make a significant contribution to pupils’ spiritual and moral development. During assemblies, pupils listen attentively, respond enthusiastically to questions and sing hymns with gusto.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

92. No lessons were observed in art and design, and only one in each of design and technology and physical education, so no judgements can be made about overall provision or teaching and learning in these subjects. Evidence was gathered from a scrutiny of pupils’ work, examination of teachers’ planning, school records, and discussions with pupils and staff.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

93. In art and design , standards are above expectations throughout the school. Pupils are given a book on entry to the school, and they add work to this every year. Many schools have a system of using a long-term sketch-book, but this system extends that provision to include examples of pupils’ progress in the importance of close observation, the use of different materials and media, skills in colour mix, learning about chiaroscuro and the effects of light, and so on. One parent commented that this record was excellent and that parents really appreciate it, and the inspection team agrees. The record itself shows that pupils make good progress in every class, and this was supported by an examination of displayed work Lea and Garsdon Church of England Primary School - 27 throughout the school, which is of good, or very good, quality. This includes above-average work in three dimensions, helped by the availability of the school kiln, although three-

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

dimensional work is not confined to clay, and some very impressive Anglo-Saxon helmets are made in papier-mâché in upper juniors.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

94. In design and technology (DT), not enough evidence was available to make a judgement on standards. Only one lesson was seen, and pupils take home their DT models after making them. In the lesson observed, a good lesson with lower juniors, it was obvious that pupils have a good understanding of the essential plan-do-review nature of the subject. This judgement was reinforced by a display in the classroom of previous DT work and by talking to Year 6 pupils.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

95. In physical education the school covers all the elements of the National Curriculum. Pupils enjoy the subject and many take advantage of the games activities that are offered outside the normal school day. Swimming is considered an important aspect of provision, and most pupils achieve the nationally required ‘25-metre unaided’ standard before they leave the school, so standards here are good. With only one lesson observed, there was insufficient evidence gathered to make an overall judgement on standards or provision. The observed lesson, on competitive games with upper juniors, was satisfactory.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils achieve good standards in all the attainment targets of the music National Curriculum. • Pupils’ musical skills are enhanced during school assemblies and concerts. • Planned learning experiences give all pupils good opportunities to succeed in performance. • Pupils’ musical contributions enhance the very good whole-school ethos.

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Commentary

96. Three music lessons were observed during the inspection, along with performances and practices of the playing of instruments and of singing in assemblies. Pupils have a good command of musical vocabulary and can define a number of musical terms correctly. Their singing is well pitched and tuneful; they keep a simple beat successfully and know that this is related to tempo. Pupils appraise their own and others’ performance effectively and clearly enjoy participating in orchestral activities. Many pupils take advantage of the individual tuition of a number of peripatetic music teachers, while all others enjoy their class lessons. In one Years 5 and 6 lesson, all pupils took part in a good quality recital. Reading from the treble stave, they played recorders and flutes (with one on violin) in good tune to an appropriate rhythm in several melodies.

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Commentary

97. The quality of teaching in music is good and often very good. A sizeable number of pupils are keen musicians and conscientiously attend weekly practices during and after school. Several teachers have developed very good subject knowledge and they encourage pupils to extend their musical experiences and to enjoy performances. Music provision adds very positively to the quality of the school’s ethos and to the contribution it makes to the life of the local community. The quality of teaching observed during the inspection was characterised by good planning and high expectations; teachers were challenging and encouraging and their efforts were met with a good or very good level of response. Visiting specialists provide tuition of very good quality.

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Commentary

98. The music co-ordinator has produced good quality documentation to support her colleagues in their delivery of the music curriculum. Specialist teaching in year groups ensures that Lea and Garsdon Church of England Primary School - 28 standards are maintained and that music remains at the heart of the school’s communal life. The co-ordinator has secure monitoring and evaluation systems to ensure that there is consistency in the delivery of the music curriculum across the school. Resources are good and are used well to enhance learning; concerts and performances contribute well to pupils’ musical experiences. The school has maintained its high standards in music since the last inspection.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

Provision for personal, social and health education (PSHE), including citizenship, is good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• PSHE forms an integral part of the caring ethos of the school. • The curriculum provides good opportunities for pupils to explore sensitive issues and to share their feelings and concerns with each other and with adults. • Pupils are provided well with education on sex and relationships, drugs and alcohol-abuse awareness, and other related issues. • The very good provision for social and moral education supports this area well. • Pupils are actively involved in drawing up classroom rules. • Pupils have a high regard for the views and success of others.

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Commentary

99. Personal, social and health education is a valuable extension to the school’s curriculum and enhances pupils’ awareness of the school’s high expectations for their behaviour and attitudes. Pupils achieve well because personal and social education is part of their everyday learning in school. The health education programme is successfully woven into the curriculum and staff deal effectively with any particular issues when they arise. The school’s very good commitment to inclusion guides pupils’ social development positively. All staff provide very good role models in the way that they value the opinions and contributions of all pupils during lessons and discussions. Pupils appreciate how important it is to work together and readily celebrate and value each other’s achievements in and outside lessons. The school places strong emphasis on independence and responsibility, which encourages pupils to develop

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Commentary

strategies to overcome problems and achieve success. This provision focuses pupils’ attention effectively on the need to reflect and to set themselves personal targets in relation to others by developing the qualities of resilience, concentration, determination and organisation. Lea and Garsdon Church of England Primary School - 29

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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 3

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

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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