Low Ash Primary School

LOW ASH PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 9 th – 12 th February 2004

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LOW ASH PRIMARY SCHOOL

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 Low Ash Primary School - 2 Crown copyright 2004

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LOW ASH PRIMARY SCHOOL

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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LOW ASH PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Primary school School category: Community Age range of pupils: 3 – 11 Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 472

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Wrose Road Wrose Shipley West Yorkshire Postcode: BD18 1AA

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: 01274 582927 Fax number: 01274 688503

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: Governing Body Name of chair of governors: Mr M Brannan

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 27 th – 30 th April 1998

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

Low Ash Primary School is bigger than the average primary school. It serves the communities of Wrose, a suburban district on the outskirts of Bradford. There are 472 pupils on roll of whom nine per cent are entitled to free school meals, which is below the national average. The school has 44 pupils with special educational needs including 11 with a statement of special educational need. Three pupils are identified as being at an early stage of English language acquisition. The pupils’ attainment when they start school is average for their age. Since the previous inspection the school has been reorganised from a first to a primary school. Until recently the school operated on two sites until the present building was extended and refurbished to accommodate the high number of pupils. Consequently the school has been through a prolonged period of disruption in its transition to a primary school due to significant changes in staffing and building works.

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

6282 Parveen Raja Lead inspector Mathematics, art and design, English as an additional language 19366 Gordon Stockley Lay inspector 32180 David Sleightholme Team inspector Science, information and communication technology 17681 Roger Sharples Team inspector History, geography, design and technology, physical education, Foundation Stage

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

24895 Kathleen Hurt Team inspector English, music, religious education

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

peakschoolhaus Ltd BPS Business Centre Brake Lane Boughton NG22 9HQ

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

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

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 9

Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 9

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 12

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 31

Low Ash Primary School - 6 Low Ash Primary School - 7

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school makes satisfactory provision for the education of its pupils. Achievement in Years 1 and 2 is good. In Years 3 to 6, achievement in English and mathematics is generally satisfactory but it is unsatisfactory in science and in writing. Standards are good in the infants and satisfactory in the juniors. Teaching is satisfactory overall and good in the Foundation Stage and infants. The acting headteacher provides satisfactory leadership with good support from effective governors. The school makes the best use of its money and provides satisfactory value for money.

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The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

• In Years 3 to 6, pupils do not achieve well enough in science and in writing. • Teaching is good in Years 1 and 2 and consequently pupils achieve well in English, mathematics, science and information and communication technology (ICT). • Pupils in Years 3 to 6 achieve very well in ICT and attain well above average standards. • Pupils are well supported to maintain good standards of behaviour and good attitudes to learning, and relationships are very good. • Parents are kept very well informed about their children’s work and make a good contribution to pupils’ learning. • Provision for pupils with special educational needs is good and they achieve well.

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

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Achievement is satisfactory overall. Achievement is uneven in Years 3 to 6 in some subjects because activities are not varied to match the spread of ability in classes. Standards have improved well in the infants and are beginning to improve in the juniors although not at the same pace as in the infants. The 2003 test results for Year 6 pupils show that in all the subjects, whilst the percentage of pupils achieving the expected level was at least similar to the national average, too few pupils achieved at the higher level. In mathematics in particular, a high percentage achieved at Level 3. This is because the higher attaining pupils are not sufficiently challenged and their progress over time is adversely affected. Currently at Year 6 standards in English are average, broadly average in mathematics and below the nationally expected level in science and in writing. At Year 2 pupils achieve well and attain above average standards in all the subjects seen. Provision in ICT is very

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

good so that junior pupils achieve very well, attaining well above average standards, and the infants achieve above average standards.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Pupils with special educational needs achieve well because of the effective additional help given by the support staff. The few pupils identified at an early stage of English language acquisition make satisfactory progress. Achievement in the Foundation Stage is sound and improving at a good pace because of the recent improvements in the provision. Most children are on course to achieve the early learning goals, with most children likely to exceed the goals for personal, social and emotional development and for physical development. Low Ash Primary School - 8 Pupils’ personal development is satisfactory overall. Their behaviour and attitudes to learning are good, as are their attendance and punctuality. Pupils’ moral and social development is good and their spiritual and cultural development is satisfactory. However, in Years 3 to 6 opportunities for independence and initiative in learning are limited.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The quality of education provided by the school is satisfactory overall with some good features. Teaching is consistently good in the Foundation Stage and in Years 1 and 2. Some good teaching was also seen in most of the junior classes. In all the classes teachers work well with support staff who contribute effectively to pupils’ learning. Adults present good role models and show a good level of care for pupils. They treat all the pupils with respect and maturity, which underpins the very good relationships between pupils and adults. In Years 1 and 2 teachers have high expectations; generally plan interesting and stimulating work and manage to keep a good pace in lessons so that pupils learn well and make good progress. Expectations are not as high in Years 3 to 6, particularly of the higher attaining pupils who are not sufficiently challenged in lessons. When teaching is good in Years 3 to 6, pupils are provided with interesting work and junior pupils learn well. Assessment practice is

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

satisfactory overall in the school. Pupils are provided with a broad and relevant curriculum, although time allocations for religious education and music are lower than the recommended amount. Extra- curricular activities, educational visits and visitors to the school enrich the curriculum well. Parents contribute well to their children’s learning.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Overall leadership and management are satisfactory . The leadership of the acting headteacher and senior managers is satisfactory. The acting headteacher provides a good lead in creating a school climate in which all individuals feel valued, resulting in very good relationships and enhanced pupil confidence and esteem. The governing body, led by a very effective chair of governors, provides good governance for the school. Governors fulfil the critical friend role well and finances are managed prudently. Provision for special educational needs is good. There are effective systems in place for checking the quality of teaching and learning and keeping a check on pupils’ progress. However, whilst senior managers and other subject managers have regular opportunities to monitor the work in school, monitoring and evaluation lack rigour. The school meets all the statutory requirements.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents are very satisfied with the school and most have no significant concerns. Pupils in Years 3 to 6, whose opinions were sought, feel that the school is good and particularly enjoy the good range of after-school activities and their involvement with the local community organisations.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

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

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

• In Years 3 to 6, ensure that teaching is consistently good, expectations are high, the more able pupils are provided with sufficient challenge throughout the junior years and teaching is monitored rigorously. • In Years 3 to 6, provide a wide range of opportunities that challenge pupils to write at length in different forms for a variety of purposes and audiences. • In Years 3 to 6, ensure that science activities are well matched to the differing abilities of the pupils in classes, present appropriate challenge to the more able pupils and are well supported by a good quality and range of resources. • Ensure that in Years 1 to 6, pupils review their own performance and set targets to improve weaknesses in learning, and handwriting and presentation of high standard. Low Ash Primary School - 9

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Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects

Pupils’ achievement is satisfactory in the juniors and good in the infants. In Years 3 to 6 standards are satisfactory in English and mathematics but not good enough in science and writing. Standards are good in the infants. Achievement is very good in ICT and standards are high.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Years 1 and 2 pupils achieve well. • In Years 3 to 6, achievement is not good enough in science and in writing. • Achievement in ICT is good at Year 2 and very good at Year 6. • Pupils with special educational needs achieve well. • Standards in handwriting and presentation are weak in Years 3 to 6.

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Commentary

1. Assessment data shows that most children start school with skills, knowledge and understanding that are average. The provision in the Foundation Stage has improved but this development is fairly recent and has not as yet affected the standards children achieve by the end of the reception year, although the rate of progress is improving. Currently, children are likely to exceed the early learning goals in personal, social and emotional development and physical development. They are on course to reach the goals in communication, language and literacy and mathematical development. Due to insufficient evidence no judgements are made about knowledge and understanding of the world and creative development.

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Commentary

2. The table below shows that in the 2003 national test results, standards in Year 2 were well above average in reading and mathematics and above average in writing when compared to all schools. There was very good improvement in reading from the 2002 results when standards slipped to well below average. This is because the school is targeting resources well to promote reading development. Pupils are supported well in guided reading sessions, the Better Reading Partnership strategy effectively supports targeted pupils, and the library is used regularly. Parents have contributed enthusiastically to this aspect of their children’s development. Community members too read regularly with some pupils at school. Most pupils achieved Level 2A and Level 3. The school’s trend in the national tests for this age is at least in line with that of schools nationally.

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

Standards in: School results National results Reading 17.7 (15.1) 15.7 (15.8) Writing 15.5 (14.2) 14.6 (14.4) Mathematics 17.4 (15.2) 16.3 (16.5) There were 51 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year.

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

3. The current Years 1 and 2 are taught well, and are provided with challenging work, which is well supported by a range of interesting resources. Pupils work hard with sustained concentration because learning is fun and they enjoy doing the activities. Their self-motivation is high and most take pride in what they do. The lower attaining pupils and pupils with special educational needs are very well supported and make good progress. Standards by the end of Year 2 are above average in English, mathematics, science and ICT and in line with the expectations of the locally Low Ash Primary School - 10 agreed syllabus in religious education. In the small sample of work seen in other areas, standards are average.

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

4. The table below shows that the average National Curriculum points score when compared to similar schools was lower than in the 2002 results in all the subjects. Standards were below average in English and well below average in mathematics and science. This is because the percentage of pupils achieving at the expected Level 4 was above the national average in English and science and in line in mathematics. In all the subjects the percentage of pupils achieving at the higher than expected Level 5 was much lower than the national average. In mathematics a high percentage achieved at Level 3. The school has thoroughly analysed the results and identified the weaknesses and now recognises that the higher attaining pupils are not sufficiently challenged.

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

Standards in: School results National results English 26.4 (27.2) 26.8 (27.0) Mathematics 25.7 (27.1) 26.8 (26.7) Science 27.9 (28.5) 28.6 (28.3) There were 76 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year.

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

5. In the 2003 end of Year 6 tests, the school met its targets for English but missed them for mathematics. With concerted effort to improve the higher attaining pupils’ performance it is likely to meet its targets for 2004 in English and mathematics.

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

6. Standards at Year 6 are average in English, broadly average in mathematics and below average in science and in writing. Achievement in ICT in this phase is very good and pupils achieve well above average standards, which demonstrates clearly that when the quality of provision and expectations are high, these pupils achieve more.

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

7. Inspection evidence shows that pupils are generally achieving satisfactorily in relation to prior attainment overall. From the analysis of test results, the school is aware that pupils need to do more work in solving problems and using mathematical skills across the curriculum and pupils are now doing some word problem work and practical work. Teachers now share and review learning intentions more thoroughly and this is effective in helping pupils to evaluate their own learning. Mathematical and subject-specific language is taught and used consistently through the junior classes and pupils explain their work accurately and confidently which impacts well on their understanding. In science, teachers provide regular opportunities for investigations and experimental work but this is still at an early stage of development and pupils are not sufficiently skilled in setting their own experiments or conducting investigations without support.

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

Opportunities for writing continue to be limited, particularly writing expressively at length. Standards in mathematics and English are improving but the rate of improvement in science is not so clearly evident. However, expectations for the higher attaining pupils are not high enough and too frequently they are not sufficiently challenged. In the lower mathematics sets for Years 3 and 4, expectations are low and some pupils are making slow progress. Overall, junior pupils do not take enough care to present their work well, nor do they take sufficient care with their handwriting. In a few extreme cases teachers accept really messy work without making any comments that might help pupils to improve.

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

8. Pupils with special educational needs achieve well because of the effective targeted support they receive. The few pupils with English as an additional language make satisfactory progress and the needs of the pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds are met satisfactorily. There was no noticeable difference between the performance of boys and girls. Low Ash Primary School - 11

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

The behaviour of the pupils is good and supported successfully by the effective provision for their moral and social development. Pupils’ spiritual and cultural development is satisfactory . They have good attitudes towards their schoolwork. The pupils’ attendance rate and punctuality are also good .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils’ very good relationships and good attitudes help them to learn. • The school expects good behaviour and ensures that any misbehaviour is dealt with quickly and effectively. • Pupils develop a clear understanding of the difference between right and wrong.

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Commentary

9. Pupils enjoy coming to school and have good attitudes to work. They behave well in lessons and around the school. They are polite to teachers and other adults and work well in pairs and small groups. In a Year 5 physical education lesson there was good collaborative work as pupils devised their body shapes, and children in a reception class worked purposefully in small groups. They are confident that their teachers and fellow pupils will listen to them and respect their views. Most pupils can work with sustained concentration, take an active part in lessons and work well when activities are interesting and challenging.

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Commentary

10. The school is a harmonious community and relationships between all the members are very good. Pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds are well integrated and the school makes satisfactory effort to represent some of their cultural heritage such as notices in minority languages. Pupils work and learn in a calm and purposeful learning environment. The school provides sound support for the personal development of the pupils. The school successfully develops in pupils a clear understanding of appropriate moral conduct. Pupils are kind to each other and help one another. Pupils’ social skills are developed by the many opportunities provided for them to work in groups and pairs during their lessons. The school’s good links with the community provide other opportunities for pupils to develop their inter-personal skills. For example, at an open day for the local UK On-Line Learning Partnership computer program

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Commentary

initiative, pupils acted as guides and instructors, showing adults how to use the computers. The school entered a float in the local carnival parade, winning four awards. Pupils also make a contribution to improving the lives of others by raising large amounts of money for several national charities.

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Commentary

11. The school makes satisfactory provision for pupils to learn about their own and others’ cultural traditions. Displays around the school show work done by pupils in Years 5 and 6 about Buddhism and Year 4 pupils painted pictures in the Chinese style. Year 6 pupils visited a mosque and people from the local community talked to pupils about their faith. The school held a multi- cultural day when staff and pupils wore clothes from a range of other cultures. Satisfactory opportunities for spiritual development are provided in assemblies and religious education lessons, where pupils are able to reflect on their own feelings.

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Commentary

12. The school uses exclusions as a sanction to promote good discipline and behaviour in the school. There were two pupils excluded in the previous academic year and two pupils have been excluded since. Low Ash Primary School - 12

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Categories used in the Annual School Census No of pupils on roll Number of fixed period exclusions Number of permanent exclusions White – British 335 1 0 Mixed- White and Black Caribbean 11 1 0 Mixed – White and Asian 3 0 0 Asian or Asian British – Indian 9 0 0 Asian or Asian British – Pakistani 6 0 0 Asian or Asian British – any other Asian background 4 0 0 Black or Black British – Caribbean 3 0 0 Any other ethnic group 1 0 0 The table gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

13. Attendance is above the national median and the school’s arrangements for promoting good attendance include monthly, termly and annual awards to pupils and classes. Most pupils arrive on time for the start of the school day.

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Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data 4.2 School data 0.7 National data 5.4 National data 0.4 The table gives the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The quality of education provided by the school is satisfactory overall. The quality of teaching and learning varies through the school with most teaching being good in the Foundation Stage and Years 1 and 2. In Years 3 to 6 some teachers use limited strategies to make activities interesting, stimulating and challenging. Parents support their children’s learning well.

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Teaching and learning

Teaching and learning are satisfactory overall. Teaching is good in the Foundation Stage and in the infants, and satisfactory in Years 3 to 6. Assessment of pupils’ learning is satisfactory overall but does not always inform planning rigorously enough for all the various ability levels in the junior classes.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• In Years 3 to 6, higher attaining pupils are not sufficiently challenged and assessment is not used rigorously enough to inform planning. • Teaching is consistently good in Years 1 and 2 and the Foundation Stage. • Throughout the school teachers use good behaviour management strategies, which help pupils to maintain good standards of behaviour. • Effective support from learning support assistants helps pupils to move forward. Low Ash Primary School - 13 • Teachers share learning intentions well at the start of lessons, make good use of questioning and conclude lessons effectively. • Teachers pay insufficient attention to standards of presentation and handwriting, which results in many pupils’ work being untidy, with careless mistakes. • Expectations are high in Years 1 and 2 but lower in Years 3 to 6, particularly of the more able pupils.

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Commentary

14. The table below indicates the quality of teaching seen across the school. The few very good lessons seen were spread through both junior and infant classes. In 40 per cent of the lessons seen in the junior classes, teaching was good. However, analyses of pupils’ work showed teaching over time to be mainly satisfactory. In Years 1 and 2 and in the Foundation Stage, in most of the lessons teaching was good. The two unsatisfactory lessons occurred in the junior classes. A number of classes were well supported by parent helpers who regularly work in classes to help pupils with their work.

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Commentary

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection 63 lessons

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Commentary

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very poor

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Commentary

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

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Commentary

15. Teachers generally set tasks to match the needs of their pupils, with at least three sets of group work planned for different attainment levels in the class. However, in the different ability sets for English and mathematics, too frequently teachers set the same task for all the pupils with not enough variation in challenge. The more able pupils in junior classes complete the main task before they can move on to do extension work and consequently have insufficient time to do the more advanced work. Most teachers see the setting of pupils by ability as guaranteeing a secure basis for working with generally similar levels of attainment and therefore do not plan sufficiently varied work to match the wider ability range within literacy and numeracy sets. In mathematics, good examples of challenging work provided for the pupils in Years 4 and 5 top sets were seen. In these lessons, expectations were high, activities were well supported by interesting resources

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Commentary

and the lessons moved at a good pace. In the unsatisfactory lessons in mathematics and music, teacher expectations were low and many pupils spent time on activities that required little effort. The task in the mathematics lesson was too difficult for the less able and easy for the more able pupils. The pace in this lesson was slow and very little worthwhile learning took place.

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Commentary

16. There are positive features in teaching throughout the school. Teachers have high expectations of pupils’ conduct and use effective management strategies in most of the classes, which means that pupils concentrate well on learning. Good support from learning support assistants helps pupils to gain in knowledge and understanding in small groups and individually with an adult, which raises their confidence. In the Foundation Stage and the infants, daily routines are used well to promote independence in learning. For example, younger children help with tidying after sessions. Teachers very effectively include all pupils in activities. Open questions are used well to check pupils’ understanding and extend their ideas. In these lessons pace is good and most pupils achieve well. In the satisfactory lessons the activities on offer are not as inspiring and on occasions, work tends to be repetitive, and although pupils listen attentively they lack

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Commentary

17. Pupils who have statements of special educational needs are taught well and make good progress towards the targets set in their individual educational plans. The effective support they receive from learning support assistants enables the pupils to take part in whole-class lessons and to work on individual programmes at planned times each day. Teachers know the individual Low Ash Primary School - 14 needs of the pupils with English as an additional language and skilfully vary their questions and responses to ensure they understand the activity. Consequently these pupils achieve satisfactorily.

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Commentary

18. Teachers’ expectations of standards in handwriting and how well pupils record their work vary between classes but are mostly low. There is a lack of a systematic development in handwriting style and a general lack of commitment to promoting good presentation habits. This results in fostering carelessness in pupils' approach to their work and some of the work seen was untidy.

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Commentary

19. Assessment procedures are satisfactory. Teachers and senior staff undertake a range of assessment activities to monitor pupils’ achievement. They also effectively use materials from commercial schemes at regular intervals to check pupils’ learning. However, assessments are not used rigorously to ensure that the work provides more challenge for the wide range of ability in Years 3 to 6. In the Foundation Stage, assessment practice has developed well and all staff now have a good understanding of where children are in each of the areas of learning. The school has recently started analysing the statutory test results and other assessment information and has used this information well to set targets for year groups through the school, but procedures for monitoring progress against these targets are not so clear at this stage. Generally, staff give good verbal feedback on their work but the marking of work varies in how

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Commentary

well pupils know what they have to do to improve. The best practice was seen in Years 1 and 2 and one of the Year 4 classes. Homework is used satisfactorily throughout the school.

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The curriculum

The school provides a satisfactory curriculum. There are good opportunities provided to extend learning activities outside of lessons. Overall the quality of the accommodation and resources for learning is satisfactory .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Extra-curricular activities contribute well to the quality of the curriculum provided for the pupils. • The provision for pupils with special educational needs is good. • The significantly high emphasis on English, results in less time for religious education and music. • Accommodation is good and the teaching resources are satisfactory.

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Commentary

20. The curriculum provides a sound basis for learning. The school offers an appropriate range of learning opportunities that meets the needs of its pupils satisfactorily. In the Foundation Stage, children are provided with an interesting and stimulating environment, which enables children to work with enjoyment, and they concentrate for longer periods. In Years 1 and 2 pupils are provided with challenging work that is well supported by a good range of resources; this helps pupils to work with motivation and the pace in lessons is good. However, in Years 3 to 6 the learning activities in English, mathematics and science are insufficiently challenging for the more able pupils.

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Commentary

21. A regular programme of visits and visitors and a good range of out-of-school activities enrich and support the curriculum well. As a result, pupils of all ages gain valuable historical, geographical, scientific, musical and cultural stimuli and experience that extend pupils' learning. Annual residential visits offered to older pupils provide good opportunities for pupils’ personal development. Personal development is further promoted through science topics and the personal, social, health and citizenship education programme. Both of these are effective in raising awareness and understanding of issues such as diet, drugs and alcohol abuse and the dangers of smoking, and have contributed effectively to the school’s achieving the ‘Healthy Schools Award’. Low Ash Primary School - 15 22. A high percentage of curriculum time has been allocated to English in the drive to raise standards. Whilst this provides pupils with more opportunities for reading development, there is

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Commentary

some slippage in the time allocation to other subjects, religious education in particular, and pupils have little opportunity to reflect, discuss issues and explore their ideas, which results in some pupils on occasions remembering religious facts inaccurately. Music was not inspected fully but the time allocated for teaching music is low. The teaching of science is restricted to shorter periods in some classes, which constrains pupils in carrying out investigations and experiments over longer periods to draw well-considered conclusions and test hypotheses or to record their findings in individual ways.

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Commentary

23. The school has fully implemented the new requirements for pupils with special educational needs. They are set well-matched and clearly defined targets in their individual programmes. They are well supported and consequently they access all aspects of the curriculum.

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Commentary

24. The accommodation has recently been improved well after the reorganisation to accommodate the high number of pupils. The nursery accommodation has been improved at a high cost to the school and now provides good facilities for the Foundation Stage. Accommodation and resources for the teaching of computer studies are very good. Resources are overall satisfactory but in science the resources for pupils to be able to participate in practical investigations are inadequate.

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Care, guidance and support

The school provides a good standard of care for its pupils. It provides satisfactory support, advice and guidance and involves pupils satisfactorily in the school’s work.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• There are good procedures for health and safety and child protection. • There are good arrangements for the induction of children into the school. • The school council provides a voice for the older pupils, but younger pupils do not have the same opportunities. • Pupils are not involved in setting targets for improving their performance and consequently are unclear about what they need to do to succeed.

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Commentary

25. The school takes good care of its pupils. All the routine health and safety checks are carried out at appropriate intervals and all staff have recently taken part in child protection training. Regular health and safety checks are carried out by suitably qualified people and risk assessments are made for the many visits that take place. As a result of this good provision, pupils and parents are confident that their children work and play in a safe and secure learning environment. Pupils grow and thrive in a caring community.

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Commentary

26. The individual care, support and guidance provided for pupils enable them to feel happy, confident and secure. Adults in school know their charges well. All staff are alert to the needs of pupils who may be having difficulties and readily offer help, so that pupils develop trust in their teachers and this is based on mutual respect. There is sound support for pupils’ personal development through the personal and social education programme. There are good opportunities for pupils to relate to visitors, community members and staff in the community centres, which enhances pupils’ personal development well. The school makes satisfactory use of assessment to guide pupils’ academic progress.

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Commentary

27. The school has good induction procedures for settling children into school. Parents are given a wide range of information and guidance about these procedures and how they can help to Low Ash Primary School - 16 prepare their children for school life. Parents and children have opportunities to visit the school and meet with teachers prior to admission. These procedures enable children to settle quickly into school life. The school seeks pupils’ views mainly through the school council and discussion time in lessons. However, only pupils in Years 5 and 6 have opportunities to be involved in making some decisions about the running of their school. The range of activities considered by the school council is somewhat limited and there is scope to involve pupils in a wider range of issues. Although the school council has been running for two years it is not yet at the stage where a formal committee structure has been formed and there is currently no opportunity for

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Commentary

younger pupils to become members of the council.

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Commentary

28. Year 6 pupils are aware of what they need to do to achieve a particular level in the national tests. However, target setting does not operate consistently throughout the school to ensure that pupils are able to review their own performance and set targets to improve areas of weakness in their knowledge and understanding. This means that teachers are not always able to give well- considered and appropriate advice to their pupils, nor always ensure that work is closely enough matched to individual pupils’ needs and abilities.

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Commentary

29. The support for pupils with special educational needs is good. There are clear procedures for systematically tracking pupils’ progress so that pupils with special educational needs are identified early and supported effectively from an early stage. Pupils who speak English as an additional language are well supported as are those from ethnic minorities, and the school ensures that these pupils are included in everything it does.

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Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

The school has good links with parents who are supportive of the school and of their children’s learning. Links with the community and other schools and colleges are good .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school provides very good information to parents. • Parents contribute well to pupils’ learning at home and at school. • Good educational and community links add value to pupils’ learning.

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Commentary

30. The school works closely with parents and welcomes them as partners in their children’s education. A significant number of parents help in the school on a regular basis and many offer support at home, listening to their children read and making sure that homework is done. The amount of parental help volunteered for trips is often more than is needed. The very active Friends’ Association works hard to widen parental and community involvement. It organises an impressive programme of social and fund-raising events such as fashion shows, quiz nights and discos. These funds are used well to improve the resources for learning. Parents are welcome to attend a weekly coffee morning in the school. An open day for parents is held each year and the school organises courses where parents can get practical help for supporting their children’s learning. These activities continue to strengthen the close partnership with parents and result in

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Commentary

parents making a good contribution to pupils’ learning in school and at home.

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Commentary

31. The school ensures that parents are kept very well informed about its work with their children and takes a range of very effective measures to achieve this aim. It issues a detailed newsletter for parents each half term. In addition to useful information about the school and forthcoming events, the newsletters contain details of the work that children will be doing in each subject during the next half term. The combined prospectus and governors’ annual report to parents is an impressive and useful document. It contains a lot of information, including the homework policy, assessment procedure, behaviour policy and information about each curriculum area. It is enlivened by short articles by members of staff and by poems written by children. The school Low Ash Primary School - 17 very effectively operates an up-to-date website, enabling parents to access a considerable amount of information, including recent newsletters, from home.

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Commentary

32. The school’s annual reports to parents about pupils’ progress are of good quality and show the National Curriculum levels achieved by the pupil for English, mathematics, science and ICT. They include useful comments on personal development, effort and attitude to their work, together with specific comments on the pupils’ strengths and weaknesses in other subjects. The reports are written in language that is easy for parents to understand. The parents of pupils with special educational needs are consulted and informed regularly about their children’s individual education plans and progress. Parents’ attendance at annual review meetings for their children’s progress is good.

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Commentary

33. The school has a good range of community links and links with other educational establishments which makes a significant contribution to pupils’ learning. Many of these contribute directly or indirectly to pupils’ education, such as the support for ICT received from a local further education college, and as part of the UK Online Learning Partnership. Such links have enabled the school to provide ‘Learn Together’ courses where parents and their children learn alongside each other and these opportunities have contributed well to parents’ developing skills in helping their children to learn well. There are links with local churches, two local vicars lead assemblies in school and adult volunteers read with the children each week. These links contribute well to pupils’ learning.

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Commentary

34. The school makes good use of the health service, police and fire service, road safety unit and local sports clubs to enhance the children’s education. The building is let regularly to local organisations for a range of activities and the school provides work experience for trainee teachers through its strong links with three local colleges. These links help pupils to interact with adults from the community and partner institutions in purposeful situations and effectively promote pupils’ oral and interpersonal skills, which contribute well to pupils participating actively and confidently in lessons.

p.17

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The leadership and management of the school are satisfactory overall. The leadership of the acting headteacher is satisfactory . The governance and management are good .

p.17

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school has good systems in place for monitoring and evaluating its work and for the professional development of staff. • The governors are fully involved and supportive and they govern the school well. • Financial planning and management are good so that funds are used effectively. • The monitoring and evaluation of teaching and pupils’ performance are not yet rigorous enough and expectations of pupils in Years 3 to 6 are sometimes too low. • The school’s plans for improvement identify the right priorities but they do not allocate these on a clear enough timescale.

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Commentary

35. The school has been through a prolonged period of disruption in its transition to a primary school with significant changes in staffing and extensive building work. Following the retirement of the previous headteacher, a new appointment has been made. In the interim the acting headteacher and two temporary assistant headteachers are managing the transition well. This is partly due to the well-established and effective systems in place that ensure the smooth running of the school. The leadership of the acting headteacher and senior managers is satisfactory. They provide good leadership in establishing very good relationships, a settled and hard-working atmosphere in the school, and a strong sense of teamwork among the staff. They are not yet as ambitious as they might be in pursuing the school aim of becoming a ‘Flagship of Educational Excellence’. Low Ash Primary School - 18 36. The school has made a good start in establishing a system for tracking pupils’ progress in

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Commentary

English, mathematics and science as they move through the school, and sets targets for them based on this information. Some subject leaders are beginning to use this information as a sound basis for their action planning. Performance management systems and opportunities for the professional development of staff are well established and extensive. All staff, including classroom assistants and midday supervisors, are fully involved in developing their roles and expertise through shared targets and staff training which has been effective in raising standards, for instance in reading in Year 2 and in ICT throughout the school. Staff provide good role models for the pupils, particularly the staff who share the cultural heritage with some of the minority ethnic pupils in the school.

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Commentary

37. There are good systems in place for checking the effectiveness of teaching. Subject leaders have regular opportunities to check planning, observe teaching and judge how well pupils are doing in their work. However, senior managers and others with management responsibilities are sometimes over-generous in their evaluations of the quality of teaching. They are not thorough enough in picking up and dealing with areas for improvement, such as the sometimes low expectations of pupils’ written work and the lack of challenge for more able pupils in ability sets in Years 3 to 6. As a result some pupils do not achieve as well as they might, and standards in writing and science in Year 6 are not high enough. The management of the special needs provision by a hard-working and enthusiastic teacher is good. There are good detailed procedures for checking the progress of pupils with special needs. However, the co-ordinator is

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Commentary

aware of the need to develop a more consistent approach to checking of the pupils’ progress as they work in the classrooms.

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Commentary

38. The governing body is led by a very effective chair of governors and provides good governance for the school. Governors are very committed and provide good support for the acting headteacher and staff through their regular meetings with senior managers and subject leaders. Their relationships with the school are very good. The different committees are clear about their roles and successfully guide and oversee the work of the school. Governors readily identify the school’s strengths and are clear that improvements in standards in Year 6 are necessary if the school is to improve further. Priorities are clearly identified in the school’s improvement planning document. However, although there are deadlines for the completion of priorities, there is a danger of overcrowding developments because the timing of these is not specified clearly enough.

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Commentary

39. Governors are particularly effective in their planning and management of the school’s finances. They are strongly committed to ensuring that children have good quality accommodation in which to work and have developed their own strategic plan that allocates funds wisely as they become available. In this they have been successful. Such projects as the new nursery accommodation mean that children have much easier access to a full curriculum, including outdoor play activities, than they did when the school was last inspected. The administrative officer provides very good support in her management and monitoring of the budget. Very thorough systems for managing finances, regular checks and reports ensure that senior managers and governors keep a close eye on spending and the small amount of surplus funds this year.

p.18

Financial information for the year April 2002 to March2003

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 1,169,095.65 Balance from previous year 88,333.00 Total expenditure 1,255,879.61 Balance carried forward to the next 1,549.04 Expenditure per pupil 2,563.00 Low Ash Primary School - 19

p.18

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Most children start the nursery with average attainments. The quality of teaching, learning and achievement is good. The provision for the Foundation Stage has improved recently and there has not been sufficient time for this to affect standards achieved by the children. There is good teamwork between teachers and support staff and all show strong commitment to raising standards. Children enjoy all areas of learning that lead into the National Curriculum. Good assessment procedures build up a clear picture of each child’s development, enabling staff to match activities closely to individual needs.

p.19

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Induction procedures are good and help children to settle in quickly. Parents are encouraged to become involved in their children’s learning and a few parents help regularly on a voluntary basis in classes, which contributes very well to children’s learning. The good facilities are welcoming and resources are used effectively to stimulate the children’s interest and involvement in their learning.

p.19

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in personal, social and emotional development is good .

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Good relationships exist between adults and children. • Children concentrate well on activities because they enjoy them. • Children are well supported to become independent. • The children work well with others in their group.

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Commentary

40. Children make good progress and most are likely to exceed most of the national goals set in this area by the end of the reception year. The children are good at taking turns and sharing when working on the computer and playing on the tricycles in the outside play area. They show good levels of interest and imagination in activities; for example, a small group of children take time to build a ‘space rocket’ using large cardboard tubes. Progress in learning is good when staff ask challenging questions during structured play activities. The children confidently play well together because of the praise and encouragement they receive from the staff. In the nursery and the reception classes, children make simple but thoughtful choices of activities and follow instructions responsibly. However, on occasions opportunities to develop initiative and independence are missed because all children are expected to follow set routines.

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Commentary

41. A strong feature of the children’s development is the way they can work independently for longer periods. This is because of the time spent by staff to ensure that learning activities are presented at an appropriately challenging and interesting level for the children.

p.19

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Provision in communication, language and literacy is satisfactory overall . Children achieve well in some aspects of the early learning goals because teaching is good . Most of the children are on course to attain average standards expected for their age, by the end of the reception year.

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teachers develop language well through activities arising from stories. Low Ash Primary School - 20 • Careful planning provides many opportunities to develop speech each day.

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Commentary

42. Teachers in the nursery and the reception classes find many ways of using stories to stimulate speaking and listening and early reading and writing skills. For example, reception children retell ‘Biff and Chip’ stories in simple sentences and some draw pictures about the stories on the computer. All children make good progress according to their capabilities and most can write their names independently. There is good emphasis on basic skills in activities and many children are beginning to read simple texts in stories, such as “I like cars”, “I like planes”. The children gain knowledge of the sounds symbolised by different letters and consolidate the connections by remembering actions, songs and rhymes linked with the sounds. Children’s listening skills are developing well because staff insist that children listen carefully to instructions and give stimulating explanations that hold the children’s attention. In the nursery the teacher

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Commentary

talks to individual children about their reading books that they have taken home. Nearly all children benefit from good support for reading at home. The adults in the class provide good role models for spoken language but do not always encourage children to speak at greater length.

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Commentary

43. Staff make good use of ICT to promote language development. There is now an effective approach to assessing and recording what children can and cannot do. This information enables them to plan and provide language activities that help children to develop good basic literacy skills.

p.20

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in mathematical development is good .

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The children’s number recognition is good because of the good teaching and the well-structured range of activities. • Careful planning ensures frequent opportunities for mathematical activities. • The children learn effectively through daily experiences of mathematical skills.

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Commentary

44. Achievement in mathematical development is good. Most reception children are likely to reach the goals expected by the end of the reception year. In the nursery there is a good range of practical activities, which enable the children to develop an understanding of number. For example, a more able nursery child can count and match numbers to 10 although a less able child finds difficulty with connecting the correct number of objects to numerals. Good relationships encourage children to learn enthusiastically through number songs and games. Teaching makes good links with mathematical aspects of other practical areas of learning. For example, a walk around the school grounds reinforces the nursery children’s recognition of different shapes as they are asked to look for and to take rubbings of the shapes they can find. A small group of children involved in water play are able to explain which containers can hold the

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Commentary

most and least amount. In reception classes, a wide variety of activities are planned and a good range of resources is used to support children’s learning. Higher attaining children are encouraged to work with numbers up to 20 and are beginning to do simple addition and subtraction with growing accuracy. When children are provided with challenging work, they achieve well. However, on occasions, groups of children work on activities for long periods without staff intervening to further extend their ideas and understanding. Low Ash Primary School - 21

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Commentary

There was not enough evidence to make a judgement about all aspects of this area of learning. The good planning of different topics is used effectively to develop and extend the children’s knowledge of and curiosity in their environment. The displays in the classrooms and the teacher’s planning documents illustrate that the children are presented with a satisfactory range of learning opportunities. Good displays in the reception classes show that the children have used a variety of materials to construct model houses, shops and vehicles in order to depict a street scene as part of their topic on the local community. They are introduced to a range of topical issues, for example the use of rubbish bins to reduce pollution as they take a ‘sensory’ walk along Wrose Road. From nursery through to reception the children show good development in computer skills. They are confident in accessing programs using the mouse and keyboard.

p.21

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in physical development is good .

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The children’s skills develop well through many activities available each day in the classrooms. • Achievement in physical development is good because of good teaching. • A range of well-organised activities is provided.

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Commentary

45. The children are well on course to exceed the expected levels by the end of the reception year. The co-ordination of their physical skills as they ride and steer the bicycles and climb on the climbing frame in the outdoor play area is good. The regular use of scissors and other tools in the classrooms helps children develop their fine motor skills. In a good physical education lesson in the hall, reception children showed awareness of why they needed to perform warm-up exercises. A child stated, “because the blood goes through the pipes”. Teachers manage activities well, which enable children to move in skilful and imaginative ways and at different speeds. They are taught well to use all the space in the hall and jump, land and climb in a controlled manner. Children with special educational needs are fully involved in the activities because of the good assistance they receive from support staff who show sensitivity and good

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Commentary

understanding of their needs, which helps, for example, children with disability to feel part of the class group.

p.21

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

There was not enough evidence to make a judgement about all aspects of this area of learning. Work on display shows that children are provided with a satisfactory range of activities. The staff ensures that there is a suitable selection of pens, crayons and materials for children to express their ideas creatively in, for example, pictures and collages. The children are provided with a range of activities to develop their tactile experiences. In the nursery, children’s paintings on display show that they use a variety of techniques to create pictures, including printing, painting with brushes and gluing on different types of materials. They have been encouraged to paint pictures in the style of Paul Klee. Children explore sounds through experimenting with various musical instruments and are able to practise low and high sounds. In the reception classes the children are encouraged well through the stimulus of photographs of the local community to explore the use of colour, texture and

p.21

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

shape to create two and three-dimensional artwork for a display of Wrose Road. Low Ash Primary School - 22

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards are above average and pupils achieve well in Years 1 and 2 because teaching is good. • The standards of pupils’ writing and the presentation of their work are below average in Year 6. • More able pupils in Years 3 to 6 do not achieve high enough standards because their work is not challenging enough and teachers’ expectations are sometimes too low. • Pupils with special educational needs do well in English because classroom support assistants are well informed about their needs and give good support to pupils in lessons. • There are good opportunities for reading and for speaking and listening.

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Commentary

46. Results in national tests and current standards at the end of Year 2 reflect better levels of achievement than at Year 6. This is due to a lack of consistency in the quality of teaching and learning over time, creating gaps in pupils’ learning and leaving too much ground to make up. This is especially so for the current cohort of pupils in Years 5 and 6 where standards in writing are below average. Standards are above those normally expected in all aspects of English at the end of Year 2. By the end of Year 6 standards are at the expected levels in speaking, listening and reading. The quality of pupils’ handwriting and presentation of work is sometimes poor.

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Commentary

47. There are good opportunities for speaking and listening in classrooms and listening skills are well developed. Pupils listen intently and remember what they have heard well. Teachers praise and value what pupils have to say and this gives them confidence in explaining their ideas fully. Occasionally discussions at the beginning of lessons go on for too long, leaving little time for the writing activities that follow. Teachers make sure that pupils increase their vocabulary so that they routinely use the new technical terms associated with different subjects. In the infants, there are constant reminders of what the features of good writing are and teachers check and insist that pupils use them every time they write. Pupils write neatly, fully and accurately, creating extra interest by using a growing range of vocabulary and punctuation. However, in the junior classes, teachers sometimes accept poor written work that is untidy and has careless mistakes in

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Commentary

spelling and punctuation. Teachers do not insist that pupils use a consistently joined and neat handwriting, even though some have such targets at the front of their writing books. In the different ability sets for literacy, teachers often take too little account of the information they have about what pupils can already do. As a result, the activities set for more able pupils, and the expectations of their written work, do not challenge them enough so that few reach the higher levels in writing.

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Commentary

48. The school’s focus on reading has been successful. The good amount of curriculum time allocated to group reading is providing consistent opportunities for reading, and standards are rising. Pupils throughout the school enjoy reading. At Year 2 the improvement in the number of pupils reaching average and above average levels of attainment in the national tests over the past year has been very good. The ‘Better Reading’ strategy and other booster group activities give pupils additional practice and opportunities for individual reading with adults. Regular sessions in the school’s library give pupils access to a wider range of books for home reading and research. The library is well organised and pupils in Year 6 use it confidently in seeking out particular books and information they need. Good home/school communication enables parents to consolidate their children’s reading well. Low Ash Primary School - 23

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Commentary

49. Teaching is satisfactory overall. Though a significant amount of good teaching was seen during the inspection, examination of pupils’ work clearly highlights the difference in the effectiveness of teaching between the younger and older pupils. It is most marked in writing. Good teaching in Years 1 and 2 ensures that pupils of all abilities achieve well. Teaching and pupils’ achievements in Years 3 to 6 are satisfactory overall. Across the school, pupils show good levels of interest and behave well in lessons because teachers forge very good relationships with them and provide activities that they enjoy. Teachers in Years 1 and 2 have high expectations of pupils. This shows in the thorough way they mark pupils’ work and guide them in lessons. Teachers and classroom support staff place a clear focus on the specific skills that pupils are to develop, so they develop good strategies for reading, through their knowledge of letter sounds and a growing bank of

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Commentary

words they recognise. There are similar features in some lessons in the older classes, but they are not used as consistently. The pace of learning is not so brisk; for example, some pupils lose concentration when reading independently. Sometimes teachers miss opportunities for pupils to read challenging texts. Teachers ensure that introductions are interesting and in most lessons the way they encourage pupils to think hard through probing questions means that the quality of discussion is often a positive feature in the teaching.

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Commentary

50. Throughout the school pupils with special educational needs do well in English. Teachers and other adults working with them in lessons adapt activities and support them well in achieving the targets set for them. The pupils who come from homes where English is not the first language are provided with similar opportunities as their classmates and make similar progress. Teachers provide work, texts and contexts, which are reflective of the range of backgrounds represented in the classes, which helps pupils to build on their wider experiences.

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Commentary

51. Pupils’ progress is monitored satisfactorily using tests and the test results are analysed to identify strengths and weaknesses. The school has recently introduced target setting, which is practised more consistently in Years 1 and 2. In Years 3 to 6 some pupils are set targets but these are mostly of a general nature and most pupils do not have a clear idea of how they can improve.

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Commentary

52. The leadership and management of English are satisfactory overall. The subject leader has established some good management systems in checking how well pupils are doing. The introduction of target setting using this information is improving teachers’ awareness of where pupils should be in their skills in different year groups. She is well aware of the weaknesses in writing and has a clear action plan to deal with weaknesses in teaching. However, the monitoring of teaching, particularly in Years 3 to 6, is not yet sharp enough in eliminating inconsistencies and raising expectations.

p.23

Language and literacy across the curriculum

There are useful opportunities for pupils to use their writing skills in subjects such as religious education and geography in Years 1 to 6. In Year 2, writing a report of what Sunday means to Christians enabled pupils to use the words related to time, like ‘next’ and ‘later’, that they had been learning in recent literacy lessons. A letter to the local planning officer about litter bins gave others extra practice in letter writing. However, pupils do not develop an effective enough style for writing their science reports. Although the quality of handwriting and presentation of displayed work is sometimes good, this is not always the case in pupils’ daily writing. Low Ash Primary School - 24

p.23

MATHEMATICS

Provision in mathematics is satisfactory overall.

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Recently introduced systems for assessing and tracking pupils’ performance are enabling the school to focus more closely on the attainment and progress of groups and individuals and to take appropriate action. • Teaching is good in Years 1 and 2, which enables pupils to achieve well and attain above average standards. • In most lessons in Years 3 to 6, there is insufficient variation of tasks to cater for the different levels of attainment in the class. As a result more able pupils are not challenged enough and do not achieve as well as they could. • Teaching in the top sets for Years 4 and 5 is good. • There are not enough opportunities for pupils to solve problems involving numbers, data handling, geometry and measures. • Standards of presentation in recorded work in Years 3 to 6 are not good enough.

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Commentary

53. At the end of Year 6, standards are broadly in line with national levels and above average at Year 2. In the national test results for Year 2 pupils, improvement in the number of pupils achieving the higher than expected level was good but standards declined at Year 6. Standards at the end of Year 6 have fluctuated over the past three years because the school is developing its provision for Years 3 to 6. Through the effective use of a numeracy consultant, weaknesses in provision have been identified and some effectively addressed, particularly at Year 2. The careful analysis of pupils’ attainment and progress and setting realistic targets for year groups have provided quality information. This is now used effectively, so that those pupils who are dropping behind are identified and given additional classroom support.

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Commentary

54. Achievement in Years 3 to 6 is satisfactory overall. Pupils make satisfactory progress through the junior years over time because the work teachers give most pupils enables them to build on what they have learnt before. However, achievement is generally uneven through Years 3 to 6 because of the variation in the quality of teaching and learning. More able pupils do not always make the best possible progress because teachers generally require these pupils to complete the same work as most other pupils in their set before proceeding to more challenging tasks. Analysis of work shows that pupils in the top sets for Years 4 and 5 achieve well. Teacher expectations are high and they provide pupils with a good range of challenging work; this was also evident in the lessons seen in these sets. However, achievement in the lower middle and the lower set for Year 3 and 4 pupils is not good enough. The recorded work in books reveals that

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Commentary

expectations for these pupils are not high enough. Too frequently pupils do a small amount of work, and in one of the unsatisfactory lessons valuable time was allocated to copying from worksheets. In Year 6 sets teaching is satisfactory but lacks the sparkle and rigour to inspire and motivate pupils.

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Commentary

55. Inspection evidence shows that standards in mathematics are above average in Year 2 and most pupils achieve well. This is because teachers plan stimulating activities that interest and engage pupils. Teachers usually target the work well to the standards most pupils are at. Strengths include purposeful questioning, which helps to motivate pupils, and well-chosen resources, which aid learning. The lower attaining pupils and those with special educational needs are taught very well in the lower set. A wide range of activities that make learning fun are provided, which assists the pupils in concentrating for longer periods. The pace in lessons is brisk and lower attaining pupils make good progress with some often making very good progress. Teachers’ marking celebrates pupils’ efforts and sometimes helps them to move forward. Low Ash Primary School - 25 56. The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall. Teaching is consistently good in Years 1 and 2. In

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Commentary

Years 1 to 6, teachers work well with support staff who effectively assist pupils with special educational needs and some lower attaining pupils, which enables the pupils to achieve well. Teachers ensure that the needs of pupils with English as an additional language are met well and pupils from different ethnic backgrounds use their experiences to support their learning. Behaviour management strategies are used well to help pupils to maintain good standards of behaviour in lessons. However, teachers do not pay sufficient attention to standards of presentation. Pupils’ work is particularly untidy in the junior classes. Throughout the school mental calculation strategies are taught well. The focus on mental arithmetic is paying dividends in improving pupils’ understanding and increasing their mental agility in calculating at speed in different number operations. Teachers now focus on developing mathematical vocabulary well

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Commentary

and, as a result, pupils use appropriate terms in explaining their work. However, few opportunities are provided for practical, problem-solving work so that many pupils are restricted in using and applying their mathematical skills and knowledge to consolidate and extend their learning.

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Commentary

57. The leadership and management of the subject are satisfactory. The co-ordinator has sound understanding of some of the subject’s strengths and shortcomings. Some training and development work are planned with the numeracy consultant but there is a lack of clarity about how the required areas for improvement are to be addressed. The monitoring and recording of pupils’ progress are satisfactory. The school now analyses data from national tests and termly assessments to identify areas requiring improvement and to set annual targets for each year group as part of cohort tracking. However, pupils do not yet have precise targets to help them to develop ownership in their learning. Pupils have too few opportunities to develop their own strategies for solving ‘real-life’ problems to help them to appreciate the importance of mathematics in their daily lives

p.25

Mathematics across the curriculum

The development of mathematical skills, knowledge and understanding through other subjects is not given enough emphasis. Pupils use graphs to record results in science experiments. Some use is also made of computers to represent information. However, opportunities tend to occur coincidentally rather than as part of systematic planning.

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards are below average by the end of Year 6 because work is not well matched to pupils’ abilities, especially higher attainers who are not sufficiently challenged. • In some classes insufficient emphasis is given to develop a formal reporting style for writing up investigations. • Pupils’ work is frequently untidy and this affects the accuracy of the information presented. • Resources are inadequate to support effective classroom provision in some areas. • Standards of attainment are above expectation at the end of Year 2.

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Commentary

58. Standards of attainment are above expectation by the end of Year 2, but below expectation by the end of Year 6. These findings are broadly in line with the results of the 2003 national tests for Year 6 pupils, and the teacher assessed work in Year 2 at that time. Pupils make good progress in learning, and achieve well, in the infants, but progress slows down in the juniors, leading to unsatisfactory achievement by the end of Year 6. Pupils who have special educational needs make progress at a similar rate to their classmates in the infants, but make greater progress, in relation to their abilities, than their classmates in the juniors. This is because the school provides Low Ash Primary School - 26 well for them, and, as a result, they continue to achieve well. There are no differences in the attainment of girls and boys.

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Commentary

59. Standards have improved in the infant classes because of good teaching, but they have declined in the junior classes because work is not well matched to pupils’ abilities, especially higher attainers. For example, in Year 6, there is rarely any difference in the work given to the higher and lower attaining pupils. As a result, some pupils are insufficiently challenged, and others find the work too difficult. Teachers’ planning does not take sufficient account of the needs of different groups. For example, in a satisfactory lesson in Year 6, on dissolving, the teacher had not planned activities to extend the higher attainers. All pupils made satisfactory progress in this lesson, but lack of challenge limited achievement, especially for those capable of working at a higher level.

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Commentary

60. The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall. In most lessons teachers give good emphasis to learning through investigation. As a result, pupils have a good understanding of the need to carry out a ‘fair test’ in order to ensure meaningful results, and of making a prediction as ‘a sensible guess’ about the outcomes. Older pupils understand predictions should be based on what they already know. All pupils recognise the importance of recording the results of investigations, but there is inconsistency in the way pupils do this in different classes, and the importance teachers attach to it. For example, pupils in one Year 6 class did not work to an agreed format for scientific reporting and needed guidance from the temporary teacher; pupils demonstrated they had a good understanding of what to include, but this used up valuable learning time in order to produce an agreed structure. As this was not the focus of the lesson, some learning opportunities were

p.26

Commentary

missed and pupils did not have enough time to conclude what they had found out from the investigation. Pupils presented their work well, with good levels of accuracy. However, work in their exercise books and those provided in the work sample indicates that presentation is often untidy, leading to careless mistakes that impact on attainment.

p.26

Commentary

61. Leadership and management of the subject are satisfactory. The co-ordinator has a good understanding of the subject’s strengths and weaknesses and knows what needs to be done to raise standards in the junior years. Assessment of the subject is generally satisfactory. Science has not been a priority in the school improvement plan in recent years. Consequently there have been no opportunities for the co-ordinator to focus on staff training needs, or to fund resources at a level that will fill the gaps where pupils’ learning opportunities are limited by a lack of practical equipment.

p.26

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Provision in information and communication technology (ICT) is very good .

p.26

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards are above expectation at the end of Year 2, and well above expectation at the end of Year 6. • The quality of teaching is very good in Years 3 to 6, and, as a result, pupils make very good progress and achieve well. • The subject is very well led and managed by a co-ordinator, who has considerable expertise. • ICT is used satisfactorily in the ICT suites to support learning across the curriculum, but these skills are underused in the classroom.

p.26

Commentary

62. ICT is a strength of the school because of: considerable staff expertise; a significant investment in hardware, software and accommodation; a very strong commitment to the subject at senior management level; and pupils’ very positive attitudes to ICT. As a result, standards are high at the end of Year 2, and very high by the end of Year 6. Pupils who have special educational Low Ash Primary School - 27 needs, and those from minority ethnic backgrounds, make progress at a similar rate to their classmates. There is no difference in the attainment of girls and boys. There has been good improvement because standards of attainment have risen to well above average by the time pupils leave the school and all pupils make at least good progress in learning.

p.26

Commentary

63. The quality of teaching is very good, overall. Teachers are skilled and confident users of ICT. This level of expertise and confidence is the result of the staff’s commitment to ICT, training provided through the ‘New Opportunities Fund’ and additional skills acquired through pursuing ICT as a performance management objective. Staff use the school’s two ICT suites very well to support learning in ICT lessons, especially when new skills are taught. For example, teachers demonstrate pupils’ next steps by projecting them onto a large screen where they are easy to follow. In a very good lesson with Year 6, pupils were using ‘hyperlinks’ to add action buttons. They followed the teacher’s effective presentation and applied this new learning when devising a mathematics quiz. By adding hyperlinks this would enable quiz participants to go back one step, and try again, if they entered an incorrect answer. Equally, if they answered correctly an

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Commentary

onscreen message would congratulate them. The teacher’s close monitoring of pupils’ progress enabled her to extend higher attaining pupils well by demonstrating additional skills and challenging them to include these in their work. Some pupils not only did this, but managed to add sound effects also. In this lesson all pupils met the task very well, contributing to very good achievement overall.

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Commentary

64. As part of the improving provision in ICT, the school has developed a very effective website. This includes the latest school information, pupils’ work, curriculum documents and useful links to other organisations, such as the Shipley Online Project. A significant feature of the website is the access it allows pupils to ‘virtual lockers’ from computers at home. In this way they are able to access work in progress and complete assignments for homework. The school’s ICT co- ordinator has played a significant part in setting up and maintaining this website. The quality and usefulness of this site reflect his considerable ICT skills, and his commitment to using ICT to promote school and community learning. This has been recognised by a national association of advisors, inspectors and consultants who visited the school in late 2003 and judged the website, and other aspects of ICT, to be worthy of a NAACE mark (one of only 85 schools in the country to

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Commentary

65. The subject is very well led and managed. The co-ordinator has observed colleagues and advised them how to make their teaching more effective. He has also led training sessions for staff, including those who are supporting pupils with special educational needs, where adaptations to equipment and modified software are often needed.

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Information and communication technology across the curriculum

66. ICT is used satisfactorily across the curriculum. Pupils in Year 5 used ICT to write up a science investigation in the form of a newspaper report, and pupils in Year 2 searched the Internet for information about the artist Mondrian when they used a painting program to create a work in his style. Some teachers use ICT well in the classroom to support teaching. For example, a Year 4 teacher gave a ‘virtual’ presentation of tree conservation and global warming in a religious education lesson. However, inspection evidence suggests that opportunities for pupils to explore the potential of ICT in other subjects are sometimes missed. For example, pupils in Year 6 have few opportunities to apply ICT skills in science when they represent data in graphs and charts because these tend to be presented in traditional style, with pencil and crayons. Similarly, pupils in a Year 6 geography lesson did not draw upon skills developed in ICT when they copied

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Information and communication technology across the curriculum

information from a monitor that could easily have been imported into their own presentations for redrafting. Low Ash Primary School - 28

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HISTORY and GEOGRAPHY

Pupils’ work was sampled in history and geography , with only one lesson seen in geography. It is therefore not possible to form an overall judgement about provision in these subjects. There is every indication from looking at the work in books and the teachers’ planning documents that the content of lessons ensures the pupils receive a good range of activities in these subjects.

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HISTORY and GEOGRAPHY

In both subjects it is clear that visits from and visitors to the school play an important part in making the work interesting and relevant. When talking to Year 6 pupils they remember in detail the geography visit to Shipley to consider the traffic and pollution issues and to Salts Mill to discover the historical significance of the work of Titus Salt. In a satisfactory geography lesson in Year 6 the pupils worked well as a group to research information on different mountains. Pupils needed helpful suggestions to recall the sources of information for their research and did not readily consider the option of using computers. The presentation of work and marking in the pupil’s books are of a variable quality.

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HISTORY and GEOGRAPHY

Subject managers have commenced to monitor their subjects by looking at the planning for different year groups and examples of pupils’ work and by observing teaching in classes. There is sound management of the subjects. The resources are good.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

Provision in religious education is satisfactory .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils remember well what they learn in their topics because of good use of assemblies, visits and visitors successfully stimulates their interest and enthusiasm. • Teachers manage discussions well with effective use of questions, but some follow-up tasks lack sufficient challenge. • Pupils sometimes do not have enough opportunities to discuss, reflect and interpret religious education topics because low time allocations to the subject mean that lessons are too short.

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Commentary

67. Standards by the end of Year 2 and Year 6 are similar to those identified in the Bradford Syllabus for religious education for pupils at seven and eleven years of age. Pupils across all aspects of the subject achieve satisfactorily.

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Commentary

68. There are good links with local churches and church leaders that give pupils a sound understanding of the similarities and differences in different world religions. They speak confidently about the features they see and the special celebrations in churches because they have seen at first hand and discussed them with church leaders in visits to a local mosque and Anglican churches. When time allows, teachers manage discussions well, using questions skilfully so that pupils think hard and give detailed explanations. When exploring topics such as respect, sacred items and the life of Buddha, they show sensitivity and understanding of others’ feelings and belief. This adds much to their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Teachers make sure that pupils use the new words they learn when they speak so that they develop a good vocabulary. Older pupils confidently use words such as ‘transept’ when

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Commentary

69. The teaching of religious education throughout the school is satisfactory. Teachers work closely to their planned activities that pupils find interesting, and lessons have a clear focus. Pupils listen with interest and remember facts well. Some assemblies make a good contribution to pupils’ Low Ash Primary School - 29 learning in the subject; in particular, stories provide a good stimulus for the follow-up lessons that link well to the theme of the story. However, the time allocated to teaching religious education is too low, and these lessons are often too short so that pupils have little time to reflect on the messages or the feelings of the people involved. They listen intently and sympathetically, but they sometimes write accurate factual reports of stories rather than fully interpreting their messages because there has been too little time for discussion. Teachers provide opportunities for pupils to

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Commentary

talk to believers from other religions, such as talking to a Muslim parent about Islamic beliefs and religious traditions. They ensure that the religious and cultural practices of the minority ethnic pupils are represented in displays and included in the curriculum.

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Commentary

70. The leadership and management of religious education are satisfactory. The subject leader is enthusiastic and has a good knowledge of the subject and its requirements. The planning for the subject is well established and she regularly checks the quality of teaching and pupils’ learning so that weak areas are addressed. The shortage of bibles has been noted and more are on order. At present this prevents older pupils taking up the potentially good opportunities for research that teachers plan, and means they send spend too long on unchallenging activities such as colouring pictures. The subject is well placed for improvement, but its low time allocation currently hampers further progress.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

71. Only two lessons were seen in each of the subjects. It is therefore not possible to make a firm judgement about provision. In addition to observing lessons, inspectors spoke to co-ordinators about their work and looked at a very small sample of work in some subjects.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

72. In art and design, sketchbooks are used in the junior classes to plan designs and sketch ideas. Work on display showed good development in observational skills and an appropriate emphasis on colour-mixing skills. The school has introduced the idea of each class building a portfolio of best work examples, which is at an early stage of development and there were only a few examples in each class portfolio. However, these were seldom dated or annotated to show the criteria for choosing the piece of artwork as a good example. In the two lessons seen, teaching and learning were satisfactory. In the Year 6 lesson, pupils explored the use of pastels as a medium for introducing colour in sketches. Some of the techniques introduced demonstrated low expectations and some lack of development in the use of various art techniques by Year 6. The lesson in Year 2 was satisfactory with good opportunity for pupils to observe line and form in

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

places and objects around them. The after-school art club for junior pupils is supported well by an artist from a local college. Some of the examples of pupils’ work were of good quality, particularly the ‘Take a Seat’ using mod rod and a wide variety of materials.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

73. In design and technology the work in books and in the teachers’ planning documents illustrate that there are ample opportunities for all the pupils to be able to create their own designs and transfer these ideas to the stage of making products. In a good Year 6 lesson the pupils were stimulated and interested in the challenge to make a model of a fairground ride. They shared their ideas with others in the group well and assisted each other to resolve the problems posed by the teacher. In a Year 2 lesson the pupils learned about the different methods that could be used to join materials to produce a simple appliqué pattern. The teacher encouraged them to decide which was the best method. The pupils’ work shows that they are provided with opportunities to evaluate their own work and that of their classmates. In Year 3 the pupils have conducted a project on the comparison of different sandwiches. A display in the classroom poses questions

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

about which sandwiches had the best appearance, taste and texture.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

74. In music the two lessons seen during the inspection were in Year 6. The leadership and management by the music co-ordinator are satisfactory. There is now a room set aside for teaching music with enough musical instruments to deliver the music curriculum. Planning sets out clearly what pupils are to learn and the use of ‘Music Express’ materials provides sound guidance for those teachers in Years 5 and 6 who teach their own music lessons. There are opportunities for pupils to perform in concerts, though more could be provided in assemblies and Low Ash Primary School - 30 school productions for those pupils learning to play the flute, keyboard and other instruments with visiting specialists.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

75. A specialist music teacher working on Fridays each week leads most lessons. Her teaching was not seen during the inspection. However, discussions with pupils indicate that they enjoy their lessons and the different musical experiences provided. Standards in Year 6 in the lessons seen and in talking to pupils are below those expected of pupils of this age. Their musical language and awareness of famous composers are very shaky. Their control and performance with percussion instruments are particularly immature. Some of the weaknesses in teaching still persist. Teaching is less than satisfactory when there are weaknesses in planning and the management of pupils arising from insecurity in teaching the subject. Lessons of around 30 minutes each week make it hard for teachers to cover all the aspects fully. This means that whilst they try to include all aspects in their planning, pupils’ skills are tentative rather than secure

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

76. In physical education the teachers’ planning documents and the discussions with Year 6 pupils confirm that a good range of activities is provided to pupils. In a Year 2 gymnastics lesson the pupils showed good progress in their ability to translate the mood of the music through their movements and in their understanding of the meaning of words describing different ways of moving. This was because of the effective teaching approaches used in lesson. The teacher displayed key ideas and moods in written form and explained the type of music before the pupils performed expressive movements interpreting the ideas. For example, a pupil moved with a ‘creeping’ action and made the movement more expressive by using an appropriate ‘frightening’ facial expression. In a good Year 5 lesson the pupils worked in small groups to produce ‘sculptures’ of different balances with good standards of performance demonstrating the

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

77. A good range of sporting and other interesting activities enriches the curriculum. Many pupils have good opportunities for competing in local and regional competitions, which deepens their understanding of the importance of rules and regulations in games. There are currently clubs for football, bulltag (rugby) and athletics, which enable pupils to develop skills beyond the school day. Visits from local football and rugby coaches and the cricket club enhance provision. Residential visits for Years 5 and 6 pupils provide further valuable opportunities to participate in a range of adventurous outdoor activities, for example canoeing, abseiling and caving. A number of pupils have successfully represented Bradford Schools in athletic competitions.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

78. The subject is effectively managed. The subject manager feels that more staff training is required to help raise the standards in dance. The teaching resources are good but because the hall is used for dining and assemblies there is insufficient time for all the classes to have the option of the use of indoor facilities. This was illustrated when the Year 4 lesson had to be abandoned because of inclement weather.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

79. There was not enough evidence to support this aspect of provision. Discussions with the co- ordinator and pupils were held and one lesson was seen. The school sees pupils’ personal development as an important part of its work. Personal, social and health education lessons are provided regularly in all the classes each week, with focus on topical issues. In the lesson seen, teaching was satisfactory and pupils developed understanding of the importance of communication between friends and empathised with others when they are excluded from groups. The school council meets regularly but opportunities to develop understanding of the structure and responsibilities that are part of the democratic process are missed and pupils’ involvement in decision-making processes is too restricted to playground and cloakroom issues. There is a satisfactory programme of activities including work on diet, health, sex, drugs and

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

alcohol and personal safety, which is taught through the science curriculum. Through this programme pupils are supported to develop a healthy lifestyle, gain in confidence and practise their social skills. Low Ash Primary School - 31

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Overall standards achieved 4 Pupils’ achievement 4

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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