Masham CofE VA Primary School

PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 18 th – 20 th November 2003

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PRIMARY SCHOOL

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 Masham Church of England (Voluntary Aided) Primary School- ii 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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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. Masham Church of England (Voluntary Aided) Primary School- iii

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Primary School category: Voluntary Aided Age range of pupils: 4 – 11 years Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 95

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: 1 Millgate Market Place Masham

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: 01765 689200 Fax number: 01765 688266

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: North Yorkshire Name of chair of governors: Reverend David Cleeves

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

Masham Church of England (Voluntary Aided) Primary School is smaller than average and serves the town of Masham and surrounding areas in North Yorkshire. There are 95 pupils on roll aged between 4 and 11 years, 38 boys and 57 girls, and the numbers have decreased in recent years. There are four classes and they all contain pupils of more than one age group. The overwhelming majority of the school population is of white UK heritage and pupils come from a wide mix of social and economic backgrounds. Two pupils have statements of special educational needs (SEN) and a further ten are identified as requiring extra support for their learning difficulties. The overall percentages of pupils identified with additional needs and those eligible for free school meals are below national averages. On entry to the school, children’s overall skill levels vary considerably but currently they are similar to those normally seen for their age. There has been a significant amount

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

of staff turnover in recent years, especially in Key Stage 2. The school has long-standing links with the community, especially the local church. The school’s achievements have been recognised recently with the award of the SEN Quality Mark for its work with children who have SEN and by its recognition as an Investors in People organisation. Both awards were received in 2003. Masham Church of England (Voluntary Aided) Primary School- iv

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

1569 Michael Hewlett Lead inspector Information and communication technology Geography History The Foundation Stage English as an additional language 11084 Jane Hughes Lay inspector 18370 Kevin Johnson Team inspector Mathematics Science Design and technology Music Special educational needs 23887 Peter Nettleship Team inspector English Art and design Physical education

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

Primary Associates Suite 13 West Lancs Technology Management Centre Moss Lane View Skelmersdale Lancashire WN8 9TN

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

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

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 3

Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 3

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 6

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 23

Masham Church of England (Voluntary Aided) Primary School- 1

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school provides a satisfactory education for most of its pupils but, overall, it is not as effective as it should be. Masham Church of England (Voluntary Aided) Primary School has serious weaknesses in aspects of its leadership and management, standards in Key Stage 2 and in its relationships with parents. With good teaching, children get off to a good start during their first three years in school but this dips dramatically in the junior department where teaching is less effective, particularly for older pupils. As a result, they leave Year 6 achieving standards that are below average. The school provides unsatisfactory value for money.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are: • Provision for children in reception is very good and good in Years 1 and 2; • Standards are above average at the age of 7 years but below average at the age of 11 years in English, mathematics and science; • The quality of teaching is uneven. It ranges from excellent to unsatisfactory with the best teaching in reception and Years 1 and 2. Too much of the teaching in Years 5 and 6 is unsatisfactory; • The school provides a broad range of activities, which motivate most pupils to learn. Extra- curricular activities are strong; • Leadership and management have not been proactive enough in addressing the low standards in junior classes and translating action plans into practice; • The rate of progress in some parts of the school is not as rapid as it should be; this is where the teaching is ineffective and activities are less challenging; • Links with the community and with other schools are good but partnership with parents is

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OVERALL EVALUATION

unsatisfactory; • Provision and support for pupils with SEN is good but insufficient attention is given to higher attaining pupils in the older classes.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

Overall, improvement since the last inspection has been unsatisfactory. On the positive side, the school has tackled most of the issues identified when the school was last inspected and governors have started to play a more active role within the school. They have a better understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. However, this has to be set against the weaknesses in leadership, management, standards in the junior department and links with parents.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

all schools similar schools Results in National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 6, compared with: 2000 2001 2002 2002 English B B E E* mathematics C E E E* science D E E* E* Key: A - well above average; B – above average; C – average; D – below average; E – well below average Similar schools are those whose pupils attained similarly at the end of Year 2.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

The grades refer to results in 2002 because data for 2003 had not been validated at the time of the inspection.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Overall, pupils achieve satisfactorily. In the Foundation Stage, children are on line to exceed the Early Learning Goals set for them at the end of reception. This represents good progress. Pupils are well taught, their individual needs are generally catered for and they achieve well, as a result. In Masham Church of England (Voluntary Aided) Primary School- 2 Years 1 and 2, standards are good in English and mathematics and they are satisfactory in science. Standards in Years 3 to 6 are much lower. In the current Year 6 class standards in English and mathematics are below average and in science they are well below. Pupils who have SEN receive good support throughout the school and they achieve well. Children who are higher attainers do less well in the junior classes because their needs are not met and too much of their work lacks challenge. As a result, they do not fulfil their potential.

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Pupils' personal qualities, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

are satisfactory. Pupils have good attitudes to school and their behaviour is satisfactory. Attendance levels are well above average.

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The quality of the education provided by the school is broadly satisfactory. Whilst the

teaching is satisfactory overall , it is much better in reception and Year 1 and 2 classes, where children make good gains in their learning across most subjects. Lessons move at a brisk pace, pupils are actively involved and show good levels of concentration. The picture in the junior classes is less positive and some of the teaching for older children is unsatisfactory. This is because much of the work set for them is not challenging enough and the demands on them are not consistently carried through. This results in work left unfinished and levels of achievement below average. Whilst pupils with SEN are generally well taught, other groups are less well catered for because individual differences are not planned for in the lessons. The curriculum is satisfactory overall, and is particularly strong for younger children who benefit from a lively and rich learning environment. A good range of activities outside of school helps to enrich the curriculum.

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The quality of the education provided by the school is broadly satisfactory. Whilst the

Partnership with parents is unsatisfactory. Parents are not given enough encouragement to play an active role in the life of the school and they are given insufficient information about how well their children are doing. Where parents are included they make a valuable contribution and most are happy with the links they have with the reception class. The headteacher takes her duty of care very seriously and care for pupils’ health, safety and general welfare is very good. Links with the community are good and are a positive feature of the school.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The leadership and management of the school are unsatisfactory. In recent years, the headteacher has identified weaknesses in junior classes but they still remain and the strategies she has put in place are not having sufficient impact. The school runs efficiently on a day-to-day basis and there is sound financial management. Monitoring of teaching, learning and standards is not rigorous enough to check on how effective the school is or how well pupils are doing. This results in some pupils making insufficient progress, particularly as they move through the junior classes. Governance is sound. The governing body is supportive, understands the school’s strengths and weaknesses but needs to challenge more to make sure intentions are delivered into practice.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

A significant minority of parents are dissatisfied with various aspects of the school’s provision. They made their views known through questionnaires they returned, letters they wrote and at the meeting held with inspectors. Most pupils enjoy coming to school and feel that their views are beginning to be listened to. From the inspection evidence, both sets of views are well justified.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

The most important things the school should do to improve are: • Raise levels of achievement, particularly in the junior classes; • Improve the effectiveness of the leadership and management so that plans and intentions are delivered and have a positive impact on standards, teaching and learning; Masham Church of England (Voluntary Aided) Primary School- 3 • Involve parents more in the life and work of the school. Masham Church of England (Voluntary Aided) Primary School- 4

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Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

Achievement of pupils in the Foundation Stage and in Key Stage 1 is good. In Key Stage 2, it is unsatisfactory overall, but most progress is made in Years 3 and 4. By the time they leave, pupils are reaching below average standards in all core subjects.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils achieve well in reception and Years 1 and 2 classes; • Pupils with SEN achieve well in relation to their capabilities; • The achievement of pupils in junior classes is unsatisfactory.

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Commentary

1. Children in the Foundation Stage get off to a really good start and are on course to exceed the standards expected of them at the end of the stage in most of the areas of learning. The only exception is in physical development where they are on course to meet the standards. Lack of outdoor play equipment makes it difficult for children to improve their physical skills outside.

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Commentary

2. As pupils move through the school the positive picture on standards for 7-year-olds, presented in the last inspection report, has been maintained. However, standards for 11- year-olds are much lower.

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Commentary

3. The school’s performance in the national tests for pupils’ aged 7 has been a positive one, with the strongest and most consistent performance in writing. Based on the most recent published results at the time of the inspection (2002), the school is doing better in writing and mathematics than schools with pupils from a similar background and much better in reading. This picture was confirmed during the inspection as pupils demonstrated good reading skills as a result of skilled teaching in this area. Their writing was not as strong as the results suggest because pupils have few opportunities to express themselves imaginatively. This is a feature that is apparent across the school.

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Commentary

4. In the tests for 11-year-olds, the school is doing much worse in both the national and similar school contexts. When all the subjects are taken into account there is a consistent picture of either below or well below average standards for each of the last 4 years. This fall in standards is at odds with the national trend, which shows a picture of steady improvement. When compared with similar schools, the most recently reported results also placed the school in the bottom 5 per cent of the country.

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Commentary

5. At the time of the inspection the school’s results for 2003 at the age of 11 had not yet been validated, but they indicate a slight improvement in performance. Nevertheless, the standards reached are still below those found in both all schools and similar schools. Inspection findings are that the present Year 6 pupils are unlikely to reach average standards in English, mathematics and science. Standards in ICT are average at both the ages of 7 and 11.

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Commentary

6. Although standards are below average on leaving, pupils’ rate of progress throughout the school is uneven and it is tied closely to the current quality of teaching and staffing difficulties experienced in recent years. In Years 5 and 6, progress is not as good as it should be because teaching is unsatisfactory. Pupils achieve more where staffs’ subject knowledge or interest is strongest. In Early Years, for example, the standard of the work is better than that Masham Church of England (Voluntary Aided) Primary School- 5 normally seen in most primary schools. Similarly, in art at the end of Key Stage 1, standards are above average because children have lots of opportunities to practise their skills and improve their work. However, in history and geography standards are well below average at the age of 11 because not enough is expected of the pupils and too few skills are taught.

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Commentary

7. Pupils with SEN make good progress and achieve well in relation to their capabilities because their needs are accurately identified and they are well supported in class during lessons. Support for higher attainers is unsatisfactory because their needs are not picked up early enough and the work they are offered is not matched closely enough to their individual needs. There are far more girls in the school than boys but there are no significant variations between their performance in tests. No differences were seen during the inspection.

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Commentary

Standards in national tests at the end of Year 6 – average point scores in 2002

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Commentary

Standards in: School results National results English 23.4 (28.3) 27.0 (27.0) mathematics 23.8 (24.8) 26.7 (26.6) science 24.2 (26.4) 28.3 (28.3) There were 15 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year

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Commentary

Standards in national tests at the end of Year 2 – average point scores in 2002

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Commentary

Standards in: School results National results reading 17.6 (15.8) 15.8 (15.7) writing 15.2 (15.3) 14.4 (14.3) mathematics 17.5 (15.2) 16.5 (16.2) There were 13 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Most pupils have good attitudes to learning. Behaviour is satisfactory. Pupils’ personal development is satisfactory. Attendance rates are above the national average. Pupils are punctual.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Infant children and those in the Foundation Stage are very keen to please their teachers and respond extremely well in lessons; • Pupils like school and are eager to participate in activities; • Although behaviour is satisfactory overall and is usually good among younger children, some pupils behave inappropriately towards one another either physically or verbally; • Pupils’ moral and social development have a strong focus in school; • Pupils attend very regularly and are punctual.

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Commentary

8. Younger pupils in the school are remarkably well focused on their work and enjoy really warm relationships with their teachers. They positively bounce into lessons because they know that each day will be full of fun as well as interesting. This is because their teachers go to great lengths to pitch work at just the right level and then challenge children from the first to the last second of every lesson to do their best. There is no room for mediocrity in these lessons – teaching is finely tuned to ensure that pupils are constantly challenged yet Masham Church of England (Voluntary Aided) Primary School- 6 entertained at the same time. Humour plays a large part in encouraging these pupils to do their best. This is equally true of children with SEN and was demonstrated during outdoor activities in reception when the teacher offered the minimum support required to finally coax one little girl to edge her way right along the balance ‘blocks’. As she got to the end she

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Commentary

managed to let go of the teacher’s finger for the first time and her beaming smile reflected her delight.

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Commentary

9. Older pupils are also interested in their work and are actively engaged during many of their lessons and acts of collective worship. Sometimes, the attitudes of the oldest pupils dip because the teacher does not expect enough from them. Most pupils agree that they like school and their very regular attendance confirms this.

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Commentary

10. Standards of behaviour follow a similar pattern in that the youngest pupils generally behave very well, sharing and collaborating well. The behaviour of the older pupils tends to reflect the expectations of the adults with them and is more variable. Most pupils behave appropriately but, from time-to-time, incidents of unacceptable behaviour occur and have to be dealt with on an individual basis by staff. There have been three fixed-period exclusions in the past year, all relating to white boys. When asked, verbally and in questionnaires, pupils agree that the behaviour of most children is acceptable. However, older pupils do report that they have been subjected to verbal bullying at times and they found this distressing.

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Commentary

11. The school has worked hard to improve pupils’ understanding of right and wrong and, more specifically, to be far more aware of how their actions affect others. Staff, governors and parents consulted on a revised behaviour policy and everyone knows what is expected and the rewards or sanctions attached. There are also good opportunities for pupils to extend their social development as they begin to see democracy in action in the work of the school council and participate in residential trips in Years 5 and 6. Such opportunities, coupled with useful links with other local schools have a positive impact on pupils’ personal development.

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Commentary

12. Pupils come to school very regularly and are almost always punctual. Consequently, the school enjoys higher than average attendance levels and this makes a good contribution to pupils’ learning and sets them in good stead for secondary school.

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Attendance

Attendance in the latest complete reporting year 2002

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Attendance

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data 1.9 School data 0.0 National data 5.4 National data 0.5 The table gives the percentage of half days missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Masham Church of England (Voluntary Aided) Primary School- 7

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Exclusions

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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Exclusions

Categories used in the Annual School Census No of pupils on roll Number of fixed period exclusions Number of permanent exclusions White – British 92 3 0 White– any other White background 2 0 0 Mixed – White and Black African 1 0 0 The table gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The quality of the education provided is satisfactory. The school meets all the requirements in delivering a suitable curriculum. Both teaching and learning are satisfactory overall, but the quality ranges from excellent to unsatisfactory. Care guidance and support for pupils are very good but the school’s partnership with parents is unsatisfactory. Links with other schools and with the community are good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching and learning are satisfactory overall, but vary considerably between classes; • They are very good overall, in reception and good in Years 1 and 2; • In lower junior classes teaching and learning are satisfactory but for older juniors they are unsatisfactory; • Pupils with SEN are well supported but not enough attention is given to the needs of other groups; • Assessments of pupils’ achievements are not used well enough to plan work for older children.

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Commentary

13. The picture of teaching in the school is uneven, ranging from excellent to unsatisfactory. The inconsistencies found have an adverse effect on pupils’ achievement at the age of 11. There have been staffing problems in recent years, particularly in Years 3 to 6 and this has slowed the progress that pupils make.

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Commentary

14. The best teaching was seen in reception and Years 1 and 2 where activities are well planned and matched carefully to the needs of individual children. The good understanding of what children can do is used well to plan the next programme of work and a lot is expected of the pupils. For example, even the youngest are expected to take responsibility for the resources and equipment they use and staff expect them to work hard whilst enjoying the tasks set. Older infants are set challenging tasks which enable them to apply their knowledge and understanding as, for example, when they use their multiplication skills to calculate how many children will be present when they arrange different groups around the room. By the time they are seven, the good teaching they have received and their positive attitudes have helped children to achieve well. Standards are above average at this stage and pupils respond well to the good range of activities on offer.

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Commentary

Masham Church of England (Voluntary Aided) Primary School- 8 15. In Years 3 to 6 the teaching is mixed. Some staff are new to the school and there are inconsistencies in the approaches that are used. For example, expectations on standards of presentation, marking and completion of work are not clear. This results in some confusion and disappointing standards, particularly with the older children in Years 5 and 6 where too much of their work is unmarked and poorly presented.

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Commentary

16. Throughout the school, staff plan lessons in detail and make good use of the classroom assistants who provide valuable support particularly for those children who have SEN. Not enough emphasis is placed on the needs of other groups within the class, especially the higher attainers, who sometimes find themselves doing work that is too easy for them. In Years 5 and 6 this causes them to lose interest and, for some, to become disruptive and disaffected during lessons.

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Commentary

17. Assessment procedures for younger children are very effective and the information gathered is carefully used to help the teachers to understand their individual needs. It works less well as they get older because the wealth of data made available to teachers in the junior classes is not translated into action plans that will change things at an individual pupil level. For example, staff are not always clear about how well pupils had achieved when they were seven or what progress they had made since they joined the junior department.

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Commentary

18. There are instances where teachers use their own interest and strong subject knowledge to enthuse pupils and help them achieve. Expertise is used to good advantage in the teaching of English, information and communication technology (ICT) and in Early Years. As a result of this input, pupils learn at a good pace because they develop a keen enthusiasm for their work, and are encouraged in exploiting and enjoying any particular talents they show.

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Commentary

19. The last inspection report judged teaching to be satisfactory with some significant strengths. It is still satisfactory overall, but the picture now is more varied with some clear strengths and obvious weaknesses. It is this level of inconsistency which affects pupil progress and what they can achieve because their rate of progress is dependent on the class they find themselves in. These findings confirm many of the comments that parents made at their meeting with inspectors and in their completed questionnaires.

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Commentary

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 21 lessons

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Commentary

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

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Commentary

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

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The curriculum

The quality of the curriculum is satisfactory. All the subjects of the National Curriculum are taught, as well as religious education, and there are organised sessions of collective worship. Curriculum provision in the infants is good, with work being creatively linked to give it added relevance. Provision in the junior classes is satisfactory. The required policies have been established for all subjects. However, some key aspects of health education are not routinely taught. Curriculum improvements since the last inspection include; adjustments to ensure additional teaching time per week and improved provision for ICT throughout the school.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The Foundation Stage curriculum is very well established, with the reception-aged children benefiting from a lively, rich and stimulating learning environment; Masham Church of England (Voluntary Aided) Primary School- 9 • Extra opportunities are given to enrich the curriculum provision for pupils; • The provision for those pupils having special educational needs is consistently good but the needs of the most able pupils are not sufficiently recognised.

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Commentary

20. Since the last inspection, the new reception classroom has become a real jewel of the school. In some areas, such as the displaying of work from across the curriculum, the creative use of computers in different subjects and in the development of independent learning strategies, it points the way forward for other classes to emulate.

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Commentary

21. The school’s extra-curricular provision is strong. A good range of clubs, offer musical and sporting activities that are well supported, especially by the older pupils. Coaching is provided, from as far afield as Bradford and Sunderland Football Clubs. There are regular theatre visits and various residential trips that raise pupils’ awareness of the arts, broaden their horizons and provide character-building challenges as they develop leadership and team-building skills through such activities as abseiling and canoeing.

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Commentary

22. The provision for pupils identified with SEN is good. Those who require support receive regular, skilled help on their individual programmes. Their needs are well met and they benefit from their inclusion in the full range of activities open to other pupils. However, more able and talented pupils are not specifically identified and work is not frequently planned to extend them fully. As a result, relatively few are reaching above average standards in literacy, mathematics and science at the age of 11. The specific needs of older pupils are not being as well met by the curriculum and consequently, their levels of achievement are unsatisfactory.

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Commentary

23. The accommodation and the resources in the reception are good. It is well equipped and the use that is made of the indoor space enhances the quality of children’s learning. However, with no separate area for outdoor play, equipment has to be stored prior to all breaktimes. This either puts undue pressure on the staff, or reduces play opportunities for the children, thus inhibiting their physical development. Some classrooms provide rather cramped accommodation, such as in Year 3/4. However, the spaces within the school are generally used creatively to maximise their potential. Resources for ICT are much improved since the previous inspection but resource levels are low in certain areas of science, geography and history. The school recognises that there is a need for an audit of books in the different libraries, to replace old stock and to promote better research opportunities.

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Care, guidance and support

The school takes very good care of pupils’ health, safety and general well being. Staff offer satisfactory levels of support, guidance and advice. There are satisfactory arrangements to involve pupils in the life and work of the school.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school pays due regard to all issues of health and safety; • Child protection procedures are rigorous; • Pupils are given regular targets to improve their work; • Staff do not give older pupils enough guidance in setting examples for younger children; • Pupils have an increasing influence on the work of the school although this could be developed further.

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Commentary

Masham Church of England (Voluntary Aided) Primary School- 10 24. Staff have a very clear understanding of the systems in place to ensure the health and safety of everyone in school. Procedures are well considered and practised regularly so that everyone knows what to do. The headteacher takes her duty of care very seriously and is designated responsible for child protection. She makes certain that vulnerable children are monitored carefully and that they receive appropriate access to outside agencies. Local support agencies offer appropriate guidance to pupils. The school has an effective policy for promoting racial harmony. It is understand by all members of the school community and delivered in practice.

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Commentary

25. Staff and governors make certain that the school site is secure. The caretaker keeps the school very clean. The learning environment is bright with many eye-catching displays, particularly in the Foundation Stage and infant classrooms. Teachers make regular assessments of what pupils can do and pass on this information in the form of individual targets. In this way, pupils and their parents receive an outline of what children should be working towards next in order to make progress.

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Commentary

26. The school still has work to do in order to ensure that the personal, social and health education (PSHE) programme makes a vital difference to pupils’ lives. There is no doubt that staff have good intentions - weekly lessons are timetabled, for example, but some substantial aspects associated with such programmes have yet to take root. For instance, several pupils talked to inspectors about how; previously, they had been the target of verbal abuse in school. Yet, so far, the school has not provided pupils with suitable strategies to help deal with such unnerving experiences. Staff need to concentrate on delivering these important self-help support systems so that pupils can grow in confidence and self-esteem.

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Commentary

27. Pupils believe that staff are beginning to value their input into school life. This is mainly because the school council has had time to ‘bed in’ and the children can see where their opinions are having an effect. For example, they prefer playtimes because there is more equipment for them to play with. During the course of the inspection, girls were given the welcome news that they would be allowed to wear trousers in the winter, an issue that has preoccupied many of them for a long time. Pupils have yet to take full advantage of the school council in that they do not yet run the meetings themselves or take responsibility for writing, reproducing and distributing the minutes. The school does not regularly canvass pupils’ opinions on school life in other ways during the year.

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Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

Links with parents are unsatisfactory overall. Links with other schools are good. Partnership with the community is an area selected by the school as a particular strength and is included as a separate section at the end of the report.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Parents are very happy with home school links in the Foundation Stage; • When parents are included, they make useful contributions to the work of the school; • Links with other schools are good; • The school does not encourage parents to play a substantial role in the life of the school; • Parents do not know enough about the curriculum to support their children’s learning effectively enough outside school; • Staff do not give parents enough useful information about the progress their children make, except in English and mathematics.

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Commentary

Masham Church of England (Voluntary Aided) Primary School- 11 28. The headteacher believes that the school fosters good relationships with parents. However, inspectors find that a significant minority of parents are unhappy with various aspects of its provision. A large proportion of parents took time to complete the inspection questionnaire, to write accompanying letters and, in some cases, to attend the parents’ meeting. Their concerns spread across a wide range of issues but, crucially, all lead back to one pivotal aspect. They firmly believe that the school does not really listen to them and staff do not appear to take their concerns seriously. It is crystal clear that, in many parents’ eyes, this is two schools under the same roof. In reception, parental involvement is valued; indeed encouraged, and effective communication is seen as crucial. These parents know exactly what their children are learning and how to help them at home. However, once pupils move

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Commentary

up through the school, parents feel that a barrier is raised. This creates considerable discontent among parents who feel marginalised and that their opinions do not matter. An undercurrent of dissatisfaction does little to promote a solid and proactive partnership that is so essential in a successful school.

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Commentary

29. The indifference felt by parents means that they miss seeing the warm interactions that take place daily between teachers and pupils; nor do they see how willingly teachers chat to children and sustain these relationships. Here lies the problem. Some parents view staff as remote and disinterested in concerns that are very real to them. Parents need to feel that this is their school too and that they can play a part in its success, outside of the good work achieved by the ‘friends’ of the school (FOMS). The school has to rip down the barriers that currently exist between parents and staff, tear up the flimsy parental partnership policy and start again. At the moment, the school does little to find out exactly what it is that parents want. This makes it impossible to make substantial changes.

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Commentary

30. Although the school fulfils its statutory responsibilities regarding the information it provides to parents in its prospectus and governors’ annual report to parents, it does not give parents of children outside the reception class enough information about the curriculum pupils follow. This makes it very difficult for parents to offer effective support for their children’s learning at home and parents find this frustrating. Annual, written progress reports sent to parents provide detailed, evaluative comments about what children can do in English and mathematics. Comments on other subjects are bland and are usually limited to coverage and enjoyment of a subject.

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Commentary

31. There are good links with local schools. Teachers benefit from courses and meetings on curriculum initiatives, such as‘Developing Thinking Skills’. Pupils gain through playing alongside, as well as in competition with, pupils from the local primary ‘cluster’ schools. Friendships formed here are good preparation for when they all go on to their secondary education. Links to Bedale High School include visits from their staff, to give lessons to older pupils in literacy, mathematics, science and French. These provide additional curriculum enrichment. Pupils also benefit from having opportunities to visit the Bedale Leisure centre for a range of sporting activities.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Governance of the school is sound, but the overall leadership and management of the school are unsatisfactory.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Governance of the school is improving; • Leadership is supportive of colleagues but is not having enough impact on raising achievement; • The school development plan picks the right priorities but does not demonstrate how the good intentions will be translated into practice; • There is a strong commitment to staff training. Masham Church of England (Voluntary Aided) Primary School- 12

p.16

Commentary

32. Governance is sound. Governors are committed and supportive of the school and their involvement and influence has steadily improved since the last inspection. The governing body meets all its statutory responsibilities. Many members are new and the chair has only been in post for a year. Nevertheless, they know the school’s strengths and weaknesses, particularly the low standards in Key Stage 2, some problems with the teaching and the need to work more closely with parents. The school improvement committee has begun to scrutinise data more closely and make recommendations on where priorities should be set. There are still some weaknesses in their role that need to be addressed. They need to correct the balance between challenge and support of school leaders so that the pupil performance targets set are more demanding, reflect the make up of different year groups and demonstrate that the school is determined that children should make good progress

p.17

Commentary

during their time at Masham. For example, the targets set for pupils taking Key Stage 2 tests in 2003 did not reflect the high standards that this same year group had reached when they took the Key Stage 1 tests in 1999.

p.17

Commentary

33. As well as some strengths, there are serious weaknesses in some aspects of leadership and management. The headteacher is experienced and has a strong commitment to including all pupils, particularly those with SEN. Provision for SEN is managed well. The SEN governor is very supportive and is active in seeking help from outside agencies. The governor’s very good background knowledge of SEN is an asset to the school.

p.17

Commentary

34. The headteacher is sensitive and supportive to staff providing teacher colleagues with time to fulfil their responsibilities. However, the low standards and unsatisfactory teaching in Key Stage 2 have been apparent for some time and there has been insufficient drive and determination to address these difficulties. As a result, standards, especially in the core subjects, remain low and pupils make unsatisfactory progress.

p.17

Commentary

35. The effectiveness of the leadership demonstrated by other colleagues in the school is variable. In some areas, such as Early Years and English, it works well because staff are well established, have good subject knowledge and are clear about what needs to be done to raise standards. They lead by example and set a good role model for colleagues they work with. However, their ability to influence what happens in other parts of the school is limited because there is no clear strategic overview about how this might be done. In other subjects, such as science, history and geography, where staff are very new to the school, they have little understanding of standards or priorities through the school. Too much is being asked of them. Lack of subject knowledge in some areas makes it difficult for them to lead colleagues successfully and this contributes to the insufficient challenge and low expectations found in

p.17

Commentary

parts of Years 5 and 6. As a result, the leadership of the school is not effective in promoting academic achievements of the pupils.

p.17

Commentary

36. The management of the school is unsatisfactory. Staff are not sufficiently effective in ensuring that policies, procedures and recommended approaches have been adopted and used consistently enough to improve achievement. Weaknesses are evident, for example, in the inconsistent approaches to teaching and learning, including the marking and presentation of work and in the degree to which staff consistently use assessments of pupils’ work to ensure tasks build on what they know.

p.17

Commentary

37. All staff are involved in the construction of the school development plan. Priorities chosen are the right ones but what is missing is the drive, determination and rigorous monitoring arrangements to ensure that these intentions, so clearly set out, are actually delivered in practice.

p.17

Commentary

38. The school gathers a wealth of assessment data as it checks on how well it is doing. This includes a detailed analysis of how well the pupils achieve in end of year tests. However, this form of analysis is not sufficiently supported by regular assessments of pupils’ day-to-day Masham Church of England (Voluntary Aided) Primary School- 13 learning in lessons. Nor are tasks always set which reflect pupils’ previous achievements resulting in some higher achievers being given work which is too easy for them. 39. There is a strong commitment throughout the school, well led by the headteacher, to ensure that all staff are able to access training. The recent recognition as an ‘Investors in People’ organisation is testimony to the school’s determination in this area. Staff knowledge is improving as a result, but in some subject areas the impact on pupils’ learning is still awaited.

p.17

Commentary

40. Financial management of the school is sound. The budget is driven by the school improvement plan. It is controlled and monitored well. The governors’ finance committee meets regularly and receives a summary budget position to check against the predicted position. Possible issues are highlighted and addressed. Because funding matters are so important in the context of a small school, the headteacher and governors are very careful to ensure that budget balances are sufficient to cope with any fluctuation in pupil numbers. At face value, the balance for 2003 is a high percentage of the overall budget but governors have set the budget to ensure that finances are earmarked to protect staff/pupil ratios over the next few years. Principles of best value are evident in most but not all areas. The school’s test performance is compared to other schools and it seeks out competitive prices when selecting goods and services. However, a significant minority of parents raised

p.18

Commentary

concerns about standards within the school and aspects of the leadership and management. Not enough consultation takes place with parents to find out what they feel about the effectiveness of the school or what improvements they would like to see.

p.18

Financial information

Financial information for the year April 2002 to March 2003

p.18

Financial information

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 277,112 Balance from previous year 51793 Total expenditure 276,667 Balance carried forward to the next 52237 Expenditure per pupil 2474

p.18

Community Links

41. The school’s links with the community are good. With the school being so centrally situated, there is easy access to St Mary’s Church, the Town Hall, the library and other local amenities. The school makes good use of its location through regular visits to St Mary’s Church for weekly services and to the Town Hall for concerts and plays. All pupils play an active part in traditional annual events, such as the Maypole Dancing and the popular ‘Sheep Fair’. Good relationships also exist with local shopkeepers. For example, ‘Firework Safety’ posters, produced by the pupils, were recently exhibited in a number of different local shops. Visitors from the community enhance the school’s curriculum. The vicar of St Mary’s Church visits the school regularly to take morning assemblies. Links with the local art gallery are beneficial to the school, such as when one of the owners gave lessons in pastel sketching to

p.18

Community Links

older pupils. The strong affinity that the local community has with the school was much in evidence when the ‘Story Sacks’ initiative was launched. This required volunteers to produce back-up materials for different books, such as dolls, models and scenery. It was sponsored by local businesses, that gave very generously, and people of all ages responded with equal enthusiasm. Links with RAF Leeming are also good, with it being used annually for the ‘Crucial Crew’ events. Here pupils are introduced to a wide range of safety issues, though more could be done to explore these issues at greater depth subsequently at school. Sunday School sessions and Adult Education classes are regularly held at the school, which is also used by the ‘Guild of Weavers’ for exhibitions. Pupils’ work improves and their levels of achievement are higher when lessons are directly linked to these enrichment opportunities provided by the community.

p.18

Community Links

Masham Church of England (Voluntary Aided) Primary School- 14

p.19

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Provision for pupils in the Foundation Stage is very good. Parents are very positive about what the school offers here.

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children exceed the Early Learning Goals set for their age in all areas of learning except their physical development; • Children achieve particularly well in their personal, social and emotional development and in all other areas of learning their achievement is good; • Provision for outdoor play needs improvement.

p.19

Commentary

42. Most children in school have attended a local part-time nursery before they start; although the school’s intake of pupils represents the full ability range, they usually start in the reception class with skills and knowledge in most areas of learning that are typical for their age. The majority, are on course to exceed the expectations of the Early Learning Goals in all the areas of learning except in their physical development. Their best achievement is in their personal, social and emotional development because the school places such an emphasis on improving skills in this area.

p.19

Commentary

43. The children come into school happily and are eager to learn. They settle happily to the wide range of exciting activities provided. They are very well behaved and many are quite mature in their relationships and attitudes. Carefully balanced opportunities for the children to make choices results in most being very willing to take on responsibilities. For example, even at this early stage in the school year and with children new to school they quickly respond to the music that tells them it is time to tidy up! The children are confident and quite willing to talk about what they are doing and to ask and answer questions.

p.19

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision for personal, social and emotional development is very good.

p.19

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

44. Children achieve well in this area of learning. Teaching is very good because it takes account of pupils’ individual needs and helps them to build well on the skills that they have when they start school. They quickly settle in their class and start to show independence and initiative. Taking part in activities within a larger group does not put off even the youngest children. During an assembly they were sharing with older children from Years 1 and 2, they insisted on making their own contributions, confident they would be listened to and their viewpoints valued. Children’s levels of concentration and ability to stay focused on a task, is much greater than would normally be expected of children of this age.

p.19

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Provision for communication, language and literacy is very good.

p.19

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

45. Most children achieve well and are on course to exceed the expectations for their age by the end of the reception year. They are well on their way and meeting the appropriate milestones in learning to read and write; they particularly enjoy sharing stories and books as part of the whole class group. Higher attainers show a marked keenness to learn and tasks are Masham Church of England (Voluntary Aided) Primary School- 15 carefully set by the teachers that make sure the levels of challenge are high enough. For example, after they had listened to a story about ‘Anna’s Multicoloured Glasses’, a group of confident writers were encouraged to write their own stories. They spent a long period discussing how they would adapt what they had heard and then set about the task with determination. Most made good attempts at writing their own name and explained what they had ‘written’ to interested classmates.

p.19

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision for mathematical development is very good.

p.20

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

46. Most pupils are on course to exceed the Early Learning Goals. They are given numerous opportunities to practise their mathematical skills in interesting and exciting ways. For example, a parachute game was adapted to consolidate children’s understanding of number bonds. When all the group members had grasped this part of their work, the adult working with them changed the focus and used the game to improve their recognition of shapes as they rushed under the parachute to collect circles, squares, spheres and other objects they could identify. Very good teaching makes sure that tasks are set at just the right level enabling all the members of the group to achieve well.

p.20

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Provision for knowledge and understanding of the world is very good.

p.20

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

47. Children achieve very well. Staff support the children’s learning very well through questioning and discussion. For example, a debate on the routes they take to school was pitched at a level to challenge the most able with subtle adaptations to engage those less secure in their knowledge and understanding. Precise and careful questioning, often building on the children’s ideas, further raised the quality of their learning. The result was a high level of involvement and good learning at all levels of ability.

p.20

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

48. The staff use every opportunity to introduce early scientific skills as they encourage children to predict what might happen as they mix ingredients. For example, the staff in reception are adept at intervening at just the right moment with questions such as ‘What do you need to do next?’ or ‘How can you make it fit?’ This was seen to good effect as children decorated cakes that had been made. They used icing sugar, mixed it themselves and accurately predicted what would happen if they added too much water. ’You must be careful, if it gets too wet it won’t stick’.

p.20

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

49. Good use is made of ICT to extend children’s understanding and they have good skill levels, moving objects confidently around the screen and helping one another when things go wrong.

p.20

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision for physical development is good.

p.20

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

50. Staff plan a good range of activities to improve children’s physical skills, both inside the classroom and outside and they achieve well, as a result. Activities, such as threading and lacing develop good hand-eye co-ordination, while the good range of tools and implements for writing, painting and modelling give children good experience in manipulating small objects. Teaching is consistently good and is very effective in encouraging timid children to try activities outside that present them with good levels of challenge. However, the facilities available outside are limited due to lack of space and fixed resources. This makes it difficult for children to improve their climbing and jumping skills. Masham Church of England (Voluntary Aided) Primary School- 16

p.20

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Provision for creative development is very good.

p.21

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

51. Provision for play is good and children achieve very well. They show good imagination and with only minimal prompts, they slip easily into role play situations. A good example of this was the way in which they sustained their play in the ‘Spaceship’ for an extended period. They acted out the roles they had previously agreed, co-operated successfully, learning about taking turns and making sure no one got in the way. ‘I’m sorry you’ll have to wait, I’m taking off now and it’s dangerous to stand there.’ Staff use resources very well, encouraging children to try out new materials and extending their language skills as they ask them to explain in detail what they are doing.

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Throughout the school, standards are above average in speaking and listening; • Standards are above average in all areas of literacy by the age of 7; • Enthusiastic leadership in the subject provides well informed guidance for the staff; • Standards in writing are too low, especially in the upper juniors; • Pupils, and in particular the more able, are not being sufficiently extended to write independently in literacy lessons and across a range of subjects.

p.21

Commentary

52. Infant pupils achieve well to reach above average standards in reading, writing, speaking and listening. In reading, letter recognition and word-building skills are taught well and parents provide regular and effective additional support through good home/school links. Pupils in the junior classes do not benefit as strongly from such close co-operation. Throughout the school, there is an emphasis on introducing new elements of grammar and writing styles in the literacy lessons. However, pupils have too few opportunities to be creative in expressing their own thoughts in writing. Consequently, they find it difficult to reflect the high quality of their ideas heard during discussions, in their written work.

p.21

Commentary

53. Pupils with SEN make good progress throughout the school. They benefit from working through well designed individual programmes that enable them to monitor their own progress. They receive good support from classroom assistants. This helps them gain confidence and raise their performance levels in speaking, reading and writing. Parents also make a strong contribution to the progress of many of these pupils.

p.21

Commentary

54. High standards of speaking and listening are enhanced by the quality of the discussions that feature at the beginning and end of each literacy lesson. When they are best seen, such as in the infant class, pupils are very interested and involved in the discussions; they understand the challenges that they are set; and, they are made well aware of their new learning. Pupils in some lessons are also given good opportunities to clarify their ideas through paired discussions, before they begin their writing.

p.21

Commentary

55. Pupils throughout the school achieve well in reading to reach above average standards. The skills of letter and word recognition are well developed in the reception and infant classes. Learning is made fun by investing each letter with a sound and with an action. Later these Masham Church of England (Voluntary Aided) Primary School- 17 letters are blended together as pupils extend their skills. By Year 6, most pupils read with fluency and good expression. They research for information and discuss books, characters and favourite authors with interest.

p.21

Commentary

56. Pupils achieve well with their writing in the infants but their progress through the junior classes is unsatisfactory. Too few of the pupils who reach above average standards at the age of 7 go on to show similar high standards at the age of 11. A major reason for this is that older pupils are too often set very similar writing challenges regardless of their ability. This limits opportunities for the more able to produce independent and extended work of a high quality. For all pupils, the first version that they write is invariably the only version. Corrections are made to spellings and sentence construction. However, pupils are not taught the skills of redrafting, which would enable them to accept responsibility for analysing, discussing and improving upon their initial ideas. This denies them opportunities for self- improvement and personal development.

p.22

Commentary

57. The quality of subject leadership is good. The well qualified co-ordinator has worked closely with the headteacher and the literacy adviser to analyse weaknesses and to set in motion various initiatives to address them. For example, each class now has specific targets to ensure better progression of writing skills. However, the subject leader’s management role is as yet underdeveloped in monitoring the quality of teaching and learning throughout the school. Teaching is good in the infants, satisfactory in the lower juniors, but unsatisfactory in the upper juniors. Standards fall as teacher expectations decrease. Levels of challenge fail to stretch pupils, interest levels drop and the quality and quantity of work is compromised. The good practice that exists in the school needs now to be identified, shared and adopted as a whole staff undertaking. A start could be made, for example, by determining to promote

p.22

Commentary

the celebration of pupils’ written work through displays in every classroom.

p.22

Language and literacy across the curriculum

58. Currently there are insufficient links made between the pupils’ learning in the literacy lessons and their work in other subjects. Studies in other areas could be threaded into the English lessons. For example, in a drafting book they could develop stories, set in a past period, which they are studying in history. This would give their writing added relevance, variety and excitement. In addition, the skills being developed in the literacy lessons could be much more interwoven into the work being undertaken in a range of other subjects. For example, writing an ‘instructional text’ could be linked to a design and technology challenge. This would enable pupils to be better aware of the practical use of the skills that they are acquiring and would give them additional practise in their usage.

p.22

MATHEMATICS

The overall provision for mathematics is satisfactory.

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils in Years 1 and 2 achieve well. Standards are improving; • Pupils in Year 6 do not achieve well enough. Standards are below average; • Some outstanding teaching was seen in infants.

p.22

Commentary

59. Standards seen in Year 2 are in line with expectations for that age group. Given the quality of teaching they receive however, and the progress they make, pupils are likely to achieve higher than the national expectation by the end of Year 2. This is consistent with the most recently published national test results. When compared with similar schools pupils in Year 2 achieve very well. However, standards in Year 6 are below average. They have been Masham Church of England (Voluntary Aided) Primary School- 18 consistently well below for some time. Although recent national tests suggest an improvement, the school failed to achieve its targets for attainment in 2003. Pupils currently do not achieve as well as they should, given that their attainment was judged to be average at the end of Year 2. Achievement is very low when compared with similar schools. There is little difference between the achievements of girls and boys, though overall girls perform

p.22

Commentary

60. There have been several changes to the teaching staff over time. It is evident that expectations have been too low and the overall quality of provision for pupils now in Years 5 and 6 has been unsatisfactory. Positive action taken by the school has begun to foster some improvements. There has been a programme of support and training in co-operation with the school’s local advisory team. Systems for assessing, analysing and tracking pupils’ progress are beginning to help the school identify aspects of mathematics which need more curriculum time. There is still some way to go however towards using the data available to set challenging individual targets especially for higher attaining pupils, and to reflect these in the levels of work expected of them. Nevertheless, pupils with special educational needs continue to make good progress as many of them benefit from the well targeted support offered by teachers and classroom assistants. Since the last inspection standards by the

p.23

Commentary

end of Year 2 have been broadly maintained, but for Year 6 pupils standards have fallen.

p.23

Commentary

61. The quality of teaching and learning for pupils in Year 1 and 2 is good overall, though in one lesson very effective teaching was seen. The teacher assessed what pupils needed to learn, set very clear objectives and used resources and teaching methods which both captivated and motivated pupils. For example, making up a ‘mini drama’ using toy animals proved to be a very successful way to introduce ‘word problems’. Pupils quickly began to understand which calculations to use, because of the visual support. Teaching was very well structured and thorough. Pupils were continually challenged to give reasons for answers so the teacher could assess how well they learned before moving on to the next stage. Pupils achieved well by learning the similarities between repeated addition (3+3+3) and multiplication (3X3) and being able to record both accurately by the end of the lesson.

p.23

Commentary

62. Teaching for pupils in Years 3 – 6 is satisfactory overall, though there are some weaknesses in teaching of older pupils. It is evident that pupils’ low achievement is partially a legacy of past teaching provision. Nevertheless expectations with regard to presentation of work and the amount of work pupils do are still too low. In the lesson seen for Years 5 and 6, pupils’ attitudes to learning were unsatisfactory overall. A significant number of pupils did not respond to the teacher when challenged and very few pupils volunteered to answer questions. Although the teacher used a reasonable range of strategies, none was effective enough to motivate all pupils to work hard. Assessment is not used well enough to challenge the different age groups and abilities at an appropriate level.

p.23

Commentary

63. Leadership of the subject is satisfactory. There is a clear overview of what needs to be achieved in order to raise standards and some positive action has been taken. However, day-to-day management of pupils’ learning is weak because standards and quality, particularly in the junior classes are not challenged rigorously enough and the good practice which is in place is not shared throughout the whole school.

p.23

Mathematics across the curriculum

64. There are some opportunities for pupils to use mathematical skills in other curriculum areas, for example, measuring and recording in science or design and technology and using repeated rhythmic patterns in music. These tend to be incidental rather than planned, however. Overall, pupils do not extend their mathematical thinking beyond numeracy lessons. In only one lesson seen in Year 2 was ICT used to support learning which indicates missed opportunities. Masham Church of England (Voluntary Aided) Primary School- 19

p.23

SCIENCE

Provision for science is unsatisfactory overall.

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards at the end of Year 2 are likely to be above the national expectation; • Standards in Years 3 to 6 are well below average.

p.24

Commentary

65. On the evidence of pupils’ work standards seen in Year 2 meet expectations. Pupils develop good investigational skills and learn to record what they learn clearly. Learning about materials, for example, builds well on prior knowledge and experiences, so pupils achieve well. Standards in national tests for pupils in Year 6 remain consistently well below average. This is consistent with standards seen in pupils’ work during the inspection. Since the last inspection standards have fallen. This can be partly accounted for by lack of continuity in subject leadership and unsatisfactory teaching over time. Pupils in Year 6 have not learned essential practical investigational skills or developed sufficient understanding in science.

p.24

Commentary

66. Teaching is good in Years 1 and 2. Planning is clear and the teacher has good subject knowledge and understanding. Assessment is used well to plan a thorough step-by-step approach to the leaning of new knowledge and skills. Expectations are high and children are motivated to learn because there is a lot of practical evidence gathering. In Years 3 to 6 teaching is unsatisfactory overall and contributes to the low standards seen currently. There is a lack of challenge in that pupils are not required to plan and research their own investigations. Some topics are not done in sufficient depth because planning is not clear enough about what pupils will know and be able to do. The quality of presentation in Years 5 and 6 strongly suggests that pupils’ attitudes are unsatisfactory. Work in many books is untidy and too often unfinished. There is no different work planned or different expectations for different age groups and for pupils’ individual abilities.

p.24

Commentary

67. The subject is led by a newly qualified teacher whose leadership and management skills have not yet been fully developed. Nevertheless, there is a clear development plan which points the way to improvement. Planning is being reviewed and is more secure in the infant and lower junior classes. Consultancy, staff training and support feature in the School Development Plan. A stronger emphasis on practical investigation is planned. However, the monitoring and evaluation of teaching is weak because it does not lead to the necessary action needed to eliminate unsatisfactory provision. The good practice seen in some classes is not shared sufficiently across the school.

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards are satisfactory and better in junior classes than when the school was last inspected; • The subject is well led and managed; • Investment in resources is beginning to have a positive impact. Masham Church of England (Voluntary Aided) Primary School- 20

p.24

Commentary

68. Standards in ICT are similar to those typically found by the ages of 7 and 11 years. This is an improvement for the older children because aspects of their ICT work were found to be unsatisfactory during the last inspection.

p.25

Commentary

69. Staff subject knowledge and expertise has also improved and pupils have greater access to suitable machines. As a result, the pupils from Year 1 to Year 6 make satisfactory progress in their knowledge, skills and use of ICT.

p.25

Commentary

70. Pupils in Year 2 are confident in using computers and have a good range of basic skills. The majority’ know how to word process independently and can make changes to their work. During one lesson, pupils were able to use ICT to access information linked to their topic on recycling. They understood just how much information was available and how important it was to be selective about what they should look at.

p.25

Commentary

71. The older pupils have a wide range of ICT skills and they are confident to talk about what they can do. The skills are most advanced in Years 5 and 6 where pupils are able to establish lists of commands that enables equipment to work in a particular way. For example, groups worked with a teacher to programme working models such as ‘traffic lights’ and a ‘lighthouse’. They were able to make them start and stop at different intervals and could explain how similar control processes could be used in a variety of other situations.

p.25

Commentary

72. In the small number of teaching observations of ICT carried out during the inspection, the quality of the teaching was good. It was well organised and actively involved all the pupils keeping even the most challenging members of the class interested and focused. From discussions with pupils, analysis of their previous work and of teachers’ plans, it is clear that teaching is well organised throughout the school. Staff concentrate on helping individuals take responsibility for their own learning, supporting pupils with advice if difficulties arise.

p.25

Commentary

73. Pupils’ view this subject as one of their favourites and show high levels of commitment, for example, making sure their work is finished on time. This is particularly true of some of the oldest children in the school who showed less interest in other curriculum areas. They enjoy their ICT work and, throughout the school, there is a marked enthusiasm for the subject.

p.25

Commentary

74. The subject is well led. The subject leader is based in the Foundation Stage but this does not prevent her from doing the job effectively. A well planned programme of training and support has improved staff subject knowledge and confidence in teaching ICT. Improving resources is still a priority, for example, pupils had limited access to control boxes as they tried to programme machines. Nevertheless, the action plan is realistic and targets improvements within a sensible timescale.

p.25

Information and communication technology across the curriculum

75. Currently, the school does not make enough use of ICT across the curriculum. This limits the opportunity to extend pupils’ understanding of other subjects and prevents them from using computers as a tool for learning. Where it is used effectively it has a positive impact on what they can achieve. For example, during a geography lesson, pupils from Years 3 and 4 were able to use information from the Internet to extend their learning. It was a particularly successful approach for higher attainers because it made them think harder as they selected which information to use. Masham Church of England (Voluntary Aided) Primary School- 21

p.25

Geography and History

The provision for history and geography is unsatisfactory.

p.26

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards for 11-year-olds are far too low; • Not enough emphasis is placed on developing children’s skills in both subjects; • Some of the activities given to the older junior class particularly in history are not challenging enough and they do not achieve as much as they might.

p.26

Commentary

76. Standards are well below those typically found with pupils at the age of 11 and similar to those seen in most schools at the age of 7 in both subjects.

p.26

Commentary

77. The rate of progress is better in the infant and lower junior class. It is slower in the other class and the children in Years 5 and 6 do not achieve as much as they could because the teaching is unsatisfactory and not as effective. Activities set in this class are not grabbing pupils’ attention or motivating them to the same degree as in the other classes. For example, much of the work they did in history required pupils to do little more than insert a missing word or words into a passage. In the older junior class not enough attention is given to developing skills of historical enquiry and the expectations of what pupils could achieve are not high enough.

p.26

Commentary

78. In geography, younger pupils are developing their map-making skills at a satisfactory rate. In Years 1 and 2 they have a good understanding of the world around them and how their lives impact on people around the world. Their topic on recycling encouraged the pupils to consider the range of materials they come across in their lives and how they could make a start in conserving some of them. ‘We could save those cans again like we did with the paper, that would help’ said one girl. Unfortunately, these skills are not built on as they get older. Too much work set for the pupils in Years 5 and 6 lacks challenge and is based on worksheet or comprehension activities. They have few opportunities to acquire or demonstrate geographical skills.

p.26

Commentary

79. Subject leadership is unsatisfactory. The subject leader only took up post at the start of this term and has had no opportunity to gain an overview of the standards in either history or geography. As a result, there is no consistent approach to the teaching of these subjects and individual classes adopt their own approach. With some year groups this works but for the older children it means that too little is expected of the pupils.

p.26

Commentary

80. In two of the three classes, the children are given plenty of opportunities to use and apply their literacy skills in their history work. Much of their work shows pupils independently recording information they have found out during their lessons or from book sources they have researched.

p.26

Religious Education

81. This subject was inspected separately by a specialist inspector who looks exclusively at this area of the school’s provision. Masham Church of England (Voluntary Aided) Primary School- 22

p.26

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

82. There was insufficient evidence to make an overall judgement on standards in and provision for design and technology, music and physical education , as it was not possible to observe any lessons or activities.

p.27

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

83. Only one music lesson was seen during the inspection and two brief samples of extra provision. Planning shows that national curriculum requirements are fully met. Teaching in the lesson seen was good. Pupils in Year 2 made good progress in their understanding of how musical sounds can be organised. During the choir practice pupils sang tunefully and held melodies and rhythms well. Pupils learning to play keyboards made satisfactory progress during the brief lesson seen.

p.27

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

84. Only one physical education lesson was observed, which was insufficient to enable judgements to be reached on pupils’ overall standards. A good range of sporting activities, held both in and out of school hours, is available. Full advantage is taken of the limited indoor and outdoor space available. Coaching takes place after school in netball, rounders, soccer and cricket and teams represent the school at four different sports. The residential trip also allows older pupils to experience such outward-bound pursuits as orienteering, canoeing and hill-walking. There is a good emphasis on healthy living that includes a focus on the need for regular exercise. The subject leader has only recently taken up the role and has not yet had the opportunity to undertake an audit.

p.27

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

85. Design and technology is taught during alternate half terms. There was too little work to enable an overall judgement to be made. Planning indicates that national curriculum requirements are met and national subject guidance is followed to ensure appropriate development of skills and knowledge.

p.27

Art and design

Provision for art and design is satisfactory.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Good leadership and teaching expertise develops artwork well in the infant class; • Pupils through the school study the works of different artists and designers and use various media to replicate their styles; • Sketchbooks are not used to practise and develop new techniques or to undertake preliminary work for later, larger scale development.

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Commentary

86. Although only one lesson was seen, much evidence was available: in a portfolio of work, from many displays around the school and through discussions with staff and pupils. Based on these sources, it is possible to judge that, in the infants, pupils achieve well to reach standards that are above those expected for their age. A feature of their work is the maturity and sensitivity that they show in the application of their skills. For example, different work is created from using paint bubbles, sponges and string to produce subtle shades, textures and lines. The teaching is very imaginative. After studying the work of Jackson Pollock, pupils painted marbles and rolled them around the paper to form intricate interweaving multicoloured patterns.

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Commentary

87. In the junior classes, achievement is satisfactory and pupils reach levels expected by the age of 11. They are challenged to think about their studies, such as when comparing different forms of landscapes. However, there is not a steady development of skills through Masham Church of England (Voluntary Aided) Primary School- 23 the later years. For example, pupils in Year 5 are unsure of basic colour-mixing combinations.

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Commentary

88. On balance, the curriculum provision for PSHCE is satisfactory. However, there is no policy to provide a structure on how these three strands should be threaded through the school. This leads to inconsistencies. For example, in some classes, pupils sit together in ‘Circle Time’ to discuss themes and experiences of relevance to their daily lives. Upper-junior pupils do not air their views in such discussions, and opportunities for them to clarify their thoughts are consequently missed. Pupils are well prepared for their social development. For example, the School Council encourages pupils to play an active role in decision making that affects certain areas of their lives. However, less status is given on the curriculum to the health needs of the older pupils. Teaching about the dangers of alcohol and drug misuse only occurs, ‘as occasions demand’. There is no planned programme of preparation for the

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Commentary

potential dangers that the pupils may already, or may soon, be facing. The ‘Crucial Crew’ half day, spent at Leeming RAF Station, alerts pupils to a wide range of potential sources of dangers. However, these issues are not sufficiently developed further by the school. The governors have agreed that there should be no sex and relationships programme delivered through the school. Masham Church of England (Voluntary Aided) Primary School- 24

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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 5 Value for money provided by the school 5

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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 4 Attendance 3 Attitudes 3 Behaviour, including the extent of exclusions 4 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 4

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The quality of education provided by the school 4 The quality of teaching 4 How well pupils learn 4 The quality of assessment 4 How well the curriculum meets pupils needs 4 Enrichment of the curriculum, including out-of-school activities 3 Accommodation and resources 4 Pupils’ care, welfare, health and safety 2 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 5 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 5 The governance of the school 4 The leadership of the headteacher 5 The leadership of other key staff 4 The effectiveness of management 5

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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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