Carnforth Community Primary School

NORTH ROAD PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 2 – 4 February 2004

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NORTH ROAD PRIMARY SCHOOL

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 North Road Primary - 2 This report may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that all extracts quoted are reproduced verbatim without adaptation and on condition that the source and date thereof are stated.

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NORTH ROAD 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. North Road Primary - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Primary School category: Community Age range of pupils: 4 – 11 Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 158

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: North Road Carnforth Lancashire LA5 9LQ

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: 01524 732435 Fax number: 01524 736542

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The Governing Body Name of chair of governors: Mr Peter Yates

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 4 – 7 February 2002

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

With 158 pupils on roll (88 boys and 70 girls) North Road Primary School is smaller than most primary schools. The number on roll has fallen in recent years, matching the decline in the birth rate in the area. Most of the pupils come from Carnforth but a significant minority come from the surrounding rural areas. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is broadly in line with the national average. A smaller proportion of pupils has special educational needs (SEN) than is found in most schools. Around four per cent of the pupils, most from Bangladeshi backgrounds, come from homes where English is not the first language. However, no pupil is at the early stages of learning English. When they start school, the attainment of the majority of children is as expected for their age. The school is involved in a ‘Valued Youth’ project with the local high school, where young people come into school to work with the pupils, and with the BT project ‘BT

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

Friends’ where BT staff work with pupils in the school. This year, it has also started a ‘Family Literacy’ project that helps parents and carers to help their children at home. North Road Primary - 4

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

16413 Mrs D Bell Lead inspector Foundation Stage Art and design Design and technology Music 9469 Mrs J Smith Lay inspector 32421 Mr R Morris Team inspector English Information and communication technology History Geography English as an additional language 27677 Mrs D Davenport Team inspector Mathematics Science Physical education Religious education Special educational needs

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

The inspection contractor was: Focus Education (UK) Ltd 113 – 115 High Street Uppermill Saddleworth Oldham OL3

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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). North Road Primary - 5

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 8

Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 8

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 11

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

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OVERALL EVALUATION

This is a good school . It is very well led and managed and good teaching has resulted in pupils achieving well. Staff and governors share a very strong commitment to the full inclusion of all pupils, and a determination to continue the very good improvement seen in the last two years. The school now provides good value for money.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are: • Children are given a very good start to their education in the Foundation Stage (the reception class) • Overall, standards are above the national expectation in Year 6 and pupils’ achievement is good. However, in music, pupils do not have enough experience of composing and performing. • The quality of teaching is good overall, and very good in the Foundation Stage. • Pupils’ attitudes and behaviour are very good. The school supports pupils’ personal and academic development very well through its very effective use of all assessment information. • The leadership and management of the school are very good. The very strong teamwork amongst staff and governors is a major driving force in the school. • Attendance is unsatisfactory because it is below the national average. The school’s procedures to improve it are not rigorous enough.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school has improved very considerably since its last inspection. All the issues from that time have been tackled very well and the school’s overall performance is much better. The governors and headteacher have won back the confidence of the parents and the pupils and the school no longer has serious weaknesses.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Achievement is good throughout the school and all pupils, including those with special educational needs make equally good progress. Children are given a very good start in the Foundation Stage. Those in the reception class are on course to exceed the goals for personal, social and emotional development and for knowledge and understanding of the world, and to reach them in the other four areas of learning. Overall, standards are above those expected for pupils’ ages in Year 2 and Year 6, though there are weaknesses in practical music making. Targets are set for all pupils. They are realistically challenging and firmly based on the rigorous analysis of pupils’ prior attainment. The school works purposefully towards its targets, resulting in very good value added by Year 6. Boys and girls were seen to do equally well in class, though over time, girls do better than boys in the tests. The school is working on this. The trend in the school’s results is above the

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

national trend in Year 2 and Year 6. In Year 2 in 2003, the national test results were above average in reading, average in writing and below average in mathematics when compared to those of all schools and similar schools. The results for Year 6 in 2003 can be seen in the following table. The apparent decline in 2003 was due to the particular needs of some of the pupils in that cohort, which is well documented. The pupils did very well in relation to their prior attainment in Year 2.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Results in National Curriculum tests at the end of year 6, compared with: All schools Similar schools

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

2000 2001 2002 2003 2003 English C E A D A Maths C E B C A Science D E A C A Key: A – well above average; B – above average; C – average; D – below average; E – well below average. Similar schools are those whose pupils attained similarly at the end of Year 2.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

The school makes good provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development . Pupils’ attitudes and behaviour are very good. However, while punctuality is good, North Road Primary - 7 attendance is unsatisfactory. The school does not do enough to promote good attendance and parents do not co-operate well enough with the school to bring about improvement.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The quality of education provided by the school is good as is the overall quality of teaching. In the Foundation Stage, teaching was very good in all lessons observed. Teaching was also very good overall in Year 6, where a supply teacher was taking the class. English and mathematics are well taught within an effectively planned curriculum that promotes literacy and numeracy skills well in all subjects. Perceptive marking and assessment ensures that teachers know their pupils very well and plan effectively to meet their learning needs. Lively, engaging activities result in high levels of motivation, and good productivity and pace in most lessons. Because their work is discussed with them, pupils know what to do to improve it. They show good ability to work hard and concentrate with or without being directly supervised. This happens as early as the reception class. Occasionally, pupils’ behaviour is not well enough managed and disrupts learning but usually for only short periods

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

in a lesson. Pupils are cared for very well and are provided with very effective support and guidance, academically and personally. The school has a good partnership with parents, good links with the community and very good links with other schools.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The leadership and management of the headteacher and key staff are very good and governors support the school well. They keep a close eye on how well pupils are doing. The strong teamwork between headteacher, staff and governors is the driving force in school improvement to which all parties are highly committed.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents and pupils are highly satisfied with the school. The school has won back the confidence of the parents and continues to improve the good links it has with them. Pupils feel secure, safe and happy, and confidently affirm that the staff support them very well in all aspects of school life.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

The most important things the school should do to improve are: • Tighten up the procedures for monitoring and promoting good attendance • Improve provision in music North Road Primary - 8

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Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects

Achievement is good and, overall, standards are above the national expectation.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards are above the national expectation in English, mathematics and information and communication technology (ICT) and at least satisfactory in all other subjects inspected. However, there are weaknesses in music that the school is addressing. • Children in the Foundation Stage are given a very good start in their education and they make very good progress in their reception year. • Pupils’ progress is assessed and recorded well throughout the school. The information gained is used very effectively in planning and to set challenging targets at whole school level. • The school does very well for its pupils in relation to their prior attainment.

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Commentary

1 Children start school with levels of attainment that are broadly typical for their age. However, this year, the balance in the reception class is towards the lower end of the ability range, with a smaller than usual number of higher attainers. Nevertheless, the children have made very good progress since starting school and are on course to reach the goals expected for the end of the reception year in communication, language and literacy, mathematical development, physical development and creative development. They are likely to exceed the goals in personal, social and emotional development and in knowledge and understanding of the world.

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Commentary

2 When compared with all schools and with similar schools, the results of the national tests for pupils in Year 2 in 2003 were above average in reading, average in writing and below average in mathematics. The proportion of pupils reaching the higher Level 3 was well above the average of all schools and similar schools in reading and writing, and above average in mathematics and science. The teacher assessments for science showed that attainment in that subject was below that of all schools and well below that of similar schools. Overall, the trend in the school’s results is above the national trend in this age group.

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Commentary

Standards in national tests at the end of Year 2 – average point scores in 2003 Standards in: School results National results Reading 16.4 (16.2) 16.8 (16.0) Writing 14.7 (15.2) 15.6 (14.5) mathematics 16.0 (16.8) 17.2 (16.7) There were 29 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year

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Commentary

3 Standards are above the national expectation in Year 2 and Year 6 in English, mathematics, ICT and history, and in line with the national expectation in science, art and design, and design and technology. In religious education, standards are satisfactory in Year 6 but there was insufficient evidence to make a judgement about standards in Year 2 in that subject. There was also insufficient evidence to make a judgement about standards in geography, music or physical education in Year 2 or Year 6. However, it is clear that there are weaknesses in composing and performing in music that the school is addressing through its new scheme of work. Achievement is satisfactory in art and design and religious education and good in all other subjects in which it was possible to make secure judgements. North Road Primary - 9 4 The school’s performance in the national tests for pupils at the end of Year 6 in 2003 was below

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Commentary

the national average in English. It matched the national average in mathematics and science. When compared with the pupils’ prior attainment when they were in Year 2, however, the school’s performance was very good. A difficult group of boys in last year’s Year 6 disrupted learning considerably for other pupils and is the main reason for the dip in the average point scores last year. In English, the proportion of pupils reaching the higher Level 5 was below the national average but in mathematics and science, it matched the national average. When compared with their prior attainment, however, the pupils’ performed satisfactorily at the higher level in English. They did well in science and very well in mathematics. Despite the fluctuations from year to year, the school adds very good value to the pupils’ education by Year 6, and the trend in the school’s results is above the national trend.

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Commentary

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

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Commentary

Standards in: School results National results English 26.4 (28.6) 27.0 (28.4) Mathematics 26.8 (27.9) 27.0 (28.2) Science 28.4 (30.5) 28.8 (29.5) There were 30 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year

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Commentary

5 The school sets realistically challenging targets that are firmly based on the information gained from the rigorous analysis of pupils’ prior attainment. The school works purposefully towards its targets and translates them into class targets and individual targets that identify the small steps in learning needed to reach the overall targets. This has a positive effect on learning because the targets are shared with pupils and parents and all parties work hard to achieve them. In 2003, the school exceeded its target for English at the expected level but missed its target for mathematics.

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Commentary

6 Pupils with SEN make good progress towards the targets laid down in their individual education and behaviour plans. They are well supported in their learning by the teachers’ effective planning and the good deployment of support assistants. Pupils for whom English is an additional language also make good progress. The school arranged in-service training for staff that has successfully enabled the teachers to meet the needs of these pupils effectively. Over time, girls do better than boys in the tests. The school has this in hand and points to a particular group of disaffected boys in last year’s Year 6 who had a disruptive effect on the class and on the test results, and negated the impact of the school’s efforts to improve boys’ achievement. During the inspection, no significant differences were noted between the achievement of boys and girls or any other group of pupils.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Pupils have very good attitudes to school. Behaviour is very good [these are both ‘very good’ in the summary]and pupils value and respect each other and the staff. The provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. This represents very good improvement since the previous inspection. However, attendance is unsatisfactory and has declined since the previous inspection.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Relationships are good and all pupils feel fully included in school. • Pupils with identified behavioural difficulties respond well to the school’s intervention strategies. • Attendance is unsatisfactory and the school is not doing enough to improve it, and parents do not co-operate well enough with the school to do so either. North Road Primary - 10

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Commentary

7 Pupils enjoy coming to school. They feel valued, their behaviour is very good in and around the school and they have very good attitudes to school and to learning. They appreciate the voice they have in the running of school, particularly through the school council, and the way in which the school acts on their views, for example, responding to their request to have more flowers planted in the school grounds. The school deals successfully with incidents where misbehaviour disrupts lessons. For example, it has a quiet place designated for pupils to sit while they calm down, and has organised anger management classes to help. There was a high number of exclusions in the last school year, reflecting the problems the school faced with a group of disruptive Year 6 pupils. The number of exclusions has reduced very considerably this year. So far there have been only two temporary exclusions.

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Commentary

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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Commentary

Categories used in the Annual School Census No of pupils on roll Number of fixed period exclusions Number of permanent exclusions White – British 147 23 1 Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi 7 0 0 No ethnic group recorded 6 0 0 The table gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

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Commentary

8 The majority of pupils attend regularly and on time. However, overall attendance is well below the national average and therefore unsatisfactory. Some of this is due to parents taking their children on holiday in term time, and some is due to the irregular attendance of a minority of pupils, which is hampering their progress. The school has satisfactory procedures for following up reasons for absence and the education welfare officer provides good support in the few cases of very poor attendance. However, overall the school does not do enough to promote good attendance. It is too slow in contacting parents when their children are absent, it does not monitor attendance closely enough, and it does not do enough to make parents and pupils aware of the importance of regular attendance.

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Commentary

Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

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Commentary

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data 6.9 School data 0.2 National data 5.8 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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Commentary

9 The school provides very well for pupils’ moral and social development. Pupils show good levels of respect for each other and for adults, and have a very good understanding of the impact of their actions on others. Playtimes are friendly occasions during which pupils use play equipment sensibly, share and take turns. No evidence of bullying was seen during the inspection. Parents and pupils are confident that should any form of harassment occur, it would be dealt with promptly and effectively. Older pupils act responsibly around school and willingly accept the responsibilities offered to them. For example, they act as monitors and carry out duties around the classroom. Pupils have many opportunities to be involved in the life of the school by acting as monitors, helping younger pupils, setting out the hall for assembly and attending the many out-of-school activities available to them. For example, following the

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Commentary

North Road Primary - 11 inspectors’ discussion with the school councillors’, the Year 6 councillors took the representatives from the youngest classes back to class as a matter of course. Moral and social development is also promoted very well in assemblies, and makes a good contribution to the development of citizenship.

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Commentary

10 The school makes good provision for pupils’ spiritual and cultural development. Pupils are given time to reflect on how different styles of music affect or conjure up different emotions, and how artists create mood and atmosphere through their use of, for example, colour, line and texture. The personal, social, health and citizenship (PSHCE) programme gives them many opportunities to develop self knowledge and come to terms with their place in the world. However, acts of collective worship do not always promote spiritual development as effectively as they could, lacking appropriate time for reflection. The school promotes good race relations and positively promotes the cultures of the minority ethnic groups. For example, the attendance of some Japanese pupils for a short period of time led to an interest in Japanese culture and particularly art, which is now promoted well in the curriculum. The school also raises the profile

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Commentary

of the Bangladeshi pupils in school, for example, by encouraging the pupils to give talks to their classmates about their religious festivals and customs, and by encouraging all pupils to value and celebrate cultural diversity. The pupils work well together. They put a good level of trust in the teachers and other staff, confident in the knowledge that should they have any concerns, they may discuss them with an adult and receive good support and guidance.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The quality of education provided by the school is good, as is the quality of teaching. The curriculum is well planned. The school cares for its pupils very well and supports their academic and personal development effectively. It has good links with parents and with the community and very good links with other schools.

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Teaching and learning

The quality of teaching is good overall and contributes in great measure to the pupils’ good achievement and to the very good value added seen in the school’s test results.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching is very good in the Foundation Stage and in Year 6. • Teachers’ planning and preparation are thorough. They are built on the teachers’ good knowledge of pupils’ individual needs, gained from perceptive marking and effective assessment. • The enthusiasm of the staff engages the pupils well and inspires them to work productively and at a good pace. • Whole class sessions are used very effectively to consolidate learning and to add further challenge through, for example, constructive homework that pupils are eager to do.

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Commentary

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 28 lessons

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Commentary

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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Commentary

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

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Commentary

11 The quality of teaching is a strength of the school and much improved since the last inspection. English and mathematics are taught well and literacy and numeracy skills are promoted effectively in other subjects. Teachers also plan well for the use of ICT in other subjects and North Road Primary - 12 this too enhances pupils’ learning. In this school, teachers show that they enjoy teaching, and their enthusiasm is transmitted to the pupils who report that lessons are interesting and fun and that they want to learn well. The good teaching facilitates this.

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Commentary

12 The planning and organisation of lessons is very good in the Foundation Stage and good in the rest of the school. Teachers assess and record pupils’ progress very effectively in English and mathematics, and at least effectively in almost all other subjects. In the Foundation Stage, the recently introduced profiles are updated termly from the perceptive notes the staff make about how well pupils are doing. Throughout the school, assessments are accurate and the information is used very well in planning. Teachers make good use of the guidance in the local and national schemes of work to record learning in a manageable way that is also informative. The notable exception within the overall good practice is music. Assessment procedures are not yet fully in place in this subject because the school has a relatively new scheme of work that is not yet fully embedded in practice. Because learning objectives are clear and tasks are

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Commentary

closely related to pupils’ individual needs, all pupils know what they need to do to improve. They understand their targets, how to achieve them and what they need to learn next. As a result, they continue to work productively and at a good pace even when not being directly supervised by an adult. This was particularly noticeable in the reception class but was also observed throughout the school. In a communication, language and literacy session, reception children, following the clear instructions given by the teacher, organised their own learning very well. They gathered together the resources they needed and proceeded to challenge each other in a literacy game based on recognising, spelling and writing simple three-letter words, competing to see who could get the highest number of words.

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Commentary

13 In most lessons, teachers use and brief support staff well, directing them to the groups most in need of assistance. Teachers almost always challenge pupils’ thinking effectively through perceptive, well-directed questioning that gives all pupils equal opportunity to be involved in whole class sessions. Pupils respond eagerly, and the less able are usually assisted well by support staff so that they, too, understand and have the opportunity to answer many of the questions being asked. As pupils move into groups, or to work as individuals, teachers always check that they understand what they have to do. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress because planning takes account of the targets in their individual education or behavioural plans. Pupils’ behaviour is usually very well managed but occasionally this is not so and disrupts learning, albeit for a short time. Well planned whole class sessions at the ends of

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Commentary

lessons are used very effectively to consolidate learning, enabling teachers and pupils to assess progress and identify what they need to do next. The sessions are also used to set additional challenges for pupils and to remind them of their homework. Pupils do their homework willingly. Although a small number of parents expressed concern at the variations in homework between classes, the inspection team found that the school’s expectations are clear and appropriate, that homework is set regularly, that it consolidates and extends the work done in class, and that teachers show they value it.

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The curriculum

Curricular provision, including the range of activities outside of the school day, is good overall. The effective use of accommodation and resources enhances pupils’ learning and creates a stimulating learning environment.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Very good attention is paid to giving all pupils equal opportunity to achieve as well as they can. • National and local guidance is very well adapted to the needs of the school, although there are weaknesses in music.

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Commentary

North Road Primary - 13 14 The curriculum is broad, balanced and well planned to meet the needs of the children, ensuring continuity in teaching and enabling all pupils to achieve well. With the exception of music, all subjects are covered in adequate depth. In music, pupils have few opportunities to engage in practical music making relating to composing and performing. However, the new scheme is addressing this weakness and music is set to be a priority for development in the next year. Appropriate emphasis is placed on the teaching of literacy and numeracy. The skills required to improve achievement in these areas are effectively consolidated in other subjects. Good links are made between relevant subjects within appropriate topics, and the school uses and adapts the national and local guidance effectively to support curricular planning and to meet its needs. The Foundation Stage curriculum is a good example of this. More of the reception children this

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Commentary

year have attainment levels below or towards the bottom end of average than is usually found in the school. As a result, changes were made to the curriculum to ensure that communication, language and literacy skills, the greatest area of weakness, are promoted at every opportunity. This has resulted in the children making very good progress since the beginning of the year. Throughout the school, good attention is paid to pupils’ personal development, from the very effective personal, social and emotional development curriculum for reception children to the well planned PSHCE programme in the rest of the school. This includes teaching pupils about sex and relationships and about the dangers of drug abuse, areas in which the school nurse becomes involved.

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Commentary

15 There is a good range of worthwhile and well attended clubs and other activities outside of the normal school day that contribute effectively to pupils’ academic and personal development. Visits to museums, art galleries and concerts, work with living artists, and participation in music festivals and projects with well-known orchestras enhance pupils’ learning in history and in the arts. Participation in sports activities, including with other schools, promote learning in physical development. The annual residential visit for older pupils enhances the pupils’ social development and their geographical learning. Visitors to the school successfully develop pupils’ sense of citizenship and contribute effectively to their personal development and their understanding of citizenship. This is also promoted successfully through the pupils’ awareness of those less fortunate than themselves for whom they collect money from time to time,

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Commentary

supporting local and national charities. Pupils are very well prepared for the next stage of their education, and for life beyond school

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Commentary

16 All pupils are well provided for, including those with SEN and those from different cultural backgrounds. The school promotes equality of opportunity very well. All statutory requirements are met for pupils with SEN. Individual education and behaviour plans have clear measurable targets which are kept under close review. All requirements relating to statements of SEN are met in full. The school promotes racial equality well, celebrating the diversity of culture within it, and developing in the pupils a growing respect for all races and cultures. For example, pupils see the ability of those from minority ethnic backgrounds to speak another language as an advantage rather than as a hindrance to learning, and each helps the other to succeed. This represents very good improvement since the last inspection. The school’s commitment to the full inclusion of all pupils is very good.

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Commentary

17 There is an adequate number of teaching and support staff, the effective deployment of whom successfully ensures all subjects are well taught and all pupils are well supported in class. The perceptive appointment and deployment of key staff has had a positive effect on staff morale and has eliminated the areas of unsatisfactory teaching found previously. The very strong teamwork amongst the staff is testimony to this. The accommodation is much improved since the last inspection. Refurbishment and redecoration, enhanced by good quality displays that celebrate pupils’ work across all areas of the curriculum, have resulted in an attractive and purposeful learning environment. The adequately stocked school library provides a suitable area for quiet study and the promotion of wider reading skills. The effective use of ‘spare’ rooms for practical activities in art and design, design and technology and music alleviates the

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Commentary

cramped nature of some classrooms, especially for older pupils. Overall, the school now makes the best use it can of its accommodation. Resources for learning are good and are used effectively to promote learning across all subjects. The ICT suite and the improved North Road Primary - 14 resources for ICT have considerably enhanced pupils’ learning in that subject and are also being used effectively to build even better links with parents.

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Care, guidance and support

The school provides very good care for pupils and very effective support and guidance based on the monitoring of pupils’ achievement and personal development. This represents very good improvement since the last inspection.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• All staff provide very caring support for pupils • Arrangements for helping new pupils settle into school are very good • The school promotes healthy and safe living well • There is good involvement of pupils in the work of the school through the school council

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Commentary

18 Everyone in the school community provides very good and sensitive care for pupils, and pupils feel confident in turning to their teachers or other adults in the school when they are upset or need help. The school has good health and safety procedures and governors successfully ensure the school is a safe environment by assisting with the regular inspection of the premises. There are effective procedures for child protection and all staff know what to do if they have concerns. Parents speak very highly of the school’s arrangements for helping their children settle into school. This important transition is made easier for children by a series of pre-school visits which help children to familiarise themselves with their teachers and classmates, by the home visits made to help build up relationships, and by their gradual introduction to school life, starting with half days.

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Commentary

19 The school is effectively raising pupils’ awareness of the importance of healthy and safe living and it has made good progress towards achieving ‘Healthy School’ status. Amongst the many good initiatives are the ‘PRIDE’ project on drugs education and the encouragement of water drinking in the classroom. The school gives pupils good guidance and support based on the formal and informal monitoring of their personal and academic progress. While the monitoring of pupils’ personal development is informal, the school is very sensitive to the needs of individual pupils. For example it provides counselling in anger management for the small number of pupils who have behaviour difficulties related to this. The ethos of the school ensures that all pupils feel valued and included. The school encourages and celebrates achievement through the good use of rewards and the weekly prize assembly. Pupils feel they

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Commentary

have a voice in the school through the school council and school councillors take their role seriously. Meetings are held regularly, with class meetings held between school council meetings to give everyone a chance to bring up issues and to allow councillors to report back on council decisions. The council is keen to improve the school environment. Following its decisions, trees and shrubs have been planted around the perimeter of the grounds.

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Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

The school has a good partnership with parents, and parents have far greater confidence in the school than at the time of the last inspection. The school has good links with the community and very effective links with other schools.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Parents’ confidence in the school has greatly increased • The school keeps parents very well informed both about the school and their children’s progress North Road Primary - 15 • The school consults parents well and takes account of their views. • Very good links with other schools extend learning opportunities for pupils

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Commentary

20 Parents are very satisfied with the school. At the parents’ meeting, they praised almost all aspects of the school’s work and commented on how much the school had improved in recent years. The parents’ questionnaire reveals a dramatic increase in parents’ confidence compared with that of the previous inspection two years ago. Parents particularly value the approachability of staff, the very effective manner in which the school is run and the good teaching their children receive. They appreciate the way in which, even when a teacher is absent and is replaced by a supply teacher, the school maintains stability and ensures continuity of learning for their children.

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Commentary

21 Parents are kept very well informed through a range of information which includes a very well presented prospectus, an informative annual governors’ report, regular newsletters and an annual open afternoon. The school provides good guidance on how parents can support their children’s learning at home. This includes information on the curriculum which is sent to parents each term. A small number of parents have benefited from the family literacy workshop that is enhancing their ICT skills while helping them to help their children. A small minority of parents consider that the school does not keep them well informed about the progress their children are making. However, the school has the usual pattern of parents’ evenings and parents agree that if they have concerns they can see teachers at any time, and that the staff inform them immediately of any concerns noticed in school. The school has responded to

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Commentary

parents’ requests for more information by instituting an interim report on pupils’ progress in numeracy and literacy, due for the first time this term. The annual reports on pupils’ progress are of good quality. They include suggestions on how pupils can improve their work in literacy and numeracy.

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Commentary

22 The school now has good procedures for consulting parents. Communication has improved and questionnaires are sent to parents to find out their views. The school listens and responds as promptly as it can to parents’ concerns. The decision to provide an interim report on pupils’ progress is an example of this. A small number of parents have concerns about the variation between classes in homework procedures. However, the inspection team found that homework is used well to support learning in all classes. In addition, the supervised homework clubs supports pupils very well, providing them with access to a member of staff, to the computers and to the Internet so that they may complete their homework to the best of their ability.

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Commentary

23 The school has good links with the community, which it uses well to enhance learning, for example, through the ‘BT Friends’ project and through enlisting members of the community to talk about their life and work, and about their experiences when they were at school. The school has very good links with other local primary schools and with the secondary school to which the majority of pupils transfer. Very effective liaison with the local high school, plus the good provision of impartial information for pupils and parents, and the good preparation of pupils for transfer to high school all help to ease this important transition. The school’s effective participation in joint projects such as the cross-phase project on citizenship helped the school to set up the school council. Its involvement in the ‘Pride’ and ‘Valued Youth’ projects makes a very good contribution to personal development.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management are very good. The headteacher, deputy headteacher, and key staff are supported by good governance.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

North Road Primary - 16 • The very good leadership of the headteacher focuses the whole school community very effectively on school improvement. • Good and often very good subject leadership is helping pupils to achieve well. • The effective governing body supports the leadership of the school well and keeps a good check on all of the school’s work. • The school’s very good management systems focus very well on evaluating the impact of its work on pupils’ learning. • Financial management is good.

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Commentary

24 The headteacher, deputy headteacher and governors have risen very well to the challenges of the serious weaknesses identified at the last inspection. Their very clear vision and sense of purpose, shared by a strong, hardworking team of staff, has led to very good improvement in the school during the past two years. The headteacher, supported by his very competent deputy, has high expectations of himself and his staff. All adults work together very effectively as a close-knit team, fully committed to raising standards and improving the achievement of all pupils. The school’s warm, friendly and harmonious ethos is firmly based on well managed pupil behaviour, very good relationships, good teaching and a rich curriculum. These factors are clearly reflected in the very well constructed school development plan. Together with the good management of the school’s finances, it clearly prioritises areas for development and

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Commentary

provides a useful tool for further school improvement.

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Commentary

25 All teachers play a full part in reviewing the curriculum and the subject co-ordinators understand and fulfil their roles very well. They share the results of monitoring standards and achievement, the quality of teaching and learning and the outcomes of checking pupils’ work. From this they draw up very good action plans which clearly identify strengths and areas for development in their subjects. All this has resulted in standards in almost all subjects being considerably improved since the last inspection. The leadership and management of provision for pupils with SEN are good. The provision is well organised and managed by the SEN co-ordinator and the pupils concerned are well supported by their teachers and by the able support staff. The funding for SEN is used effectively to promote the pupils’ learning. The headteacher, key staff and governors observe lessons and target areas where teaching and learning need to be

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Commentary

improved. This information is then used very effectively to identify staff training needs. The performance management of all staff is very thorough and brings about further improvement by identifying personal targets, effectively linked to priorities in the school development plan. The school is very aware of the need for regular review, evaluation and change where necessary. The effective assessment and tracking systems now in place enable it to provide for the individual needs of all pupils, including those with special educational needs, and those from ethnic minority backgrounds. This promotes the very effective inclusion of all pupils in all that the school has to offer and has resulted in much improved academic standards with all pupils achieving well.

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Commentary

26 Effective procedures ensure that new staff settle well and quickly learn the routines and expectations of the school. Two trained mentors support and guide their induction effectively to ensure that the school’s good standards in teaching and learning are maintained. Good opportunities are provided for student teachers to train in the school and the headteacher works in close partnership with the university during this process.

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Commentary

27 School governance is good, and all statutory requirements are fully met. The governors are fully involved in the life of the school and effectively support the work of the headteacher and staff. Governors have good levels of understanding about the school’s strengths and areas for development drawn from their thorough monitoring of the school’s systems and practices. Many governors visit the school regularly and those with a particular responsibility, for example, literacy, numeracy and special educational needs work alongside pupils and monitor more closely the school’s work in these areas. Financial management is good. The budget is North Road Primary - 17 carefully planned and the governors show a good understanding of the principles of best value in most areas of the school’s work. Spending is regularly checked by the efficient school secretary with support from a local authority finance officer, and by the headteacher and

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Commentary

governors responsible for finance. Recent surplus monies have been used efficiently to fund extensive building refurbishment and maintain staffing levels, both of which have had a positive impact on pupils’ learning.

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Commentary

Financial information for the year April 2002 to March 2003

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Commentary

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 503967 Balance from previous year 24946 Total expenditure 498698 Balance carried forward to the next 30215 Expenditure per pupil 2557 North Road Primary - 18

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AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

28 Provision in the Foundation Stage is very good. The good and very good elements reported at the last inspection have been sustained and assessment and its use in planning have been greatly improved. Children usually start school with levels of attainment that are broadly typical for their age. In reception this year, however, the weighting is towards the lower end of the ability range, with big gaps between the higher attainers and the rest of the group. The Foundation Stage curriculum has been very well adapted to meet the additional challenges in this year’s group, with appropriate emphasis on language development. Assessment procedures, including marking, are very good and lead to suitably personalised targets for all children for literacy, numeracy and personal development. The information is also used very well in planning. The Foundation Stage profiles are completed half termly and comments show

p.18

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

the areas in which further help is needed. There is a very good balance of well-prepared, engaging teacher-led and child-initiated practical activities that make learning fun for the children. Less confident children, those with learning or behavioural difficulties, and those for whom English is an additional language are all very well supported, ensuring their full inclusion in all activities. Very effective induction procedures help the children and their parents to settle quickly into school routines. Parents welcome the close contact the school encourages them to have with the staff. They are given good information about their children’s progress, and very good guidance as to how they may help at home. The Foundation Stage is very well led and managed. Teaching and learning are monitored well and the children are very well prepared for their work in Year 1.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in personal, social and emotional development is very good . All children achieve very well and almost all are on course to exceed the goals expected nationally for the end of the reception year.

p.18

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Behaviour is very good. Children manage themselves, organise their own work, and work and play together very well. • Children listen to each other, take turns, and remain highly attentive throughout their lessons. • This area of learning is promoted very effectively in all other areas of learning and provides a very secure base on which to build achievement.

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Commentary

29 Very good emphasis is placed on this area of learning, and it permeates all others. The children settle quickly into the well established school routines and very confidently gather and use resources for themselves. For example, when a member of a group found that the group was one whiteboard short, without any fuss, she went to where they were kept, got one, and then picked up the pen and duster also needed. Children form very good relationships with adults, listen attentively to each other and to the staff, and offer their ideas and opinions confidently. The staff are very skilled at helping them to do so and build the children’s confidence and self esteem very well through sensitive questioning and gentle probing. Less confident children are encouraged to share ideas on their own with a member of staff so that all feel their opinions are valid and valued. Every opportunity is taken to reinforce all aspects of personal, social and

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Commentary

emotional development. The children work very well together in groups and as a whole class, persevering with their tasks and following instructions accurately, and responding very well to the high expectations the staff have of their work rate and behaviour. North Road Primary - 19

p.18

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Provision in communication, language and literacy is very good . Almost all children are achieving very well and are on course to reach the goals expected for the end of the reception year.

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The children develop a wide vocabulary which they use well when speaking and listening. However, a significant minority of children are not yet writing legibly. • Literacy skills are very effectively promoted in all areas of learning. • Teaching is very good and work is very effectively matched to the children’s individual learning needs.

p.19

Commentary

30 Speaking and listening skills are good and children make good attempts at reading and spelling. Most children speak out confidently and clearly to the rest of the class and use a good range of vocabulary to do so. When they struggle for words, they usually find a different way of expressing themselves, encouraged sensitively by the staff. Reading skills are satisfactory. Higher attainers read well for their age and use clues from the text and from pictures, as well as letter sounds, to help them read new words. A small number of average and lower attainers know how to sound words out but are not secure about putting the sounds back together to read unfamiliar words. All children read common words with reasonable accuracy. Children enjoy books and stories. They recognise rhyming words and are developing a sound understanding of the meaning behind the words in a text. Higher attaining children form and join

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Commentary

letters correctly, writing neatly in sentences with appropriate punctuation. They also write their own names accurately. However, most children, while forming letters reasonably accurately, have not yet reached the stage of putting them together to form words and sentences. Lower attainers recognise and can point to letters but written letter formation is very insecure. The children rose very well to the challenge of finding the highest number of rhyming three letter words, thus consolidating their spelling skills.

p.19

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in mathematical development is very good . Achievement is good and almost all children are well on the way to attaining the goals expected for the end of the reception year.

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children have good counting skills which they use well to solve simple number problems. • They have a good mathematical vocabulary which they understand and use well in number and shape work. • Mathematical skills are very well taught and effectively reinforced in other areas of learning.

p.19

Commentary

31 Children develop a sound understanding of number patterns. All count accurately to and from ten, the majority count on and back to 15 and the more able carry on to 30, showing a good understanding of concepts such as ‘one more than’ and ‘one less than’ using the higher numbers. The teacher uses her very good knowledge of the children to direct specific number problems at individuals, all of whom rise well the challenges posed. The children have good recognition of two-dimensional shapes, which they recognise and describe accurately. Their learning was particularly well reinforced by the challenge to name a shape from the teacher’s description and then to play a similar game with each other. This also extended their speaking and listening skills very well. Appropriate extension work introduced the more able children to North Road Primary - 20 three-dimensional shapes, a concept that was very well reinforced in a creative activity in which

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Commentary

the children used clay to make models of the shapes. Most children write numerals correctly, though a significant minority continue to reverse them, and a few less able children struggle even when following outlines. The work in their books shows that they have a satisfactory understanding of capacity as they accurately record whether vessels are full, half full or empty, and have had experience of handling and counting money.

p.20

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Provision in knowledge and understanding of the world is very good . All children achieve very well and almost all are likely to exceed the goals expected for the end of the reception year.

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Very good teaching ensures that there is very well planned coverage of all ‘subjects’ contained in this area of learning. • Children have a well developed understanding of the process of scientific investigation.

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Commentary

32 Children participate eagerly in scientific investigations such as the floating and sinking activity they carried out during the inspection. They carried this work out well with the teacher, recording their findings on a chart and discussing whether or not they matched their original predictions. The work in their books shows a satisfactory understanding of forces, and a good understanding of the main body parts, which are labelled accurately. Imaginative sand and construction play, and activities such as fruit tasting and recording their likes and dislikes, introduce them very effectively to design and technology activities. The ‘now and then’ pictures introduce children effectively to the concept of the passing of time, recorded on labelled diagrams indicating what they can do now that they could not do as babies. In the ‘rooms in my school’ project, the children showed good attention to detail as they drew a simple map of the

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Commentary

school. They use a mouse with good levels of control to move icons round the screen and to draw and paint, competently using the ‘fill’ facility for colour work on the computer. Through their work in religious education, the children successfully learn about giving and receiving, about special people and about people who help them. They use their literacy skills well as they record their learning with a mixture of drawing, writing and labelled diagrams.

p.20

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in physical development is good . Almost all children achieve well and are on course to attain the early learning goals in this area of learning.

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children enjoy physical activities and achieve well in this area of learning. • Most children manipulate tools and materials well, though a significant minority do not hold and use scissors or pencils well enough to cut or draw accurately.

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Commentary

33 Good teaching ensures that the children develop a good awareness of their bodies and use space appropriately in physical education activities. They perform confidently in front of others and learn effectively from each other. No outdoor activities took place during the inspection because of the inclement weather. The children’s fine motor skills are overall good. They show sound levels of dexterity as they cut shapes from different materials and paste them onto the textured backgrounds they had prepared previously. However, a significant minority do not hold North Road Primary - 21 scissors correctly and have difficulty manipulating the materials to produce the effects they want. The more able pupils complete puzzles with considerable dexterity and all pupils enjoy the practical nature of physical activities prepared for them. The good support they receive from staff and parent helpers contributes in great measure to their good achievement.

p.20

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Provision in creative development is good . All children achieve well and are on course to reach the early learning goals in this area of learning.

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Art skills are taught well and children experience a good range of art activities. • The children have a good range of art vocabulary, which they use well when talking about their work.

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Commentary

34 Good teaching ensures that children develop good observational skills from an early age. For example, when they draw round their hands, the more able children make good attempts at adding the finer detail of knuckles and nails. However, less able children clearly struggle to gain the pencil control to draw around their hands, though most shapes are recognisable. Pupils use a good range of art vocabulary as they describe and compare colour of different ‘shades’ and ‘tones’ as ‘darker’ and ‘lighter’, and the ‘texture’ of their backgrounds as ‘rough’ or ‘smooth’. As they use ICT to paint, they demonstrate a good knowledge of primary colours and colour mixes. They also enjoy making models in clay, an activity that, during the inspection, very effectively reinforced their mathematical learning about three-dimensional shapes. No music was observed in this age group during the inspection other than rhyme singing and the children’s

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Commentary

spontaneous singing of the alphabet. In these activities, the children sang in tune, with good voice control, following the staff well. No role play activities were observed but the teacher’s planning shows that this aspect of creative development is given due attention, and role play areas were set up in the classroom. North Road Primary - 22

p.21

ENGLISH

Provision in English is good , representing good improvement since the previous inspection.

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards are above the national expectation in Year 2 and Year 6 and pupils of all levels of capability and background achieve well throughout the school. • The quality of teaching is good and contributes in great measure to the pupils’ good achievement. • English is very well led and managed and very good assessment procedures have resulted in changes being made to the curriculum to meet the needs of the pupils. • All pupils have individual targets for literacy and know what they need to do to achieve them.

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Commentary

35 Pupils of all abilities and backgrounds throughout the school respond with great enthusiasm to their teachers’ probing questions, using a good range of vocabulary and expressing themselves clearly. For example, Year 1 pupils suggested powerful adjectives such as ‘steamy’ to describe the jungle where ‘Harold the giraffe’ lived. The more able pupils went on to write their own stories and subsequently read them out to the class with confidence. Year 2 pupils have good recall of stories they have read. They use picture clues and letter sounds well to work out how to read unfamiliar words. They demonstrated their good speaking skills and their good understanding of a traditional tale as they re-told it into a tape recorder. Writing in Year 2 is of a good standard. Pupils successfully write imaginative stories that are of a good length, have a clear beginning, middle and end, and are accurately punctuated with capital letters and full-

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Commentary

stops. They use a good range of interesting and varied vocabulary that engages the reader, for example, ‘the flickering sound’ and ‘one dark, dark spooky night’. Sentence construction is usually correct, spelling is mostly accurate and handwriting is well formed, joined and legible. This greatly helps the pupils to present their thoughts clearly to the teacher and to the rest of the class.

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Commentary

36 Pupils in Years 3 to 6 build well on their learning in Years 1 and 2. They listen carefully to others and express themselves clearly when answering questions or talking about their work. The teachers’ good use of support staff to prompt pupils ensures that all participate to the best of their capability in discussions and in question and answer sessions. Pupils in Year 6 readily name their favourite authors and explain clearly why they like particular books. The pupils’ writing is interesting and clearly conveys meaning, including, for example, phrases such as ‘…zipping through the city’. Pupils have a good understanding of how to write complex sentences which they use consistently well to write stories and reports that are of a good length and engage the reader well. Handwriting is joined and legible. Teachers’ marking is perceptive. It frequently refers to pupils’ targets and indicates clearly the ways in which work can be

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Commentary

improved. Pupils know their targets, are highly motivated by them, and know what they need to do to achieve them. This results in good productivity and pace in lessons. Parents are very positive about how the school motivates their children to learn, and helps them to help their children read and write.

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Commentary

37 Pupils with special educational needs are supported well and make good progress towards the targets in their individual education plans. Pupils for whom English is an additional language are also well supported. From time to time they are given the opportunity to talk to each other in their home language to discuss issues and articulate their thoughts prior to sharing ideas and opinions with the whole class. This contributes effectively to their good achievement. North Road Primary - 23 38 Leadership and management are very good. The co-ordinator, a leading literacy teacher, has worked closely with the staff and the school has successfully implemented the National Literacy Strategy, adapting it well to meet the needs of the pupils. Assessment procedures are very good. Pupils’ individual progress is effectively tracked and their work is well planned from the information gained. Teaching and learning are monitored well and good support is provided

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Commentary

when any weaknesses are found. English makes a good contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. For example, pupils in Year 1 showed good levels of empathy towards the character ‘Harold the giraffe’ in their class writing and pupils in Year 6 displayed good collaborative skills when working on constructing complex sentences with time connectives.

p.23

Language and literacy across the curriculum

39 The school works hard and successfully promotes language and literacy skills across the curriculum. For example, in a Year 2 history lesson, pupils used their speaking skills well to formulate and ask questions of their teacher in the role of Florence Nightingale, successfully to promote their historical understanding. Other examples were noted in design and technology, geography and ICT. Pupils use ICT well to enhance their literacy work as they draft and improve their writing using word processing, use the Internet for research and use computer programmes to assist spelling and grammar. Overall, there has been good improvement since the last inspection.

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards are above expectations for pupils’ ages in Years 2 and 6 and all pupils achieve well throughout the school whatever their background or capability. • Teaching and learning are good and pupils show very good attitudes towards their work. • Very good assessment and tracking systems are used very effectively to plan challenging work for all pupils. • Leadership and management are very good.

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Commentary

40 Teachers use their good knowledge and understanding of the subject and the nationally recommended guidelines well to plan a wide range of interesting activities that meet the needs of all pupils, with a strong emphasis on teaching basic number skills. Pupils are highly motivated by the teachers’ lively delivery, their good use of resources and real life situations, which make learning interesting and fun. For example, younger pupils had great fun as, using their secure knowledge of two-dimensional shapes and positional language, they made composite pictures following the teachers’ precise instructions, while others sorted everyday packaging into common three-dimensional shapes. Older pupils particularly enjoy and respond enthusiastically to the mental calculations and mathematical games at the beginning of lessons, which are used very effectively to sharpen their mental skills. Teachers’ clear explanations as they work through examples with the whole class enable pupils to build

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Commentary

successfully on their previous learning. Effective questioning, as seen in a good Year 6 lesson, challenges pupils’ thinking well as they use their very secure knowledge of number facts and mathematical operations as they explain very clearly their different strategies for solving real life problems. Little time is lost between activities and the teachers’ high expectations of pupils’ behaviour and work rate result in good pace and productivity in learning in almost all classes. Relationships are very good and the teachers use praise well to promote pupils’ self esteem. This has a positive effect on pupils’ learning. A good range and amount of homework is set, which effectively reinforces and extends learning beyond the school day. North Road Primary - 24 41 The very effective leadership and management of the subject have contributed in great measure to the very good improvement in provision, standards and achievement since the last

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Commentary

inspection. The co-ordinator has a very clear overview of the subject gained from the thorough analysis of all test and assessment results, the very focused monitoring of pupils’ work and the observation of lessons. This information is used very effectively to set challenging targets for all pupils and to ensure that learning is continuous throughout the school. Good quality resources are used effectively to enhance learning.

p.24

Mathematics across the curriculum

42 Pupils use and consolidate their mathematical skills well in other subjects. For example, they construct time lines in history and record their scientific findings through graphs and charts. Information and communication technology is used effectively to support pupils’ learning in mathematics. Older pupils confidently input data to produce spreadsheets and graphs which they interpret well, while younger pupils effectively consolidate their learning about number and shape.

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards for pupils in Year 2 and Year 6 match those expected for their ages. • All groups of pupils, including those with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language, achieve well. • Teaching is good overall, resources are used well and thinking skills are promoted well through practical and investigative activities. • Leadership and management are good.

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Commentary

43 Pupils ‘love’ their science work because it is exciting and fun, and they talk with good understanding about the topics they have covered. This is because teachers use their good subject knowledge to plan a range of interesting, practical activities that develop pupils’ enquiry skills well. As a result, pupils have a good scientific knowledge, use a good range of technical language, develop appropriate skills for making predictions and have a good understanding of how to carry out a fair test. Teachers ask questions effectively to help pupils use what they already know to extend their thinking skills. Pupils predict outcomes with increasing accuracy as they move through the school and older pupils record their investigations clearly and systematically. However, pupils are not given enough responsibility for planning and organising their own investigations. In all lessons teachers prepare and organise resources well to

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Commentary

promote good learning. This was seen to good effect in Year 5, enabling all pupils to clearly understand the function of the heart and circulatory system. The stimulating activities, and very brisk pace, as seen in a very good Year 6 lesson on food chains, foster a sense of curiosity in the pupils that results in very good levels of concentration, very good behaviour and very productive learning. Pupils work well collaboratively, discussing ideas and considering the opinions of others. These opportunities contributed well to the personal, social and health education of Year 2 pupils as they learned about the dangers of medicines. All pupils use their literacy and numeracy skills well as they record their findings in a range of interesting ways. They take an obvious pride in the presentation of their work as, for example, they make labelled diagrams, write scientific reports and present data as graphs and charts. Year 6 pupils were

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Commentary

observed using an Intel microscope very competently to study the roots of plants. Overall, however, ICT and non-fiction books are not always used as well as they could be to research scientific information. North Road Primary - 25 44 Leadership and management are good. The co-ordinator has a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses in the subject. Her clear action plan rightly focuses on the need for a more rigorous analysis of all test and assessment results in relation to scientific enquiry skills. Pupils’ learning is effectively checked and accurately recorded at the end of each unit. This information, together with that gathered from observing lessons, is used well in planning. However, because of inconsistencies in teachers’ written marking, pupils are not always clear about how to improve their work. The good resources and visits to a local environmental centre enrich the curriculum and enhance pupils’ learning. Nevertheless, since the previous inspection

p.24

Commentary

there have been very good improvements in the quality of teaching and learning and in the use of investigative work, especially for pupils in Years 3 to 6. This contributes in great measure to the good achievement now seen in this subject.

p.25

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

Provision in ICT is good . All pupils achieve well and standards are above the national expectation.

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The quality of teaching is good throughout the school and contributes in great measure to the pupils’ good achievement. • The subject is well led and managed. • Pupils use their ICT skills well in most subjects.

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Commentary

45 Pupils in Year 6 create multimedia slide shows, communicate using email, use spreadsheets competently, and use the Internet well for research purposes. They have good word processing skills and competently change font size and style, order, cut and paste text and insert pictures. They have their own files on which to store their work and have set up their own autobiographies. They also use control technology competently to give instructions for directions on screen. The recent upgrade of hardware in the computer suite, including the interactive whiteboard, has enhanced ICT teaching and learning throughout the school. The effective use of a part time ICT technician helps to keep the equipment in good working order. The school has four wireless laptop computers which are used in the classrooms for pupil research. All teachers have laptops and use them effectively to promote learning, for example in a Year 4 history lesson.

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Commentary

46 The school uses national guidance as the basis for its planning, ensuring that all pupils experience all aspects of this subject. All teachers have benefited from in-service training that has resulted in a good understanding of the software they use in class, and of how they might use their laptops to enhance teaching and learning. Teachers’ planning is clear and concise. It is securely based on their perceptive assessments of pupils’ prior learning, and activities are matched to the pupils’ different ability levels. Teachers have high expectations of the pupils’ and challenge. Pupils’ behaviour is managed very well. The majority of pupils make good progress. As a result, pupils are enthusiastic about ICT, enjoy their lessons and work co-operatively with their partners in the computer suite. They use software confidently and make good progress. The direct teaching in lessons yields quick results, enabling pupils to make rapid gains in their

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Commentary

learning. In a Year 6 lesson, for example, the very good teacher demonstration of how to set up pages for a presentation enabled all pupils to do so competently by the end of the lesson. In a Year 4 lesson, a programmable robot toy was used effectively to illustrate rotation, degrees and right angles. The demonstration enabled the pupils to work successfully with the on-screen version of this and two small groups of pupils worked with two robots. This direct teaching enabled pupils to make good progress.

p.25

Commentary

47 The leadership and management of the subject are good. The co-ordinator monitors teachers’ planning well; the findings from lesson observations are fed back to staff and help them North Road Primary - 26 improve their teaching. Software is carefully evaluated as to its usefulness before it is purchased, showing good attention to best value principles.

p.25

ICT across the curriculum

48 Pupils use their ICT skills well in other subjects. The good use of planned ICT activities was observed across the curriculum, for example in literacy, mathematics, history, and art and design. Pupils are now using ICT as a natural tool for learning and for presentations. For example, the school council are putting together a multi media presentation on the development of the school grounds. Community use of the ICT suite is in its infancy with the setting up of the parents’ literacy support group. This is enhancing the school’s links with parents and their involvement in their children’s learning. The suite is also used as a base for the school’s homework club enabling pupils to have access to the Internet for research purposes. There has been good improvement in the planning, assessment and use of ICT in all subjects since the previous inspection.

p.26

HUMANITIES

During the inspection there were no observations of geography lessons and religious education was observed only Year 6. Therefore there are no overall judgements on teaching and learning in these two subjects, or on standards and achievement in geography in Year 2 and Year 6, or religious education in Year 2. Evidence for other judgements is securely based on the information gained from discussions with the pupils, the analysis of their work, and the scrutiny of teachers’ planning and assessment records.

p.26

GEOGRAPHY

49 Progress since the last inspection is satisfactory. The leadership and management of geography are good and the geography curriculum is well planned. The subject now has adequate time on the timetable and the co-ordinator monitors teaching and learning satisfactorily. Good assessment arrangements are in place and an appropriate range of visits and field trips enhances the curriculum for the pupils.

p.26

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching is good, pupils enjoy the subject. All groups of pupils achieve well and reach good standards by the time they leave the school. • Teachers and pupils use ICT effectively to enhance learning in history. • The subject is well led and managed, assessment is good and the information is used effectively in planning.

p.26

Commentary

50 Pupils in Years 1 and 2 develop a good understanding of how things have changed over time. They know, for example, that people’s clothes were different and that medical care is much better now than at the time of Florence Nightingale. They learn about an appropriate range of historical events such as the Great Fire of London and know that ‘researching’ means to find information from a variety of sources such as diaries and newspapers.

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Commentary

51 Pupils in Year 6 demonstrate good factual knowledge of aspects of history. For example, they know that the Ancient Egyptians lived up to 3000 years ago and that they built the pyramids as tombs for the Pharaohs. They successfully link cause and effect, explaining clearly why cities North Road Primary - 27 were evacuated in World War II. They have a good understanding of the range of information that can be gained from a variety of sources such as the Internet, historical artefacts and old maps.

p.26

Commentary

52 The quality of teaching and learning is good overall. In the best lessons, teachers actively involve pupils and maintain a brisk pace to keep their interest. Teachers have high expectations of pupils’ performance, behaviour and attitudes to work, to which the pupils respond accordingly. Planning is well matched to the pupils’ different levels of capability and resources and artefacts are organised and used effectively as was seen in an archaeology lesson in Year 6. Teachers make good links with literacy, geography and ICT when presenting history, for example, in their use of the Internet to find information about Tutankhamen. The curriculum is suitably enriched by visits to museums and places of historical interest. Because the activities are engaging, the majority of pupils are enthusiastic about history. They behave very well and show great interest in the past. Year 6 pupils talked excitedly about what it must feel like to be

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Commentary

an archaeologist, and thoroughly enjoyed their role-play during a lesson unearthing Aztec artefacts from a sand pit. They take great pride in their work and present it well.

p.27

Commentary

53 Leadership and management are good. The co-ordinator has a good overview of the subject, gained from reviewing teachers’ planning and pupils’ work, and observing a small number of lessons. Resources are of a good quality and supplemented by loans from the museum for different historical projects. Good assessment arrangements are in place and the information is used well in planning. The presentation and teaching of history is greatly enhanced by good use of ICT. This helps to make the subject come alive for pupils. There has been good improvement in history since the last inspection.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

Only one lesson was seen and there was insufficient evidence to make an overall judgement on the quality of teaching or on the standards and achievement of pupils in Year 2. However, Year 6 pupils meet the expected standards of the locally agreed syllabus and make satisfactory progress.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching in the Year 6 lesson was very good. • The subject makes a positive contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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Commentary

54 Teachers use national and local guidelines to plan an appropriate range of topics which ensure that learning is continuous as pupils move through the school. Younger pupils reflect on their feelings and on what is important to them as, for example, they write about and make collages of people special to them. Pupils develop a satisfactory understanding of major world faiths. In a very good Year 6 lesson on Buddhism, the teacher’s very effective questioning challenged pupils’ thinking well as they confidently and accurately explained the meaning of the eightfold path to enlightenment. Pupils related this very well to their own everyday experiences, developing a good sense of spirituality as they reflected on and showed respect for the values and beliefs of others.

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Commentary

55 Leadership and management of the subject are good. The co-ordinator has a clear overview of the strengths and weaknesses of the subject and a strong commitment to further developing pupils’ multicultural awareness through it. Assessment and recording procedures are good, although teachers’ marking does not always clearly identify what pupils have done well or what they need to do to improve their work. Assemblies and visitors to the school enhance pupils’ learning, and resources are good. Overall, the subject makes a positive contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Improvement since the last inspection is good. North Road Primary - 28

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

Only two lessons were observed in each of art and design, design and technology, and physical education, and only one lesson was observed in music. Inspectors looked at available evidence from pupils’ work on display and in their books, and examined teachers’ planning and their records of pupils’ progress. Statutory requirements are met for all four subjects, although there are weaknesses in music.

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ART AND DESIGN

56 The range of evidence examined, and the two lessons observed show that attainment in Year 2 and Year 6 is as expected for pupils’ ages, and that their achievement is satisfactory. No overall judgement is possible on the quality of teaching.

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ART AND DESIGN

57 Pupils in Year 2 were highly motivated by the engaging activity of preparing a storyboard. They used a good range of sketching pencils well to create light and dark in their ‘snapshots’. They responded to the good opportunities the teacher gave them to learn from each other by evaluating with her the quality of their work and how to improve it. Pupils in Years 3 to 6 use their sketchbooks well to prepare their work and the final products on display show good realisation of the initial ideas and designs. Discussions with the pupils reveal that they have a good understanding of why they changed their work as it progressed so that they represented better the symbolism of, for example, dream catchers, and learned how artists from different cultures used colour in their work. They experience a good range of art and design work in a variety of media across all aspects of the subject. The pupils’ work in art and design makes a

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ART AND DESIGN

good contribution to their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and enhances their personal development. The abstract representations of the Year 3 pupils’ journeys from home to school successfully enhanced their work in geography as they explored the use of symbolism to represent reality. Artistic development is further enhanced by visits to museums and the opportunities the pupils have to work with a local artist. Pupils use digital photography appropriately to record and evaluate their work in art and design, as well as to draw and paint using the computer.

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ART AND DESIGN

58 Leadership and management of the subject are good overall. All collated work is assessed and given a National Curriculum level . This provides good guidance for teachers and the information is used well to inform planning. National guidance is adapted well to suit the needs of the pupils and monitoring takes place on a rota with other subjects.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

59 Teachers’ planning and the range of work in the pupils’ books indicate that all aspects of the subject are covered in adequate depth throughout the school. Perceptive design work in Year 3 shows that the pupils explored the purpose of packaging prior to designing and making their own and evaluating their work with a friend. Good attention is paid to health and safety, as was noted in a Year 1 lesson where pupils had tasted fruits from around the world, recorded their findings, and, one group at a time, were making fruit salad. Those not engaged in doing so, made good representations of different fruits using clay, and used their literacy skills well to describe, for example, ‘dangly grapes’ and ‘spiky dragon fruit’. This work contributed effectively to the pupils’ cultural and multicultural development.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

60 As only two lessons were seen it is not possible to make an overall judgement on the quality of teaching or on standards and achievement. Teachers’ planning and records show that all North Road Primary - 29 aspects of the subject are covered throughout the year, and that pupils attain the required standard in swimming by Year 6.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

61 Teaching in the lessons seen was satisfactory. Warm up activities linked well to science and health education lessons as pupils accurately explained the importance and effect of warming up their bodies before exercise. Pupils move in a variety of ways paying due attention to the use of space, levels and directions and stopping well at given signals. Year 1 pupils expressed their feeling well orally and through dance at appropriate parts in the story of “Jack and the Beanstalk”. However, overall there were few opportunities for pupils to demonstrate their skills in dance and games and, where demonstrations did occur, pupils were not encouraged to identify the good techniques in order to improve their own work. This restricted progress as pupils were not clear enough about what they needed to strive for in order to improve. The behaviour of some pupils in Year 4 was not managed well enough and this resulted in

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

disruptions to learning for the rest of the class.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

62 Leadership and management are good. The co-ordinator has a clear view of strengths and weaknesses in the subject. Her clear action plan focuses well on raising standards and improving pupils’ achievement. Regular assessments enable the co-ordinator to track pupils’ progress as they move through school and the information gathered is used well in planning. The good resources are used effectively to enhance learning. Extra-curricular sports and inter- school competitions help pupils to develop a sense of fair play. The residential outdoor activity week further develops pupils’ physical skills, for example, in sailing and archery, while providing them with social and team building opportunities. Improvements since the last inspection have been satisfactory.

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MUSIC

63 The new scheme of work provides for an adequate range of musical activities related to listening, composing and performing. However, it is not fully embedded in the work of the school and pupils have little experience of practical music making in terms of composing and performing. Activities outside of the normal school day contribute effectively to musical development, and the deployment of a music specialist has resulted in satisfactory standards of singing throughout the school. The monitoring of the implementation of the scheme, and improvement in the provision for music are rightly identified as priorities in the school development plan.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

64 Throughout the school, good attention is paid to pupils’ personal development, from the very effective personal, social and emotional development curriculum for reception children to the well planned PSHCE programme in the rest of the school. The school provides effectively for the continuous development of citizenship, healthy and safe lifestyles, personal growth and relationships. This includes teaching pupils about sex and relationships and about the dangers of drug abuse, areas in which the school nurse becomes involved. Learning in these areas is promoted well throughout the curriculum. Pupils have a say in the running of the school through the school council. Designated PSHCE lessons and ‘circle time’ activities provide them with good opportunities to discuss and resolve matters of importance or concern to them. The good range of after-school clubs, visits and visitors further enhance pupils’ personal development

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

and gives them a good understanding of citizenship. As a result, they are well prepared for the next stage of their education and for life beyond school. North Road Primary - 30

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Overall standards achieved 3 Pupils’ achievement 3

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities 2 Attendance 5 Attitudes 2 Behaviour, including the extent of exclusions 2 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 3

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The leadership and management of the school 2 The governance of the school 3 The leadership of the headteacher 2 The leadership of other key staff 2 The effectiveness of management 2

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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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