Orchard Church of England Primary School, Broughton Astley

PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 24 th – 27 th November 2003

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PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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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. Orchard C of E Primary School

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Primary School category: Voluntary controlled Age range of pupils: 4-11 Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 220

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Blenheim Crescent Broughton Astley Leicester Postcode: LE9 6QX

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: 01455 283247 Fax number: 01455 286948

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: Governing body Name of chair of governors: Mr D Barratt

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 22 nd September 1998

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

Orchard Church of England Primary School is of average size compared with other primary schools in the country and has 220 pupils on roll. Twenty-six per cent of pupils live outside the school’s catchment area. Nearly all pupils are white and only one pupil speaks English as an additional language. Around 8 per cent of pupils are entitled to free school meals and 14 per cent of pupils have special educational needs. These figures are lower than in most schools. Three per cent of pupils have a statement of special educational needs, which is higher than in most schools. These pupils have severe learning difficulties and various medical needs. The rate at which pupils join and leave the school is low. However, last year, 21 per cent of pupils joined the school after Year 2. Attainment on entry to school is below average. Orchard C of E Primary School

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

2905 David Shepherd Lead inspector Science, information and communication technology [ICT], art and design, design and technology, music, physical education 16472 Cathy Stormonth Lay inspector 22657 Mark Madeley Team inspector English, geography, history, religious education 19386 Trevor Watts Team inspector Foundation Stage, mathematics, citizenship

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

Altecq Education Ltd 102 Bath Road Cheltenham GL53 7JX

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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 contractor. The procedures are set out in the leaflet ‘Complaining about Ofsted Inspections’ , which is available from Ofsted Publications Centre (telephone 07002 637833) or Ofsted’s website (www.ofsted.gov.uk). Orchard C of E Primary School

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 8

Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 8

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 11

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

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OVERALL EVALUATION

Orchard Church of England Primary School provides a sound education for its pupils and gives good value for money . The achievement of pupils is satisfactory overall and pupils achieve well in the Foundation Stage and in Years 1 and 2; most reach nationally expected standards by the end of Year 6. Teaching and learning are consistently good in the Foundation Stage and in Years 1 and 2 and satisfactory with good features elsewhere in the school.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are: • The leadership shown by the headteacher is very good and she is supported well in this by staff, governors and parents • Pupils’ behaviour and attitudes are excellent and their personal development is good; provision for pupils’ care and welfare is very good • Provision for pupils in the Foundation Stage is good and children achieve well • Pupils achieve well in English, mathematics and science in Years 1 and 2 • Standards of writing are unsatisfactory, especially in subjects other than English • Provision for pupils with special educational needs is very good and they achieve well. However, high-attaining pupils are sometimes set work that is too easy for them • With the exception of pupils with special educational needs, marking of pupils’ work is unhelpful and many pupils do not know what they need to do to improve • The induction of pupils new to the school is excellent

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school has maintained many of the high standards reported at the last inspection and is improving in many aspects of its work. Improvement is particularly marked in the Foundation Stage and in Years 1 and 2.The quality of teaching is similar to that at the last inspection. The school has corrected many of the weaknesses identified at the last inspection with the exception of marking.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Achievement overall is satisfactory. However, pupils in the Foundation Stage and in Years 1 and 2 achieve well.

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Year 6 results

all schools similar schools Results in National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 6, compared with: 2001 2002 2003 2003 English A B C E mathematics C C B D science B B C E Key: A - well above average; B - above average; C - average; D - below average; E - well below average Similar schools are those whose pupils attained similarly at the end of Year 2

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Year 6 results

In the 2003 National Curriculum tests for pupils in Year 6, when compared with all schools, standards in mathematics were above average and those in English and science average. When compared with similar schools, standards were below average in mathematics and well below average in English and science. However, 21 per cent of pupils in Year 6 in 2003 joined the school after Year 2 and a proportion of these pupils had special educational needs.

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Year 6 results

Children start school with below average skills and achieve well in the reception class. By the time they enter into Year 1, standards are at expected levels in all areas of learning for children of this age. In Years 1 and 2, most pupils achieve well and, by the end of Year 2, standards in reading are Orchard C of E Primary School well above average, and those in writing and mathematics above average when compared with other schools. The trend of improvement in Year 2 in reading, writing and mathematics is above the national trend. Between Years 3 to 6, pupils’ achievement is broadly satisfactory and they achieve well in ICT and personal, social and health education. However, standards of writing in other subjects are too low. High-attaining pupils sometimes do not make the progress they are capable of in Years 3 to 6.

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Year 6 results

Standards in information and communication technology (ICT) and religious education at the end of Years 2 and 6 are at expected levels as are those at the end of Year 6 in geography.

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Year 6 results

Pupils’ personal development is very good . Their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good . Pupils’ behaviour and attitudes to school are excellent . Their attendance is good and their punctuality excellent .

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The quality of education provided by the school is satisfactory . Teaching and learning are satisfactory overall with some good and very good features . The school assesses pupils’ attainment against National Curriculum standards well, but marking does not provide pupils with enough information about how well they are doing in lessons or what they need to do to improve. The curriculum is satisfactory and pupils receive very effective levels of care. The school has very good links with parents and other schools and good links with the community.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Overall, the leadership and management provided by the school are good . The headteacher provides very good leadership and receives good support in this from the senior management team and subject co-ordinators. Subject leadership is good . Governors are supportive of the school and governance is good .

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents are very satisfied with the school. Their support for the wide range of extra-curricular activities is very good. Pupils are positive about the school and feel that their views are sought by teachers, listened to carefully and acted upon well.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

The most important things the school should do to improve are: • improve standards of writing across the curriculum, especially in Years 3 to 6; • raise teachers’ expectations so that high-attaining pupils achieve as much as they are capable of; • ensure pupils know what is good about their work and what they need to do to improve. Orchard C of E Primary School

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Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

Achievement in the Foundation Stage and in Years 1 and 2 is good and in Years 3 to 6 is satisfactory overall.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children achieve well in the Foundation Stage and in Years 1 and 2; pupils in Years 3 to 6 achieve well in ICT and in personal, social and health education • Standards in mathematics are improving by the end of Year 6 • Standards in writing at the end of Year 6 are not as high as in other aspects of English • Overall high-attaining pupils are not achieving well enough

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Commentary

1. Standards in National Curriculum tests over the past four years in Year 6 have improved in mathematics, remained the same in science and dipped in English. The results achieved in 2003 were not as high as expected and the school did not meet its targets in English and mathematics. The performance of Year 6 pupils in their test results was below their prior attainment. Relying too much on the raw results gives a false impression of what has happened during Years 3 to 6 because 21 per cent of pupils have joined the school during these four years. A proportion of these pupils had special educational needs, two of whom had statements. This means that it would be difficult for most of them to reach the nationally expected standards for pupils of this age. In addition, the Year 6 group who sat the tests experienced a number of traumatic external events that adversely affected their performance during the year. The following table illustrates the standards achieved.

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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 26.5 (28.5) 26.8 (27.0) Mathematics 27.9 (26.6) 26.8 (26.7) Science 29.1 (29.2) 28.6 (28.3) There were 39 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year

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Commentary

2. In Years 3 to 6, inspection evidence indicates that standards in English, mathematics and science are at expected levels. The achievement of most pupils in these subjects is satisfactory overall. However, high-attaining pupils do not achieve what they are capable of because work set for them is too easy. Low-attaining pupils, including those with special educational needs, achieve well because they receive good help from their teachers and teaching assistants. Standards in ICT, geography and religious education are at expected levels. No judgements were made about other subjects in Years 3 to 6.

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Commentary

3. At the end of Year 2 in the 2003 tests, standards were well above average in reading when compared with all schools and similar schools. Pupils achieve well in Years 1 and 2. Standards in writing and mathematics were above average compared with all schools and average when compared with similar schools. The proportion of pupils reaching the higher levels in these subjects was well above average. The following table illustrates the standards in Year 2. Orchard C of E Primary School Standards in national tests at the end of Year 2 – average point scores in 2003

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Commentary

Standards in: School results National results Reading 17.8 (16.1) 15.7 (15.8) Writing 15.7 (15.2) 14.6 (14.4) Mathematics 17.3 (16.9) 16.3 (16.5) There were 29 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year

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Commentary

4. Overall, the trend of improvement in Year 2 during the past five years has been above the national trend. This is because of the good teaching over time of this age group. In Year 6, the trend over the same period of time is broadly similar to the national trend because of pupil mobility and special educational needs in this year group.

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Commentary

5. Inspection evidence indicates that standards in reading are above expected levels and those in writing, mathematics and science in Years 1 and 2 are at expected levels. Pupils of below average ability, including those with special educational needs, achieve well because they receive good help from their teachers and teaching assistants. Standards in ICT and religious education are at the expected level. Lack of evidence prevented judgements being made in other subjects in Years 1 and 2.

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Commentary

6. Standards on entry to the reception class are below average overall. This is because, when pupils start school, their skills in the important areas of personal and social development and literacy are below what would be expected of children of their age. In all other areas of learning, attainment on entry is average. Because of the consistently good teaching in the reception class, children achieve well and reach the standards expected of them in all areas of learning by the time they enter Year 1.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Pupils have excellent attitudes to their lessons. Their behaviour is excellent . Attendance is good and punctuality is excellent. Provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

. • Bullying and harassment are virtually unknown and relationships are excellent • Levels of courtesy and respect for each other are exemplary • Pupils co-operate well in lessons • Pupils take their responsibilities around school seriously • There are clear expectations of how pupils should behave • Pupils’ cultural development is promoted well

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Commentary

7. Pupils are happy to come to school. They enjoy lessons and the extra activities the school provides. Pupils co-operate well in lessons and work together willingly on experiments and reading activities for instance. They are interested and attentive in lessons through all curriculum subjects. At lunch times, pupils in Year 6 sit with the three youngest years to help them with their lunch, showing them what to do. They take this responsibility seriously and sensibly, and lunchtimes are a pleasant ‘family’ experience for these pupils. Year 6 pupils also take on additional tasks, such as looking after the library, putting on the ‘spiritual' music at the start of afternoon lessons, and taking registers round all the classes. Pupils throughout the school elect class representatives to be members of the school council. These pupils act in a Orchard C of E Primary School very responsible manner, and discuss aspects of school sensibly with staff. Relationships

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Commentary

between pupils and their teachers are excellent.

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Commentary

8. Pupils’ excellent behaviour is a strength of the school. Teachers expect pupils to behave. They are very consistent in the way they insist on the best possible behaviour and pupils, in turn, respond very positively to this. Class discussions are held about any incidents of misbehaviour that arise, or about topics that may affect them in the future, and these play an important part in maintaining very high standards of behaviour. There have been no reported incidents of bullying or pupils being harassed for several years. The school has very good procedures to deal with any such incidents, but has not yet found it necessary to implement them.

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Commentary

9. Subjects, such as religious education, encourage pupils to reflect on why people act and believe in the ways they do. Lessons in personal, social and health education contribute very valuably to pupils’ understanding of what is right and wrong. Pupils join in recycling and environmental projects that help to develop their sense of being part of a larger community, whether as part of the class, school, village or country. Pupils’ cultural development is also encouraged well, both in seeing the cultural diversity of the world and their local area, and in understanding more about the rich cultural heritage within Britain, such as in a recent project about the flags, symbols and the patron saints of the four home countries. There are good topics about cultural practices in other religions, as well as in Christianity. These include learning about aspects of Hinduism through Divali and about Islam through a visit to a mosque.

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Attendance

10. The school’s very good systems ensure that attendance is good and punctuality excellent. Parents and carers are very supportive of attendance and punctuality and ensure children attend school and arrive on time. Parents confirmed strongly that pupils enjoy school so much they do not want to stay away. The following table shows the details of attendance during the past year.

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Attendance

Attendance in the latest complete reporting year %

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Attendance

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data: 5.0 School data : 0.0 National data: 5.4 National data: 0.4 The table gives the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year.

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Attendance

No pupil was excluded from the school during the last year.

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Attendance

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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Attendance

Categories used in the Annual School Census No of pupils on roll Number of fixed period exclusions Number of permanent exclusions White – British 212 0 0 White – any other White background 1 0 0 Mixed – any other mixed background 1 0 0 Asian or Asian British – any other Asian background 1 0 0 Parent/pupil preferred not to say 5 0 0 The table gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded. Orchard C of E Primary School

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The quality of education provided by the school is satisfactory. Teaching and learning are good in the Foundation Stage and in Years 1 and 2 and satisfactory elsewhere with good features.

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Teaching and learning

Teaching and learning are satisfactory overall. Procedures for assessing pupils’ attainment are good .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teachers encourage pupils well in their work and pupils respond by working hard • Teaching in the reception classes and in Years 1 and 2 is consistently good • Teachers have good expertise in many subjects • Pupils are not given enough help to improve in their work • High-attaining pupils are often set tasks that are too easy for them and they do not learn as much as they could • The school’s procedures for assessing pupils’ attainment across all subjects are good

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Commentary

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 42 lessons

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Commentary

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very poor

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Commentary

0 (0%) 5 (12%) 19 (45%) 18 (43%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) The table gives the number of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons; figures in brackets show percentages.

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Commentary

11. Although good lessons were seen in all year groups, teaching and learning were more consistently good in the Foundation Stage and in English, mathematics, science and ICT in Years 1 and 2. All teachers are successful in their management of behaviour during lessons. Pupils are responsive to their teachers, behave excellently and carry out their work quietly without disturbing others. This contributes to the efficient use of teaching time.

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Commentary

12. Pupils are encouraged effectively in their work. The level of encouragement is such that it gives pupils the confidence to keep working on the tasks they are set. In many lessons teachers receive good help in this from teaching assistants. This additional assistance in classrooms helps groups of pupils, especially those with special educational needs, make good progress and achieve well.

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Commentary

13. Many teachers have good subject expertise in a number of subjects, such as literacy, numeracy, science, ICT and music. This enables them to answer questions that pupils ask and helps them to deepen their learning in certain topics in these subjects.

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Commentary

14. Teachers set interesting tasks for homework in a number of subjects. Pupils often enjoy the range of tasks set for them at home. Many homework tasks develop pupils’ thinking from the work they have been doing in class and this helps them consolidate their learning well.

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Commentary

15. The teaching of children in the reception class is consistently good. The reception class teachers have a good understanding how children of this age learn and expect them to achieve at levels appropriate for their capabilities. Many interesting activities are planned for children in reception and they make good progress and achieve well as a result. Literacy and number Orchard C of E Primary School skills are taught well. Teaching assistants and the nursery nurse are used very well in the reception class.

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Commentary

16. Assessment procedures are good overall. The school assesses standards in all subjects against National Curriculum levels and uses the information well to identify pupils who are under-performing. These pupils have additional support in literacy and numeracy. The school also analyses systematically the national test results and finds patterns in pupils’ performance. However, pupils do not consistently know what they will learn about in lessons or how they can improve their work. Marking of pupils’ work is carried out conscientiously. However, pupils are not told well enough what is good about their work of how they might improve it.

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Commentary

17. High-attaining pupils are sometimes set work that is too easy for them. This is especially the case in subjects such as science and ICT where the range of ability within mixed-age classes is very wide. A few teachers find it very difficult to set tasks that match the abilities of all the groups of pupils in these classes in these subjects. As a consequence, it is often the high- attaining pupils who are left to work on their own on tasks they can do rather than on tasks that are matched to their abilities and that help them think and solve problems.

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The curriculum

The curriculum is good . The school provides a good range of additional activities for pupils. Staffing and accommodation are good and resources satisfactory .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils with special educational needs are very well provided for • The curriculum is supplemented by a good range of additional clubs, visits and visitors to the school • The accommodation provides a good, stimulating and pleasant learning environment

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Commentary

18. Most pupils, irrespective of their gender or special educational need, have good access to all subjects throughout the school, including outside activities and educational visits. The school provides a satisfactory range of activities for pupils. All subjects of the National Curriculum and religious education are taught as required by statute and good provision is made for pupils’ personal, social and health development. The curriculum is good in the Foundation Stage.

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Commentary

19. Pupils with special educational needs take part enthusiastically in all lessons, with work that is planned especially for them. Their progress is conscientiously monitored by staff, and future lessons are planned carefully to take their recent progress into account.

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Commentary

20. The school provides pupils with many good activities that extend the curriculum. These include clubs such as art, drama and French, and sporting activities that include athletics cricket, football, rugby, rounders, gymnastics and netball. Pupils go on well-planned and organised visits to places of historical or scientific interest as part of their lessons, and visitors often come into school to talk and demonstrate their skills, or to lead school assemblies.

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Commentary

21. The new building provides luxurious accommodation for the youngest pupils who are thoroughly enjoying and are very proud of their new surroundings. The new ICT suite is well equipped and is used well. The building is kept clean and the whole school is very well maintained. This is a great credit to the hard work and dedication of the premises officer and his team. Resources are satisfactory overall. Orchard C of E Primary School

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Care, guidance and support

The care and welfare of pupils is very effective. The school provides good support, advice and guidance for pupils, based on the monitoring of their achievements and personal development. Pupils’ views are valued and taken into account well when decisions are made.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils are very well cared for and this helps to make them feel happy, secure and confident to achieve their best • The induction of new pupils is excellent; individual arrangements are made to help pupils settle down quickly and enjoy school life • Procedures for child protection and health and safety are good • Pupils feel their views are heard well

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Commentary

22. The school cares well for pupils and this reflects the Christian values that permeate school life. This caring culture is seen at its best when pupils with a range of medical and other complex needs are helped on an individual basis to take part fully in the activities provided by the school. Care for pupils who are ill at school is good. Pupils respond to and copy these high levels of care well. They help their classmates happily, often without being prompted to do so by an adult. Pupils confirmed how much they valued the excellent relationships they have with staff. They felt that they would always have someone to turn to if they ever needed to. 23. Teachers monitor pupils’ personal development well. As a result, they know their pupils well and help them with any difficulties they might have. The school monitors pupils’ academic achievement systematically and sets targets for future learning in English and mathematics.

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Commentary

However, pupils do not know well enough how to improve their work because marking is unsatisfactory overall.

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Commentary

24. Parents are delighted at how quickly their children settle into school and master the daily routines of the reception class. This is because the reception class is well organised and managed and the procedures are well known to the children. Teachers and the nursery nurse stress the importance of these routines when children first join reception and this enables them to learn them quickly.

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Commentary

25. Pupils feel that they have a ‘voice’ in school through the school council and in the ways that their teachers listen to and respect their views. Many good ideas for improving aspects of school life have been put forward by pupils to the staff. Pupils were pleased that more playtime equipment was bought at their suggestion. They also like sharing their thoughts in lessons in personal, social and health education where they talk openly to their teachers.

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Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

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

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school works very closely with parents in looking after their children very well and in supporting their learning • Parents appreciate the high quality information they are provided on their children’s progress • Arrangements for transferring pupils to secondary school are very good

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Commentary

Orchard C of E Primary School 26. The school’s partnership with parents is based on mutual trust and confidence that both have an important part to play in the development of pupils. Information about pupils’ learning and how they can be helped at home with their work is communicated very well to parents by the school. This joint approach in helping pupils works very well. School reports are very good and give parents a detailed and very personalised picture of their children’s progress and areas for improvement. The governors’ annual report and school prospectus are well-written and provide parents with useful information about the school.

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Commentary

27. Many parents help in school on a voluntary basis and provide good quality support for teachers in reading and other classroom activities. Parental support for the wide range of out-of-school activities is very good. The parents’ association is very active in helping the school and organises many activities, some of which involve the local community. Parents’ views are taken into account seriously by the school and parents appreciate this.

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Commentary

28. There are particularly strong links with the local church. For example, local clergy regularly take part in collective worship and this helps to promote pupils’ spiritual development. Links with external agencies, such as the educational psychologist, to help pupils with special educational needs are good. The local police, fire brigade and school nurse make useful contributions to aspects of pupils’ personal, social and health education.

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Commentary

29. The school works well in close co-operation with other local schools. The very good links with secondary schools ensure that pupils transfer to them efficiently and settle in quickly. The ‘taster days’ when pupils spend a day being taught lessons in one of the secondary schools is a particularly useful initiative to help pupils become used to a secondary school. Links with other schools also ensure that pupils receive continuity in their learning. Local schools also share resources well from time to time to help each other out.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Overall, the leadership and management of the school are good . The governance of the school is good . The leadership of the school by the headteacher is very good and by subject co-ordinators is good .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The headteacher has created very good relationships amongst the whole school community • Governors have a good understanding of their school but they do not analyse performance data well enough • Financial management is efficient and ensures that the day-to-day administration of the budget is managed well

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Commentary

30. The headteacher and senior management team involve staff, parents, governors and pupils in decision-making and because of this, staff work together effectively as a team for the benefit of pupils. As a result, many pupils are achieving well, especially in the Foundation Stage and in Years 1 and 2. In developing the school’s vision, the headteacher consulted widely, including parents at the governors’ annual meeting with them. The school has a clear vision that guides its work well. This vision is that all pupils are valued and included in all aspects of school life. Senior managers and subject co-ordinators share this vision and work well together for the benefit of pupils. Overall, the standards of leadership and management have been maintained since the last inspection.

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Commentary

31. The management of the school is good and this has resulted in standards at the end of Year 6 rising in mathematics; the school identified that standards in mathematics were too low and Orchard C of E Primary School was successful in devising plans to raise these standards. However, standards in English at the end of Year 6 dipped last year. This is because the school has focused on raising standards in mathematics and not in English at a time when there was a large number of pupils with special educational needs in this year group. The school is aware of this and has a plan to improve standards in English this year.

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Commentary

32. Curriculum co-ordinators support each other well and monitor standards and teaching and learning in their subjects well. The school gathers a considerable amount of data about pupils’ standards. This is analysed and sound judgements are made about how well pupils are achieving in all subjects. Subject co-ordinators monitor teaching in their subjects. This helps them to identify the strengths and weaknesses within subjects and develop a plan to correct any weaknesses. The management of pupils with special educational needs is good. The co- ordinator has established good procedures for identifying the special needs of these pupils and good support is provided by the school to help to meet them.

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Commentary

33. The governing body has a good understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. They receive good quality information about the school from the headteacher, and they also visit the school regularly themselves. Using their knowledge about aspects of the school, they discuss and challenge staff well about the decisions they have made or about their proposals for changes. This provides good support for the school because staff are able to see different aspects of their work; governors bring a different perspective to decisions made or proposed changes to current practice. Governors played a major role in obtaining new accommodation for the younger pupils.

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Commentary

34. Staff are well equipped to do their job by the efficient day-to-day management of the school. They believe that their performance is judged fairly and that this helps them improve as teachers. Pupils benefit from this because the targets set for the further training of teachers are usefully linked to the school’s priorities. Teaching assistants who work with pupils with special educational needs are very well trained for their roles and do a particularly good job. All new staff are inducted well into their new jobs.

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Financial information

35. The budget is linked closely to the school’s priorities. Funds are used prudently to enable pupils to learn in a comfortable environment. The school’s financial management systems accurately check the school’s spending. Information about spending is easily obtained from the computer and this helps to guide further budget decisions. The high carry forward from the 2002-03 budget is to allow the school gather funds for further capital projects. The school was praised for its financial systems in the local authority’s audit report. It has fully implemented the few suggestions made by the auditors on that occasion. Resources for subjects are satisfactory.

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Financial information

Financial information for the year April 2002 to March 2003

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Financial information

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 418,957 Balance from previous year 21,910 Total expenditure 348,958 Balance carried forward to the next 69,999 Expenditure per pupil 1,586.17

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Financial information

36. The school has a good capacity to improve further. Leadership and management are good and there is high morale amongst staff. A clear direction has been established for the school and all pupils benefit from this. Teaching and learning are satisfactory and often good. The school monitors its performance well overall. These are the foundations necessary for further improvements in standards. Orchard C of E Primary School

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AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Provision in the reception class is good and children achieve well .

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AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

37. Overall, attainment on entry is below average. Children start school with below average standards in their personal and social development and in language development and average standards in other areas of learning. Over the past few years, attainment on entry has been declining. Staff assess well the attainment of children, and use this information very well when deciding how to teach them.

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AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

38. Foundation Stage staff work very well as a team. The reception class is taught well by both teachers. The nursery nurse provides very good help for the reception teachers. Children know the staff well and relate well to them. The staff know the children very well, and they have a very pleasant and positive approach to the children and to their parents.

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AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

39. Teaching in the Foundation Stage is consistently good. It is well planned and imaginative. Interesting activities are provided for children to learn new things. National guidance for the planning of lessons is used well. Leadership and management of the Foundation Stage are very good. Pupils have an excellent introduction to the school. Well before they are admitted, the headteacher spends about an hour with each child and their parents, getting to know their expectations of school. In later meetings, parents meet the headteacher and chair of governors for an explanation about uniform, curriculum, staff, and so on, whilst the children spend time in the reception class. During this time, they make a model or picture, such as a name plate for their intended cloakroom place. They take home a booklet to complete about themselves, and also a booklet explaining about the reception class, illustrated by pupils from the previous year.

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AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Later, children and their parents come into the reception class together, and parents have a good opportunity to talk to staff informally. They receive a booklet and have meetings about the best ways of helping children with reading at home. The actual start is staggered, with half the children coming in for mornings and lunch, and the others in the afternoons. This is reversed the following week, and then everyone is in for the third week onwards. New posters each week tell parents what their children will be doing, and photographs of recent activities are displayed to keep parents informed about what their children are doing. Children with special educational needs receive good help in the Foundation Stage. Improvement since the last inspection has been good .

p.16

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

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

p.16

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching is very good • Children achieve very well because staff put a considerable amount of effort into this area, especially when pupils first join the class • Children learn to sit together well, take turns, play together and listen carefully to what is being said to them and carry out independent tasks well • By the end of reception, children reach the standards that are expected for their age and are well prepared for the move to the higher classes

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Commentary

40. Staff concentrate on teaching children to behave well and take part with others. They are successful in this and children achieve very well. Standards on entry are below average, but, Orchard C of E Primary School through very good teaching, they are average when children enter Year 1. Children enjoy coming to school. Most soon learn where to hang their coats, and put away their lunch boxes, hats and gloves. They happily find a book and look at it, or chat with friends before lessons begin. They do this because of the very good opportunities teachers give children to learn in this area. Staff have clear expectations of how children should behave, and routines are made very clear to them from the start. Children sit together very well and listen carefully to what is being said to them. They help each other in group activities, such as finding cards with ‘their word’ on them, or when putting on their coats at playtime. Children soon learn not to shout out,

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Commentary

and to share their toys and other equipment properly. They are rewarded for good achievement and receive certificates for ‘having a good go’ at activities, or listening carefully, or speaking in front of the class, for example. Class discussions with the ‘Proud Penguins’ (to show who is allowed to speak), and other group conversations are very beneficial in helping children to understand more about playing together, being kind, and trusting each other.

p.17

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Provision for children’s communication, language and literacy development is good .

p.17

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching in this area is good and children achieve well • Staff are very successful at improving children’s ability and willingness to listen to what is said to them, and to speak in turn

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Commentary

41. Attainment on entry is below average, but, through good teaching, most children achieve well and reach the standards expected in their language development by the end of reception. Teaching and learning are consistently good, especially in the well-focused literacy lessons that are led by the different staff in turn. Children learn to speak to each other in a friendly way and they listen carefully to what their friends are saying to them. They learn to take their turn and do not shout in class discussions. They are given many opportunities to practise and develop further their speaking and listening skills. Children learn to read a small selection of words, recognise their own names, and look at books to make up stories about the pictures. In writing, children copy letters and words, sometimes to do with their big book topic, such as the ‘Bear Hunt’. Much of the work is based on a weekly topic from a big book such as this. The

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Commentary

work includes activities such as counting different coloured bears, making and decorating gingerbread bears, drawing and printing teddy bears, weighing a selection of teddy bears and listening to several different stories about bears.

p.17

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision for mathematical development is satisfactory.

p.17

Main strengths and weaknesses

• By providing children with a wide range of activities, staff teach number skills satisfactorily

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Commentary

42. Teaching and learning are satisfactory. Staff provide children with many good opportunities to count in different ways, including number songs and rhymes. In addition, children are taught in lessons that are directly aimed at improving their number skills. Staff encourage children well and they achieve well in each activity. In these lessons, children who are not working with adults have a choice of other, similar activities in which to take part. However, sometimes, too many activities are provided for these children and they do not concentrate enough on any one of them. This slows down their learning and leads to the judgement that teaching and learning Orchard C of E Primary School in this area are satisfactory rather than good. Children enter reception with average attainment for their age. Their achievement is satisfactory and most reach the standards expected by the end of reception.

p.17

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Provision for the development of children’s knowledge and understanding of the world is satisfactory .

p.18

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children enjoy the many activities that are planned for them

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Commentary

43. Children learn well in lessons, and they achieve satisfactorily. They reach the standards expected of them by the end of reception. Teaching is satisfactory. Activities are well planned, and children take part in them enthusiastically. One of the most popular lessons involves computers and almost all children learn to use a computer mouse skilfully. Using the mouse they make pictures and patterns, turn pages and listen to a story from an electronic book. Children have recently made models of bears as part of their topic and have made other models and puppets in the recent past. These indicate that they are developing their skills of designing models satisfactorily. As part of the same topic, they have also had tasting sessions of porridge and marmalade, and some children spoke enthusiastically about these. Their visits to the wildlife area increase their understanding of seasonal cycles of life well, such as the

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Commentary

growth of tadpoles, and the falling of autumn leaves. Children are taught about aspects of Christianity through festivals, such as Christmas.

p.18

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision for children’s physical development is good .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Most children have good physical co-ordination for their age. They take part sensibly and enthusiastically in a range of games, exercises and play activities. However, many have below average skills in holding pencils and crayons when they first join the school. • Staff use well the large apparatus in the hall and the outdoor play equipment.

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Commentary

44. Good teaching and learning help children achieve well and reach the nationally expected standards by the time they enter Year 1. Physical education lessons are well planned, allowing children to warm-up well and cool down at the end of exercise. Activities such as walking, running, hopping and skipping are planned and these provide children with good opportunities to change direction and speed as they move. Children listen to instructions from their teachers carefully and follow them well. They take part well in dances, role-play activities and games. In the outside play area, they use ride-on buggies, scooters and hand-propelled chairs with increasing confidence. This helps them to cooperate with each other. Teachers and the nursery nurse guide children well as they move on larger toys and when teaching them in physical education lessons. They also provide them with many good opportunities to help them

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Commentary

control their pencils and crayons better. For example, children develop their control of smaller equipment well by being given opportunities to play with small apparatus such as Lego or by working with materials such as playdough. Children’s hand co-ordination is below average when they first come to the school, and in the early days, many children cannot hold a felt tip pen or pencil properly or form letters neatly. Through colouring, drawing and practising forming letters, their skills in this area improve well. Orchard C of E Primary School

p.18

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Provision for children’s creative development is satisfactory .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Lessons are planned well to include many different aspects of creative development and these are often linked to other areas of learning.

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Commentary

45. Children achieve satisfactorily in this area and the teaching is sound. Most reach the standards expected by the end of reception. Children learn a good variety of songs and rhymes and they sing them enthusiastically. Some of these are closely linked to mathematics and are songs that encourage children to count. Children begin to play musical percussion instruments and use them well to join in with different songs. Teachers provide children with good opportunities to listen to a selection of very different kinds of music. Through this good teaching, children learn that music can be used to portray different moods and feelings. Children are provided with good opportunities to learn to control a paint-brush when making simple pictures, and they also use felt tip pens for drawing, including making drawings of teddy bears which they coloured in with sponge prints. They enjoy explaining what they have drawn and make up

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Commentary

interesting stories about their pictures.

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards of writing are below average in Year 6 • Standards in reading are above average in Years 2 and 6 • Provision for pupils with special educational needs is good but high-attaining pupils are not always well challenged, especially in writing • Marking does not always inform pupils what is good about their work and what they need to do to improve • English is led well

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Main strengths and weaknesses

46. Pupils achieve well in reading and in speaking and listening, and achievement in writing is satisfactory. Inspection evidence suggests that standards in Year 6 are at nationally expected levels overall. Standards of reading are above those levels, in speaking and listening they are at those levels and in writing they are below those levels. The school provides pupils with extra reading practice for an hour each week and this, coupled with pupils’ love of reading, has helped raise standards. However, pupils, especially those who are high-attaining, are not given enough opportunities to practise their writing skills in other subjects and this has contributed to below average standards in writing. These judgements are similar to the results in the 2003 national tests.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

47. Judgements on standards in Year 2 are different from the 2003 national tests scores because, whilst there are high-attaining pupils in the classes, this group of pupils is not as capable as that of the previous year and they have more ground to make up. Inspection evidence indicates that standards in the current Year 2 class are at nationally expected levels. Standards in reading are above average, whilst standards in speaking and listening and writing are average. For this group of pupils, their achievement is good. Orchard C of E Primary School 48. Pupils with special educational needs achieve well in English. They are taught well by teachers and their teaching assistants. The individual programmes of work set for these pupils are good. They indicate clear targets that help them make the necessary small steps in their learning. Teaching assistants are particularly skilled in working with these pupils because they

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

have been trained well by the school. However, high-attaining pupils are not challenged enough in English. This is reflected in the Year 6 National Curriculum test results in 2003. These were lower than in previous years because fewer high-attaining pupils achieved the higher level than in the previous two years.

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

49. Teaching and learning are satisfactory overall with good features. The National Literacy Strategy is followed closely and planning is good. Teachers have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour and they also encourage them to do their best. The best lessons provide pupils with stimulating activities. For example, in Year 6 pupils were eager to improve their teacher’s ‘writing’. They showed their teacher that they knew the features of good narrative writing. A lesson on play scripts in Year 4 also used this type of teaching method successfully to attract pupils’ interest. Having read the dull scripts in pairs, pupils enjoyed improving them with stage directions. High-attaining pupils in Years 3 to 6 are sometimes set work that is too easy for them. Although the best marking indicates what is good about pupils’ work and what pupils might do to improve it, this is not always the case.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

50. Leadership of the subject is good. The subject co-ordinator is very experienced and acts as a good role model for staff. She has a clear vision for the subject - every child achieving their potential and improving standards through good teaching. Management is satisfactory. Procedures for analysing data from test results are good. As a result, groups of pupils are identified well for additional programmes of work. However, standards in writing in Year 6 dipped last year when those in mathematics rose. The school has recognised this and taken steps to raise standards in writing this year.

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

51. There has been satisfactory improvement since the last inspection. The National Literacy Strategy has been successfully implemented and assessment procedures are much more thorough than they were. This is a positive picture because pupils’ attainment on entry is declining.

p.20

Language and literacy across the curriculum

52. Pupils have a suitable number of opportunities to use their literacy skills in other subjects but the school does not always plan these well enough to develop pupils’ writing skills. For example, in Years 1 and 2, pupils are often asked to draw pictures in religious education or history lessons rather than consolidate their learning by writing. On the other hand, there are examples of teachers using literacy successfully in other subjects. For example, a Year 6 topic on Ancient Greece was linked well to a study of myths and this helped pupils in their understanding of different writing styles.

p.20

MATHEMATICS

Provision in mathematics is satisfactory .

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• By the end of Year 6 in 2003, pupils’ attainment was above average. This is an improvement from previous years • By the end of Year 2 in 2003, pupils’ attainment was above average and their achievement good • High-attaining pupils do not always make the progress they are capable of • Teaching helps pupils learn well because the same methods of teaching different aspects of mathematics, such as subtraction and long multiplication, are taught consistently in all classes • Lessons are well planned, but do not always allow pupils to solve problems Orchard C of E Primary School • The subject is well managed

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Commentary

53. In 2003, pupils’ attainment at the end of Year 6 was above average. This is an improvement from previous years. Although in 2003 the achievement of Year 6 pupils compared with when they were in Year 2 was below average, a high number of pupils joined the school during Years 5 and 6. The attainment of these pupils was not as high as pupils who had been at the school since they were in Year 2. High-attaining pupils, in particular, do not always make the progress in all lessons they should. Pupils’ achievement in mathematics between Years 3 to 6 is satisfactory. In 2003, pupils in Year 2 attained above average standards and their achievement is good.

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Commentary

54. Teaching and learning are satisfactory with good features. Teachers have a good knowledge of the subject, and they work well with their teaching assistants in helping pupils learn. The approach to teaching some key mathematical skills, such as subtraction and long division, is consistent throughout the school and this helps pupils learn effectively. A good range of resources and equipment is used well in helping pupils understand how to work out sums and problems. Computers are used well in many lessons, particularly when mathematics lessons are held in the new computer suite. All classes are grouped by ability for mathematics, and this helps teachers plan their work at the correct level to help them learn effectively. Low-attaining pupils, including those with special educational needs, have different work provided for them and they are often helped well by teachers and teaching assistants. They achieve well with this

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Commentary

extra help. However, on some occasions, teachers help low-attaining pupils at the expense of high-attaining pupils who are frequently left to work independently at their own pace. Often, they do not finish their work, because if they do, they know that they will be provided with more tasks at the same level. This does not encourage high-attaining pupils to work hard because they often find their work too repetitive. These pupils, in particular, are not given enough opportunities to solve problems.

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Commentary

55. Teachers’ planning is good and follows the National Numeracy Strategy well. However, the introduction to some lessons is too long. The pace of learning is too slow. Whole class teaching is often aimed at the level of the middle ability pupils, and does not provide enough challenge for high-attaining pupils. These pupils are not provided with enough opportunities to solve problems and think hard about their work. Conversely, low-attaining pupils, including those with special educational needs, find some whole-class sessions too difficult. On some of these occasions, teaching assistants are good at overcoming this by explaining individually to these pupils as the lesson progresses.

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Commentary

56. The leadership of mathematics has been effective in raising standards. The subject is well organised and managed. The results from national tests are analysed well and actions taken to correct any weaknesses that may be identified in this way. Teachers are very good at checking how well pupils are progressing in their work. They amend their plans well in response to how effectively pupils are learning. The school now needs to focus on raising standards of high- attaining pupils. There has been satisfactory improvement since the previous inspection.

p.21

Mathematics across the curriculum

57. Overall, mathematics is used well in other subjects. For example, in science, pupils often time their investigations and record their results on charts and graphs. This consolidates their learning effectively in mathematics as well as helping them to carry out work like scientists in science. Lessons in mathematics are regularly held in the ICT suite and this improves pupils’ skills in mathematics as well as those in ICT. Pupils learn to arrange dates in chronological order in history and make repeating patterns using mathematical shapes in art and design. Orchard C of E Primary School

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• In Years 1 and 2, teaching and learning are consistently good and pupils achieve well • The trend of improvement in Year 6 is similar to the national trend • In Year 6, high-attaining pupils are sometimes given work that is too easy for them

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Commentary

58. Although teacher assessment indicates that standards in Year 2 in 2003 were below average, inspection evidence suggests that standards are at nationally expected levels. This represents good achievement in Years 1 and 2. Standards in Year 6 are at expected levels and this represents satisfactory achievement. Nonetheless, some high-attaining pupils do not achieve as much they should because the work set for them is too easy. The achievement of these pupils between Years 2 and 6 was well below average. However, this statement should be treated with caution as twenty-one per cent of pupils in this group joined the school since Year 2, many during Years 5 and 6. Many of these pupils had special educational needs and two had statements. Given these factors, it is not surprising that this group of pupils did not make average progress during the four years since they were in Year 2. In spite of this though, the

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Commentary

trend of improvement of Year 6 pupils during the past four years is similar to that in other schools.

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Commentary

59. Teaching and learning are good in Years 1 and 2 and satisfactory with good features in Years 3 to 6. Relationships between teachers and pupils are very good and this provides a secure environment in which pupils learn. Teachers ask probing questions that encourage pupils to think carefully and learn effectively. They teach pupils well how to make their investigations valid and fair and this helps them learn what it is like to be a scientist. Many practical activities are set and this enables pupils to learn by doing. Good links are made to other subjects, such as mathematics, ICT and speaking and listening and this helps pupils to transfer their learning well from one subject to another.

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Commentary

60. Where teaching is less effective, some high-attaining pupils in Years 5 and 6 in particular are set tasks that are too easy for them. Although the school offers many opportunities for practical and investigative work, pupils are not provided with enough opportunities to carry out these activities themselves. They are too often demonstrated by teachers with pupils watching them. This prevents pupils from learning at first hand how to carry out investigations that are fair and from achieving as much as they could.

p.22

Commentary

61. Leadership and management of the subject are good. Clear guidance is given to teachers about the programme of work to be followed. Standards and teaching are monitored and evaluated well. Procedures for assessing pupils’ progress in the subject are very good. Provision in science is similar to that reported at the last inspection.

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The new computer suite enables pupils to practise what they are being taught well • Good links are made with other subjects • Many teachers and teaching assistants have good expertise with computers and this enables them to teach ICT skills well Orchard C of E Primary School • Leadership and management of the subject are good • Mixed-age classes make the teaching of computer skills very difficult and, as a result, some high-attaining pupils are not set hard enough work

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Commentary

62. Standards attained by pupils in Years 2 and 6 are at nationally expected levels. Pupils’ achievement is satisfactory throughout the school. The new computer suite enables pupils to practise the skills they are being taught until they grasp them. This is a significant feature that is helping pupils improve their computer skills.

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Commentary

63. Teaching and learning are good. Lessons are planned well. Some teachers and teaching assistants have good expertise with computers and this enables them to give skilled help to pupils when they are stuck. This is a significant feature that is helping to raise standards. The new suite has been used for the first time this term. It is enabling the school to teach the National Curriculum in full and to use computers well in the teaching of other subjects. However, in these early days, teachers are not always setting high-attaining pupils hard enough work and they are sometimes not achieving as much as they are capable of. This is because teachers wish to teach all pupils together at the same time. Harder tasks are not being set for high-attaining pupils and these pupils spend much time waiting for their classmates to catch up. Teachers wait until all pupils have grasped the topic being taught before they move on to the next steps and this slows down the learning of many of the high-

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Commentary

attaining pupils. The school is aware of this weakness and plans to correct it as soon as all teachers have enough expertise with the new technology that has been purchased.

p.23

Commentary

64. Leadership and management of ICT are good. The co-ordinator monitors and evaluates standards and teaching well and has drawn up a useful plan of action to improve provision and standards. Procedures for assessing pupils’ attainment are good. Overall, there has been good improvement in provision in ICT since the last inspection.

p.23

Information and communication technology across the curriculum

65. Computers are used well to help learning in other subjects. For example, block graphs and pie charts are used to illustrate findings from investigations in science. This also illustrates how computers are used to help learning in mathematics. Pupils use the Internet to download information about Louis Pasteur and germs in science. They download pictures of Greek vases in history and use email to provide further information for each other in geography. Pupils word process some of their work in English and present it attractively and effectively using different font sizes.

p.23

History

66. No judgement about overall provision in history can be made. Samples of pupils’ work and lesson planning in history were inspected but no lessons were observed. Long-term planning is sound and indicates that sufficient history is taught throughout the school. Pupils’ work indicates that opportunities are missed for pupils to consolidate and use their literacy skills in history lessons.

p.23

History

67. Overall, leadership and management of history are satisfactory. The school has developed sound assessment procedures and the data used from this provides an overview of standards in the subject. Resources have been improved since the last inspection. A useful programme of visits to places of historical interest links work being studied in history to day-to-day life well. Orchard C of E Primary School

p.23

Geography

Provision in geography is satisfactory .

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching is good in Years 3 and 4 • Geography makes a very positive contribution to pupils’ personal development

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

68. Standards in Year 6 are at nationally expected levels. Through their recent ‘In the News’ topic, pupils in Year 6 are becoming more aware of world geography. They accurately identify countries, continents and the main oceans on world maps. They think about why places are where they are and why different peoples behave in different ways depending on their surroundings. Achievement is good. Pupils enjoy geography and generally work hard. No judgement is made about standards and teaching by the end of Year 2 because no lessons were observed and little work from pupils was available because geography had not been taught this half-term.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

69. Overall, teaching is good in Years 3 to 6. In these classes, teachers present work in a lively and interesting manner. For instance, carefully prepared cards with information about an Indian village were given to each pupil. Information was then shared verbally, and this helped pupils develop their speaking and listening skills. Pupils joined in enthusiastically with this exercise and learned well. A similarly effective teaching approach was also used in Year 6 and pupils in this class were also learning well.

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

70. Geography promotes pupils’ personal development well. Pupils discuss moral issues, particularly those associated with the environment. They have a growing awareness of important current issues, such the implications of the increased use of road transport. Pupils benefit both socially and culturally from visits to Whitby and Leicester as part of their work.

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

71. Leadership and management are good. Since the last inspection, the school has improved teaching in geography. National guidance is being used well. Much of the work studied includes interesting topics of local interest. The school’s ECO club provides very good opportunities for pupils to discuss ecological issues. The school has developed sound assessment procedures in geography. These provide the co-ordinator with good information about the standards of geography reached by each class. Sound monitoring of teachers’ planning and pupils’ work ensures that the National Curriculum is being taught in full. The co-ordinator has monitored the teaching of geography throughout the school and drawn up a useful plan of action to improve provision in the subject. Resources have improved and are now satisfactory.

p.24

Religious education

Provision for religious education is satisfactory .

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teachers help pupils to reach expected standards by asking them questions that cause them to think hard, but they do not provide them with enough opportunities to consolidate their learning by writing it down

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

72. Standards in Years 2 and 6 are at the expected levels of the locally agreed syllabus. In Year 2, pupils discuss religious symbols and record some of them satisfactorily. They correctly associate the sign of the fish and the cross with Christianity and the Torah with Judaism. In Year 6, pupils have a sound knowledge of the books of the New Testament. They find passages quickly and easily. They have a satisfactory knowledge of the nativity and read with interest the different accounts in the Bible of the birth of Jesus. They have a sound knowledge Orchard C of E Primary School of Islam and have visited a mosque in Leicester to help them appreciate the similarities and differences between Islam and Christianity. Achievement in religious education is satisfactory.

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

73. Teaching and learning are satisfactory. Teachers have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour and pupils behave well. This creates a good working environment in classrooms. Good questioning of pupils by teachers helps them realise that there are significant differences in the accounts of Jesus’ birth in different sections of the Bible. Teachers encourage pupils well to think beyond the literal text of the Bible and consider the circumstances at the time when different sections of the Bible were written. They learn well how these affected what was being written about Jesus’ birth. Much good learning comes through discussion in Years 1 and 2 but too little is expected of pupils’ abilities in recording their work in books. Too many opportunities are missed to improve pupils’ writing skills in religious education.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

74. Improvement since the last inspection is satisfactory. Assessment procedures are good and provide useful information about standards. The co-ordinator has monitored teaching of religious education throughout the school and produced a useful plan to improve provision. Resources have been improved since the last inspection. Leadership and management of the subject are satisfactory.

p.25

Art and design and Design and technology

75. Insufficient evidence was available during the inspection to form judgements about provision in these subjects. A discussion was held with the co-ordinator of these subjects and samples of pupils’ work were inspected.

p.25

Art and design and Design and technology

76. The school teaches all aspects of art and design and design and technology, paying good attention to the process of designing, making and evaluating. For example, pupils in Years 3 and 4 designed a model that would move with the aid of compressed air. After making their models, they then evaluated how they could have made them better. Sketchbooks show that pupils try out different ideas before they complete their pictures and then they indicate how they could have improved their work. This helps pupils improve their skills for the next time.

p.25

Art and design and Design and technology

77. Leadership and management of these subjects are good. The co-ordinator of these subjects monitors standards and teaching well. All year groups have been observed teaching art and design this term and some lessons in design and technology have also been monitored. Teachers assess the standards that pupils achieve in these subjects against National Curriculum levels at the end of each year. The co-ordinator has analysed this data and produced a useful report for the headteacher that indicates standards being achieved in each class in each of these subjects. Any weaknesses in the standards identified by this monitoring are then included in a useful action plan for these subjects.

p.25

Music

78. Insufficient evidence was available during the inspection to form judgements about provision in music. Discussions were held with the subject co-ordinator and two lessons were observed.

p.25

Music

79. Pupils sing tunefully in lessons and during assemblies. They listen carefully to sounds made by human voices and identify some of their features, such as whether there is one voice or more, or whether the sounds are made for pleasure or for instruction. Most pupils achieved well in the lessons observed because the teaching was very good. The teachers had good subject expertise and taught with confidence. This helped pupils to increase in their confidence when answering questions and trying out sounds of their own.

p.25

Music

80. The leadership and management of music are satisfactory. The school bases its work in music on a commercial scheme that provides good help for teachers who are non-specialists Orchard C of E Primary School to teach all aspects of the subject. The subject co-ordinator has begun to monitor standards and teaching in music and this is providing the school with useful information that can be used to raise standards in music.

p.25

Physical education

81. No judgements were made about provision in physical education. Discussions were held with the subject co-ordinator and three dance lessons were observed.

p.26

Physical education

82. Standards in the dance lessons seen were above expected levels and pupils achieved well in them. Teachers provided interesting activities for pupils that built effectively upon the skills they already had. These lessons were well planned and pupils well managed. Pupils responded positively to this and behaved well. They took part enthusiastically in the activities provided for them.

p.26

Physical education

83. The leadership and management of physical education are satisfactory. National guidance for physical education is used well. The subject co-ordinator has begun to monitor standards and teaching in physical education.

p.26

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

84. Provision for personal, social and health education is good. Good lessons were observed during the inspection on being aware of the dangers of some drugs. Visitors to the school, such as the nurse, police and fire service, make useful contributions to this subject. Lessons and class discussions cover important topics well, such as safety at home and on the streets, our own growth, healthy eating, recycling and environmental issues. They also include aspects of citizenship, such as being part of a community, individual rights and responsibilities and how the country is governed. Often, these are taught well in topics in a range of subjects, such as science, geography and physical education. As a result of the good teaching and the good range of topics covered, as well as the overall expectations of staff, pupils achieve well in their personal and social development. Orchard C of E Primary School

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The overall effectiveness of the school 4

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

p.27

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities 2

Attendance 3 Attitudes 1 Behaviour, including the extent of exclusions 1 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2

p.27

The quality of education provided by the school 4

The quality of teaching 4 How well pupils learn 4 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 3 How well the school seeks and acts on pupils’ views 3 The effectiveness of the school’s links with parents 2 The quality of the school’s links with the community 3 The school’s links with other schools and colleges 2

p.27

The leadership and management of the school 3

The governance of the school 3 The leadership of the headteacher 2 The leadership of other key staff 3 The effectiveness of management 4

p.27

The leadership and management of the school 3

Inspectors make judgements on a scale: excellent (grade 1); very good (2); good (3); satisfactory (4); unsatisfactory (5); poor (6); very poor (7).

p.27